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Graham Whistler
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New super Nikon lens ouit soon with many new features 180-400mm zoom but plus built in x1.4 teleconverter giving with full frame FX cameras a range of 252-560mm at the flick of a switch. With converter in max F4 is reduced to F5.6. UK price on launch will be about £10999.00 need I say more? (I would love one!!) Attachment: New Nikon 400-1800 Zoom.jpg (Downloaded 13 times) |
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Robert
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I thought I had reported on this lens ages ago? I used the only copy in the UK at the time at the Manchester Nikon Pro Roadshow 21st Feb. It's a lovely lens and I have read since that it compares well with the very best Nikkor lenses. I don't remember it being especially light, but it's a joy to use, the TC switches in and out effortlessly, with a little button which flips up and down with the left thumb? The only issue is the (JK, Why is strikethrough not working?) My considered observation with such an expensive lens, esp. in a birding context is that 560 is not really as long as it needs to be... DX - D500??? would give the equivalent of 840, OK achievable by cropping the FX frame provided it's a D850. The D500 has about the same pixel density as the D850 I understand. If it were on a 500mm non zoom then that would give a 500 - 700mm switch focal length lens, which could be much more useful with good VR for birding, especially if it were a fresnel lens, with the lower weight and smaller unit. But with this sort of focal length other factors creep in like atmospheric mist and heat haze. There is some talk of a trend towards fitting internal TC's to other lenses in the future. My take with long zooms is they are usually fully extended or occasionally fully retracted, an inbuilt TC would achieve this with less weight and complexity, yet still get the job done. I visited a local South Cumbria nature reserve recently, one of the wardens allowed me to look through his spotting scope at the Ospreys, it seemed a pretty powerful optic but the tree was so far away, because of the heat haze I could barely make out the tree let alone the nest or the birds. I could just make out the two large white TV cameras lashed to the tree for online observers. https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife/cams/osprey-cam The cam wasn't working when I looked just now but it may well come back on later. |
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Graham Whistler
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Robert sorry I missed your post but totally agree with your comments. The price tag is a major factor and look at my choice of using my 80-400 zoom with the x1.4 nothing wrong with sharpness and speed of focus, carry it all day and enjoy your photography.End results are not bad. My big and very heavy 500mm produces only slightly better quality with the adavantage of F4 and not needing to stop down so much but then you lose DOF! |
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Robert
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There are just no free lunches with long lens photography, as I see it the new 180-400 TC is probably a good rental company item, if you are going to Antartica or Costa Rica and need something versatile then factor in the rental cost. Otherwise spend the cost of the trip on buying the lens, but have to rely on a bus pass to the local RSPB reserve... LOL  For my part, this morning I will be calling in at Foulshaw with my D3 and micro Nikkor 105 f/4 hoping to catch some insects, dragonflies or lizards, perhaps an Adder! From a distance... Better pack the 300 f/2.8 and extension tubes... |
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Graham Whistler
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Happy shooting Robert I will be at Ravenglass Railway filming end this month or early July will keep you informed. |
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Eric
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I am sure there is a mathematical formula that expresses the equipment and setting requirements for a perfect bird photograph. But in the absence of such assistance (and my inability to derive one) I must rely on intuition. If the bird is small and distant, I need the longest lens I can afford and find acceptable to handle. If the bird is moving I need a fast shutter speed, smaller aperture and spare field of view to help tracking. Zoom lenses, DX sensors or low noise cropable images would seem to be the order of the day. Having seen Graham's results from the 80-400 I find it hard to believe that this new lens will deliver images 5x better quality than it's 5x price tag and extra weight bring. I don't see any mechanical advantage in having a switchable tc fitted to a zoom lens? Having the tc fixed to the 80-400 means you have 112-560mm available....more range than this new lens. The only advantage of this lens over the 80-400 is the optical advantage of less glass ( when flipped out of the way) and the extra stop. BUT...if the subject's nature and behaviour requires more generous depth of field I would be stopping down beyond f5.6 anyway. I still feel the quest for best image is about camera bodies. Will a cropped D850 image using the 80-400 best the D500 using the same lens? |
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Graham Whistler
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It is still going to weigh in at several Kgs so is heavy and slow to use and needs a tripod, fine in a hide fixed place for the day. |
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jk
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Got to say I see no need for this lens at all as I have the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 AFS VR lens. Yes this lens has a little more reach and a half stop more light capturing but I cant see it is any better than the 200-500mm that costs less than £1200. |
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Graham Whistler
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I agree 100% JK I am hardley ever using my 500mm F4 and find the 80-400 plus x1.4 copes very well with my bird photography at a cost of £1800 compared with £6000 for the 500mm lens. This new baby is no light weight at £11000! |
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jk
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Eric wrote: I still feel the quest for best image is about camera bodies. I would say that the D500 will maybe work better in low light but in normal/bright light the D850 will work better.Also it will depend on what type of photos you are taking. I think the D500 is hard to beat for bird photography but for landscapes then the D850 is brilliant. |
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