GEAR GUIDE: PRIME LENSES VS ZOOM LENSES FOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY ON SAFARI

All Out Safaris
4 days ago
5 min read

When you’re heading on safari, the lens you choose can make a huge difference in how you capture the experience. Two choices are prime lenses and zoom lenses and each has its own strengths depending on your style, budget and what kind of photos you want to come home with.

Prime Lenses

A prime lens is a lens with a fixed focal length, meaning it doesn’t zoom. Instead of changing focal length, you physically move closer or further away from your subject to frame the shot. For example, a 200mm prime always stays at 200mm, no matter what you’re shooting.

Zoom Lenses

A zoom lens covers a range of focal lengths, like 70–200mm or 100–400mm. You can zoom in and out quickly without moving, which is especially useful when animals are moving fast or you’re trying to capture wildlife from a distance.

Prime Lenses: Speed and Sharpness That’s Hard to Beat

Prime lenses are famous for two things: speed and sharpness. Whether you’re shooting with a 200mm, 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, or 600mm prime, the image quality is consistently exceptional. The reason is simple, prime lenses are designed for one focal length, and they often deliver the best performance at that specific range.

Another major advantage of primes is their faster aperture. Most prime telephoto lenses come in wide apertures like f/2.8, f/4, or f/5.6. For example:

200mm, 300mm, and 400mm primes commonly come in f/2.8
500mm and 600mm primes are often f/4
Even 800mm primes can be f/5.6

These faster apertures mean better performance in low light, faster shutter speeds, and cleaner images. Especially on early morning or late afternoon game drives.

We spent a lot of time shooting with a 300mm prime and it remains one of the best telephoto lenses we have ever used. It was incredibly fast, unbelievably sharp, and it made wildlife photography feel effortless. While we haven’t used a 400mm, 500mm, or 600mm prime as much, the quality of those lenses is similarly outstanding.

But the downside is the price. Prime lenses can be extremely expensive. Often $10,000 to $14,000, which is around 200,000 to 300,000 rand. If you have the budget, they’re absolutely worth it. If not, there are still options like renting a lens, which lets you achieve similar results without the huge upfront cost.

You can also find excellent second-hand primes for much better prices, typically around $3,000 to $5,000. The trick is finding a reliable seller and making sure the lens is in good condition.

The main challenge with prime lenses is framing. Because you can’t zoom in or out, you sometimes have to get creative with your positioning and composition. That’s where zoom lenses really shine and we’ll cover that next.

Overall, if you want the fastest, sharpest telephoto performance for safari photography, prime lenses are hard to beat.

Prime Alternatives: More Affordable Options That Still Perform

If you’re looking at prime lenses but don’t want to spend a fortune, there are solid alternatives. You can buy 400mm f/4 or f/5.6 primes and while they don’t offer the same “buttery” background blur or the speed of an f/2.8, they still deliver excellent sharpness, often sharper than a standard zoom lens.

You can also find 300mm and 400mm f/5.6 primes, which are much more affordable and still produce fantastic results. The trade-off is mainly in low-light performance and depth of field, but if you’re shooting in good light (which is common on safari), these lenses can be a smart and budget-friendly way to get prime-level quality.

Zoom Lenses: The Most Versatile Option for Safari Photography

If you want a lens that can handle almost anything on safari, zoom lenses are incredibly hard to beat. We’ve used dozens of different zoom lenses over the years, from short range options like 24–70mm, to classic wildlife workhorses like 70–200mm and long-range zooms such as 100–400mm, 150–600mm, 200–500mm, and 200–600mm.

The biggest advantage of zoom lenses is the range of focal lengths you can cover with a single lens. In a wildlife environment, where animals move fast and unpredictably, this flexibility is invaluable. You can quickly zoom in on a close encounter, then zoom out to capture a wider scene without having to change lenses or move the vehicle.

Premium Zoom Lenses vs Prime Lenses

To compete with prime lenses in sharpness and speed, you need to invest in premium zoom lenses. The best zoom lenses can still be expensive, but they usually don’t reach the same price levels as the top-end prime lenses. The versatility they provide often outweighs the cost for many photographers.

The Zoom Lenses That Stand Out

There are three zoom lenses that consistently stand out as favourites:

1. 70–200

This lens is incredibly versatile. It’s perfect for close encounters, and if the animals are a bit further away, you can still capture beautiful wider shots. A 70–200 is one of the most reliable safari lenses you can own.

2. 24–70mm

Great for wide environmental shots, especially when you want to capture the landscape along with the wildlife. It’s not a traditional wildlife lens, but it’s excellent for storytelling and context.

3. 100–400mm

My favourite zoom lens we’ve ever used. It’s unbelievably versatile. Tight portraits at 400mm, and wide environmental shots at 100mm. When you put it on a full-frame camera, it becomes one of the most flexible wildlife lenses available.

These days, there are even more options: 50–150mm f/2, 200–400mm, 120–300mm, 100–300mm. Many of them in the f/2.8 range, which means they’re sharp and fast.

If You Want One Lens Only…

If you only want one lens and don’t want to carry multiple bodies or lenses, a zoom is the obvious choice. But make sure you get a high-quality one. A 100–400mm or 200–600mm is a great place to start. A 70–200mm can sometimes feel a little short for wildlife if you’re looking for tight portraits, but it’s still extremely useful.

Zoom Lenses Are Still Very Sharp

With modern cameras and good autofocus systems, high-end zoom lenses can produce incredible images. Some of our best photos have been taken with zoom lenses and some of the best with primes. The truth is, both can deliver exceptional results.

Prime vs Zoom: Why Wildlife Photography Demands Versatility

Wildlife photography isn’t like shooting portraits of people. You can’t stage it. Animals move unpredictably, and you rarely get to choose the distance or composition. That’s why many photographers prefer to have both:

A zoom lens on one camera body
A prime lens on another

For example, a 70–200 on one body and a 400mm prime on the other is a classic combination. But it all comes down to your budget and what you want to capture.

The Key Advice: Choose a Good Camera and a Good Lens

If you’re investing in a zoom lens, make sure you also have a high-quality camera body, because zoom lenses benefit greatly from strong autofocus and image stabilisation. Also, try to stick to native-brand lenses if you can:

Sony with Sony
Canon with Canon
Nikon with Nikon

There are excellent third-party lenses, but for wildlife photography, especially if you want one lens that does everything, a native lens often performs best.

Final Verdict on Zoom Lenses

Zoom lenses offer unmatched versatility and can still be incredibly sharp and fast, especially in the high-end range. If you want one lens that can capture a wide variety of wildlife images, a good zoom lens is the best all-round choice.