New camera recommendations?

[Magnum Sherpa]

I’m headed to Africa in June for a 2-week trip, and I expect to take a lot of pictures. It got me thinking that I might want to invest in a camera. I have an iPhone 14, and they definitely take amazing pictures for a phone camera. I’m wondering if I might get better picture quality from a dedicated camera, especially if I plan to have some bigger prints made?

I’m not much of a photographer, so my knowledge is pretty limited. I know there are some members here with amazing photography skills who I’m hoping will give their opinions. My hope is to get something relatively compact so I’ll actually carry it. My budget is around $1000 - I’d like to keep it there so I can spend more on trophy fees on my trip.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Wrong Burgundy]

I’m headed to Africa in June for a 2-week trip, and I expect to take a lot of pictures. It got me thinking that I might want to invest in a camera. I have an iPhone 14, and they definitely take amazing pictures for a phone camera. I’m wondering if I might get better picture quality from a dedicated camera, especially if I plan to have some bigger prints made?

I’m not much of a photographer, so my knowledge is pretty limited. I know there are some members here with amazing photography skills who I’m hoping will give their opinions. My hope is to get something relatively compact so I’ll actually carry it. My budget is around $1000 - I’d like to keep it there so I can spend more on trophy fees on my trip.

Thanks for any advice.

For a truly powerhouse compact camera that you will actually carry and use, I would recommend the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII. It is a bit over the $1,000 range, but it packs a ton of features into a small camera. It has a 24-200mm lens, so you do get some decent up close and zoom capabilities and has a very fast autofocus feature, and good video quality.

Another good choice is the Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II. Either one is very "pocketable" in size, and have plenty of options to capture more than an iPhone.

Post up the pics when you get back!

 

[Don Fischer]

Are you going for the photography or something else? If your going for photography I'd say get a good DSLR and a couple good len's! If your going for something else simply get a decent Point and Shoot and live with it. This is only gonna be a two week trip but not primarly photo trip simply get a decent point and shoot and go for it. For just two weeks you don't need a $1000 camera. I have an S6900 Nikon that did nice photo's for about a year. Cost me something around $300. Had about the same in a P&S Canon that also lasted about a year, nice photo's. If you want 16x20 photo's go with a DSLR and a couple good lens!

 

[VikingsGuy]

In Africa, you are going to want a lot of "zoom" in your camera. But useful and good-looking pics at high zoom is a problem. As you zoom you get less light into the camera so you need ever more sensitive and sophisticated electronics and optics to render decent pics. And I am talking real optical zoom, not "digital zoom", which is just cropping and expanding which makes for blur. At your price point, I agree with @Wrong Burgundy - the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII is well worth it, and is what I brought on my trip rather than fighting with all the high-end DSLR kit.

 

[bigsky2]

I'm assuming you are going to be taking photos of animals. As stated above, you will want a lot of zoom. I'd recommend a bridge camera, something like a Sony RX10. You can find them under $1000 on ebay. The newer the version of that particular model, the better.

 

[kansasdad]

@Magnum Sherpa
Super important to know your camera before the trip. Auto focus is both a plus and minus. I find it super frustrating trying to take photos of animals in the distance when my auto focus will only focus the foreground. My Nikon 600 has a solid zoom ratio but I have to “trick“ it sometimes to focus on my desired subject.

For a “point and shoot” camera, the Nikon600 is compact, has good telephoto magnification, has HiDef video, decent built in audio, and as a bonus has a view screen that tilts and swings to allow the operator to turn the camera without having to get into awkward positions to see the screen.

Modern cameras come with image stabilization, but if you watch the professionals at work, they use tripods, or some other means of really holding the unit still. Using a window clamp with the camera adapter works great, unless your driver will not turn the car off.

Digital “film” is super cheap. You can’t shoot too much on a safari. Take several big memory cards as backups.

AA battery purchase is almost a given in Africa. AAA not so much.

I always encourage safari travelers to keep written notes/diary of their trip. This helps to walk down memory lane after the trip, and allows you to get down on paper some of the highlights of your day.


EDIT: NikonB500 is my camera model

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

Are you going for the photography or something else?

It’s primarily a hunting trip.

 

[bigsky2]

It’s primarily a hunting trip.

I stand corrected then, a point and shoot like a RX100 would probably fit the bill. I was thinking you were going on a safari. Then again, it might still be nice to have something with some zoom like a RX10 if you are wanting to take pictures of live animals during your hunt.

 

[Don Fischer]

Between a decent point and shoot and a top of the line DSLR in the hands of an amature it will be hard to tell which camera took the finished photo!

 

[elkduds]

Watching this w interest. Any reason not to buy a used Nikon B500 for nonprofessional wildlife and general photography? How does it do in long zoom/low light? Thanks in advance.

 

[kansasdad]

Watching this w interest. Any reason not to buy a used Nikon B500 for nonprofessional wildlife and general photography? How does it do in long zoom/low light? Thanks in advance.

It fits into a smaller Badlands chest pouch along with my rangefinder. So that makes it super easy to carry along with me. The lens will not equal a high end Nikon lens, but is quite good. The macro/low light allows me to take intra-oral dental photos with ease. Anyone can pick it up and start shooting away if they've ever used a point and shoot camera. Easy to hold with one hand, but has the female attachment device to affix it to a tripod.

Not too shabby for what it's listed at...$350 ish new, lower for a "open box" item

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

@mtmiller @Brute

 

[MachineMaker]

Your budget fits a much more versatile camera set up, in my opinion.

For example, a supplementing your regular camera with a camera drone for less than $200 on Amazon could give you a literal birds eye view. These machines are not toys by any means and include functions like autonomous follow-me modes and custom flight path following.

There are also other functions for camera drones. Investing in an FPV (First Person View) drone and perhaps mounting a net ejector on it I could theoretically hunt small game from the comfort of my tent.

 

[buckbull]

what country? plains or dangerous game?

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

what country? plains or dangerous game?

South Africa. I’m doing plains game. My friend (it’s his 2nd trip) is going for a Cape buffalo in addition to some other plains game he didn’t get the first time around.

 

[Don Fischer]

Watching this w interest. Any reason not to buy a used Nikon B500 for nonprofessional wildlife and general photography? How does it do in long zoom/low light? Thanks in advance.

In Africa for photography only I'd concern myself more with the lenses than the camera but the camera should be a DSLR. One of my brother's took his son and son's wife over there for a three week photo's safari. Christopher took his DSLR Canon and a few lenses and most used was something like a 600mm lenses they rented! Got some great photo's of dangerous game they would not have got without the big lense. Something I believe is don't cut corners on equipment. That trip cost my brother something like $65k for three weeks not counting air fare over. Going overseas, especially Africa, is not a trip downtown and most us can't afford it. If you can afford it, don't cut many corners. My nephew had though about buying the long lense then saw the price. Renting one for three weeks was not free but a whole lot less. He's made a couple trips since but for most I think it would be a once in a life thing, DON'T CUT CORNER'S! I have several big prints from there my nepher took and they mean the world to me. Good equipment and the knowledge to use it make all the difference in the world! Good luck on your trip, have a ball. I envey you!

 

[Nick D Simon]

@Magnum Sherpa What did you end up going with?

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

@Magnum Sherpa What did you end up going with?

It turns out I waited too long before my trip to get any of the cameras mentioned at a local store. If I would have ordered one, I would have only had a few days to familiarize myself with it before the trip. So I ended up using my iPhone, and I think the pictures turned out pretty good. I’ll try to get them posted soon.