Lens Questions
Apr 4, 2014 08:08:49 #
Hello All!
I'm about to purchase a longer lens for my Nikon D5200.
I'm currently using an AF-S Nikkor 18-200 1:3.5-5.6. In general, I'm pleased with the lens, but I do a lot of wildlife photography (mainly birds) and find that the 200mm doesn't give me enough reach.
My question is, with a limited budget, which would give me the "biggest bang for my buck"----an 80-400mm zoom, or affixed 300mm F4 with a 1.4 teleconverter?
The zoom lens is twice as expensive, but I think using a teleconverter would cost in terms of light.
I'm about to purchase a longer lens for my Nikon D5200.
I'm currently using an AF-S Nikkor 18-200 1:3.5-5.6. In general, I'm pleased with the lens, but I do a lot of wildlife photography (mainly birds) and find that the 200mm doesn't give me enough reach.
My question is, with a limited budget, which would give me the "biggest bang for my buck"----an 80-400mm zoom, or affixed 300mm F4 with a 1.4 teleconverter?
The zoom lens is twice as expensive, but I think using a teleconverter would cost in terms of light.
Apr 4, 2014 08:24:36 #
I'm not been a Nikonian since film, but I vote for the 80-400.
Currently I have M43 gear including a lens that reaches from an (equivalent) 200-600. I get a lot more keepers in the 200-300 range than the 300-600 range. The reason is that it takes some serious extra gear and effort to hold still above 300.
If you get the 300, you will have a frustrating hole, or gap, in an important 200-300 range.
Currently I have M43 gear including a lens that reaches from an (equivalent) 200-600. I get a lot more keepers in the 200-300 range than the 300-600 range. The reason is that it takes some serious extra gear and effort to hold still above 300.
If you get the 300, you will have a frustrating hole, or gap, in an important 200-300 range.
Apr 4, 2014 08:32:40 #
Rockport wrote:
Hello All! br I'm about to purchase a longer lens ... (show quote)
Sigma 150-500 or the new Tamron 150-600. Check out the threads on them using search above.
Apr 4, 2014 08:52:25 #
I like the primes myself so i would go with the 300. In the manual focus days I regularly shot with a canon 300/f4 and a 1.4x converter. You only loose 1 stop of light with the 1.4x so thats a 420/5.6 and its nikon glass (assuming the 300 is Nikon), not bad at all. Some of the aftermarket lenses have greater quality loss with any extender because they are not specifically designed for them.
Apr 5, 2014 06:03:14 #
I have the new Nikon 80-400mm. It's a fantastic lens with very fast autofocus. With my camera in 3D tracking mode the lens easily stays focused on even a small bird in flight. I can see that the Nano crystal coating on the glass does give it slightly higher contrast than my Nikon 70-300mm lens which has the standard multi-coatings.
Apr 5, 2014 06:05:26 #
Rockport wrote:
...
The zoom lens is twice as expensive, but I think using a teleconverter would cost in terms of light.
The zoom lens is twice as expensive, but I think using a teleconverter would cost in terms of light.
Here is a link to using teleconverters and what the cost in light will be.
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/Article/h7ruielh/using-teleconverters.html
Apr 5, 2014 17:58:38 #
Thanks all, for your comments!
Not sure this is necessarily the best choice, but I believe I'll go with the 300mm F4 (money limitations) and the 1.4 teleconverter, which supposedly will work with this lens.
If I understand correctly, 1 stop light loss would be like going from F4 to F5.6.
Since nearly all my wildlife shots are in daylight, I should be okay.
Any other thoughts on something (s) I may be missing?
Not sure this is necessarily the best choice, but I believe I'll go with the 300mm F4 (money limitations) and the 1.4 teleconverter, which supposedly will work with this lens.
If I understand correctly, 1 stop light loss would be like going from F4 to F5.6.
Since nearly all my wildlife shots are in daylight, I should be okay.
Any other thoughts on something (s) I may be missing?
Apr 5, 2014 18:52:38 #
Rockport wrote:
If I understand correctly, 1 stop light loss would be like going from F4 to F5.6.
If I understand correctly, 1 stop light loss would be like going from F4 to F5.6.
yes, that is correct
Apr 6, 2014 02:49:37 #
amehta
Loc: Boston
Rockport wrote:
Thanks all, for your comments!
Not sure this is necessarily the best choice, but I believe I'll go with the 300mm F4 (money limitations) and the 1.4 teleconverter, which supposedly will work with this lens.
If I understand correctly, 1 stop light loss would be like going from F4 to F5.6.
Since nearly all my wildlife shots are in daylight, I should be okay.
Any other thoughts on something (s) I may be missing?
Not sure this is necessarily the best choice, but I believe I'll go with the 300mm F4 (money limitations) and the 1.4 teleconverter, which supposedly will work with this lens.
If I understand correctly, 1 stop light loss would be like going from F4 to F5.6.
Since nearly all my wildlife shots are in daylight, I should be okay.
Any other thoughts on something (s) I may be missing?
Even in daylight, you will be challenging the system and will need to use good technique, since wildlife is often hiding in trees or otherwise out of sunlight. As things get darker, the AF system also does better with a faster lens. Adding the TC will take the lens to the edge of the AF system's effectiveness. Sometimes you will want to sacrifice focal length for AF speed and accuracy.
This is the Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4D. A lot of people think that a "G" lens will autofocus on the D5200 but a "D" lens will not, because that is the case with some lens pairs like the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.4 lenses. But it is the AF-S part that indicates that the lens will autofocus with the D5200, because has a built-in motor.
Apr 6, 2014 02:59:39 #
He doesn't post on UHH much anymore, but one of our best posters, SwampGator, shoots Canon, but uses the combination of a 300mm f4 and a teleconverter. He does a lot of gators as well as birds. Phil was did newspaper and sports photography in his previous life. You can see his photographs by going to his blog: http://phillanoue.com
I'm sure Phil may have some input into you question, as well, if you'd like to pm him.
I'm sure Phil may have some input into you question, as well, if you'd like to pm him.
Apr 6, 2014 09:53:31 #
amehta wrote:
Even in daylight, you will be challenging the system
this is true but since the 1.4 only drops 1 stop and that should not significantly reduce the af performance
Apr 6, 2014 10:38:36 #
Does anyone have a recommendation between Tamron or Sigma in the 18-200 range lens? I'm trying to be a little conservative here and get the most bang for my buck...really can't justify the cost for Nikons alternative..thanks
Apr 6, 2014 11:17:57 #
amehta wrote:
Even in daylight, you will be challenging the syst... (show quote)
I don't know Amehta....this is the setup that SwampGator uses. He seems to do ok. His 300mm is f4 and not f2.8.
Apr 6, 2014 11:55:10 #
Look for a good used sample of the AF-S 300 F4 and put the saved money towards the teleconverter.
Apr 6, 2014 13:11:32 #
buffmaloney wrote:
Look for a good used sample of the AF-S 300 F4 and put the saved money towards the teleconverter.
Make sure it's the new version of the 300mm f4. Here's Thom Hogan's review. You may give up something in autofocus speed over the f2.8, but you get the same optics. You also save about four grand.
http://www.bythom.com/300AFSlens.htm
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