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Main Boards => Photography/Video Q&A Board => Topic started by: Phil Magistro on February 23, 2006, 02:08:00 PM

Title: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Phil Magistro on February 23, 2006, 02:08:00 PM

I have a 70-200 f2.8 lens and would like to get a longer lens.  I can't afford a 300 f2.8 or a 200-400 f4 but am considering a 300 f4.  It doesn't have to be a fixed length lens but I definitely don't care for a zoom with a 3.x - 5.6 type of aperture.

Does anyone have experience with a Nikon 300 f4 or any other suggestions?

Phil

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Weasel on February 23, 2006, 06:31:00 PM

Remembering back to my dark days as a Nikon user,    :p   the 300 f4 is an EXTREMELY sharp lens.

The 80-400mm VR is extremely sharp too, but the slow focusing will drive you absolutely bonkers!!

Is the 300 f4 an AF-S lens?  That would be a big plus.

Weez

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Phil Magistro on February 23, 2006, 06:48:00 PM

Yep, it is.  I believe I'm going to give it a try.  

Phil

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Steve Kendrot on February 24, 2006, 12:46:00 PM

Phil,

I looked at your website. Very nice images. Your "human habitat" images were stunning... as were the nature shots...but mother nature makes it easier.

Steve

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Phil Magistro on February 24, 2006, 01:00:00 PM

Thanks Steve.  I get to follow my kids around.  My son moved to Estes Park last year.  I hope to be spending a lot more time in the Rockies! My daughter is in New York city.  Talk about extremes!

Phil

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: luv2bowhunt on March 01, 2006, 02:09:00 PM

I use the Nikon 300 f/4 lens with a Nikon D70, an amazing lens for the money. I bought an older used version (AF ED-IF, not the AFS) from Adorama.com and picked it up for $500. The lens is tack sharp if you do your part   :)  

The AFS version is supposed to be just as good (if not better) and is blazing fast focusing... I really wish that I could have affored that one   :)  

I can send you some pics that I have taken with it, just shoot me an email.

Kevin... a Nikonian addict  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: jcsnapshot on March 01, 2006, 05:31:00 PM

Kevin love your site. Great stuff on there. You might want to check the birthdate of your son. Don't think he was born on Nov 2 2006, seeing how today is March 1, 2006. Beautiful pics on the site just the same   ;)  

Phil, you could always rent for a week and try out the lens before you buy one.

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Phil Magistro on March 01, 2006, 10:44:00 PM

Kevin, Great images! And congratulations on the beautiful baby boy!

jcsnapshot, I've seen and heard enough good things about the lens that I'm convinced it's the best choice for me.  Time to bite the bullet.   :)

Phil - A fellow Nikonian suffering from NAS.   :)

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: luv2bowhunt on March 02, 2006, 11:43:00 AM

jcsnapshot - Thanks for the headsup on the date of my own sons birth, LOL! I have now corrected that to 2005... sometimes my hands type faster than my mind can go    :thumbsup:

Kevin.

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: paleFace on March 05, 2006, 08:09:00 PM

Phil did you pick up that lens yet?  i was looking at the 80-400mm that Jerry mentioned. still not sure about it. i can't afford the $5000 and up lens, still trying to pay off my D2x. i love my 80-200 f2.8 but sometimes it just won't reach out far enough.  


Rob
 http://burnhamphotography.com/

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Phil Magistro on March 06, 2006, 07:55:00 AM

Rob, not yet.  Found one at KEH but someone was quicker than I was.  Then I went and spent some of that money on new Think Tank products to replace some other bags I own.  I'll be selling some old bags to get some money back.  

I have some friends that use the 80-400, primarily for birds.  They seem to like it but it is slow at focusing and I need more than 5.6 at the low end.  I would love to have that 200-400 but can't see myself spending that much money.  For now I'm using a 1.4 teleconverter on a 70-200.  That gives me a 560 f4 on my D2x.

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: luv2bowhunt on March 06, 2006, 05:08:00 PM

I think that your math is off a little Phil... you are only @ 420mm f/4 with a 1.4 on the 70-200.

200 * 1.4 = 280
280 * 1.5 = 420    :bigsmyl:  

What bags are you selling? I may be interested... PM me if you want.

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: paleFace on March 06, 2006, 07:30:00 PM

Phil i'm headed to Africa in june and would really like to have something a little longer than my 200mm
(300mm with crop factor). i wish i had the money for the 600mm f4, but that just ain't going to happen any time soon.  need to shoot a bunch more weddings first.  
Rob

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Phil Magistro on March 06, 2006, 09:26:00 PM

luv2bowhunt, On a D2x there's a High Speed Crop feature that gives a 2X image instead of the normal 1.5X.  It drops the megapixels to 6.4 instead of the normal 12.8 but still gives great images.

The bags finished up on eBay this afternoon.  I do have one other that I'll PM you on.

Phil

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Phil Magistro on March 06, 2006, 09:33:00 PM

paleface, What about renting one for the trip?  This evening I talked with a guy that has a 300 f2.8.  What a nice lens that is.  Too bad they're so darned much money.

Phil

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Iron/Mtn on March 07, 2006, 12:23:00 PM

Bob; for my trip to africa(03) I took a sigma 100-300mm f4 for use on my nikon D100 great lens.(great glasss at a very good price. Also used the 1.5 multiplyer which for the most part I didn't really need accept for birds and a little more reach. I did take a monopod that worked great in the blinds and vehicles. I checked on rentals before going and in my area it was almost cheap enough to buy the above lens then to rent one for the time I would be gone....... Again its a f4 and not the 2.8 but with the monopod I came home with some real keepers. Even made the cover of the PBS a couple issues ago with a shot of a Cape Buffalo. Good luck and have a great time. Take plenty of film or memory cards. I took over 1700 images for 3plus weeks and this was after culling a whole bunch  :)

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: luv2bowhunt on March 07, 2006, 01:13:00 PM

Phil: Thanks for correcting me... I did not know that the high speed crop was 2x! That is way too cool, that makes for one extremely cheap 600 f/4 lens!!!!!

I wish that I could afford that bad boy, I am still trying to talk my wife into the D200.

Kevin.

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Phil Magistro on March 07, 2006, 01:38:00 PM

I have several friends with D200's and they are great cameras.  If I were a more patient person I would have waited for the D200.  But I'm not sorry, just poorer.   :)

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: paleFace on March 07, 2006, 10:12:00 PM

thanks John, i'm still not sure what i might end up taking in the lens department, but i know i'll have at least 10 - 1g cards and the laptop with card reader and blank dvd's.  

are you going to make it to salt lake?

Rob

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Iron/Mtn on March 09, 2006, 09:03:00 AM

Bob; I will most definately be there, haven't missed one yet. In 03 I bought a portable CD burner that worked real good. I burnd a CD each night from the days shots as a back up. Cost maybe 280-300 dollars and worked with both a battery back up,auto plug in or relular power with a converter for africa. Was nice and compact and did not require a computer. Thing has paid for itself in all the uses sice I bought it.

 As indicated previously by another post I really enjoyed jerry's seminar 2 gatherings ago. Missed him being there at San Antonio as I had taken some enlargements that I was hoping he would  review for me. Jerry if your reading this  I really enjoyed the seminar and the TBM articles,thanks for re-peaking my interest my only hope is that you will leave the Dark side (Canon) and return to the  NIKON  :)

Anyone have or use the D200 yet???? any feedback. I love my D100 but would love to upgrade to the heavier body,any other add on that would warrant the switch????

PS  Food for thought...does bowhunting make us better Photographers or are we better bowhunters because of photography???  I find I am a patient bowhunter but and impatient(always looking to go from shot to shot) Photographer go figure.

Love this forum lots of imput and feedback without the sling and arrows that we sometimes find. Take care. john

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: luv2bowhunt on March 09, 2006, 04:39:00 PM

That is funny John, I actually find that I am a more patient photographer when I am out in the field after a wildlife shot than when I am bowhunting.

Kevin.

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: paleFace on March 13, 2006, 09:42:00 AM

John, i'll be there with my wife (her first banquet).  we will be getting into salt lake thursday evening so look me up.  i'll be running around with my camera taking 1000's of shots. maybe we can grab a meal together and talk shop. see you there....
rob

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Iron/Mtn on March 13, 2006, 09:59:00 AM

Bob I also get in Thursday so I will try to track you down. Your wife will love it. Short funny story.... In Seattle I needed a way to get into town so I  booked a bus trip with the ladies just to go take pics down at the warf and market etc. Long story short I am the only guy on the bus and must have put a damper on there fun.......later they came out with a rule no men on the ladies trips...........  Heck I just wanted a bus ride down town.

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Phil Magistro on March 13, 2006, 10:19:00 PM

Just a brief update...I picked up a 300 F4 lens today and spent about an hour playing with it.  I like this lens.  It won't be as good for me in all situations as a 2.8 would, but I'll make do.  The 2.8 is just too darned expensive.

Anyone want to go goose hunting?   :)   I took this one yesterday with the 70-200 2.8 VR.

 (http://www.pmagistro.com/tmp/Take_Off.jpg)

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Iron/Mtn on March 14, 2006, 08:41:00 AM

Phil, what a cool shot, I have never had a chance to try or handle a VR lens, do you think they are worth the extra $$$ for one? Is there a big differnece in the price for the 2.8 vs 4.0 I notice in the trade magazines they list the prices for the 4.0 at roughly $1100 and indicate call for the price on the 2.8  :)  for the standard and the VR model.  Have you found that the VR mode allows you to leave the tripod back more now?

Checked out your images on your site, great stuff love the night shots.Did you put your own site togheter? Its really well done.  Take care. John

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Phil Magistro on March 14, 2006, 09:45:00 AM

Thanks John.  My son built the site for me.  He lives in Colorado and does that professionally.

The 300 f2.8 VR is $4499.  Wayyy beyond what I can or want to spend on a lens.  Even used 300 2.8 Af-S lenses are between $2000 and $2500.  I know that one stop is important at times but the f4 at $1100 is going to have to work until I hit the lottery.   :)  

I like the VR and think it's worth the money.  I still use a tripod for most of my shots but for some things when I use a monopod it helps a lot.  On a tripod it's recommended to turn the VR off but I like to pan so I leave it turned on.  Plus VR does let me hand hold my 70-200 down to about 1/15 with great results when I need to.

Phil

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Iron/Mtn on March 14, 2006, 11:54:00 AM

Man thats steep...... $4499, like you I will go with the 4.0 when I get the chance. I use the sigma 100-300 f.4 and I have had decent luck with it. I had read that you need to turn off the VR when mounted so I had not given them much of a chance. Planning on a return trip to africa  in 08 and am re-thinking/ elavuating my gear. ie go for the D-200 and use the D100 for a back up body or try to swing for another lens,like the idea of the 70-200 VR 2.8. Like you mentioned I have found that more and more I go with the monopod and have managed some decent shots (for me)  :)  Phil take care and thanks for the info.

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Weasel on March 14, 2006, 06:23:00 PM

Quote

Originally posted by Iron/Mtn:
 As indicated previously by another post I really enjoyed jerry's seminar 2 gatherings ago. Missed him being there at San Antonio as I had taken some enlargements that I was hoping he would  review for me. Jerry if your reading this  I really enjoyed the seminar and the TBM articles,thanks for re-peaking my interest my only hope is that you will leave the Dark side (Canon) and return to the  NIKON   :)  

Been away on vacation for two weeks (sunshine, photography, and hogs in FL/GA).  Got back home to the crappy weather an hour ago.

Thanks John!  I always like to hear when someone has learned something or gotten interested in photography through the articles/seminars.

Go back to Nikon?  It ain't going to happen.  Ever.          :D

I find I'm more patient as a photographer, but I think bowhunting is responsible for the patience.  Make sense?

Great shot, Phil!  I think there are quite a few very good photogs on this site.  It stands to reason, I guess.  The passions mesh well!

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: stickbowhntr on March 15, 2006, 02:15:00 PM

Glad to see you made it back ok ...  got photos?

Title: Re: Fast (Sort of) Telephoto Lens
Post by: Weasel on March 16, 2006, 03:14:00 PM

Quote

Originally posted by stickbowhntr:
Glad to see you made it back ok ...  got photos?

Yep.  But haven't had time to work any of them in Photoshop yet.  Except the hog pics, of course.   :D