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Archive 2015 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help

  
 
tmpollard
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


I currently have the AF-S NIKKOR 18-105mm 1:3.5-5.6 G ED lens which stays on the camera the majority of the time as a walk around standard lens but I'm thinking about selling it to get the AF-S NIKKOR 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6 G ED lens since it has a little longer focal range.


I also have the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD that I'm thinking about selling in order to get the Nikon 70-200mm AF-S f/4G ED VR I. This lens would primarily be used for wildlife photography such as Birds in Flight. The Tamron seems a little slow about focusing and I've read that the Nikon is pretty fast.

What are your thoughts on the potential trades? Do you think it is worth it?



Mar 13, 2015 at 01:13 PM
runamuck
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


200 is too short for birds. I think the minimum would be 300MM. I have never used the Tamron 70-200 or the Nikon f2.8.

I never was impessed with the 18-105. The 18-140 is far better in my humble opinion.



Mar 13, 2015 at 01:31 PM
Aloicious
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


I had an 18-200 a long while ago and never liked it, those long superzooms have a huge tradeoff with IQ for convenience, I'd hardly consider it an "upgrade" unless you're only interested in upgrading the convenience factor. besides, if you've already got a 70-200 f2.8, an 18-200 is just needlessly redundant IMO.

and yeah 200 is too short for most birds most of the time. maybe look at getting a nice 300 f4 instead, that'll offer far more benefits than a possibly slightly faster focusing and slower aperture 200mm. the older AFS 300's are nicely priced on the used market nowadays with the new version just released.



Mar 13, 2015 at 05:51 PM
Werne1nm
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


if you sell your tamron 70-200 PM me. I'll take it off your hands.

Thanks.



Mar 13, 2015 at 06:31 PM
John Skinner
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


As others stated. I think you'll be very short on focal length and disappointed if looking to do birding with a 200.

Minimum of 300...and when your on the end of that, you'll always be looking farther up the range.



Mar 14, 2015 at 07:03 AM
ckcarr
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


A few of your long Nikon choices for the D7000 and wildlife would be:

70-300mm VR excellent lens on that camera, very, very affordable these days on the used market. Just slow and a variable aperture. When it works, it works great. You can buy used between $250 - $350 (perfect). Cannot use a Nikon teleconverter with it however...

70-200mm VR1 and carry a teleconverter with, either 1.4tc or 1.7tc Fantastic lens, will set you back around $1,200 or so. A teleconverter another $250 - $350

70-200 f/4 AF-S VR. Don't know much about it, people say they like it.

300mm f/4 AF-S. Old version. Even better lens when devoted to wildlife. Downside is no VR. But fixed aperture.. Used, around $850 - $950 (perfect)

300mm f/4E PF ED VR. New around $2,000

80-400mm AF-S VR. This new version is on sale through the end of the month. Around $2,200. You will not regret this lens if financial pain does not bother you...

Birding can be hugely expensive...
Find TrenchMonkey here, he uses all this stuff!



Mar 14, 2015 at 07:56 AM
cdvma
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


2nd on the Nikon 70-200/2.8 + TC. I can't compare it to the Tamron but the VR1 is very capable and I use the 1.7 TC with it quite regularly and its brilliant.


Mar 14, 2015 at 11:11 AM
rw11
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


400 is likely too short for birds, unless they are large and you are close

400 on a DX would be fine tho



Mar 14, 2015 at 02:36 PM
runamuck
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


300mm can be enough if you use bait. The birds are coming to birdseed placed in the rotted log. I was in a pickup truck about 15 feet away. As long as the lens was the only thing sticking out the nearly closed window the birds came.

I even set up a tripod even closer and fired the camera with a radio remote.







Mar 14, 2015 at 03:52 PM
rw11
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


nice pics and true re bait, but the OP said BIF - he wants to do a very difficult thing


Mar 14, 2015 at 04:37 PM
Two23
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


Birds in flight is very difficult and generally requires high end lenses. A Nikon D7100 and a 300mm f4 AFS would be about the minimum. I too consider 200mm much too short for birds.


Kent in SD



Mar 14, 2015 at 04:48 PM
rw11
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


will he also need a gimbal head?

maybe the 300mm PF lens on a DX body could work and be handheld(?)



Mar 14, 2015 at 06:15 PM
Andre Labonte
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


Going from a consumer zoom to a consumer super-zoom is not going to help you much. A better option is to do something like this:

Nikon 16-85 VR best of the DX lenses in its range short of the 17-55 f/2.8
Tamron 70-200 - Just as good as the Nikon 70-300 VR but less $$$

If you really want to do birds, consider a lens like the 300 f/4 or better ... but now you are talking some real $$. The other option is something like the 80-400 AFS VR.





Mar 14, 2015 at 06:42 PM
M635_Guy
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Thinking about upgrading equipment, please help


I've liked my 18-200 VRII a lot. Mine has been very sharp on my D90 and D300s. It doesn't give up anything to the 18-105 and of course has more reach. I've used it as my travel/walkaround lense and it has been terrific - I have really appreciated the extra reach to grab texture when kicking around. I've even used it in a pinch to shoot some birds (though my 70-200 f/4 is a lot better for that purpose) - I was pretty impressed with how well it worked on my D300s when some pelicans started flying toward/over our beach house:


(make no mistake, I'm not suggesting it as a BIF lens - it was just what was on my camera at that moment)

Here's just walking around with the 18-200







Mar 15, 2015 at 10:35 AM





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