By Safari News — Africa Calling Safaris, Partner desk, Nairobi · 15/10/2026
Photographing wildlife on safari poses challenges rarely encountered in city or landscape travel photography: long distances, fast-moving subjects, vehicle vibration, dust and harsh light contrasts. According to Africa Calling Safaris, the single most decisive piece of equipment is a telephoto lens of at least 400mm, since predators and birds are often sighted 80-150 metres away, well beyond the reach of a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. A mirrorless APS-C body adds a 1.5x crop factor, turning a 300mm lens into a 450mm equivalent, while full-frame cameras offer stronger low-light performance but demand longer glass. Useful specifications include a burst rate of 12 frames per second and usable ISO up to 12800.
Client debrief data collected between 2022 and 2024 showed that 78% of travellers citing photography as a main goal found their longest lens inadequate for some sightings, such as Amboseli’s cheetahs or Serengeti leopards. The second most common regret was omitting a beanbag, filled with lentils or rice and carried only in checked luggage, which stabilises a telephoto far better than hand-holding in a moving vehicle.
“The people who come home with extraordinary images are not necessarily those with the most expensive cameras,” said Nikos Pocock, Managing Director of Africa Calling Safaris. “They have a beanbag, a long lens, and have practised aperture-priority mode in low light before arrival.”
Recommended technique includes shutter speeds of at least 1/focal length, RAW shooting, spare batteries and memory cards, dust-proof camera bags, and 150-600mm zooms for birds. Travellers connecting from Tbilisi or elsewhere in Europe should pack lenses and beanbags in checked bags and verify airline weight allowances before departure.
Based on reporting by Safari News, the travel desk of Africa Calling Safaris (Nairobi), GTour’s partner for East Africa. Read the original there.
Been to Georgia? Tell us how it went — the best stories are published here.
Share your tripქართულად: შენი დასვენება
One email a week: what changed for travellers in Georgia — rules, roads, flights, seasons — plus one place worth the trip. Written by the GTour desk, no advertising, unsubscribe in one click.
Planning a trip to Georgia?
GTour runs private tours with English-speaking guides from Old Tbilisi. See all tours or ask the desk on WhatsApp +995 577 416 314.
Source: Safari News — Africa Calling Safaris. Reported by the GTour desk; updated 16 October 2026, 19:00 (Tbilisi).
