Safari / Wildlife advice - Multiple Gear upgrade and Shooting advice

[simmography]

Everyone loves multiple tangent questions so I will be brief;

Currently Have a 80D and a 70-200 (the cheap one) and a 1.4 X

I am looking to get more out my wildlife photography, so I am looking at upgrading body;

5div / EOS R for the body (I second shoot weddings rather than 7dmk2 etc)

Canon 100-400 4 - 5.6 II for the lense or the new Sigma 60-600

And a monopod for use in safari style vehicles when I cant get out and use my tripod.
Something like the three legged thing for a monopod or the manfrotto monopod leg and monopod.

Also consideration for the all important gimble on top.

General advice welcome please

 

[AlanF]

Everyone loves multiple tangent questions so I will be brief;

Currently Have a 80D and a 70-200 (the cheap one) and a 1.4 X

I am looking to get more out my wildlife photography, so I am looking at upgrading body;

5div / EOS R for the body (I second shoot weddings rather than 7dmk2 etc)

Canon 100-400 4 - 5.6 II for the lense or the new Sigma 60-600

And a monopod for use in safari style vehicles when I cant get out and use my tripod.
Something like the three legged thing for a monopod or the manfrotto monopod leg and monopod.

Also consideration for the all important gimble on top.

General advice welcome please

I never use a tripod for wild-life photography with the 100-400mm II (or indeed even with a 400mm DO II with a 2xTC) - it slows me down. My shutter speeds are high enough to avoid movement of the bird/animal and the IS of the 100-400mm II is really good and the lens is light. The 60-600mm is much heavier and the weight is at the far end and so it can be tiring. In a safari-style vehicle you can generally rest your lens or elbows on the side of the vehicle to steady yourself in any case. But, YMMV. Be careful of getting out of the vehicle and using a tripod for filming lions.

 

[MrFotoFool]

First I have never been on an African safari (which I assume is what you are doing, though you never state what part of the world your safari is in). However I have done some wildlife photography and have followed African safaris via magazines and books and the like. So here is my advice but I think others who have actually gone will help you more.

MONOPOD: It is my understanding they are not practical in safari vehicles and a bean bag (or similar) to rest your lens on the window is a better option.

LENS: The Canon 100-400ii will be sharper than the Sigmas 60-600.

CAMERA: If you go full frame (5D4 which I use and love) your camera will have less reach than your current crop sensor 80D. Your current setup makes your 70-200 see the equivalent of 320mm on a full frame camera. So if you go 5D4 and 100-400 you are actually not gaining that much reach.

 

[Maximilian]

... have followed African safaris via magazines and books and the like. ...

As far as I've followed books, threads and other information it's a really good and important advice to prepare yourself and get information about your individual trip and locations.
Sometimes 200 mm FL is too much as you can get close to the animals or the location (rain forest) interfere the need of reach.
Sometimes even 600 mm seem not enough.
Daylight, twilight, blue hour or else have a lot of influence on shutter speed and aperture. So when will you be able to shoot?
etc.

So get some more information, read a bit more about safaris in your specific location and then make your decision or ask again with some more information on what you plan, where you go and what you already know.

Whatever you'll find out I hope that you will have a really wonderful trip.
And don't forget to enjoy the moment. That's much more important than even one perfect pic