pburke Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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The D500 200-500mm VR combo is very capable. It can do more than you're asking for with stationary birds as you subject. I got some technically very challenging shots with it, usually with the first or second frame of a burst. For stationary birds, though, anything with a higher resolution sensor will deliver better IQ, as the main advantage of the D500 is speed. It's quite a good sensor, but a D810 is my preference if I don't need the FPS or extra reach of DX.
I've been in the market for a 400mm f/2.8 and D810, but since I tried a rental 200-500VR with D500 I've been rethinking my big lens plans. This zoom is the best bang for the buck long lens available right now. Yes, the super telephoto lenses are better, but in return the zoom is more versatile and dramatically cheaper. I know I will buy the 200-500mm, whereas I probably will just keep renting the big dollar glass for the few things I really need them for.
here's one of those AF winners I didn't expect to see with this lens: conditions were not ideal with line of sight across hot asphalt at about 50 yards distance to subject, D500 with TC-14e II on the 200-500mm VR for a full 1050mm effective FX focal length. Targets popped up from below the horizon at 100mph, then transitioned to hard braking. There is no way to pre-focus to that distance at this location to have the lens already prepped - nothing at all to lock on as the terrain drops off.
The lens/body combo got this in focus and tracking almost as quickly as I could react to the car appearing on the horizon. This was the first or second frame of this burst and it doesn't get any sharper under these conditions. Plenty of resolution in that D500 image to see stone chips in the paint and scratches in the headlight covers. Can't comment much on high ISO - I rarely ever go above ISO 400.
f/8.0 1/1250s ISO 250 with TC-14e II on monopod, no crop, single point AF
Angry eyes
As for D500 keeper rate with this lens was so good, I still have a few thousand frames from that race weekend that I never even looked at but know they are in focus.
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