500mm f4p manual focus or new Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6e or TC with a 400mm!

[Andy]

Thanks 
But the 800 FL is on the scope...

//Sorry for the OT in this thread

Please check the MFD of the lens

AFS 800mm/5.6 VR, TC 1.25, D7100, ISO 400, f7.1, 1/40s


100% crop


Just kidding. MFD is not that bad ....

Distance > 1000m, D7100, no special tripod, Gitzo + Wimberly


100%


One of the better shots handheld.


100% crop, D7100


Had the lens only for a weekend. While I really liked the lens, the needed level of investment is just too high to keep it in the bag.

Group picture with its silblings, anno 2013. Do you see the mathematical order of the tripod mounts Nikon applied ? 






rgds,
Andy

[Andy]

back to the 200-500

A few images from the very first trip with this lens. All with the D800E, handheld. First the full image resized to 1200x800, second a 100% crop of the original file

1) 200mm, f7.1, 1/200s
2) 500mm, f5.6, 1/1000s (approx 10 meter distance)
3) 200mm, f8, 1/640s, a few hundred meters
4) 500mm, f5.6, 1/250s, close to MFD

rgds,
Andy

[MILLIREHM]

Andy, regarding your big-glass parade i strongly recommend to supply at least the 600/4 and the 400/2,8 with  replacement feet coming from third party manufacturers (like Wimberley, RRS, Kirk) - this significantly contributes to vibration reduction

[MILLIREHM]

Adding to the main topic of the thread (regarding prizing):

I bought my AIS- Nikkor 400/5,6 IF-ED in 1991 for 19800 ATS which would convert to approx 1400 Euro using the 2002 ratio.

In 2007 I could achieve the  faster and higher prized AI-S Nikkor 400 mm f/3,5 IF-ED for approx 1200 Euro (some 1300 $).

Buying a 400/5,6 now should be significantly cheaper.

[PedroS]

Andy, regarding your big-glass parade i strongly recommend to supply at least the 600/4 and the 400/2,8 with  replacement feet coming from third party manufacturers (like Wimberley, RRS, Kirk) - this significantly contributes to vibration reduction

+1
I would say all of them...

[MILLIREHM]

+1
I would say all of them...

Yes, Pedro
I just mentioned the two where it hurts the most

[ColSebastianMoran]

Thank you Andy for the samples from the zoo. I just looked closely at one of them, the Pelican, and it is certainly sharp enough! I'm going to use this lens (200-500) for birds.

[Andy]

Wolfgang,
you don't want to see which tripod I sometimes use

Taken with the 1kg Gitzo Traveller, D800, AFS 300mm/2.8 VR II (Still, a small tripod is often better than no tripod at all )

D800 full size


D800 full size


But of course I agree on your point.

rgds,
Andy

[Andy]

(Note2self:I need to find a server space to upload more recent photos)

Shot in 2012. Sorry, one more tripod violation ...
I know it could probably have been better, but it was sufficient for me.

Gitzo 3-series, AFS 600mm/4 with standard handle, D800E, f4, 1/500s

D800E, full resolution


100% crop


rgds,
Andreas 

[oldfauser]

thanks Andy    Got me thinking about the other MF "big" guns - the 600mm f/5.6 ED-IF AI-s, 600mm f/4 ED-IF AI-s, 400mm f/3.5 AI-s.   

the 600mm f/5.6 is going for around $1000 US !!!

just thinking....

Art

[ArendV]

Bigger is better, I have also gone this path but in the end returned back to smaller.

I used the 300/4D AFS with TC-14E II for nature photography and was looking for more reach.
So was able to buy the 500/4P and was happy with its performance, also in combination with the TC-14E II


But to get good results I needed good light or often times a solid tripod (e.g. these roe deers show up in the evenings). So although it is the lightest 500/4, I still had to carry substantial stuff. Also was regularly off focus despite using a Katz Eye screen (my limitation).
Too that I am more a "wandering around" nature photographer instead of sitting on one spot. So I tried the Tamron 150-600 for a short time and that certainly could not match the 500/4P.
Then the 300/4E VR was announced and bought that with the TC-14E III. I am now a very happy camper (outside the VR issues between 1/60 - 1/200s that were not solved for me in the firmware update).
Just to say in my case bigger was not better, YMMV.

In the end you have to ask yourself if you really need the extra reach and are willing to pay and carry for that.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

People tend to associate a "good" tripod with something heavy, which is far from the truth. My standard Sachtler (100 mm class head) weighs a little over 2 kg and easily holds an 800 mm lens. One needs torsional rigidity and handling versatility, not weight. The smaller Sachtler (75  mm class) used on trips where weight is a constraining factor for air travel weighs 1.2 kg. Still able to hold 600 mm lenses with ease.

[ArendV]

Bjørn, you are right on tripods and long lens technique.
The viewfinder tells you very quickly how sturdy your combination of tripod and steadying technique is and for me that meant I had to use a relatively heavy tripod (not owning Sachtler).

[oldfauser]

the weight issue also concerns me - the 500mm f/4p is 3 kg; the new 200-500mm f/5.6 is 2.3 kg; my current 400mm f/5.4 Nikkor-P.C is 1.4 kg.  When I purchased my tripod 4 years ago, the longest lens I had (and was thinking about) was a 300mm f/4.5, so i went with a smaller, lighter tripod.  It has served me well as i carry it everywhere!

So for fun, i tried the "tap test" with the my 400mm on the tripod - Jello in a 4.0 earthquake would do better!  I began to think something was not right as I had much better results in the field using this combination - mental note: DO NOT DO "tap test" on carpet!  Tried again on a hard surface - less than 2 seconds to settle (using "live view" at full magnification!  Much better.

not sure what a 3 kg lens would do on it though as I think I'm at the limit of what my current tripod will handle.

So the 300mm f/4pe sounds interesting  - just wish Nikon would come with a 400mm f/5.6 PE lens

Art

[MILLIREHM]

Of course it is better not to chose an overweighted tripod but rather those with the best ratio of weight and stability (sometimes compactness is an issue as well)

But there are indeed situations where it is better to go withoud tripod support

Having a lightweight tele and no tripod gives you agility and/or hiking range