Author Topic: 500mm f4p manual focus or new Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6e or TC with a 400mm!  (Read 22645 times)

oldfauser

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Camera is a Df

the 400mm f/5.6 is the P.C version - not the IF one!

Intended uses - some bird pictures, some landscape, some moon shots!

(Tripod - defiantly!)

comments would be appreciated!

Art

(edited for intended uses - cost is the same - $1400 for either one -  thanks!)

Tristin

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Intended use would greatly help.  ;)
-Tristin

ColSebastianMoran

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Yes, and your budget.

elsa hoffmann

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500F4 manual focus? and its heavy. I couldn't manual focus on birds... so its a no brainer for me. But that's me.
"You don’t take a photograph – you make it” – Ansel Adams. Thats why I use photoshop.
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www.elsa.co.za. www.intimateimages.co.za

Mongo

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Art, Mongo's money would be on the 200-500mm

It is the only one of the three that can best do all aspects of your intended uses (largely due to AF capability)
It is lighter, smaller , has a more versatile range (especially for landscape), can still use converters with it, has a 2 year warranty and is just as sharp as the 500mm f4

Bokeh  should be virtually as pleasing but this lens will be 1 stop slower. The latter is no real concern given the high ISO/low noise cameras of today

Erik Lund

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The old 500mm Ai-P is really well build and a joy to shoot, shot a lot with it on safari ;)
Erik Lund

Bjørn Rørslett

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The 500P, whilst obviously not as versatile as a zoom lens like the 200-500 VR, really has a lot of points in its favour. It is pretty light weight as far as "supertelephotos" go, tipping the scales at slightly less than 3 kg, and its focusing is swift thanks to a buttery-smooth turning focusing ring and its focus preset feature. One could complain that the tripod mount isn't up amongst the best, yet it is superior to that of say the 200-500 VR. The lens hood is efficient in cutting off flare, in fact, better than seen with the 200-500.

The 500P was a favourite of many sports photographers in its heydays and I know several who swore to using it hand held.


Jan Anne

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Following this topic, played with the same thought about those lenses.
Cheers,
Jan Anne

Bruno Schroder

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Same question for me. I have the 500P which I like a lot and the new 80-400. After a year with the  80-400 mostly handhold, I was considering the 200-500 for hand holding or AF . Thom's review  http://www.dslrbodies.com/lenses/nikon-lens-reviews/nikon-200-500mm-f56-lens.html made me think again: if it is to use on a tripod, why not keep the 500P ? However, the constant reports that images are better than the 40-800, http://www.naturalart.ca/voice/blog_2015_all.html, makes me think I could also the 80-400 and the 500P but then it would mean walking with the 70-200 and 200-500.

Net net, I'm puzzled!
Bruno Schröder

MILLIREHM

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Just wanted to ask, which 400
then saw sthe poll, so the 400/5,6  (would have been different for 400/3,5)

my 3 cents:

Landscape and Moon photography one would assume that a tripod ist used
For bird photography it is important which kind of birds whether Static or BIF, work from a hide or just "on the fly" is in mind
Key issue is here how good you feel in Manual focusing skills, how good your eyes are and whether you badly need AF.
Df is not the dedicated Fast AF camera though and yes good bird photos have been achieved with MF some days ago


the 400/5,6 was the first IF-ED tele lens I ever had, not forming a too good combo with the TC14 and needs good tripod support (tends to vibrate easily) for your landscape and night plans. Not easy to get accurate focussing quickly. Sometimes LV is recommended (not during action).
It is the most lightweight lens though, so carrying and sustained handhold use is on the plus side here - no alternative to get that range for that weight and size

plus:1400$ for this lens plus TC14B sounds  way too expensive!


500/4 probably will give you best IQ (never used this particular lens but the AF-S first version which still is one of my finest lenses) but is the most bulky and heavy one, good for tripod work

200-500 for the fastest workstyle, best handhold capability with AF and sometimes VR, best versatilty but not so good for tripod I'd say
Wolfgang Rehm

MILLIREHM

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BTW - just bought the AF-S 80-400 due to its limited weight and size (but I have bigger and better alternavies so it is not a comparable situation)
Wolfgang Rehm

Andy

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For those who are interested in hand held photos with the AFS 200-500mm, below is a link to full size D800E images. As said, all photos handheld, EXIF data all intact (to check for exposure times). My wife wanted to visit the local zoo. A good opportunity to use one lens and one camera. Just to explain that this time the priority was not photography :)
https://onedrive.live.com/?id=C59FEF9F04ED4A3A%211510&cid=C59FEF9F04ED4A3A

rgds,
Andy

PS:
The "problem" with the AI-P 500mm/4 is the "large" front lens :D


That's why a "smaller" 500mm solution is often so much welcomed ...  ;)
Here is a size comparison of the 200-500mm with the new 80-400mm and the 70-200mm VR II (for reference) - short and long

Plus another handheld example

Bjørn Rørslett

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"The "problem" with the AI-P 500mm/4 is the "large" front lens"

Nah. More to do with f/4 when the focal length is 500 mm ...

Andy

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Nah. More to do with f/4 when the focal length is 500 mm ...

Gee, and I tried my best to use a very short focal length to demonstrate the "problem" (and to "justify" the AFS 200-500mm) :D

MILLIREHM

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Beware: A 400/2,8 can be put in very good use for portrait-photography ;-)
Wolfgang Rehm