Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

jimpitt who are your clients?
Can you meet and/or exceed their expectations?

At the end of the day for those who shoot commercially the aforementioned is all the matters.

btw, to qualify as a "Professional" in Nikon Professional Services eyes the only metric they use is what percentage of your revenue stream comes from your commercial photography efforts.

As for the Nikon D500? I tried this DX body for a month and returned it, it simply lacked the dynamic range I have grown to appreciated with my Nikon D3, D3x and D810. However if it works for you great jimpitt!

As for the AF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR?
Yes I've been able to meet client expectations with that optic on a full frame Nikon bodies for Lifestyle Editorials just don't think about using it on architectural assignments... lol

Best Advice... pick up a clean low shutter count Nikon D3 and you'll likely understand why folks pony up for FX glass on FX cameras. Subject isolation alone will turn you head around very quickly here once you master it's use.

Yes I still have my AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G VR optic albeit for a substantial savings the AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 is vastly superior (and doesn't suffer from focus breathing)

Wishing you all the best on your photographic journey jimpitt.

Beauty & Lifestyle Editorial (agency represented model) AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Nikkor (on a Nikon D3)

(Download)

fredtoo Loc: Houston

If you are involved in photography at ANY level, one thing you will never run short of is "expert" opinions. If you had money to burn, you still couldn't keep up with all the trades and upgrades you would need to try and satisfy every opinion you run into.

If you are happy with the results you are getting with your current equipment, then I would stay the course until you have developed confidence to the point that you are able to make your own logical adjustments as they apply to your experience, and not somebody else's (and nope, they never will go away).

There are a lot of people on this site who might question the lens and camera body that I have settled on, but it took me 3 cameras and 6-8 lenses before I decided what is perfect for me.

cmc4214 Loc: S.W. Pennsylvania

Here is a link to Steve Perry's web site, he has some very good info on setting up auto-focus for Nikon
https://backcountrygallery.com/category/nikon-gear/ I hope this helps

Ron 717 Loc: Pennsylvania

Looks like your retailer is hoping to sell you a few new lenses. For what it’s worth I also have a D500 and only buy full format lenses. I agree with another poster that stated when using these lenses on a crop sensor camera you are essentially using the sharpest area of the lens. Besides that, if you decide later to move to full frame your lenses are designed for the new camera. Also when comparing the two series of lenses, you will notice that the FF lenses are heavier and at least in appearance they are better quality with less plastic.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

When you use any full frame lens on your D500, you are really using the sharpest part of each lens. Your using the middle part of the lens, as the lens falls off to each edge, there is a very slight loss of sharpness.
So, in reality, your getting the most out of your FF lenses on the D500.
I have shot the Nikon 500 5.6 PF lens off the D500 with great results.
So, good luck and keep on shooting until the end.
Now, keep in mind you loose the wide end of the zoom, for instance, if your shooting say the Nikon 24-120 on your D500, your angle of view is now 36-180, so at the wide end, you have lost 12 mm. BUT, if this is not important to you, then it's really no big deal.

mg1962

Sorry, maybe it's just that I am nearly 60 years old. I started shooting with a Nikon with an N8008, then N90, than F5, now D750 and D850. I don't have any crop (DX) lenses. Everything I own are Full frame.

home brewer Loc: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Please post a photo that you think is not good enough

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

Again many uncorroborated "opinions" which cherry pick the obvious positive attributes of using a crop DX sensor on FX glass. Which is grossly misleading since it sweeps the negative attributes aside.

"...I have shot the Nikon 500 5.6 PF lens off the D500 with great results..." Really BillNikon? Show me just how great your claimed results are... Besides with OP is shooting the AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G VR optic not the Nikon 500 5.6 PF lens which has a price tag of $3,596.95... virtually four times greater than the OP's lens.

No you like the other posters here are pontificating without documentation of your claims.

The kayak image is another real world example that showcase exactly what the OP's lens is capable of shot on FX.
Important Note: The 800lb gorilla in this mix is "Subject Isolation" inherent with FX glass shot on FX bodies.

The Soccer goalie image below is what a Nikon D3 (an equivalent sports camera to the OP's D500) can achieve.
You will never likely see that level on dreamlike Bokeh from a DX body, period!.

I stand totally behind anyone who understands the merits of shooting FX glass on FX bodies.
And all the arm-waving and pontification in the world will not change the outcome of the results .

Go ahead and shoot an f2.8 lens on a DX body and you just turned it into an f4 optic (if that works for you fine, it doesn't work for me). Also the reduced size of the DX viewfinder doesn't lend itself to capturing the "Decisive Moment" DX cameras are more like "toys" not tools for use by commercial shooters.

While I accept that the D500 is a viable tool for use by sports shooters, much of that goes to it's superb AF system. It wasn't until Nikon released their mirrorless FX cameras did a viable alternative to the D500 exist

So limitations aside, the D500 can indeed be a useful tool for a commercial sports shooter... Totally agree here.

Final Note: cmc4214 post is likely the most germane and appropriate in this UHH thread.
"Here is a link to Steve Perry's web site, he has some very good info on setting up auto-focus for Nikon
https://backcountrygallery.com/category/nikon-gear/ I hope this helps

The OP's issue most likely is a want of expertise...
Food for thought: Photographic Excellence is not a consumer commodity.
It only comes with blood, sweat and tears from a long epic struggle to master the craft.

A "decisive moment" captured with a AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens on a Nikon D3


"Subject Isolation" inherent with FX glass shot on a FX Nikon D3

(Download)

tcthome Loc: NJ

Plus the retailer is in the sales bizz!

willy6419

Watch and buy Steve Perry video on Nikon auto focus

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

I choose lenses by what they do.
I have a crop body but only 1 crop lens.
Does it cause worry?
Nope.

GLSmith Loc: Tampa, Fl

KEY WORD: Retailer......Sounds to me like his sales are sagging & he needs to make a quick $$$. Ask him to let you to borrow a lens he would recommend....& take a picture.....see for yourself & be the judge...youre the photographer of the image on what you want to see.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

The OP stated "professionals", not retailer.
Retailer was an assumption made by a few.
(True for retailers though.)

BebuLamar

I think the 18-300 and the 28-300 would give about the same image quality. The 16-35 would give you slightly better image at the wide end than either the 28-300 or 18-300 but it's an expensive lens.

charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA

My suggestion would be to rent the 18-300 or the Tamron 18-400 lens and decide for yourself. Maybe rent them both for a comparison of the 2. Either lens will give you a great range and I would imagine you would like either one. I think they are both weigh less than you current lenses but did not check for sure.
Since I pitched the Tamron I use it almost all the time.

I have the d500 with the 18-400 on it and love the results. I have my 18-300 Nikkor on my d7200 and like it a lot also. I have no fx lenses and do not intend to ever buy an fx body. The dx format does everything I need and want it to do and then some.

Chuck