If you want to capture memorable wildlife photos of your African safari that you'll be happy to show to friends and family, you'll need a telephoto lens to magnify the subject and pull it closer, in the same way you'd use binoculars to enlarge your subject. (See Safari Pictures Selection for examples).

In the film era, to get this right you needed a fairly fancy SLR (single lens reflex) camera that allowed you to attach a telephoto lens - for example a 70 to 210mm zoom or, preferably, even something more powerful. But bigger lenses, like 300mm or 400mm telephotos, can be very expensive.

Now, thanks to rapid advances in digital camera technology, that's all changed - no longer do you need an SLR body with a selection of costly lenses to capture high quality pictures of wildlife.

Today there's a wide range of compact or fixed-lens (also called "point-and-shoot") digital cameras fitted with potent zoom lenses. And here I use the term "compact" to differentiate these cameras from single lens reflex cameras that have interchangeable lenses. Because of the huge zoom range these compacts offer - typically 12x, 18x and even 20x or more magnification - they're usually quite a lot bigger than the standard, slim compact one associates with the name.

For example, the recently announced Sony HX1 "super-zoom" camera features a 20X zoom range that's the equivalent of 28mm to 560mm on a 35mm camera. The Olympus SP-590UZ provides an even greater range with its 26x zoom, equal to a 26-676mm zoom. Now imagine what it would cost to get that sort of lens range if you were using an SLR camera (whether film or digital). Tele lenses in the 500mm to 600mm range cost thousands of dollars!

But in most cases you won't even need such extreme zoom capabilities when taking safari pictures.

Affordable Wildlife Cameras

A camera like Canon's Powershot SX110 IS is fitted a with 10x zoom lens (36-360mm equivalent) that is image stabilized (see more on this feature below). It has a large 3.0-inch LCD screen, a 9-megapixel sensor, is powered by AA batteries and costs a little over $200.

With this sort of camera you can take scenic pictures (with the lens set to wide angle), while also being able to zoom in on wildlife that's some distance away. It's also lighter and more compact than some of its bigger super-zoom cousins, 9 megapixels is more than enough to make 10" x 12" or even bigger enlargements, and the price won't break the bank.

While standard compact cameras, usually fitted with something like a 3X zoom lens (about 35-105mm), are good for all-round travel and holiday pictures, they don't offer sufficient magnification to capture exceptional wildlife photos.

Should you be limited to a camera like this on safari, you can still get some excellent shots of larger animals like elephant and giraffe or possibly herds of antelope, zebra, or buffalo. You could even be lucky enough to come across a pride of lions on a kill near to your vehicle.

Herd of zebra at waterhole, taken with lens zoomed to 105mm, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.

Chances are you'll also return home with some great scenic shots that capture the look and feel of the location.

Best Time for Wildlife Photography

In Africa, the best time to visit game reserves is during winter when there's less vegetation so the animals are more visible. You can capitalize on this by emphasing the winter colors, when the grass is a golden brown, leaves have turned yellow and the sky is deep blue – a great recipe for eye-grabbing images that portray the atmosphere and colors of the African savanna.

Fact remains though, if you want a frame-filling photo of a sleek lioness staring straight at the camera or a grumpy buffalo giving you the evil eye, you really will need at least a 10X or 12X zoom lens on your digital camera.

Set the lens to its maximum focal length - like 420mm - and you’re now able to pull your subject close enough to fill the frame.

Don't forget though to vary your shots, using different focal lengths. Try to resist the temptation to take all your pictures at maximum zoom – if you can’t see any background that identifies the location, the picture could have been taken in a zoo.

When time permits, try at least three variations:

1. Shots that show the animal quite small with plenty of surrounding scenery;
2. Shots where the animal’s body almost fills the frame but with a little space around it, particularly in front if it’s a profile or side view;
3. Really tight shots showing just the animal’s head or maybe the markings on its coat.

One of the main obstacles to taking really great wildlife pictures with a powerful zoom lens is camera shake. When you magnify the subject, you're also magnifying any camera movement. So unsteady hands (which can easily happen during an exciting safari encounter), or movement from fellow passengers, will cause enough camera shake to result in blurry photos.

How to Reduce Camera Shake

There are a number of ways you can combat camera shake:

• When choosing a camera, opt for one with an image-stabilized lens, which many super-zooms now offer. This can make a huge difference to the quality of your safari pictures.
• Use the fastest shutter-speed you can.
• Where possible, use some form of support, like a beanbag, to keep the camera steady. If you don't have a beanbag and you're in a vehicle, try draping a garment over a half-open window or a seat's backrest and resting the camera on that.
• If your camera has an optical viewfinder, use that instead of the LCD screen on the back of the camera. You can hold a camera a lot more steady when it’s pressed firmly against your face than when holding it out in front of you, specially at arm’s length.

Video Capability

Although the very latest digital SLR cameras are now offering video capability, this is a recent development. Prior to this, one of the advantages of compact or point-and-shoot cameras over digital SLRs for wildlife and safari photography was the ability to shoot video as well as stills. Canon's SX1 IS and Sony's HX1, along with their huge zoom range, both offer High Definition movie recording.

Nevertheless, for professional and serious wildlife photographers, digital SLR cameras will always be the first choice, ahead of the most sophisticated fixed-lens cameras. The reason is simple: quality. Digital SLR cameras have much larger sensors than fixed-lens or compact cameras, so will inevitably produce images of better quality, particularly when the ISO is set to 400 or higher. See Choosing a Camera for Wildlife - The Super-Zoom Option for more on this.

Like most things in life, choosing digital cameras is about compromises. For the highest quality digital images, you will need a digital SLR with a minimum of two lenses - but you'll pay accordingly.

For the enthusiastic amateur on a budget - or anyone wanting an unforgettable visual record of their safari - you certainly can capture outstanding wildlife pictures with an affordable, easy-to-carry digital "super-zoom" camera. My recommendation is at least a 10x zoom lens, image-stabilization, 6-megapixels or more and, if possible, an optical viewfinder.

Digital camera technology moves so rapidly that it’s simply not possible to recommend specific models. But if you are in the market for an affordable super-zoom digital camera that will work great on safari, you can’t go far wrong sticking to established brands that have a track-record producing this type of camera.

Examples include Olympus (SP-590UZ or SP-565UZ), Canon (PowerShot SX1 IS or Powershot SX110 IS), Panasonic (Lumix DMC-GH1 or Lumix DMC-FZ28), Nikon (Coolpix P90 or Coolpix L100), Sony (Cyber-shot DSC HX1 or Cyber-shot DSC- H20), and Fujifilm (FinePix S2000HD or FinePix S100fs). Browse through the various models from these brands and read customer reviews, particularly from those who've used their cameras for taking wildlife or sports pictures.

And remember - digital pictures cost nothing, so don’t be hesitant to shoot lots of photographs, while still keeping basic principles of composition and exposure in mind.

Please don't forget to visit our Wildlife Camera Store to check out the many available options.