I managed to do my first really real bit of wildlife photography this weekend...
I'm rather impressed with my lense, it's the 18-200mm VRII and had considered getting the 18-300 VR lense for the increased reach. This weekend had made me rethink things as what I really want is something with dedicated reach and a quick search reveals 400mm and above lenses for similar prices as the 18-300 but of course not always Nikon.
Question then, is there any recommended zoom lenses that will fit my camera and won't break the bank.. £600-1000 range?
I have respect for Tamron lenses. If you are near a dealer, try one, take a pic outside, if poss, friend gets this opportunity from a national dealer, no problem. This is UK. Ed.
As far as I have been able to ascertain from experience the new range of Tamron lenses are hard to beat. I have a SP 70 - 300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD, it is fast focusing, the Vibration Control locks on and that's it - stable image. It was £100.00 less than the Nikon equivalent is a half stop faster and has a five (5) year warranty. Super pin sharp images at a great price and 5 year waranty. What's not to like?
I've really started looking at the Tamron lense as suggested... Not a bad price, and far cheaper than some of the other options as I already own a Nikon 50mm Prime, and a Nikon 18-200mm VR11 I am pretty well covered, except at the far end, i.e. 300mm plus focal length.
Is it a big difference that extra 100mm or should I be looking at something 400mm? I am just thinking if the Tamron auto focuses fast and locks on then cropping the 300mm image would be cheaper than buying the same effect at 400mm?
Hi I have the Tamron SP 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD and it is an excellent lens.
But if you want to get closer look at the Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM which is very good for about £600, however... you won't want to walk about with it for too long and Tamron have the new TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 VC USD for about £950.
The new Tamron 150-600 for Canon is getting very good reviews. The Nikon version is not released yet but should be soon. It is a big lens weighing in at something around 4 pounds. Cost in U.S. for Canon version is around $1200.
Bob, the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR AF-S Nikkor is very hard to beat as far as bang for your buck is concerned. Image quality is superb across the zoom range, especially wide open, which is a big advantage. I have one which I use for travel, with my D7100, because of it's light weight and compact size. The other advantage, if you shoot Jpgs, is that the automatic CA and distortion correction profile built in to the D7100 for this lens can correct every shot, in camera, which is a feature not available when using a 3rd party lens until you get to edit your image in editing software.
(Mar 1, 2014, 08:50)GrahamS Wrote: Bob, the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR AF-S Nikkor is very hard to beat as far as bang for your buck is concerned. Image quality is superb across the zoom range, especially wide open, which is a big advantage. I have one which I use for travel, with my D7100, because of it's light weight and compact size. The other advantage, if you shoot Jpgs, is that the automatic CA and distortion correction profile built in to the D7100 for this lens can correct every shot, in camera, which is a feature not available when using a 3rd party lens until you get to edit your image in editing software.
(Mar 1, 2014, 08:50)GrahamS Wrote: Bob, the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR AF-S Nikkor is very hard to beat as far as bang for your buck is concerned. Image quality is superb across the zoom range, especially wide open, which is a big advantage. I have one which I use for travel, with my D7100, because of it's light weight and compact size. The other advantage, if you shoot Jpgs, is that the automatic CA and distortion correction profile built in to the D7100 for this lens can correct every shot, in camera, which is a feature not available when using a 3rd party lens until you get to edit your image in editing software.
I have the Nikon D610 with the 80-400G lens. The lens cost at the time around £1,900. For birding, I find it quick to focus and can be used effectively at 400mm. It has double image stabilisation - to cover normal use and from moving bases such as boats. I use it with a harness which makes it (for me) easy to carry around all day every day for a 2-3 week expedition otherwise you may find it on the weighty side. Against all that, it demands a huge amount of light, and a lot of wildlife photography is in dying light or taking creatures in shade. Noise is a big issue, partly as a result.
My feeling is that 400mm is insufficient reach for wildlife especially birds, bearing in mind the D610 is full-frame but the 1.4x Nikon extender I have is pointless because it costs clarity and speed of focusing. Might as well crop a bit harder. You might want to check if the 1.7 and 2.0 extenders are compatible with your selected lens and camera - they aren't compatible with mine. If you use the built-in flash on your camera, you might want to check it is compatible with your lens - mine isn't.
I am looking for more reach without sacrificing portability and flexibility but haven't found anything suitable yet! Hope this helps a little but my final thought is that wildlife photography may have many challenges with kit and skills, but it is highly enjoyable and a constant pleasure, so I hope you really go for it. Let us know what kit you buy - I might just follow your lead! Regards, Jeff
I have the Nikon D610 with the 80-400G lens. The lens cost at the time around £1,900. For birding, I find it quick to focus and can be used effectively at 400mm. It has double image stabilisation - to cover normal use and from moving bases such as boats. I use it with a harness which makes it (for me) easy to carry around all day every day for a 2-3 week expedition otherwise you may find it on the weighty side. Against all that, it demands a huge amount of light, and a lot of wildlife photography is in dying light or taking creatures in shade. Noise is a big issue, partly as a result.
My feeling is that 400mm is insufficient reach for wildlife especially birds, bearing in mind the D610 is full-frame but the 1.4x Nikon extender I have is pointless because it costs clarity and speed of focusing. Might as well crop a bit harder. You might want to check if the 1.7 and 2.0 extenders are compatible with your selected lens and camera - they aren't compatible with mine. If you use the built-in flash on your camera, you might want to check it is compatible with your lens - mine isn't.
I am looking for more reach without sacrificing portability and flexibility but haven't found anything suitable yet! Hope this helps a little but my final thought is that wildlife photography may have many challenges with kit and skills, but it is highly enjoyable and a constant pleasure, so I hope you really go for it. Let us know what kit you buy - I might just follow your lead! Regards, Jeff
HI Freeman,
The Nikon Telephoto chart I have says you should be using a TC-201, the only one that works with that lens. It states that it is not perfect and has a bit of vignetting.
(Feb 17, 2014, 15:10)MrBob6939 Wrote: I managed to do my first really real bit of wildlife photography this weekend...
I'm rather impressed with my lense, it's the 18-200mm VRII and had considered getting the 18-300 VR lense for the increased reach. This weekend had made me rethink things as what I really want is something with dedicated reach and a quick search reveals 400mm and above lenses for similar prices as the 18-300 but of course not always Nikon.
Question then, is there any recommended zoom lenses that will fit my camera and won't break the bank.. £600-1000 range?
Thanks in advance...
I purchased a few months ago a Tamron SP150-600 F5/6.3 Di VC USD So in Nikon terms VR S/Wave already had some great shots but only just getting theweather and time to get to know it. 600mm on D7100 =900mm and I have a 2xTele on it which works fine and that give a crazy 1800mm eq but will require some bright lighting as then f stop is x2 did an amazing sunset on Xmas day with it. It is a nice build apart from Hood but a lot of these big hoods are a little flimsey. (95mm) these are around for the £800 ish mark so just in your limits
[quote='MrBob6939' pid='93452' dateline='1392671411']
I managed to do my first really real bit of wildlife photography this weekend...
I'm rather impressed with my lense, it's the 18-200mm VRII and had considered getting the 18-300 VR lense for the increased reach. This weekend had made me rethink things as what I really want is something with dedicated reach and a quick search reveals 400mm and above lenses for similar prices as the 18-300 but of course not always Nikon.
Question then, is there any recommended zoom lenses that will fit my camera and won't break the bank.. £600-1000 range?
Thanks in advance...
Ed has the right idea. Tamron has been putting out some nice stuff. Since you are shooting mostly in good lighting conditions, use your hard earned money on reach in lieu of f/stop.
(Feb 17, 2014, 15:10)MrBob6939 Wrote: I managed to do my first really real bit of wildlife photography this weekend...
I'm rather impressed with my lense, it's the 18-200mm VRII and had considered getting the 18-300 VR lense for the increased reach. This weekend had made me rethink things as what I really want is something with dedicated reach and a quick search reveals 400mm and above lenses for similar prices as the 18-300 but of course not always Nikon.
Question then, is there any recommended zoom lenses that will fit my camera and won't break the bank.. £600-1000 range?
Thanks in advance...
I was surprised to see that no recommend the new Nikon 200-500 lens which is said to be hands down a better lens than the tamron for only few dollars more. I am also looking for more reach for wildlife photography. Currently I have D90 with 70-300 & a D7100 with a Nikon 300mm F4 & 1.4 teleconverter. Currently looking at the new Nikon 200-500mm as my 1.4 converter will work with it. I love the 300 F4 but really want more reach for migrateing eagles & osprey that I am after☺
