What’s in my camera bag for a safari in Namibia?

Packing camera gear for a safari is an endless game of balancing the dreamy “what ifs” with the very real weight restrictions and fragility of the gear. I spent months obsessed with the details: what camera bag should I get? Which lens can I afford? Do I need my tripod? How much is this gonna weigh? And my worst nightmare: what if they tell me I need to check my photo gear at the gate?

So if you’re a wildlife photographer heading to Namibia for safari, here’s a peek inside my bag to get an idea of what I packed, what I wish I packed, and what I wish I hadn’t packed for my safari in Namibia.

The camera I used for safari in Namibia

I shot with my Panasonic Lumix S5, a full frame camera (I got a sweet deal on it from the Profusion event in Toronto).

Pros: I love this camera. Captures great video, great images, I like the colour science it has, feels great in my hand.

Cons: the auto focus is not always on point. I got REAL quick at focusing through my lenses and always keep focus peaking on when I shoot (any subject matter). Full frame also means a little more weight and more expensive lenses so I have to be careful.

I will say Panasonic is great about updating software and I have since gotten the Panasonic Lumix S5ii which has improved a ton on the focusing issues.

I also brought my GoPro Hero 8 Black. Look, I love this thing but it let me down hard and wouldn’t turn on while we were in Devil’s Pool in Zambia (worked the rest of the trip. I’m a little bitter)

Q: Do i need an expensive new camera to take epic pictures on safari?

Honestly, no. And if you get a brand new fancy camera that you don’t know how to work and bring it on safari you’re likely going to take worse pictures while you figure out how to use it. 

A friend of mine worked as a safari guide at a private lodge in South Africa for years can pick up almost any brand of camera and knows the operating systems in and out because time and time again people would show up with a brand new camera, have no idea how to use it and get angry they weren’t getting “the shot”, and hand it over to him to get it for them lol.

I saw people out there who just wanted the memories using their smartphone looking through a pair of binoculars getting great views without much fuss. Be realistic about your budget, the kind of photography you want to get on your trip, and how much practice you can put into it.

If you’re bringing a DSLR/mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses, it’s better to invest in the glass than upgrading a body that still works. Sure, there’s new fun tech, but it all comes at a price. I just don’t want you to feel like you won’t capture incredible moments on an older camera

If you have no idea what camera type you need, check out this handy beginner’s guide to get you started

The lenses I brought on safari to Namibia

Sigma 150-600 Sport f5-6.3
This was my most helpful for safari because it gives you the reach you need to get birds and animals far off from the road. Whatever camera system you’re shooting with, you’re going to want something that gives you at least 400 mm of reach (and honestly more is better). You can also look at teleconverters that can 1.5x or 2x the reach of your lens.

Pros

• Zoom lens gave me more flexibility to get what I want
• Fairly reasonably priced consider it’s a full frame lens

Cons

• She’s big (these are the L mount specs which is what I use)
  • 2,100g / 74.1oz. (Tripod socket included) which is over 4.5 lbs
  • 109.4mm × 263.6mm AKA 4.3in. x 10.4in. That is nearly the size of a footlong sub sandwich (I struggle with spatial awareness lol but it’s big)

Panasonic Lumix S 85mm f/1.8 Lens
This handy little prime lens only made an appearance while kicking around the camp. Awesome for portraits, super fast, fairly compact.

If I needed to cut down on weight I would have left her behind though. She’s not particularly helpful for safari (but great for lifestyle and moments before and after)

Panasonic LUMIX S 20-60mm f3.5-5.6
This was my camera kit lens. It’s reliable, fairly small, and good for landscapes or days in the city/dinners. Not as fast as the 85 prime, but being a zoom it gives you the flex that I find particularly helpful while traveling.

Rokinon 14mm f2.8
I got this second hand from e-Bay so I could try and use it for some night sky photography and honestly… I shoulda left it at home. It’s fine, but there’s no auto focus and always has a bit of vignetting.

Taking care of your gear on safari

Being on safari can expose your gear to things that they’re usually pretty safe from otherwise. And since gear isn’t free, it’s important to keep space in the bag for things to protect and clean your gear… especially from all the sand.

What I packed

• A Lenspen: great little tool to wipe all the grimy fingerprints off your lens (it happens to everyone)
• A lens blower thing – changing lenses is a dangerous game around all that sand. This can help get a piece of sand out of the sensor (because it can be damaging and ruin your shots if there’s something stuck there)
• A cheap makeup brush: I used this to carefully brush the body of the camera after being in the desert or if it was a particularly dusty day on safari. Don’t use this on the glass!
• Microfibre cloth
• My boyfriend brought a lens cleaning solution and lens wipes which were super helpful

Things I considered but didn’t pack

• A camera rain cover: I went to Zimbabwe and Namibia during dry season and we only had a few mm of rain while we were there but a rain cover can also help protect from sand
  • If you’re going on safari on shoulder season or rainy season I’d highly recommend getting one of those

The accessories and extras I packed

• Polarizing filters for my 20-60 + 150-600 to cut down on glare
• 4 batteries (you never know)
• My regular camera charger
• A car adaptor camera charger
• 2 memory cards (128mb and a 256mb)
• An SSD drive/laptop to back the photos up on 
• A rubber band (surprisingly helpful and always in my camera bag)
• A tripod
  • This one is interesting because oftentimes while ON safari you don’t bring one with you. In Etosha you can’t get out of the vehicle so you can’t set it up. If you’re on a game drive with a driver there’s not always room to set it up
  • But it is helpful at nightime watering holes in Etosha or if you’re interested in night sky photography while at camp.
  • I’m on the fence if I’d bring it on my next safari

Things I’m glad I packed for my safari in Namibia

• Camera (duh)
• Sigma 150-600 mm
• Polarizing filters
• Lenspen 
• All the extra batteries

Things that were good but not necessary

• Lumix 85mm –  Loved taking the pics around camp, but an easy thing to lose if I needed to cut weight
• Tripod – didn’t get as much use out of it. Helpful, but mine isn’t super lightweight. 
• GoPro – I’m not a vlogger and it shut down in the one place it would have been such a hero. It’s fun to play with but we used it mostly while we drove so not mega important if you need to cut weight
• Car adapter camera charger – helpful but ultimately I had enough batteries and all my lodging had at least some access to charging so I would have been fine (but hindsight is 20/20)

Things I wish I left behind

• Rokinon 14mm. Fun to play around with but didn’t really deliver

The bag I picked for my safari in Namibia

This one is gonna be controversial. I didn’t actually get a “bag” per say. I got a Peak Design Travel cube in size large and connected a shoulder strap using carabiners. Not exactly the suggested use but it did work really well for me and my partner on our trip.

Pros

• Fit into all the carry on size requirements for all of our flights (remember to check your flights before you go because they may differ)
• Padded enough that things felt protected
• Super easy to organize and get what you needed during a self-drive 
• Fit all my gear as well as some of my boyfriend’s gear like his 100-400 mm lens (GoPro went in another bag)
• Flexible for future trips
• Great warranty (which maybe I voided with my little DIY there who knows)
• Not flashy (no big logos to draw attention, just looks like a black messenger bag)

Why didn’t I just get a bag?

Mostly, I like being difficult. But realistically, since my trip was a self-drive, there wasn’t really a bag that hit all the marks.

The trekking super protective style bags like the Shimodas (which I want one day) are too big for the carry on restrictions and there’s no world where I would check my gear.

The camera backpacks were often super pricey (for me), heavy, or just wouldn’t fit all the stuff I was bringing. That 150-600 mm dictated a lot of my choices.

So that’s what’s in my bag for a safari in Namibia

Leave a comment and let me know what you’re packing in your camera bag for your safari.