Telephoto Zoom advice needed

[devilry]

Use prime lenses lah! Even better! haha!!

Decent collection of pictures you got there. I am not into nature photography, but I had the good chance to rub shoulders with a couple of top nature photographers. A lot of them favor primes, and it is interesting that you include the 80-400mm in your arsenal. Why not just stick to the 200-400mm?

The answer is very simple, just look at the size of the lens - u wont be able to bring a 200-400 everywhere u go.

zoom has its advantages, quality though not as good as primes, but its acceptable..

 

[enenyi]

Hi all,

Need some advice on which telezoom lens to get.

i have a nikon d600 with 24-70 and looking for a tele zoom to provide the extra reach which i sometimes need that the 24-70 can't give me. This was highlighted during the recent F1 especially.

So I've narrowed down to a few choices

Nikon 70-300 VR
Nikon 70-200 F4
Sigma 70-200 f2.8

I like the compactness of the 70-200 f4 but worry that 200 reach is not enough and less flexible than 70-300.

Any advise or users of these lens are much appreciated. Has anyone done any comparison on sharpness and actual image quality of the 70-300 vr vs 70-200 f4? the price is about double so wanted to know if it actually makes that much difference.

Thanks in advance

Question: y isn't the new Tamron 70-200 f2.8 VC USD considered? At 29P-Mpix on a D600 (http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Lenses/Camera-Lens-Database/Tamron/Tamron-SP-70-200mm-F28-Di-VC-USD-Nikon/%28camera%29/834/%28cameraname%29/Nikon-D600), it outresolves the camera (it peaks at 31P-Mpix on a D800). Yet is priced at 2/3 that of a Nikon 70-200 VRII. Coz for me i'm seriously considering between the Tamron 70-200 f2.8 or the Nikon 70-200 f4. Is it that 3rd party = not reliable = lens will depreciate in price?

 

[K S Kong]

Use prime lenses lah! Even better! haha!!

Decent collection of pictures you got there. I am not into nature photography, but I had the good chance to rub shoulders with a couple of top nature photographers. A lot of them favor primes, and it is interesting that you include the 80-400mm in your arsenal. Why not just stick to the 200-400mm?

The new 80-400mm is just listed this year, my 200-400mm has been more than seven years, and still in use. You're right, most nature photographers Prefer primes lens, so do I.
I got a 600mm f4 VR prime lens, which is usually mounted on a large tripod. 80-400mm advantage is lightweight, fast, I using it with another body for handheld shooting closer
or fast moving target. They are now my best match when shooting abroad.

Imagine when you load-in 16mm f2.8, 14-24mm f2.8, PCE 24mm f2.8, 24-70mm f2.8, 105mm f2.8 Micro, 70-200mm f2.8, 200 -400mm f4, 600mm f4, TC14E ll, D4, D800E
plus filters into your camera bags…now has a new 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G, replacing the 200-400mm, how much you can save on space and weight.

Compare the imaging quality of the AFS 200-400mm f4 and AFS 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 G is still a difference, on the D4 difference not much, but on the D800E difference is very obvious.
The 200-400mm f4 still the best Tele zoom that money can buy.

 

[Blur Shadow]

The new 80-400mm is just listed this year, my 200-400mm has been more than seven years, and still in use. You're right, most nature photographers Prefer primes lens, so do I.
I got a 600mm f4 VR prime lens, which is usually mounted on a large tripod. 80-400mm advantage is lightweight, fast, I using it with another body for handheld shooting closer
or fast moving target. They are now my best match when shooting abroad.

Imagine when you load-in 16mm f2.8, 14-24mm f2.8, PCE 24mm f2.8, 24-70mm f2.8, 105mm f2.8 Micro, 70-200mm f2.8, 200 -400mm f4, 600mm f4, TC14E ll, D4, D800E
plus filters into your camera bags…now has a new 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G, replacing the 200-400mm, how much you can save on space and weight.

Compare the imaging quality of the AFS 200-400mm f4 and AFS 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 G is still a difference, on the D4 difference not much, but on the D800E difference is very obvious.
The 200-400mm f4 still the best Tele zoom that money can buy.

Haha. I see. Seems that you really load up on your equipment. I suppose that would be required for an extended overseas trip. Most nature photographers simply load up at most 2 telephoto lenses and perhaps a couple of smaller lenses (maybe a macro, or ultra-wide), because the associated accessories (tripod, tripod head, maybe camouflage equipment etc) are sufficiently back breaking.

I agree with the statement that the 200-400mm is the best Nikon telephoto zoom. Which is why I thought it was weird that you would select the inferior 80-400mm. I don't recall the photographers I know hand holding the telephoto setup.

 

[daredevil123]

Question: y isn't the new Tamron 70-200 f2.8 VC USD considered? At 29P-Mpix on a D600 (http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Lenses/Camera-Lens-Database/Tamron/Tamron-SP-70-200mm-F28-Di-VC-USD-Nikon/%28camera%29/834/%28cameraname%29/Nikon-D600), it outresolves the camera (it peaks at 31P-Mpix on a D800). Yet is priced at 2/3 that of a Nikon 70-200 VRII. Coz for me i'm seriously considering between the Tamron 70-200 f2.8 or the Nikon 70-200 f4. Is it that 3rd party = not reliable = lens will depreciate in price?

Your answer...
http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Tamron_SP_70-200mm_f2-8_Di_VC_USD/verdict.shtml

 

[P33Kaboo]

Maybe consider Nikon 70-200/2.8 vr2 with a 1.4x TC and 2x TC

Hi All,

In particular the F1 night race - would a 70-200 f2.8 VR2 with a 1.4x or 2x TC shoot through the fence? I'm curious as I have a D90 with a rented 70200f2.8 over the F1 weekend. Most of my shots were pretty OK, although I need to be close to fence and at f2.8 to achieve this.

 

[NikF601]

Your answer... http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Tamron_SP_70-200mm_f2-8_Di_VC_USD/verdict.shtml

Ts should reconsider Tamron from the review.. Not a good one.