Should I bring a professional DSLR or is my phone enough?

A phone is fine for snapshots, but you will miss the detail of bird life and distant predators. A camera with an optical zoom of at least 400mm is recommended for 'National Geographic' style photos.

How do I keep my gear safe from the dust?

Keep your camera in a sealed bag inside the vehicle. Never leave lenses exposed when the vehicle is moving; the dust kicked up by the tires is pervasive.

Choosing the Right Camera Gear for a Tanzania Safari

You need a lens with at least 400mm reach and a high-speed memory card to capture wildlife movement without switching lenses constantly. Keep your kit under 15 pounds so it fits in the small overhead bins of bush planes.

Select your primary zoom lens. A 100-400mm or 150-600mm lens is essential. Animals in the Serengeti are often further away than you expect, and you will not have time to change lenses when a lion starts moving.
Pack a secondary wide-angle lens. Bring a 24-70mm lens for landscapes, sunsets, and group shots. Use this when the vehicle is stationary and the animals are close to the truck.
Prioritize high-speed memory cards. Bring at least 256GB of total storage. Use cards with a write speed of at least 150MB/s to ensure your camera doesn't freeze while shooting burst mode during a kill or a hunt.
Include a beanbag or monopod. Tripods are useless in a safari vehicle because of the vibrations. Bring an empty beanbag to fill with beans or rice at camp; it provides a steady rest on the roof hatch.
Protect your gear from dust. The dust in Tanzania is incredibly fine and invasive. Bring a dry bag to store your camera when not in use and a soft-bristled brush to clean lenses after every game drive.

Should I bring a professional DSLR or is my phone enough?: A phone is fine for snapshots, but you will miss the detail of bird life and distant predators. A camera with an optical zoom of at least 400mm is recommended for 'National Geographic' style photos.
How do I keep my gear safe from the dust?: Keep your camera in a sealed bag inside the vehicle. Never leave lenses exposed when the vehicle is moving; the dust kicked up by the tires is pervasive.