Best lens for wildlife photography

Buy the longest zoom your mount offers that you can actually carry. For Sony that is the 200-600mm, for Nikon Z the 180-600mm, and for Canon RF the 100-500mm L if you can afford it, or the 100-400mm if you cannot.

In a safari vehicle you cannot get closer, so reach beats everything else. These lenses give you 400mm or more without any accessories.

Compared

How to read that

Aperture at the long end is what you will live with. At f/8 the Canon 100-400mm lets in a quarter of the light of a lens at f/4, so it needs daylight. Forest shade at first light is where you will feel that.

Weight decides how long you can hold it up. A lens around 2kg is fine resting on a beanbag on a safari vehicle door, and hard on a walking trail. The 635g Canon is the one you could carry all day on a birding walk.

The Fujifilm XF 70-300mm deserves more attention than it gets if you use X-mount. It frames like 105-450mm, weighs 580g and is f/5.6 at the long end.

Which body goes with it

On a fast crop body like the Canon R7 or Canon R10, the Canon 100-400mm frames like 640mm for not much weight. On a full-frame Nikon Z6 III the 180-600mm gives you 600mm and fast bursts. Read how to pick the camera if you have not decided.

What to avoid

Avoid assuming a teleconverter will rescue a short lens. It costs you light and it only works on lenses that support it. Check Nikon, Canon or Sony's compatibility list before buying one.

Avoid buying more lens than you can carry. A 2kg zoom that stays at home takes no photos.

See wildlife kit options for matched pairs.

Before you buy

These are big purchases, so handle them first. Ask the shop to fit the lens on your camera and shoot from a counter height with the lens braced. Ask how they would get it to you safely if you are not local, and how you can reach them after the sale.