...mounted on a Nikon D500. Ioptron Sky Guider Pro. From the StarQuest XVI Star Party in Green Bank WV a couple of weeks ago. Please nit pick this image...I'm trying to justify the $40 that I paid for this lens.
Dean

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Imaged from Fripp Island SC in January. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 lens at 200mm on iOptron SkyGuider. 90 seconds at ISO 2500. 13 images stacked in Photoshop. Two additional images, one 5 seconds and one 30 seconds blended with final stack to add some detail to the core. Critiques welcomed.

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Been after an image of the Wood Duck for years. Elusive and shy, I usually spot them hidden in cat tails or some other protected non photogenic place. If I spot one in open water, they are quick to take wing when I point the camera in their direction. This pair surprised me. Flying low to the water they aborted touchdown, pulled up and landed in a tree. They posed for two minutes. They made my day.

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From Fripp Island, near Beaufort SC. This talented creature (it flies, swims on and under water, spears fish and poses for photographs) and I have been getting to know each other over the last month or so. Her (female Anhinga's have buff colored necks, males are all black) daily routine is pretty consistent. I generally find her near the same 2 ponds almost daily. I'm glad that she tolerates my presence. I really want to image her with a fish on that beak!

Nikon D500. Nikkor 300mm f1:4e PF with a Nikon 1.4 T.C.

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[quote=Marc G]The Stork photograph is super sharp, so no doubts about the lenses ability.
Can i ask what the single, un-stacked / processed frames looks like, is Iota bloated straight off the camera?

Thank you for responding. Yes, Iota is bloated in the single un-stacked and un-processed frames. The Nikon Nx filter solution looks like a step in the right direction. The info that you provided is helpful.

Thank you...Nikon D500 with Nikkor 300mm f4e PF and 1.4 Nikon T.C. Manual mode, 1/3000@f5.6, auto ISO chose 2500. Based on an earlier suggestion by you, I revisited 3D focus (face detection activated) and it worked well here and in other BIF images made in the last few days. I'll be here (Fripp Is, SC) for the next few weeks. This place is "target rich" for bird photographers, I hope to give 3D focus a workout.

Anhinga. Engineered for function over form. Mother Nature continues to amaze. From Fripp Island, SC.

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[quote=7awol]Thank you Marc...I appreciate your research and suggestions and will implement them.

Marc...implemented most of your suggestions with the attached result. Competing with an 85% Moon but I think that there is enough data to draw some conclusions. I reduced ISO to 2200 (from 2500), reduced aperture to f6.7 (from f4) and reduced exposure by 1/3 (from 90 seconds to 60). 16 subs stacked in PS. Orion Iota still showing blooming. Some further research on nature photographers reviews of this lens shows instances of lens flare when the sun is included in the image. I absolutely love this lens for my bird photography. So...most likely an aberration of the phased fresnel design. I appreciate your interest.

Nikon 300mm f4e PF (phased fresnel)

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...same lens, Wood Stork

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[quote=Thomas902]7awol you nail focus on this bird's eye... at 630mm that is impressive...
Would you be kind enough to share what focus mode that D500 was in when this occurred...

I use Group AF. I tried the 3d with face detect but seem to get more sharp images with Group for birds in flight. I use back button focus, the AF button programmed for "Group" continuous. For perching birds I have the PV button programmed to activate single point focus. Thank you for responding.

Thank you.

Wood Stork. Fripp Island SC

Nikon D500, Nikkor 300mm f4e PF with Nikon 1.4 T.C. Manual exposure, 1/2500 @ f6.3, auto ISO, camera chose ISO 500

Gorgeous and graceful in flight and perching.

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Thank you Marc...I appreciate your research and suggestions and will implement them. I really like the 300mm PF for my nature photography and its light weight (1 pound 11 oz) makes it a good passenger on the tracker.

Yep, tracking is off. I discovered tripod about 1/4 bubble out of level after second imaging session.

I started pointing my camera up at the night sky about two years ago. Tripod mounted Nikon D700 with a fast super wide making 30 second exposures of the Milky Way. Got hooked. Bought a tracker this past summer. Ioptron SkyGuider Pro. Got pleasing results with an old Nikkor 135mm f2.8Q on the D700 but wanted more reach. Mounted the 300mm PF and Nikon D500 (my birding outfit) on the SkyGuider and made the image below. I liked the result. I showed my wife. She wondered why the bright star Orion Iota (at the 5 o'clock position) had a soft fuzzy haze surrounding it. I shrugged my shoulders...I had no idea. I searched and could not find any astro images made with the 300 PF.
The next night was clear so I replaced the 300PF with my old 70-200 f2.8 and made the second image below. I used the same exposure setting for both (90 seconds, f4, ISO 2500) and stacked 8 images using PS. Orion Iota looks much different to me.
Does my Nikkor 300mm f4e PF have a cataract?

Nikkor 300mm f4e PF lens

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Nikkor 70-200 f2.8

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Snowy Egrets from Fripp Island SC.

Nikon D500, Nikkor 300mm f4e PF with Nikon 1.4 T.C. Manual exposure mode 1/3200 @ f8, auto ISO chose 250.

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