Trying out the 200-400
Hi Y'all,
In my continuing search for an Africa worthy lens I rented out the Nikon 200-400 VRII from the good folks at borrowlenses.com.
I got to shoot with it for 4 days and I really enjoyed shooting with this lens. Up to 300mm the IQ is on par with my 500mm f.4. The IQ drops a tad at the furthest reaches of the lens but that's to be expected with a zoom. The AF was excellent and although I had some mild vignetting on the D3 it was not a major issue.
Its a heavy lens but lighter than my 500mm and it can be shot handheld for short periods but you would have to be a masochist to shoot it handheld for extended periods. It worked very well on my monopod.
Here are some image sample from the 200-400.
The ability to zoom is a major plus for one's capture composition
Our colder than usual winter and early spring has really altered the mating habits here. Usually the black bellied whistling ducks have their young in July.
One drawback to the lens is that 400mm is a tad short for wildlife shooting. I really wanted to test it with my TCs but they were out at Nikon for repairs. I finally got them back on Friday afternoon and of course the rains started that afternoon. I went out to the wetlands on Sunday and the roads were closed so I drove up to Blackpoint Drive at the Merrit Island NWR, Naturally. Black Point was closed for road repairs. :bash
It seemed that man and nature were in a conspiracy against me. I prevailed however and went down Peacock Pocket Drive and Gator Drive. These are narrow roads through the reserve which are used mainly by fishermen.
These images are with the 200-400 and the 1.4 TC
Monday morning I hiked the trails at the wetlands
I was happy with the IQ while using the TC. I was less happy with the slower AF.
In summary, I will be taking the 200-400 to Africa. I'm about to buy an earlier VR I version of the lens. The 500mm f/4 will stay as my main lens but the 200-400 with a few minor quibbles is a terrific addition.
In my continuing search for an Africa worthy lens I rented out the Nikon 200-400 VRII from the good folks at borrowlenses.com.
I got to shoot with it for 4 days and I really enjoyed shooting with this lens. Up to 300mm the IQ is on par with my 500mm f.4. The IQ drops a tad at the furthest reaches of the lens but that's to be expected with a zoom. The AF was excellent and although I had some mild vignetting on the D3 it was not a major issue.
Its a heavy lens but lighter than my 500mm and it can be shot handheld for short periods but you would have to be a masochist to shoot it handheld for extended periods. It worked very well on my monopod.
Here are some image sample from the 200-400.
The ability to zoom is a major plus for one's capture composition
Our colder than usual winter and early spring has really altered the mating habits here. Usually the black bellied whistling ducks have their young in July.
One drawback to the lens is that 400mm is a tad short for wildlife shooting. I really wanted to test it with my TCs but they were out at Nikon for repairs. I finally got them back on Friday afternoon and of course the rains started that afternoon. I went out to the wetlands on Sunday and the roads were closed so I drove up to Blackpoint Drive at the Merrit Island NWR, Naturally. Black Point was closed for road repairs. :bash
It seemed that man and nature were in a conspiracy against me. I prevailed however and went down Peacock Pocket Drive and Gator Drive. These are narrow roads through the reserve which are used mainly by fishermen.
These images are with the 200-400 and the 1.4 TC
Monday morning I hiked the trails at the wetlands
I was happy with the IQ while using the TC. I was less happy with the slower AF.
In summary, I will be taking the 200-400 to Africa. I'm about to buy an earlier VR I version of the lens. The 500mm f/4 will stay as my main lens but the 200-400 with a few minor quibbles is a terrific addition.
Harry
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
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The ones with the tc are really wonderful. I wish I could use a tc with my 100-400. :cry
Africa Worthy
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So, apart from stating the obvious - Just gotta say those ducklings close up win the cuteness stakes, for sure
...I thought they were little zebras out for a swim!
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I was rather satisfied with the results from the lens. The 200-400 does OK with TCs but its AF doesn't seem to do as well with them as my primes.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
280-560...I might be able to put up with slow AF.
You should have plenty of time for the type of shooting Africa will provide. Mammals don't flitter around like birds. Having the ability to frame your subject so that you squeeze every ounce out of those expensive pixels on the event of a lifetime...eh.
Plus you'll have a prime handy too.:D
I'm glad you like the lens, because I've just purchased mine. Haven't had a chance to shoot with it yet. Too darn hot at the moment, but I'm hoping to get out in a week or two.
http://donbirch.smugmug.com/
ps: not to be a naysayer, but the first few are not the usual ultra-sharp Behret pics we're used to, so are you really winning over the Bigma?
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Those ducklings are cute little buggers.
I did like the results from the 200-400 better also. However I am fairly eperience using Nikon lenses. Sigmas are a tad different. I think I could have shown better results with the Bigma with a tad more eperience.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Link to my Smugmug site
Right now I'm leaning towards the 28-70 2.8 and the 14-24 2.8 for landscapes.
For wildlife It will be the 200-400 with the 1.4 TC and then for the last lens I'm debating between the 70-200 2.8 and the 300mm f/4. I'll probably stick the 1.7 TC on the last lens. Right now I'm leaning towards the 300 f/4.
The camera bodies will be the D4 (if its released) or the D3s and the D300.
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How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
But... that overlaps with the 200-400? Maybe the 70-200 might make better sense in case the guide gets you real close to the action.
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It would be on the D300 so with the crop factor and the 1.7 TC it would be around 760mm.
I'm still researching the issue and its a tough call. The web site http://www.eyesonafrica.net/ writes :
"Here is an approximation of the percentage of images I have made with various focal lengths over the past few years:
"17-200mm: 35%
200-300mm: 25%
300-400mm: 25%
over 400mm: 15%"
Based on that it would seem that the 70-200 would be a better option w/o a TC. The 70-200 and the 200-400 would cover 85% of the possibilities. For the last 15% my TCs should cover a good part of that.
Fortunately I still have over a year to think about it before I make what will probably turn out to be the wrong choice.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
But I'd like some lessons, Harry. I've used mine for two seasons and don't compare with what you did in a few days :cry
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I think if you talk to people that have been to Africa, you will find that there are many times you are right on top of the action. Don't put the short range lenses too far out of reach. There are other times that you will want the reach a good zoom will give you.
As well, Africa is a dusty place. You don't want to be changing lenses in the field if you can possibly help it. This past trip, I had the 70-200 f2.8 on the D300s and the 24-70 f.28 on the D700 and there were times I wished for a third lens.
Next time I'm dragging along the D90.
I'll put the 200-400 on the D300s, the 70-200 on the D700 and the 24-70 on the D90.
No need to worry about carrying them. Put them in the wheeled carry all, out to the truck and back in. With three photographers per vehicle, there is plenty of room in Tanzania. With proper organization in Kenya, things will also work fine.
My $.02 worth of info.
s
http://donbirch.smugmug.com/
Ric, you could use one. Many years ago I had this lens and bought a tamron TC 1.4 and it worked like a charm with that lens, just you need good lighting for it. Canon's TC will not work. I will have to see what the model was for that and get back to you.
Dennis Kaczor Photography
With a non-pro body? (7D)
That 200-400 has some very good reviews, and last year I had seen a few Nikon users down south using that lens. A friend in my area just bought it and likes it, easier to carry around as well.
14-24 f/2.8 is a sweet lens and really worth brining on your trip I love that lens as it is tack sharp. For me I would lean more so to the 300mm and use the TC for that, that lens is light and works well with the TC 1.4. In fact that was the lens I took to Florida last year, this year I'm going to take the 500mm with me.
Nice images, seems to be worth having in the camera bag on the trip.
Dennis Kaczor Photography
“PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”
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Decisions decisions......
Gale
www.pbase.com/techwish
I've said the 200-400 w/o TCs is a tad short for wildlife shooting. However the feedback I'm getting from African safari sites is that it is an almost perfect lens for that kind of shooting.
From Thom Hogan's review of the 200-400
"Perfect Safari lens. Fast enough to remove distracting backgrounds most of the time, long enough to pull in subjects you can't quite approach, versatile enough to zoom back for the big animals, just small and light enough to manage in a Land Cruiser."
The 500mm f/4 remains my preferred lens for wildlife shooting but for the African trip the versatility of the 200-400 gives it the edge over the 500's superior performance.
I know the first two captures aren't the sharpest but I was using them to demonstrate the usefulness of a zoom for composition. The later images are decidedly better than what I got from the Bigma. This isn't surprising when you consider that the Bigma is a 10x zoom that costs 7 times less than the 200-400.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Thanks Joel. I know a couuple of Canon shooters who switched over to Nikon and this lens was their first glass purchase.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Link to my Smugmug site