Longer Lens Lust

[marcotrov]

Anyone with any thoughts on which way I should go for a bit more focal length? Currently I have 80-200 F/2.8(2 ring tripod collar one).
Option 1- Kenko 1.4 TC PRO 300
Option 2 - Buy Sigma 100-300 EX HSM F/4 lens (anyone own this lens? Sounds great bang for the buck)
Option 3- 80-400 VR available second hand excellent condition for $1500-$1800 but heard its a bit slow and will be most expensive of the options and set me back to buying the D200 hopefully released at end of year
Any opinions or sites/threads would be greatly appreciated.

[birddog114]

Option 3- 80-400 VR available second hand excellent condition for $1500-$1800

Too expensive! the brand new ones is less than or just equal that price.

Kenko 1.4 TC Pro is not fast with the 80-200 or 80-400, and with 80-200 is just giving you 280mm + 1.5x cropped FOV.

If you want a good glass, save up and get the 200-400VR.

[MHD]

or the 600 f/4

[kipper]

Don't get me started. Seen a few 600 F/4 AF-S around for $4.5k

[birddog114]

Don't get me started. Seen a few 600 F/4 AF-S around for $4.5k

Grab it while it last What are you waiting for?

[gstark]

Don't believe what people say about the 80-400VR being slow either. Mine is fast enough to shoot F1GP racecars in full flight; is that fast enough?

[MHD]

Don't get me started. Seen a few 600 F/4 AF-S around for $4.5k

Second hand I would assume...

That thing is a TANK

st $4.5K in even "good" (as against as new) cond it would be a bargain..

Maxwells RRP is 20K

[BBJ]

I am with Gary, as i have the 80-400 and well most of my motorbike racing shots have been done with this lens.
Here is a sample pic taken with this lens.

[kipper]

Yes, secondhand. Unfortunately the seller is in the UK.
Not sure what price you'd pay for shipping though.
Don't believe it's the current model.
However it would be still a nice lens to have.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... %3AIT&rd=1

[MHD]

It would be ~100AUD as a guess...

That is a good price.... and it is the AFS version so its not to many models behind the 20K jobbie...

[kipper]

While it's not the AF-S II, I'm still sure it's no slouch and would I wouldn't be upset if somebody gave it to me

[birddog114]

I'm telling you this: It's surely another eBay scam, check his feedback, about 55 and he sold all other crappy stuff, nothing relate to photography and now he listed 3 x 600 AF-S at that price, BIN GBP 1800.00.
I won't touch these lenses. These type of lens at second hand should be at around AU$10K or over. I'm wondering at that price, no one does the BIN.

Kipper, grab it, it's abig bargain, if he plays up you'll come after him easy, cos you're going back there soon and known well the UK.

[marcotrov]

If you want a good glass, save up and get the 200-400VR.

Thanks Birddog if I had that sort of money I'd get a D2X as well and go the whole hog!
Gary sounds as though your impressed with the 80-400VR.
Any other ideas for a reasonably humble budget?

[kipper]

I wouldn't go the 200-400VR, not enough reach for wildlife unless combined with the D2X.

Then again, I'd still rather go for the Sigma 300-800 F/5.6 which is the same price or a bit more than a 200-400VR.

I've worked out if I save 400 a month minimum and I could get a D2X and a 500MM lens (secondhand) in about 2 years!

[birddog114]

If you want a good glass, save up and get the 200-400VR.

Thanks Birddog if I had that sort of money I'd get a D2X as well and go the whole hog!
Gary sounds as though your impressed with the 80-400VR.
Any other ideas for a reasonably humble budget?

marcotrov
Have you bought the lottery ticket lately! watch out!

[kipper]

Bird, I was a bit dubious about this lister the other day when I did a search for 600mm and two of them came up. At the time I thought he might of accidently hit submit twice or something. So he's got a third item up now?

[marcotrov]

Not sure if this will work but here are some recent shots from the Mareeba airshow taken with my 80-200 AF-D VR (VR - Very rigid using my mafrotto monopod on with ballhead)
http://www.pixspot.com/index.php?cat=10168

[kipper]

Yes, I have the 70-200 F/2.8 VR. It's a very nice lens, great for close aerial photography. The 200-400VR could be used for when the aircraft are a fairbit away. I found at the F1GP when the F18 did a flypast over my head I could get the whole aircraft in the frame with a 1.7TC.

However for nature photography, these lenses aren't the tools that you need. The 500MM or 600MM F/4s with a TC are the go, or the Sigma 300-800 or 800 F/5.6.

[BBJ]

Just see Darryl now Lining up a spoggy with 1 of them big Sigma's LOL.
Wouldn't you get some looks, would be like shooting a wabbit with a bazooka. Sounds like fun, i guess if i could have a good lens and a bit cheaper than the D2x would be the 300mm f/2.8. Oh well lens lust or dreams, dreams are cheaper.

[birddog114]

Wildlife shooting is depend on what type of the animal.
If you're shooting a big bird like the raptor is difference with you shoot the 2cm bird on the tiny branch.

[MATT]

kIPPER , the ebay 600f4 from the link. He has another but a Q has been asked and he replied that its a scam and his account has beeen stolen.

Sorry if your aware of this.

cheers

MATT

[kipper]

Yeah I thought it was a bit suss when I was checking it the other night and there was 2.

Birddog, you can probably get away with the 200-400VR with a TC for raptors (depends which ones). However some of them are pretty nervous. I even found at 340MM focal length (200-400VR isn't going to give you much more reach), that they'd still be only a small area of the viewfinder. I'd like to be able to frame them on a perch with only about 5% of spare space top and bottom of the image. To get that sort of reach from where we were you'd definately need about 700-800MM of focal length.

[kipper]

As for the eBay item. Looks like the other phantom items were deleted and the original item remained. Item sold for $4,200AU, both buyer and seller are in the UK so I guess the buyer can atleast pay cash and collect.