It depends partly on where you're going. Serengeti and other parks, you're a reasonable distance from the wildlife. The nice thing about the 300 + 2x is that you have the 2x if you need it, but 300 is a good length, and f/2.8 is good when the wildlife is active (dawn/dusk).
If you go to Ngorongoro, the 24-105 will be fine much of the time.
Check out Andrew's shots. Looks like he used the 300f2.8 both with and without the 1.4.Originally Posted by neuroanatomist
Mark
Mark is right - I was using that combination, but usually on a 1D IV for an extra 1.3 crop factor. I also had a 70-200 f/2.8 and 24-70 f/2.8, 17-40 f/4 and 5D II.
I suggest you to take the longest lens you can, but I understand your concerns about weight and airline security. A 24-105 and 100-400 would be a good two-lens solution, with a 1.4 extender (you would lose auto focus capability with a 2x extender on the 100-400).
Some other points to bear in mind:
- Wildlife is most active at dusk and dawn, when the light is poorest. Be prepared to go high with the ISO.
- Dust can be a problem if you are changing lenses or inserting an extender. Two bodies helped me to overcome that issue, but a large zoom range is an alternative solution. Take a sensor cleaning kit.
- 24-105 will be fine for general purpose landscapes on a 5D III. You won't need anything wider. I only took a handful of shots with the 17-40, and most of those were at >24mm. Some of my landscapes (e.g. the herd of wildebeest on the plain) were shot at 420mm.
- Take some binoculars. You need to find the wildlife before you can take pictures of it (unless you are content with pictures of grazing ruminants or sleeping lions)
Have a great trip!
Edit - since you're going to Ngorongoro, you might be able to justify taking a 16-35mm to get a shot of the crater from the rim like this (except your crater will be bigger and have lots of wildlife in it)
Last edited by Andy Stringer; 03-18-2013 at 09:19 PM.
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