D600 or D7100 for Wildlife & Motor Sports

JJ_SO

I was mislead by some information about alternating card slots. I didn't find any of the information I took for granted on the Canon site. I will check on other sites because I really have something in memory about using two cards not as RAID but alternated for each filesave operation.

spraynpray

AFAIK the D7000 offers only parallel, overflow, raw/jpeg and still movie separation of the card slots doesn't it?

Anyways, another problem you will find is that you are almost always going to be shooting through wire fencing so focus is an issue there with any lens. The places that will let you get over the wire are few and very far between or high up/far back so research well to avoid disappointment. That is why I said 80-400 to cover all possibilities. You need to experience the massive fast straights, but the better photos are taken at lower speeds where the traffic condenses (corners). Hard to think the modern cars are restricted when you see them, but back in the bad old (read good old) days they were hitting 250+ on the road circuit!

It seems you are unlikely to have booked any stands as otherwise you would have said and it is too late by now of course. The Dunlop Chicane stand is good though as it is at the first big stop after the start/finish straight.

If you are thinking of sleeping, it will be challenging as there are drunken parties going on all night apart from the noise of the racing (That part mey be worse during the motorcycle 24 hr race though).

MikeFrewer

@ spraynpray.
You're correct as always. This will be my first visit to Le Mans and I will be camping in the Beausejour campsite. This is very close to the Porsche Curves area of the track where I am hoping the cars will slow enough for me to get some good pictures. Glowing brake discs (rotors) and maybe some tyre smoke from the late brakers. I will be going with my 13 year old son and his D3000, and it will be his first time also. We have everything planned on the camping side ( tent, sleeping bags, air beds, pillows, and a small gas stove for the odd cup of tea or coffee now and again ). Apparently there is a shuttle that goes to the main area of the track near the start / finish line. So we may take a trip there to experience whT it's like round there. There are a few grandstand tickets left, but I'm not one to be sat down in one place for the duration, so we'll suck it and see how things plan out.

MikeFrewer

Well I've bit the bullet and bought these two. Now for some serious learning, it's a big step up for me from my D40.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikefrewer/8579791127/sizes/z/in/photostream/

KnockKnock

Oooh, congratulations! Looking forward to your review. This has been a good info thread. Take care to really learn the auto-focus system/options. I'm moving this direction from a similar 3-pt system (D60) and it's the biggest point of difference vs older designs and can get you into trouble the most compared to all the other settings.

Msmoto

For motorsports on the D7100...I would start with 1/250 sec, panning with the object. Use AF_C, 9-Point, dynamic focus, f/11, Auto ISO, and shoot at 6 FPS.

MikeFrewer

Just going through the basic controls and settings (in the manual) this is sooo different to my old camera. Just waiting for the battery to finish charging while reading up on it.

I would also like to thank everyone that contributed to this thread. It has had lots of input and the information and advice has been great. I hope it wasn't just me that learnt a lot from it.

spraynpray

Congrats Mike and have a great time using it. Looking forward to your PAD shots!

TheGipper

I have used the D600 for both wildlife and sport (baseball) recently. Seemed to work perfectly fine for both, especially since I'd only had the camera for about a week. Anticipation, patience and timing are key for both subjects. I don't think I can post a link here to my blog to show examples, but you can follow the links in blue from my Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/36823011@N05/.

If not, I have examples on the PAD page Hope that's ok

Msmoto

Looks good to me....the D600 obviously works. The only problem is I cannot see the Exif data....on the Flickr images.

TheGipper

@Msmoto: I think the EXIF data doesn't show because of how I save the image for the web. But the baseball pics were all taken with the D600 and 70-200mm VRII at varying shutter speeds at ISO F/2.8 (F/4.8 with 1.7x TC attached) between ISOs 6400 and 12800. The wildlife pics were taken with the same lens but at base ISO as it was quite sunny during the daytime. I usually shoot at the widest possible aperture to maximise subject isolation and focus on the eyes. With the 70-200mm VRII that means at F/2.8, or with the 1.7xTC attached it becomes F/4.8.

Msmoto

Thank you...

TriShooter

@The Gripper. Very nice gallery with a wide variety of subjects. I enjoyed browsing through it.

TheGipper

TriShooter: Thank you very much!

MikeFrewer

I have only been learning with mine so far. But I'm getting up early and going to the local wildlife conservancy where I'll hopefully get some good photos for PAD.

bland

@MikeFrewer .. Congrats on the D7100 and 70-300 lens, look forward to seeing your pictures.

@TheGipper ... awesome shots!

Stefano

Hi! I've a dude and question: i've a d600 a nikkor 300/2,8vr2 and a tc20iii. I shot for 90% wildlife and airplanes. It's better to buy the d7100 and to sale the d600 or the advantage in AF and 1,5x is less than quality of d600? My dude is no better noise at least 1250 iso and no better quality overall of colors. Sorry my bad english....

Msmoto

@Stefano

This is up to you to decide. If you like to shoot birds that move, I find a full frame is easier to catch the birds in, then crop later. And, if your D600 has no problems, I cannot see selling it.

As you are one who apparently can afford the amount for a 300mm f/2.8 VRII, I might suggest buying the D7100 and using it as a second body. But to sell a used D600...you may not get much more than it will cost you for the D7100.

Stefano

@Stefano

This is up to you to decide. If you like to shoot birds that move, I find a full frame is easier to catch the birds in, then crop later. And, if your D600 has no problems, I cannot see selling it.

As you are one who apparently can afford the amount for a 300mm f/2.8 VRII, I might suggest buying the D7100 and using it as a second body. But to sell a used D600...you may not get much more than it will cost you for the D7100.

thanks for quickly answer. i live in italy and the official d7100 cost 1200€. i sell the d600 at 1600€ (official cost 2000€).
my d600 have a problem with dust, and i clean the sensor avery 500 shots...
at moment i don't can afford the 2' body... i've spent my money for next trip in alaska this summer!

TriShooter

I rented a D600 for a wedding in New Orleans and enjoyed using it in some very low light conditions during the evening hours. The D600 is an excellent camera for weddings, landscape, architectural, macro shooting, portraits, and anything requiring low light. Even at higher ISO the shots clean up easily and retain enough detail to be usuable. The D600 was a pleasure to use at the wedding with my old AIS 85mm f.1.4 ED. It took some great pictures, as did the D7000 @ 15mm / 35mm format.

However, I agree with obajoba that the D600 is not in the same ball park with the D300/s, or even the D7000 for shooting birds in flight which I did this weekend at the New Orleans lakefront before the weddding.

The difference to me was huge between the two cameras using a 300mm F4 on a well-lit day. The smaller focusing area defeats the advantage of the FX field of view. I also tried the Tammy 200-500mm with the same result. The D300 is faster at acquiring the target than the D7000, but the D7000 beats the D600 like a drum for target acquisition for BIF, in my hands. I learned to be comfortable with the D7000, but doubt that I could do the same with the D600. The D600 AF almost seems to have gaps in it, and it seems to lose the target easily for me.

DaveyJ

I find that I use the D7100 mostly in crop mode with the 70-300VR lens as stuff I shoot is wildlife that is pretty spooky. When you are close enough though I find that I prefer the DX Mode as the viewfinder and the results are somewhat more on target. In some lighting you will see an inset black frame that will be what your cropped mode shot will be. In effect the D7100 in cop mode at the 300mm setting is about 600mm equivalent. Again I would prefer to be closer but some subjects just will not tolerate knowing you are there. I soon am going to set up a blind for one majestic bird that returns to the same spot each year in putting on his show for the ladies. But without a blind they realize your are there and slip away. The D7100 and my D7000 will focus about as fast as the D300. Of the three cameras my choice now is the D7100. Battery charging seems more needed than with the D7000 or the D300. But it has been COLD this spring here in the Adirondack Mountains.