BK-ALA

I am looking at upgrading from a Nikon D200 & Nikon 72-300mm to a D7100 with an Nikon 80-400mm & multiplier to try my hand at birds and wildlife. Will this serve me well?

Lenf Loc: Strasburg,PA

I have a D 7000 and it takes awesome photos , the 7100 and 7200 will also be great..

bruswen Loc: Eugene OR

A Nikon D7100/D7200 combined with an 80-400mm zoom will give you sufficient reach for wildlife and bird pictures. In DX format 400mm is equal to 600mm on a full frame camera. With the 1.3 crop mode it is the equivalent of 800mm on a full frame camera and still yields a 16MP image. I do not know if you are referring to the 80-400mm D model or the new G model, you will find the G model is much sharper and focuses faster, but it is much more expensive. When you say multiplier, if you are referring to a teleconverter, you will likely lose the ability to autofocus when combined with either 80-400mm Nikon. An alternative, is a 300 f/4 lens, again there are both D and G models available. It can be combined with the TC-14 teleconverter to extend the reach and still maintain autofocus and a shallower depth of field to isolate your subject. Note: with the exception of the new 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens, these lens all weigh more than three pounds and you will likely want a good tripod to use with any of them.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

If you go with a teleconverter, check for compatibility with the 80-400 before buying. Not all of them work with zoom lenses.

Bret Loc: Dayton Ohio

You may want to consider the Sigma 150-500...Ive spent this past season with both and they make for a very nice rig.

Donkas1946 Loc: Southern NH

Your frames per second will also be quite slow and will slow even more as there is not much room in the buffer.

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

I don't own these lenses, but if you put a TC on either of them you will need to be wide open or you lose auto focus. Stay away from Teleconverters as much as possible, they will cause the loss of auto focus, and anytime you add glass in front of your glass you degrade the quality of the image. for the cost of the lens and the TC - You are better off to opt for the Sigma 50 - 500 4.5 to 5.6 or similar lens.

Tracht3

Third party lenses and low end lenses can be a problem. You get what you pay for. Some bad choices are better than others!!!

pmackd Loc: Alameda CA

If you are into "trying your hand at birds and wildlife" as opposed to an all out commitment I would advise sticking with your Nikon 70-300 mm at first (assuming it is the VR model) and getting the D7100 or D7200. 300 mm on a DX camera is plenty long enough for many great bird and wildlife photos. They will be sharper if you stay below 250 mm and crop a little more. The 70-300 mm Nikkor lens works well with my Kenko 1.4x TC. Compared to other Nikon cameras such as D7000 and even D750 the autofocusing on D7100 at an effective f8 is faster and more accurate. The performance of lens + TC combinations varies greatly but this is one combination that works well.