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Here's a few full size crops from my first real play with my new toy. File sizes are 1-1.5MB, and these are just crops but at full size.

Zoom was 300-400 with an SB800 attached.

Initial impressions are that the lens might be a tad soft wide oprn, but I'm seeing that it really sharpens up from f8; these images were, I believe, all at f11.

More playtime to come today.

Planning on being a dentist in another life? They have special lenses for that, no need to waste your 80-400

hehe... that gets quite personal!

wow, it sure does (get personal and sharpen up). So selling the lens as a close up portrait lens to the wife probably isn't the right approach then...

glc, not unless your wife is 15 with flawless skin (sorry just noticed you were from Tassie)

joking

glc, I better take that back you are probably the only Tassie member, I don't want to offend every member in one state in one quick comment

I was just wanting to see how sharp the images were ...

Hopefully the sun will be out at lunchtime, and I can wander around Cockle Bay for a bit.

Gary, I must say it seems pretty impressive, looking at the detail on the numbers on the microphone

Gary, I am impressed with the sharpness - looks like you got good coverage from the SB-800 at that length as well. What ISO were you shooting at?

Glen, (tassie chapter packs up and goes home) - that's ok, I'm actually originally "from the mainland" as you guys are known down here

ISO was 200.

Full EXIF is in the images, I believe; just right click, dl and open in NV and all will be revealed.

And yes, I too am impressed with the sharpness. Now y'all know why I prefer to use Nikon glass.

Gary,

Are these all handheld?

Looks like someone needs a nose-hair trimmer for christmas.

Cheers
Dean

See... this is where I continue to get myself in a horrible muddle !!!
Love the 85/1.4 but Birdy's deal on the 70-200 is wonderful... but then again the 80-400 has that extra reach (oh what am I to do) !!!

Mj wrote:See... this is where I continue to get myself in a horrible muddle !!!
Love the 85/1.4 but Birdy's deal on the 70-200 is wonderful... but then again the 80-400 has that extra reach (oh what am I to do) !!!

MJ,
Get all, keep it behind the door, only pull out the one you need and other next time.

Dean,

All handheld, but with SB800 for illumination.

Wandered down to the old Pyrmont Bridge at lunchtime. Shot 161 frames, mostly handheld and just playing with settings: same shot, different apertures/shutter speeds, for instance, so that I can see where the lens's sweet spot is.

I've not yet migrated the images to a pc, but initial impressions are that f8 - f11 will give me quite finely shaved ham.

mmmm, shaved ham...

Lucky for Leigh you didn't get this lens sooner Gary - or we'd be looking at a blow up of his set of teeth in your gallery.

Birddog wrote: Get all, keep it behind the door, only pull out the one you need and other next time.

Nice idea Birddog... pity I haven't a big enough door to hide it all behind !!!
Seriously though I think I'll need to have another look at these options and make a hard choice very very very soon. btw... have all the microtrekker 200's been spoken for?

Sharpness is looking good Gary. Can't wait to see more from your lunchtime outing today.

btw... have all the microtrekker 200's been spoken for?

Still have some left, if you want ahve to be quick, once it gone, I won't have it until Feb/ Mar 05

Nicole,

Nicole wrote:Sharpness is looking good Gary. Can't wait to see more from your lunchtime outing today.

I've just had a browse through the NEFs, and suffice to say I am impressed.

Look for a few images later this evening; I have a couple in mind that will adequately illustrate the sharpness I'm seeing.

Just don't touch them unless you have a band aid handy.

Just don't touch them unless you have a band aid handy.

Getting very excited now. Can't wait to finish work tomorrow!

Getting very excited now. Can't wait to finish work tomorrow

I wish that I could rush it off to you today,
Glen got his 45mm and it's on the same flight with your 80-400, but he got earlier cos, FedEx did not have their main base in Vic, transit in Sydney to Mel, therefore one day delays.

Thanks Birddog. Not much you can do about it hey. I'll be happy to wait until tomorrow. A nice end to the week I think.

Nicole wrote:Thanks Birddog. Not much you can do about it hey. I'll be happy to wait until tomorrow. A nice end to the week I think.

And can't sleep tomorrow night, wake up early in the morning stick your eyes on the D70forum at 4:30 in the morning same as last week and wait for the dawn.

Here are a few images from lunchtime today.

No PP, but a small full frame version, together with a full size crop from each.

All were taken from Pyrmont Bridge, and EXIF data should be embedded.

5065 was looking down onto the Cockle Bay restaurant area by the waterside. This lady was a school teacher with a goup of kids, sitting on the dockside; I was looking down at an angle of about 30 degrees off vertical.

5054 - I love this one. A seagull attacking a trash bin just outside one of the restaraunts. Siimilar outlook to 5054, but a little further away.

4935 - other side of Pyrmont Bridge, adjacent to the Aquarium, and looking across the bay to the Maritime Museum. A half kilometer, perhaps?

Look behind but between the bows of the two vessels and you'll see what I think is a gateway with a sort of chickenwire or chainwire fencing material on it. Yes, you can see the fencing wire ...

Cool Gary. For pics with no PP I think they look great. Sounds like you might be just a little excited. Thanks for posting the pics.

Birddog, I reckon I'll be out before sunset tomorrow evening. Already have a trip planned for Saturday so no doubt I will be up early.

Great stuff Gary!!!

Looking forward to seeing what you come out with over the weekend

Cheers
Ray

Sigh...80-400VR? What do you people do for a living......rob banks?

Kipper thinks people are using the Nikon D70 to photo $100 bills and then print them

Gary - GREAT pics...how far (geographically - i.e in metres) would u have been from the woman? The detail on the diet coke bottle is nothing short of amazing! Glad you like your new toy and yes, I have a serious case of lens lust this evening!!!


Geoff.

kipper wrote:Sigh...80-400VR? What do you people do for a living......rob banks?

Kipper,
we're on the dole atm, and others are benefited from baby bonuses so got nothing to do then we have to lust lens and go shooting

I'm actually interested to see what everybody does for a living. Maybe I'll start another thread. I believe you do IT Consulting don't you Birdy?

Ye Gods Gary those pics are really in your face - great sharpness

Cheers

Chris

Sorry Gary for hijacking the thread but yeah very nice pictures. PS I hate you for having the lense

Geoff,

Geoff wrote:Gary - GREAT pics...how far (geographically - i.e in metres) would u have been from the woman? The detail on the diet coke bottle is nothing short of amazing! Glad you like your new toy and yes, I have a serious case of lens lust this evening!!!


Geoff.

Good question.

What's the elevation of the main deck of Pyrmonth Bridge above the waterside walkway at Cockle Bay? 30M perhaps?

Just a little more than that because of the angles involved.

That would be my guess.

Kipper,

kipper wrote:I'm actually interested to see what everybody does for a living. Maybe I'll start another thread. I believe you do IT Consulting don't you Birdy?

I'm in IT too. Systems analyst/programmer.

We have a surprising number of IT people here, actually.

Chris,

sirhc55 wrote:Ye Gods Gary those pics are really in your face - great sharpness

Thanx; that's exactly the sort of sharpness I'm looking for.

gstark wrote:Kipper,

kipper wrote:I'm actually interested to see what everybody does for a living. Maybe I'll start another thread. I believe you do IT Consulting don't you Birdy?

I'm in IT too. Systems analyst/programmer.

We have a surprising number of IT people here, actually.

I'm not

Me neither.

But i am in electronics...

I am

Systems Administrator... one of the evil IT people you don't ever want to meet...

I'm an ex-Software Developer, was made redundant in 2001 and never went back into the industry. Went back into the trade that I left which is the Electrical Industry. Most of the work that I do though isn't as an Electrician but as a Switchboard Draftsman, designing electrical switchboards and the control circuitry in an Autocad equivalent. Plus I do a lot of other work that my boss feels that I'm capable of doing because I have a computer background.

I hate my job - IT system analyst/programmer .... being in the industry too long....

Earth mover

But I did 12 months IT study, that count????

Cheers
Ray

Well just did a quick test outside to compare the difference with VR on and VR off. Used the box the lens came in.

VR On - http://members.optusnet.com.au/~nicolemelb/images/TestVRon01.jpg

VR Off - http://members.optusnet.com.au/~nicolemelb/images/TestVRoff01.jpg

Nicole,
you're too quick! see anything difference in between?

I definitely notice a difference. Going to take some photos of my husband's motorbike too.

I forgot to mention before that no processing was done on those photos. File sizes are about 800K for those with dial up. Here's another one at 400mm, 1/60, F9. Also no PP.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~nicolemelb/images/TestVRon02.jpg

Nicole,

I am considering ordering through birddog over the weekend a 70-200mm VR. How well did your lens come packaged, please describe in detail.

I am sure you will enjoy your new glass.


Cheers,

Hi Fozzie,
I got that lens today (70-200) through Birddog, so may be able yo give you detail on that exact lens. It was delivered carefully by a fedex guy, the same as the lens which arrived yesterday. It was packed in a Multi -Pack carton no M1. Inside that was the standard Nikon gold packaging which you can check out in your local store. It is good. The gold package was wrapped in bubble wrap, placed in the M1, then hard styrofoam used to fill the small gap. The lens arrived with no damage. If you need more info just ask.

Nicole,

I can count the legs on that bug splattered on the edge of the fairing. Looks like he'd just had a feed.

Nice.

Cheers
Dean

I just showed my Dad VR off and said to him "do you notice the blurriness?" and he goes "nah, that's excellent". To which I told him to put on his glasses. He then said he saw a little bit. I showed him both photos and said "yeah it does help a bit". I laughed