200-500f5.6 Priced Under $1,400: Are You Excited?

spraynpray

I expected that result.

ADKDaveyJ

I have checked my D7500 out for fine tune with the 200-500 lens. At say 400 ft. It is very close. Moon shots though are not as good as when I was shooting moons months ago. The Supermoon is coming up tomsorrow night. The 19th of February. I’ll be shooting from Key West in a fairly dark beach area. Very little light pollution there. I am wondering as Photography Life says He has used live view phase+detect focusing on a D300 (obviously written some time ago). I am wondering if that could adequately compensate for my moon shots which are at a much longer distance than my wildlife shots at 400ft? I do not have a very good set up here to fine tune adjust. When I return back up North at my Adirondack Tree Farm I will fine tune adjust as accurately as I can. Has anyone on NR tried live view moon shots for focus? Moon shots obviously are atypical long shots. When I sight in a bolt action rifle I set it up for 300 yards point blank and certainly am not going to take 800 yard shots. I do not shoot trophy bucks, that is what my Nikon’s are for. I actually do not hunt. But photos are important. We have been using DJI Inspire 2 and that is pretty amazing. But day to day, my daily driver is Nikon D7200 or D7500. The lens I use most are the 16-80, the 70-300 AF-P VR DX, and the 200-500 5.6.

spraynpray

The comparison between rifle and camera shooting is not valid IMHO. You have a massive DoF at infinity (the distance the moon is). Your lack of sharpness is more likely to be due to a twangy tripod or wrong settings. Don't forget the moon will not look great because it is full and so front lit - the best shots are about half moon.

Live view is fine for moon shots and gets you round the focus issue. If I were you I would use manual focus, live view and zoom in to 100% to focus.

mhedges

You really shouldn't even need to use a tripod when shooting the moon, if you have decent VR and take a couple shots in a burst. I start with 1/125 F8 ISO 100 handheld, 70-300 FX AF-P lens at 300mm on D7200 and get mostly sharp shots. And I use single point AF without problems.

ADKDaveyJ

I tried manual everything at my place up North using ideal conditions which have produced really nice moon shots in the past. Those taken in January in my clearing without any lights around at all though when magnified on my 5 K screen were clearly inferior to past moon shots of full moon, half moon, etc., I am going to try tonight from Key West as that’s where I am for right now. My tripod is great for hiking, etc., but is a carbon fiber Oben from B&H and is not the most rigid tripod I have owned. In the past I used a Berlin Grand Master very heavy tripod with 8x10, still own the tripod, now we use it on survey transits. We have also used it on Clestron Space Scope but do not have a proper Nikon adapter to use that rig. That of course would be about right for shooting a crater on the moon. Tonight if the moon is right etc., I will start at ISO 200 and always manual, and try live view focus first. I can check the LCD screen maybe for clarity and to make sure the light, dark is right. I always shoot on JPEG and hopefully it will be sharper than January’s dismal results. I do not want to adjust fine tune right now as at say 400 ft. the images are very good.

The attraction here is that high tide, influenced by full Supermoon is supposed to lead to a very high tide? We will see! The 200-500 5.6 has helped me capture some of the best wildlife images I have ever been fortunate to get. SoraynPray has been extremely helpful and always look forward to his posts. I mentioned the sight in rifle situation since it did seem relevant to me but he is right that rifle lead sled accuracy is a pretty far thing from Nikon infinity photos. Mostly my rifle photography is shooting not the rifles, which are very accurate, but photos of the rifles with Tiger Maple thermally modified stocks which are quite lovely and I collected just a few to demonstrate what we have been lucky enough to harvest. After the wood leaves here it sure gets a very long tour and takes well over two years to get back the finished rifle.

Pistnbroke

Between the good and bad moon shots did you fit a UV filter ? I have found these to
be totally catastrophic to image quality.
With the fine focus adjust its either right or wrong there is no near enough but I have found over many years that if it+ 8 on one Nikon its +8 on all of them (FX and Dx) which reduces the amount of testing needed

ADKDaveyJ

Pistnbroke, Shot the Supermoon with the same rig, D7500, 200-500 5.6 lens. Much better results from Key West Feb 20, compared to Adirondacks January Supermoon at 24degrees below zero. I used pretty much the same technique. Tried Live View That did not work, finally did everything in Manual at 200 ISO, I took several exposures. Could not use my Oben Tripod as I could not get enough tilt on it where I was to even get the moon in my frame. So I have a better shot, but did not yet dare to fine adjust focus my camera and lens. I’ll wait until I get back to the Adirondacks this May to fine tune adjust. I cannot get enough distance for a flat test shot in hazy light. Seems like the sunlight is constantly bright where I am in Key West. I have been overall very impressed with this camera and lens. Our D500 is now pretty much in a Ikelite UW housing with the 10-17 Tokina lens. And unfortunately not Blue Water tested as we are always working it seems. My other lens are used on my D7200. I greatly appreciate your help. And as soon as I can get the quality control to follow your procedure I will do that. The 200-500 has been a great wildlife lens for me. We should dash up to the Florida Everglades and photograph egrets! I saw a great white egret scene today but I was walking to get some landscape plants bought and I did not have any camera at all.

Capt_Spaulding

Davey, what tripod head are you using?

ADKDaveyJ

It is an Oben for the Arca Swiss which I use a Black Rapid Strap and Kirk Plate to also use of the Arca Swiss Mount. It is a ball head. That needs to be replaced as it is unusable for smooth pans in video mode. I have gotten smoother with video pans but I have some valuable video where the pans in Montana Paradise Valley that should be smoother. It is not good for really back tilted zenith type photos, in fact for that it is worthless. It is a carbon fiber lightweight back packing tripod. As such it is somewhat better than hand held. Hardly in the class of my large format camera tripods, especially the ones with huge ball heads. But at my mountain home it sits ready to take pics thru a picture window that can be amazing.

Capt_Spaulding

Not sure which you have, but I have a couple of BenRos with AS compatible ball heads. One is similar to your description. I also have a couple of Arca Swiss heads. No need for video capability for me. All the ball heads I've used have a slot in the base that allows the camera to be angled up to vertical. Yours doesn't have this? I used both of mine to take a number of images of the last lunar eclipse which was pretty close to zenith at totality.

Pistnbroke

For $9.99 download ..A guide to birding locations in Florida.
http://photoworkshopsandtours.com/index.php/product-category/digital-books/

mhedges

Again are you really sure you need a tripod at all (other than during an eclipse)? The moon is a pretty bright object. At ISO 200 you should be around 1/320-1/500 at F/8. Lens VR can easily handle those shutter speeds.

FreezeAction

mhedges said:

Again are you really sure you need a tripod at all (other than during an eclipse)? The moon is a pretty bright object. At ISO 200 you should be around 1/320-1/500 at F/8. Lens VR can easily handle those shutter speeds.

Absolutely using a tripod with a RRS gimbal head. These old arms are not spending a day out with a D850 with a 200-500mm lens hanging on the end of it and if plans come about make that a 600mm prime... I still will use tripod on the moon too with a cable release. Often I enlarge to large format and every little bit of sharpness helps.

FreezeAction

Pistnbroke said:

For $9.99 download ..A guide to birding locations in Florida.
http://photoworkshopsandtours.com/index.php/product-category/digital-books/

I must have dropped in to late today as they want me to cough up $19.99 which I may. Even as a FL native there are so many wild and wooly places I've never visited.

Correction.... It is $9.99. After looking at the page I saw there were more than one. I will take it a $9.99. I think it can save for than the cost of the download in gas...

FreezeAction

Anyone fly with a D850 and a set of glass including the 200-500mm and a tripod? I never have and have no clue as how to pack it. I have a shoulder bag that I put the camera in with lens attached (200-500) and it might go in an overhead. But the tripod is not little or light. It's a heavy duty Manfrotto gear driven. I can put the head in my luggage. The case that RRS supplied will make that an easy packed item. All I can think of is to put gear in my suitcase and clothes for a couple of weeks in my wife's suitcase. One way or another I want to shoot with a D850 and my 200-500 for a couple of weeks in Costa Rica.

daveznspace

I just had tennis elbow (funny since I don't play tennis) but before I knew what it was i surely suffered trying to grab my d750 w/bg and the 200-500 quickly off the seat but love that lens. The weirdish part though is that it gets the best focus(bif) using the af auto mode which I've never used before. I actually thought my af was off but according to FoCal all my points come back as excellent.

I just broke down and bought FoCal Pro to get all my lenses tuned. On the 200-500 at 500mm I got an adjustment of +7. Doing it with dottune I got +16. I got to say that now it is much sharper. But out here in bfe wyoming it's a bit harder to get close so I think i'm going to pick up a d7200 to stick it on.

I've been going out before dawn in -10 to -20 (without windchill) to shoot owls and it handles just fine. WhenI bought it I got it on the $200 off sale and finagled a free Manfrotto tripod as well and surprisingly that Manfrotto has no problems holding it up nice and tight (totally the opposite of that 3lt crap) but I'm going to be safe and buy some better heads.

Pistnbroke

Focus fine tune is critical . don't let anyone tell you different //mine is at +10 .
I found the auto fine tune to be good without the averaging crap/

trolley

FreezeAction said:

Pistnbroke said:

For $9.99 download ..A guide to birding locations in Florida.
http://photoworkshopsandtours.com/index.php/product-category/digital-books/

I must have dropped in to late today as they want me to cough up $19.99 which I may. Even as a FL native there are so many wild and wooly places I've never visited.

Correction.... It is $9.99. After looking at the page I saw there were more than one. I will take it a $9.99. I think it can save for than the cost of the download in gas...

I had a Manfrotto 055DB but I had to dismantle it to fit in a suitcase, so I bought a 190 Go tripod which folds much smaller. Fits inside a medium suitcase and fitted enough clothes in for 10 days in Singapore. It may be going to Japan with me later this year, although I may need all the room I can manage in my suitcase for that trip!

Pistnbroke

Freeze action ....As I understand it you can take a camera as hand luggage..ie on a strap around your neck which should leave room for the 200-500 in your cabin bag. Check the airline regs to see if the camera adds on to the cabin bag weight. You can also take a walking stick ie a monopod if you limp a bit which should get you on with those requiring help in boarding !!

FreezeAction

trolley said:

FreezeAction said:

Pistnbroke said:

For $9.99 download ..A guide to birding locations in Florida.
http://photoworkshopsandtours.com/index.php/product-category/digital-books/

I must have dropped in to late today as they want me to cough up $19.99 which I may. Even as a FL native there are so many wild and wooly places I've never visited.

Correction.... It is $9.99. After looking at the page I saw there were more than one. I will take it a $9.99. I think it can save for than the cost of the download in gas...

I had a Manfrotto 055DB but I had to dismantle it to fit in a suitcase, so I bought a 190 Go tripod which folds much smaller. Fits inside a medium suitcase and fitted enough clothes in for 10 days in Singapore. It may be going to Japan with me later this year, although I may need all the room I can manage in my suitcase for that trip!

Pistnbroke said:

Freeze action ....As I understand it you can take a camera as hand luggage..ie on a strap around your neck which should leave room for the 200-500 in your cabin bag. Check the airline regs to see if the camera adds on to the cabin bag weight. You can also take a walking stick ie a monopod if you limp a bit which should get you on with those requiring help in boarding !!

Pistnbroke said:

Freeze action ....As I understand it you can take a camera as hand luggage..ie on a strap around your neck which should leave room for the 200-500 in your cabin bag. Check the airline regs to see if the camera adds on to the cabin bag weight. You can also take a walking stick ie a monopod if you limp a bit which should get you on with those requiring help in boarding !!

We have a very large hardside suit case that can hold my big Manfrotto tripod and the gimbal head broken down and packed in its case. Major problem solved. As for the monopod I hadn't considered it but I can have my wife use my cane and I can have a friend fit a handle on the monopod and make it look like a deluxe walking cane with it will become... There's enough gray hair to show we are authentic. The long lens will fit in the second suit case in a packed drop proof container. I never considered taking the camera around my neck and will have the 70-200 on it. Wife can take a wide angle on another body around her neck...

Thanks guys. Now to time it if possible to plunder Costa Rica in early July. I've seen the hummingbirds farms down there that the 200-500mm will have a chance to just maybe pan out.

Pistnbroke

If you put a monfrotto 222 on your monopod bend it over 90 deg and wrap it in gunwrap they will not suspect anything ////let us know have fun !!!

ADKDaveyJ

Lost my great D7500 and 16-80 in a farm accident today! Now to replace at BandH w its a comparable rig or the Z6- with FTZ and 24-70Sf4? I lean very heavy towards the D7500 and 16-80. The farming business is a very rough business to be in. And much if my income now goes to paying high Farm taxes!

ADKDaveyJ

The 200-500 5.6 is always used with the D7500 and I’d rather have that with that big lens than mirrorless...

ADKDaveyJ

Well it sure looks like the Z6 and 200-500 combo is excellent. So now two factors seperate the Z6 versus D7500, money and 24-70 zoom less range than the 16-80, and maybe even focus speed under some circumstances.

mhedges

ADKDaveyJ said:

Well it sure looks like the Z6 and 200-500 combo is excellent. So now two factors seperate the Z6 versus D7500, money and 24-70 zoom less range than the 16-80, and maybe even focus speed under some circumstances.

Focus speed with the Z mount lenses is very snappy. I wouldn't worry about that.