Gear Talk > Lens Talk
Getting To 600mm: f/5.6 ED-IF or f/4 500P + TC
jhinkey:
Currently am covered at 400mm (trusty 400/5.6 ED-AI), but occasionally need something longer for my long-distance landscape shots that are my thing to do. Looking for something around 600mm. My 400/5.6 is just too slow many times when used with the TC (need to stop it down 1 stop usually to get to excellent sharpness), so the 600/5.6 ED comes to mind. The 500P+TC is an option, but it's getting a bit too long at 700mm perhaps, but if the IQ is good I can live with that.
So, any opinions on the 600/5.6 ED vs. 500P+1.4TC? I'd primarily use both stopped down to f/8 for the most part, but also, when the light gets dim f/5.6 is likely to be used.
And, just to cut off the argument, I know that atmospherics can very much limit the sharpness of a long tele, but for my locations and what I shoot, many times during the spring and fall (and winter) it's not a big factor: Reach & light gathering & flare/ghosting resistance are also very important as well as sharpness. CA, if removable in post is just fine.
Thanks for any info!
- John
Bjørn Rørslett:
I own the 400/5.6 Nikkor PC ('ED' without the ED inscription on it), the 400/5.6 ED-IF, 500/4 AI-P ED-IF, and the 600/5.6 ED-IF. Plus 200-400/4 Nikkor ED that I purchased specifically for landscapes (I'm not much into wildlife except for flowers, so manual focusing is fine with me). There are also the 180-600/8 ED and the 360-1200/11 ED Nikkors if you really lust for the long cannons (I got both).
My general impression is that each of these performs best without any TC added to them. For landscape use, each can do a fine service, although some lateral CA might occur with high-contrast scenes. The IF designs add a touch of axial colour (longitudinal CA) as well, but rarely to a level that requires additional processing steps to get rid of. In terms of sharpness, I'd rank the 200-400/4 ED (and the 360-1200, if you can find one) a notch above the rest of them.
You are of course well aware of the requirement for decent tripod support with such lenses, but for the benefit of others this is a critically important aspect of long lens landscape shooting. Without proper support, simply forget about getting adequate sharpness.
jhinkey:
Thanks Bjorn - yes, especially with the 400/5.6 ED I know all about good technique - it's so light to carry around, but then it's too light sometimes.
Erik Lund:
The 500mm 4.0 Ais-P is a really nice lens size and weight gives it a super nice balance on a D3/D4 body size
Handles really well on monopod or tripod and even hand held :) And over the shoulder when not in use.
It takes converters but yes a true 600mm would do better,,,
govindvkumar:
--- Quote from: jhinkey on July 04, 2015, 03:38:49 ---Thanks Bjorn - yes, especially with the 400/5.6 ED I know all about good technique - it's so light to carry around, but then it's too light sometimes.
--- End quote ---
Beautiful image. Really loved the colors on this image, the orange, blues, blacks, and the purple.
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