Nikon AF Long Lens under $9,000 !! s

I've got a Nikon D3 and occasionally rent a 500mm or 600mm for sports,
surfing, and wildlife photography.

I'd love to buy one of Nikon's latest 400mm, 500mm or 600mm AF lenses but at
$7,500 - $9,500 they're just way too expensive for me.

Does anyone know of any AF glass at 400mm+ that might be available at a more
reasonable cost?

With the D3's excellent performance at higher ISO's, I certainly don't need
an f/2.8 lens, or even an f./4 lens.

TIA---

Thanks kindly. I've heard good things about the 200-400, but I'm wary of the
teleconverters for both quality and speed reasons.

What's been your experience with both the TC14 and TC20?

Would the 200-400 even be able to autofocus with the TC20? I thought the
widest f/stop had to be no less than f/5.6. I think the TC20 would turn the
200-400 into a 400-800 f/8 if I'm no mistaken?

Thanks...




wrote in message
...
On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 12:48:58 -0800, in rec.photo.digital "John Smith"
wrote:

I've got a Nikon D3 and occasionally rent a 500mm or 600mm for sports,
surfing, and wildlife photography.

I'd love to buy one of Nikon's latest 400mm, 500mm or 600mm AF lenses but
at
$7,500 - $9,500 they're just way too expensive for me.

Does anyone know of any AF glass at 400mm+ that might be available at a
more
reasonable cost?

With the D3's excellent performance at higher ISO's, I certainly don't
need
an f/2.8 lens, or even an f./4 lens.

Have you considered a 200-400m m f/4 +TC? I use one with aTC-C14 all the
time, and a TC-2 under favorable conditions.

On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 12:48:58 -0800, "John Smith"
wrote in :

I've got a Nikon D3 and occasionally rent a 500mm or 600mm for sports,
surfing, and wildlife photography.

I'd love to buy one of Nikon's latest 400mm, 500mm or 600mm AF lenses but at
$7,500 - $9,500 they're just way too expensive for me.

Does anyone know of any AF glass at 400mm+ that might be available at a more
reasonable cost?

With the D3's excellent performance at higher ISO's, I certainly don't need
an f/2.8 lens, or even an f./4 lens.

Consider instead an inexpensive used Panasonic DMC-FZ8 as a complement,
with an excellent stabilized Leica-branded super-zoom lens that's f/3.3
@ 432 mm, or 734 mm with a Tele Conversion Lens.

--
Very best wishes for the holiday season and for the coming new year,
John

On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:45:09 -0800, John Navas
wrote in
:

On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 12:48:58 -0800, "John Smith"
wrote in :

I've got a Nikon D3 and occasionally rent a 500mm or 600mm for sports,
surfing, and wildlife photography.

I'd love to buy one of Nikon's latest 400mm, 500mm or 600mm AF lenses but at
$7,500 - $9,500 they're just way too expensive for me.

Does anyone know of any AF glass at 400mm+ that might be available at a more
reasonable cost?

With the D3's excellent performance at higher ISO's, I certainly don't need
an f/2.8 lens, or even an f./4 lens.

Consider instead an inexpensive used Panasonic DMC-FZ8 as a complement,
with an excellent stabilized Leica-branded super-zoom lens that's f/3.3
@ 432 mm, or 734 mm with a Tele Conversion Lens.

Sample images:
* http://i39.tinypic.com/ht8pc8.jpg
* http://i41.tinypic.com/oa9pw1.jpg
* http://i39.tinypic.com/2aqcl5.jpg

--
Very best wishes for the holiday season and for the coming new year,
John

On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:50:27 -0500, wrote in
:

On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:45:09 -0800, in rec.photo.digital John Navas
wrote:

On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 12:48:58 -0800, "John Smith"
wrote in :

I've got a Nikon D3 and occasionally rent a 500mm or 600mm for sports,
surfing, and wildlife photography.

I'd love to buy one of Nikon's latest 400mm, 500mm or 600mm AF lenses but at
$7,500 - $9,500 they're just way too expensive for me.

Does anyone know of any AF glass at 400mm+ that might be available at a more
reasonable cost?

With the D3's excellent performance at higher ISO's, I certainly don't need
an f/2.8 lens, or even an f./4 lens.

Consider instead an inexpensive used Panasonic DMC-FZ8 as a complement,
with an excellent stabilized Leica-branded super-zoom lens that's f/3.3
@ 432 mm, or 734 mm with a Tele Conversion Lens.

He's got a D3 John, don't be an idiot an suggest some P&S.

The only thing idiotic there is your response.

--
Very best wishes for the holiday season and for the coming new year,
John

Thank you. Exactly my response...


wrote in message
...
On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:45:09 -0800, in rec.photo.digital John Navas
wrote:

On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 12:48:58 -0800, "John Smith"
wrote in :

I've got a Nikon D3 and occasionally rent a 500mm or 600mm for sports,
surfing, and wildlife photography.

I'd love to buy one of Nikon's latest 400mm, 500mm or 600mm AF lenses but
at
$7,500 - $9,500 they're just way too expensive for me.

Does anyone know of any AF glass at 400mm+ that might be available at a
more
reasonable cost?

With the D3's excellent performance at higher ISO's, I certainly don't
need
an f/2.8 lens, or even an f./4 lens.

Consider instead an inexpensive used Panasonic DMC-FZ8 as a complement,
with an excellent stabilized Leica-branded super-zoom lens that's f/3.3
@ 432 mm, or 734 mm with a Tele Conversion Lens.

He's got a D3 John, don't be an idiot an suggest some P&S.

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:45:09 -0800, in rec.photo.digital John Navas
wrote:

On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 12:48:58 -0800, "John Smith"
wrote in :

I've got a Nikon D3 and occasionally rent a 500mm or 600mm for sports,
surfing, and wildlife photography.

I'd love to buy one of Nikon's latest 400mm, 500mm or 600mm AF lenses but
at
$7,500 - $9,500 they're just way too expensive for me.

Does anyone know of any AF glass at 400mm+ that might be available at a
more
reasonable cost?

With the D3's excellent performance at higher ISO's, I certainly don't
need
an f/2.8 lens, or even an f./4 lens.

Consider instead an inexpensive used Panasonic DMC-FZ8 as a complement,
with an excellent stabilized Leica-branded super-zoom lens that's f/3.3
@ 432 mm, or 734 mm with a Tele Conversion Lens.

He's got a D3 John, don't be an idiot an suggest some P&S.

Too late he already did it would appear and this is why I have him
killfiled, what a goose.

No, he's right. A reply suggesting a P&S really is idiotic...



"John Navas" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:50:27 -0500, wrote in
:

On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:45:09 -0800, in rec.photo.digital John Navas
wrote:

On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 12:48:58 -0800, "John Smith"
wrote in :

I've got a Nikon D3 and occasionally rent a 500mm or 600mm for sports,
surfing, and wildlife photography.

I'd love to buy one of Nikon's latest 400mm, 500mm or 600mm AF lenses
but at
$7,500 - $9,500 they're just way too expensive for me.

Does anyone know of any AF glass at 400mm+ that might be available at a
more
reasonable cost?

With the D3's excellent performance at higher ISO's, I certainly don't
need
an f/2.8 lens, or even an f./4 lens.

Consider instead an inexpensive used Panasonic DMC-FZ8 as a complement,
with an excellent stabilized Leica-branded super-zoom lens that's f/3.3
@ 432 mm, or 734 mm with a Tele Conversion Lens.

He's got a D3 John, don't be an idiot an suggest some P&S.

The only thing idiotic there is your response.

--
Very best wishes for the holiday season and for the coming new year,
John

On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:18:41 -0500, wrote in
:

On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:52:29 -0800, in rec.photo.digital John Navas
wrote:

Consider instead an inexpensive used Panasonic DMC-FZ8 as a complement,
with an excellent stabilized Leica-branded super-zoom lens that's f/3.3
@ 432 mm, or 734 mm with a Tele Conversion Lens.

But why don't you post the original images instead of down sizing them?

For the same reason as others.

--
Very best wishes for the holiday season and for the coming new year,
John

On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:18:41 -0500, wrote in
:

Sample images:
* http://i39.tinypic.com/ht8pc8.jpg
* http://i41.tinypic.com/oa9pw1.jpg
posted as 800x600

* http://i39.tinypic.com/2aqcl5.jpg
posted as 800x600
original:
# Image Width = 965 pixels
# Image Height = 724 pixels

You must be changing these as I post

Nope.

--
Very best wishes for the holiday season and for the coming new year,
John