Roy,
First of all, congratulations on deciding to take the plunge! Secondly, If
you have not done so already, search the archives in the Nature Photography
section of photo.net. There have been several threads on this subject that
would be useful to review. The short answer is, if birds are your primary
target, then the 500 is the minimum. If you want a very good overall
wildlife lens for everything EXCEPT birds, then the 400/2.8 AF-S is the way
to go. If you shop around, you will find that the 600/4 AF-S is not that
much more $$ than the 400/2.8 AF-S. You get much more mag. (remember that
mag. increases as a square of the incease in focal length - sorry I don't
have the formula handy) and not much more weight. Most birders use the 600
with the 1.4 TC attached almost permanently (840/5.6). IMHO, the 2X TC will
not get much use, so go for the longest lens you can and get the 1.4X.
Heck, If you can afford it, the 400/2.8 AF-S would make a great in flight
lens, with the 600/4 on the tripod =^). Make sure you have a good 'pod and
head, as well.
Others can give you more specifics on the optical quality, but rest assured
that I have never read a bad optical review of any of these lenses. After
all, it's a Nikkor!!
Best of luck with the new glass and let us know how things work out.
Jim Korczak
Pocono Mountains, USA
www.summitresources.com
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Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 07:37:33 -0800
From: "Roy Breslawski" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Long lens decision [v04.n273/9]
Message: 9
I'm about to make a once in a lifetime purchase of a long Nikkor
telephoto. Before making the wrong choice I would like some
opinions from experienced members of this group.
I have narrowed my choices down to the 400 f2.8 AF-S and 500 f4
AF-S. The primary use will be for wildlife, from birds up to
large mammals. I will also purchase at least the TC-14E and maybe
the TC-20E. Some of the pros and cons I see are: The 400 is one
stop faster and focuses much closer. It is heavier, however, the
500 is 8 pounds. Not sure how much difference the weight will be
when it's already this heavy. The 500 has the extra length and
gets all the way to 700 with the TC-14E. I'd rather not have to
use the TC-20E since I've never seen a 2x extender that had very
high quality.
Any other aspects I should be considering about these lenses?
Anyone have experience shooting with both? Any optical quality
difference? Is the TC-20E better than I am assuming? Which would
you purchase? The price is pretty much the same for both.
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