The Lenses I Always Bring on Safari

Field-tested. Trusted. Non-negotiable.

There’s always something new. A sharper optic, a lighter build, a buzz around some exotic lens drop.

But when it’s time to go—boots in dust, no second chances—these are the lenses that always end up in my bag. Because they work. In real conditions. With real stakes.

Canon RF 100–300mm f/2.8L IS USM
This is the lens I reach for most.
Insane image quality. Fast. Flexible.
Prime-like sharpness across the zoom range, with the extra reach that matters in the field. It lives on my R1, and I trust it completely for moving subjects, fast light changes, and unpredictable situations. A beast with zero compromise.

Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM
The mood lens. The surgical tool.
I don’t bring this to cover range—I bring it to control space. The compression and subject isolation at 2.8 is something else. There’s a poetry to it when used right.
It doesn’t come out all the time, but when it does, it dominates the frame. Great with extenders. A heavyweight, but one with a distinct voice.

Sony 70–200mm f/2.8
This one earned its place—barely.
Even after getting the RF 100–300, I kept bringing the Sony 70–200. Yes, it overlaps. But it’s compact, sharp, and light. And since it sat on the Sony with more resolution, it let me crop deeper when needed. It was my flexible mid-range lens.

That said—next safari, it’s out.
I’m replacing it with the new Sony 50–150mm f/2. Slightly less reach, but faster, brighter, and built for the kind of hybrid storytelling I’m leaning into more and more.

New lenses will come. Specs will impress. But these three (or at least the core two) have proven themselves in real field conditions. That’s the only test that matters.