Advice needed with lens purchase

[Luminare]

thank you for the kind comments

Thanks! Truly insightful. Your fickr site is very stunning :thumbsup:

 

[motionstills]

Any expert out there kindly give me some tips of what to choose. Obviously concerning sharpness, value & versatility.
I owned a D800 with AFS 70-200mm f2.8 VRII. I need more zoom beyond 200mm so I'm contemplating whether should I get a AFS 80-400mm VR or it will be as good with a 2x extender. Tough choice for me really please help.

You may want to try a used V2 with AFS 70-200mm f2.8 VRII, a shot with 300mm f4 on v2, 810mm fov.

 

[richardlim31]

v2 with 70-200 f4 is light and handy to use

 

[richardlim31]

this was taken with a d7100 and a borrowed Nikon 300mm f4 lens with tc1.7

 

[Light Machinery]

Nice shots Richard. You are quite an avid birder! :thumbsup:

 

[Luminare]

Nice shots Richard !!!

For those looking forward to birding, do take note that Birding or wildlife photography in Singapore can be expensive business if you are looking at the full blown setup. However, there are less costly alternatives that can achieve good results yet wont cost an arm or leg.

Summary of some options:
1) D7100 + AF-S 80-400mm f/4-5.6 VR II + TC-14E II (Approx S$5,000) | Reach & Resolution: 825mm | f/8 | 24 MP [Good for perched birds but limited fps for BIF]
2) V2 or V3 + AF-D 300mm f/4 (Approx < S$4,000) | Reach & Resolution: 810mm | f/4* | 14.2 MP {See Bro Motionstills or Richardlim31 posts, they speak a thousand words}

 

[lenslust]

I'd opt for 70-200VR2 + TC2 for the distance & flexibility.

At f/5.6 and f/8, with careful PP, it still has a great potential for sharpness and image quality.

 

[richardlim31]

Thanks Light Machinery and Luminare