Best lens for wildlife photography?

DSLR - possibly Nikon D600 - planning a trip to Falkland Island to see
wildlife and also the scenery.

Maybe 70-200 with a magnifying ring on hand as well, or something else?

As usual, polite thanks in advance for the replies.

On 2013-05-08 18:22:30 -0700, said:

DSLR - possibly Nikon D600 - planning a trip to Falkland Island to see
wildlife and also the scenery.

Maybe 70-200 with a magnifying ring on hand as well, or something else?

As usual, polite thanks in advance for the replies.

If you can afford the D600 fine. However you will get more reach with
an APS-C DSLR.
The Nikkor 70-200mm AFII is a great lens with a great $$$$ price, again
if you can afford it, fine. However the 70-200mm is not a do it all
lens.

Consider that you will probably need a walk-around lens with a wider
range for those scenic shots, for FF consider the Nikkor AF-S 16-35mm
f/4G VR, or the new 24-120mm f/4G VR. There is also the surprisingly
good value and performer, the Nikkor AF-S VR f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED.

Just remember with the D600 + 70-200mm you are looking at around $4500.
For that you can get a D7100 + an 18-105mm kit lens + Nikkor AF-S VR
f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED + an AF-S DX 10-24mm all for around $3100 and an extra
$1400 to spend on the trip, perhaps a spare battery and extra SDHC
cards and a decent bag.

--
Regards,

Savageduck

"Savageduck" wrote in message
news:2013050819012829267-savageduck1@REMOVESPAMmecom...
On 2013-05-08 18:22:30 -0700, said:

DSLR - possibly Nikon D600 - planning a trip to Falkland Island to
see
wildlife and also the scenery.

Maybe 70-200 with a magnifying ring on hand as well, or something
else?

As usual, polite thanks in advance for the replies.

If you can afford the D600 fine. However you will get more reach with
an APS-C DSLR.
The Nikkor 70-200mm AFII is a great lens with a great $$$$ price,
again if you can afford it, fine. However the 70-200mm is not a do it
all lens.

Consider that you will probably need a walk-around lens with a wider
range for those scenic shots, for FF consider the Nikkor AF-S 16-35mm
f/4G VR, or the new 24-120mm f/4G VR. There is also the surprisingly
good value and performer, the Nikkor AF-S VR f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED.

Just remember with the D600 + 70-200mm you are looking at around
$4500. For that you can get a D7100 + an 18-105mm kit lens + Nikkor
AF-S VR f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED + an AF-S DX 10-24mm all for around $3100 and
an extra $1400 to spend on the trip, perhaps a spare battery and extra
SDHC cards and a decent bag.



A 70-200 with a 2x extender will be nice for snapshots; if you want
seriously good product, 400mm will be the minimum for real wild
wild-life. If you have time before your safari, think about renting the
body and lenses you'll consider. It'll be better to look at some trial
images and be disappointed or elated than to have a pocketful of
best-I-could-do to lament over.

At the end, if you think your efforts will result in saleable stuff,
spare no expense; if it's for your own enjoyment, relax and enjoy the
experience, and take a little extra time and equipment to memorialize
your enjoyment.

--
Frank ess

On 2013-05-08 19:48:28 -0700, "Frank S" said:


"Savageduck" wrote in message
news:2013050819012829267-savageduck1@REMOVESPAMmecom...
On 2013-05-08 18:22:30 -0700, said:

DSLR - possibly Nikon D600 - planning a trip to Falkland Island to see
wildlife and also the scenery.

Maybe 70-200 with a magnifying ring on hand as well, or something else?

As usual, polite thanks in advance for the replies.

If you can afford the D600 fine. However you will get more reach with
an APS-C DSLR.
The Nikkor 70-200mm AFII is a great lens with a great $$$$ price, again
if you can afford it, fine. However the 70-200mm is not a do it all
lens.

Consider that you will probably need a walk-around lens with a wider
range for those scenic shots, for FF consider the Nikkor AF-S 16-35mm
f/4G VR, or the new 24-120mm f/4G VR. There is also the surprisingly
good value and performer, the Nikkor AF-S VR f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED.

Just remember with the D600 + 70-200mm you are looking at around $4500.
For that you can get a D7100 + an 18-105mm kit lens + Nikkor AF-S VR
f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED + an AF-S DX 10-24mm all for around $3100 and an extra
$1400 to spend on the trip, perhaps a spare battery and extra SDHC
cards and a decent bag.



A 70-200 with a 2x extender will be nice for snapshots;

Actually the 1.7X will give you better results.

if you want seriously good product, 400mm will be the minimum for real
wild wild-life. If you have time before your safari, think about
renting the body and lenses you'll consider. It'll be better to look at
some trial images and be disappointed or elated than to have a
pocketful of best-I-could-do to lament over.

I agree a 400mm or 500mm would be great, and I would only rent those
lenses, I would also consider renting an extra FF body for some events.
However, we don't know of the OP's travel arrangements to The
Falklands, whether it will be via plane or a cruise of some type. We
don't know if this is going to be a trip specifically for a photo shoot
or a vacation with photography as incidental to the trip. So consider
the extra weight and bulk of a 400mm or 500mm lens to add to general
and landscape shooting requirements.

From the point of view of a vacationer who has not done this type of
photography before and from what he has said, has not even bought the
DSRR yet (I assume he has yet to buy the D600 + 70-200mm and he is
asking advice), I would thing he might be better off buying less
expensive kit at this point on his DSLR wildlife photography learning
curve. Then he could consider the transition to FF from APS-C.

At the end, if you think your efforts will result in saleable stuff,
spare no expense; if it's for your own enjoyment, relax and enjoy the
experience, and take a little extra time and equipment to memorialize
your enjoyment.

I believe he could do quite well with a lesser DSLR Say a D300S or a
D7100 on his trip rather than the D600.
Here is a D300S shot using an 80-400mm VR @ 200mm.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0_HDR-Ac2w.jpg





--
Regards,

Savageduck

On 2013-05-08 20:47:22 -0700, Savageduck said:

On 2013-05-08 19:48:28 -0700, "Frank S" said:


"Savageduck" wrote in message
news:2013050819012829267-savageduck1@REMOVESPAMmecom...
On 2013-05-08 18:22:30 -0700, said:

DSLR - possibly Nikon D600 - planning a trip to Falkland Island to see
wildlife and also the scenery.

Maybe 70-200 with a magnifying ring on hand as well, or something else?

As usual, polite thanks in advance for the replies.

If you can afford the D600 fine. However you will get more reach with
an APS-C DSLR.
The Nikkor 70-200mm AFII is a great lens with a great $$$$ price, again
if you can afford it, fine. However the 70-200mm is not a do it all
lens.

Consider that you will probably need a walk-around lens with a wider
range for those scenic shots, for FF consider the Nikkor AF-S 16-35mm
f/4G VR, or the new 24-120mm f/4G VR. There is also the surprisingly
good value and performer, the Nikkor AF-S VR f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED.

Just remember with the D600 + 70-200mm you are looking at around $4500.
For that you can get a D7100 + an 18-105mm kit lens + Nikkor AF-S VR
f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED + an AF-S DX 10-24mm all for around $3100 and an extra
$1400 to spend on the trip, perhaps a spare battery and extra SDHC
cards and a decent bag.



A 70-200 with a 2x extender will be nice for snapshots;

Actually the 1.7X will give you better results.

if you want seriously good product, 400mm will be the minimum for real
wild wild-life. If you have time before your safari, think about
renting the body and lenses you'll consider. It'll be better to look at
some trial images and be disappointed or elated than to have a
pocketful of best-I-could-do to lament over.

I agree a 400mm or 500mm would be great, and I would only rent those
lenses, I would also consider renting an extra FF body for some events.
However, we don't know of the OP's travel arrangements to The
Falklands, whether it will be via plane or a cruise of some type. We
don't know if this is going to be a trip specifically for a photo shoot
or a vacation with photography as incidental to the trip. So consider
the extra weight and bulk of a 400mm or 500mm lens to add to general
and landscape shooting requirements.

From the point of view of a vacationer who has not done this type of
photography before and from what he has said, has not even bought the
DSRR yet (I assume he has yet to buy the D600 + 70-200mm and he is
asking advice), I would thing he might be better off buying less
expensive kit at this point on his DSLR wildlife photography learning
curve. Then he could consider the transition to FF from APS-C.

At the end, if you think your efforts will result in saleable stuff,
spare no expense; if it's for your own enjoyment, relax and enjoy the
experience, and take a little extra time and equipment to memorialize
your enjoyment.

I believe he could do quite well with a lesser DSLR Say a D300S or a
D7100 on his trip rather than the D600.
Here is a D300S shot using an 80-400mm VR @ 200mm.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0_HDR-Ac2w.jpg

That

was not the shot I intended to link to, here you go:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/.../DNC_7613w.jpg


--
Regards,

Savageduck

On 09/05/2013 04:47, Savageduck wrote:
On 2013-05-08 19:48:28 -0700, "Frank S" said:


"Savageduck" wrote in message
news:2013050819012829267-savageduck1@REMOVESPAMmecom...
On 2013-05-08 18:22:30 -0700, said:

DSLR - possibly Nikon D600 - planning a trip to Falkland Island to see
wildlife and also the scenery.

Maybe 70-200 with a magnifying ring on hand as well, or something else?

As usual, polite thanks in advance for the replies.

If you can afford the D600 fine. However you will get more reach with
an APS-C DSLR.
The Nikkor 70-200mm AFII is a great lens with a great $$$$ price,
again if you can afford it, fine. However the 70-200mm is not a do it
all lens.

Consider that you will probably need a walk-around lens with a wider
range for those scenic shots, for FF consider the Nikkor AF-S 16-35mm
f/4G VR, or the new 24-120mm f/4G VR. There is also the surprisingly
good value and performer, the Nikkor AF-S VR f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED.

Just remember with the D600 + 70-200mm you are looking at around
$4500. For that you can get a D7100 + an 18-105mm kit lens + Nikkor
AF-S VR f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED + an AF-S DX 10-24mm all for around $3100
and an extra $1400 to spend on the trip, perhaps a spare battery and
extra SDHC cards and a decent bag.



A 70-200 with a 2x extender will be nice for snapshots;

Actually the 1.7X will give you better results.

if you want seriously good product, 400mm will be the minimum for
real wild wild-life. If you have time before your safari, think about
renting the body and lenses you'll consider. It'll be better to look
at some trial images and be disappointed or elated than to have a
pocketful of best-I-could-do to lament over.

I agree a 400mm or 500mm would be great, and I would only rent those
lenses, I would also consider renting an extra FF body for some events.
However, we don't know of the OP's travel arrangements to The Falklands,
whether it will be via plane or a cruise of some type. We don't know if
this is going to be a trip specifically for a photo shoot or a vacation
with photography as incidental to the trip. So consider the extra weight
and bulk of a 400mm or 500mm lens to add to general and landscape
shooting requirements.

At the risk of being contentious and accepting here that you will have
to live with softer focus and donut shaped out of focus highlights a
mirror lens is not a bad compromise for wild life photography where size
and weight are important factors. I do have traditional long lenses too
but sometimes their large physical size gets in the way.

From the point of view of a vacationer who has not done this type of
photography before and from what he has said, has not even bought the
DSRR yet (I assume he has yet to buy the D600 + 70-200mm and he is
asking advice), I would thing he might be better off buying less
expensive kit at this point on his DSLR wildlife photography learning
curve. Then he could consider the transition to FF from APS-C.

Possibly the most important advice is take a camera and lenses with you
that you already know inside out and a spare body. Reading the manual in
driving rain whilst some rare bird makes its getaway is not good. Same
with weddings...

At the end, if you think your efforts will result in saleable stuff,
spare no expense; if it's for your own enjoyment, relax and enjoy the
experience, and take a little extra time and equipment to memorialize
your enjoyment.

I believe he could do quite well with a lesser DSLR Say a D300S or a
D7100 on his trip rather than the D600.
Here is a D300S shot using an 80-400mm VR @ 200mm.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0_HDR-Ac2w.jpg

The kit used is generally secondary to knowing where to go and framing
the scene - assuming a certain minimum standard of gear. A really good
tripod is essential when using long lenses and a means to fire the
shutter without physically touching the camera (something I think modern
cameras lacking traditional cable releases are not so good at).

My old Pentax istD would sometimes forget to autofocus when triggered by
its remote control - a rather irritating fault.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Le 09/05/2013 03:22, a écrit :
DSLR - possibly Nikon D600 - planning a trip to Falkland Island to see
wildlife and also the scenery.

Maybe 70-200 with a magnifying ring on hand as well, or something else?

As usual, polite thanks in advance for the replies.


Hello, I'm new here.
If weight, bulk and the bore and risks of having to change lens is
important, you might consider an APSC with a super-zoom.
I used to do everything with a D90 with the 18-200. I have shifted to
the D7000 with the 18-300 and it is perfect for travelling, scenery or
wild life, including close-ups with one or two MCON35 Olympus close-ups
lenses screwed on it.
The quality is there and allows reframing, I never change lens, have no
problem with dust, I always have the right lens on the body and a
limited weight hanging on my shoulder.
Examples available if you like.

On Wed, 8 May 2013 20:47:22 -0700 Savageduck wrote:-

Here is a D300S shot using an 80-400mm VR @ 200mm.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0_HDR-Ac2w.jpg

Very nice!

On Wed, 8 May 2013 20:50:29 -0700 Savageduck wrote:-

Here is a D300S shot using an 80-400mm VR @ 200mm.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...0_HDR-Ac2w.jpg

That

was not the shot I intended to link to, here you go:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/.../DNC_7613w.jpg


LOL!

Still nice but I liked the first one better!

On 5/8/2013 9:22 PM, wrote:
DSLR - possibly Nikon D600 - planning a trip to Falkland Island to see
wildlife and also the scenery.

Maybe 70-200 with a magnifying ring on hand as well, or something else?

As usual, polite thanks in advance for the replies.


If your budget permits, I would consider a D800, which, will give you a
much better cropped image, than any smaller sensor camera, plus you will
have the advantage of being able to use a wide angle lens.
The test shot below was shot with my D800, using the 70-200 lens with a
1.7 extender. I was about 150 yards away. The image on the left is full
frame, the one of the right is a crop of that FF image.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/97242118/_DSC6570.jpg

If you want on all purpose lens, then think about the 28-300. While it
is not as sharp as the 70-200, it weighs a lot less and gives a wider
angle of view.
Here is an image I shot from about 50 yds with the 28-300mm, also cropped.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/97242118/shtopem%20from%20floppin.jpg


--
PeterN