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Archive 2017 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G

  
 
Frogfish
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


Am I doing the right thing ? I'll sell off my Nikon x1.4 and x2, Tamron 70-200/2.8 and Zeiss 100/2 MP as well.

I kept the Nikon kit only for birding and sport but think I'll get much more use out of the 100-400 (I used to have the Nikon version which I liked when traveling along with the primes - note not when I'm hiking - so versatile. And for birds I hear the Sony 100-400 works well with the x1.4 ?

So sad to see my last pieces of my Nikon kit go but I can always hire what I need (or the Sony 400/2.8 when it arrives) for any safaris (Africa or Antarctica) in the future.

Anyone done this ? Anyone want to tell me I'm making a mistake ? Anyone any negative(or maybe even positive) comments on the 100-400 ?

Cheers
Kevin



Nov 05, 2017 at 02:01 PM
Alex Phan
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


100 and 1.4 a perfect combo. I assume you're going to use with the A9?


Nov 05, 2017 at 02:40 PM
Frogfish
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


Bubble wrote:
100 and 1.4 a perfect combo. I assume you're going to use with the A9?

Thanks. No the A9 is overkill for me (landscapes, travel and street). I have an A7rii now and will be selling the older A7r for an A7riii



Nov 05, 2017 at 02:45 PM
OwlsEyes
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


Frogfish wrote:
Am I doing the right thing ? I'll sell off my Nikon x1.4 and x2, Tamron 70-200/2.8 and Zeiss 100/2 MP as well.

I kept the Nikon kit only for birding and sport but think I'll get much more use out of the 100-400 (I used to have the Nikon version which I liked when traveling along with the primes - note not when I'm hiking - so versatile. And for birds I hear the Sony 100-400 works well with the x1.4 ?

So sad to see my last pieces of my Nikon kit go but I can always hire what I
...Show more

When you post a question like this on a Nikon board, you are likely to hear the expected responses... like... "what a mistake" or "I wouldn't do it..."

Anyway, only you can determine if this is the right move.
In the world of ultra-telephoto / wildlife-ready gear, the NIkon D500 + 200-500VR or Sigma 150-600mm Sport are probably the best kit per dollars spent. These are budget alternatives to more expensive gear, but are fully capable of producing professional quality images in skilled hands. All you need to do is look at arbitrage, Thang and Howard Kearly's work to see that these two pieces of kit are very capable.

On the other hand, if you are looking to shake things up, try something different and taste mirrorless hype (for better or worse), then the A9 (and their one fast crop MLC) and 100-400mm are the only native way to put yourself in the "game" when it comes to capturing fast moving subjects with mirrorless full frame/1.5x crop bodies. I could be wrong, but I would guess that the addition of a 1.4x (producing an f/8 640mm lens on an A9) will probably focus about as fast as, and be as sharp as, the 200-500mm lens at 450mm and f/5.6. On a D500, that would be the equivalent of 675mm and a stop faster.

Good luck and post work if/when you put the pieces together.
I have been watching the Sony board and looking for high quality A9 + 100-400mm wildlife images, but have seen very little that inspires me... this does not mean that the gear is not capable, it just means that capable hands are not sharing their works.

cheers,
bruce



Edited on Nov 05, 2017 at 07:38 PM · View previous versions



Nov 05, 2017 at 02:54 PM
MikeInPa
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


Might I suggest that you hold off on this, at least until you see some results from this combination.

I also am interested in the A7Riii in conjunction with the 100-400. I know the focusing on the A7Rii is not great for wildlife subjects. Before any Sony fanboys jump down my throat I love my A7R and my
A7Rii. For birds the focusing does not even come close to the D500. I’m very interesting in seeing how the A7Riii does for fast moving subjects.



Nov 05, 2017 at 05:06 PM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


Why don't you just try the 80-400G on your D500?


Nov 05, 2017 at 05:14 PM
TooManyShots
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


I don't understand. You are dumping your 200-500 to get a shorter zoom for birding?? The Sony is a f4.5-5.6 zoom. Once you add an converter on it, it becomes a F8 zoom. I can't imagine how the bokeh would look like at F8..let alone the AF performance hit you will be getting.....

The Sony 100-400 weights in about 5lbs. The Nikon 200-500 is about 7lbs. But you are planning to add a converter on the Sony. That makes it a moot point dealing with weight. I was quoting the entire package weight, not the lens weight.

Sony is 1395g vs Nikon 2090g.

Edited on Nov 05, 2017 at 07:29 PM · View previous versions



Nov 05, 2017 at 06:18 PM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


A longer zoom for birding is not always better than a shorter one. It depends on the birds and/or the photographer.


Nov 05, 2017 at 06:48 PM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


TooManyShots wrote:
I don't understand. You are dumping your 200-500 to get a shorter zoom for birding?? The Sony is a f4.5-5.6 zoom. Once you add an converter on it, it becomes a F8 zoom. I can't imagine how the bokeh would look like at F8..let alone the AF performance hit you will be getting.....

The Sony 100-400 weights in about 5lbs. The Nikon 200-500 is about 7lbs. But you are planning to add a converter on the Sony. That makes it a moot point dealing with weight.


The Sony weighs a little over three pounds and the 1.4x less than half a pound, so, the difference is still substantial. The difference in packed size is also substantial.



Nov 05, 2017 at 07:00 PM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


TooManyShots wrote:
The Sony 100-400 weights in about 5lbs.


No, it weighs 3 lbs. 1.21 oz. to be exact.



Nov 05, 2017 at 07:22 PM
TooManyShots
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


Imagemaster wrote:
No, it weighs 3 lbs. 1.21 oz. to be exact.



1395g vs Nikon's 2090g. The difference is only a bit over 1 pound. Is still a meaningless weight difference BUT you are losing reach.



Nov 05, 2017 at 07:27 PM
chez
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


TooManyShots wrote:
1395g vs Nikon's 2090g. The difference is only a bit over 1 pound. Is still a meaningless weight difference BUT you are losing reach.


More like a 1.5 pounds.



Nov 05, 2017 at 07:30 PM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


TooManyShots wrote:
1395g vs Nikon's 2090g. The difference is only a bit over 1 pound. Is still a meaningless weight difference BUT you are losing reach.


If you want to be accurate, the difference is 1 lb. 8.515406 oz.

And the weight difference may be meaningless to you, but considerable to someone else.



Nov 05, 2017 at 07:51 PM
Mark K
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


Frogfish wrote:
Thanks. No the A9 is overkill for me (landscapes, travel and street). I have an A7rii now and will be selling the older A7r for an A7riii


Then you have to wait for A7rIII for its ability as AF tracking for wildlife. The direction is correct, after ever testing an A9 with 100-400FE. With A9 and the upcoming 400/2.8, I cannot think anything else.
I will keep my Nikon system for a while. Too much investment in the optics, bodies and other things



Nov 05, 2017 at 07:54 PM
arbitrage
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


Does A7R3 have blackout and lag free VF like A9? If not I'd only want to use it for mostly still (perched birds) subjects. A9 likely gives up too much reach coming from D500/200-500. A7R3 would give you comparable reach and a mechanical 10FPS but if the VF won't keep up then it could be a step back from the D500. If going for A7R3 and not A9 (proven) then I'd be waiting for more specific (non-Artisan) reviews that relate to birds and sports.


Nov 05, 2017 at 08:02 PM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


You won't find anything that focuses as fast as the Sony on the a7rII, but there is some copy variation. The first copy I rented was better 200-300 than it was 300-400, where it wasn't great. The second copy was better all-around, particularly at 300-400. That copy I would've put up against my Nikon 200-500 so far as resolution at the long end goes, even with the extender. The OSS + SteadyShot works out as well as the Nikon lens' VR on a native body, something you won't get adapting.

After renting the Sonys as well as the Sigma Sport and Contemporary 150-600's + MC-11 adapter and an a-mount Tamron 150-600 G2, I ended up buying the Tamron. The a-mount version lacks VC, so it was the lightest of the 150-600's and less than a pound heavier than the Sony (though the LAEA3 puts it at about a pound difference). The Sigma's OS didn't get me anything over just using SteadyShot alone, so it wasn't worth the weight difference to me. The sport appears to have a nice build quality differential, but I don't know if that translates into better durability. Optically, the performance was so similar across the three, I let other factors weigh in more heavily. I eliminated the Sony because I'm using a modified sensor that doesn't play well with the lens, particularly not with the extender. I eliminated the Sport because it was overbuilt for my needs and expensive for the performance. I choose the Tamron over the Contemporary because it has a dovetail foot, a clutch lock for the zoom at any position, and, should I want to use AF, it was the fastest, most consistent performer among the adapted lenses.



Nov 05, 2017 at 08:28 PM
Frogfish
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


OwlsEyes wrote:
When you post a question like this on a Nikon board, you are likely to hear the expected responses... like... "what a mistake" or "I wouldn't do it..."

Anyway, only you can determine if this is the right move.
In the world of ultra-telephoto / wildlife-ready gear, the NIkon D500 + 200-500VR or Sigma 150-600mm Sport are probably the best kit per dollars spent. These are budget alternatives to more expensive gear, but are fully capable of producing professional quality images in skilled hands. All you need to do is look at arbitrage, Thang and Howard Kearly's work to see that
...Show more
Thanks Bruce. Yes I deliberately posted on both Nikon and Sony boards to get both perspectives. I took the Nikon kit to Bhutan+Nepal+Myanmar and have a ton of gorgeous bird shots (I guess I should post some) ! Not the same as using an exotic such as my previous 300 or 500 for distance but up to 15-20m more than adequate and under 10m exceptional.

Here's a couple below.

However I really need to know if someone has also used the Sony kit and how it compares, it's difficult to know from just looking at photos since you don't know acquisition time or very importantly the distance each shot was taken from. In that regard the A9 will be exceptional (though it's too expensive for me for occasional use - I prefer the 42MP sensors) but will the 100-400 stand up ?

It would simplify my kit having one brand (I use A7r+A7rii plus mostly Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses for landscapes and travel) but these longer FLs are specialist, whether for birds wildlife or street or cityscape details and I don't want to give up the Nikons (even though 'just' a 500 and 200-500) if the compromise is too severe.

Thanks again !


A few from the 200-500+500 from Bhutan & Nepal :

Black-throated Tit at 4-5m


Blood Pheasant at ca.40m


Chestnut tailed Minla at 4-5m


White Browed Fulvetta at 6-7m






Nov 06, 2017 at 01:22 AM
Frogfish
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


Imagemaster wrote:
Why don't you just try the 80-400G on your D500?

I had it and sold it. Hated it for birds (simply doesn't work well with any convertor in low light) but loved it for travel.


Edited on Nov 06, 2017 at 01:51 AM · View previous versions



Nov 06, 2017 at 01:26 AM
Frogfish
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


TooManyShots wrote:
I don't understand. You are dumping your 200-500 to get a shorter zoom for birding?? The Sony is a f4.5-5.6 zoom. Once you add an converter on it, it becomes a F8 zoom. I can't imagine how the bokeh would look like at F8..let alone the AF performance hit you will be getting.....

The Sony 100-400 weights in about 5lbs. The Nikon 200-500 is about 7lbs. But you are planning to add a converter on the Sony. That makes it a moot point dealing with weight. I was quoting the entire package weight, not the lens weight.

Sony is 1395g vs Nikon
...Show more
I've tried the TC14Eiii on the 200-500 and I was better off bare so that combo is 500mm. The x1.4 convertor on the Sony 100-400 is excellent (both AF and sharpness) so it's 560mm at the long end. Nothing in it when shooting in crop mode. The weight saving is substantial though for hiking but I rarely take long lenses on hikes.

The main issue would be the f8/f11 and AF acquisition (not something one can discern from a photo). That's very slow when I consider I needed f2.8 in the rainforests of Borneo and Taman Nagara (but I figure for exceptional circumstances I can hire lenses). Hence one of the reasons I'm asking around to see if anyone has used both combos


Edited on Nov 06, 2017 at 01:54 AM · View previous versions



Nov 06, 2017 at 01:31 AM
Frogfish
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Selling Nikon D500+200-500 to buy a Sony 100-400 G


arbitrage wrote:
Does A7R3 have blackout and lag free VF like A9? If not I'd only want to use it for mostly still (perched birds) subjects. A9 likely gives up too much reach coming from D500/200-500. A7R3 would give you comparable reach and a mechanical 10FPS but if the VF won't keep up then it could be a step back from the D500. If going for A7R3 and not A9 (proven) then I'd be waiting for more specific (non-Artisan) reviews that relate to birds and sports.

I think that's what I may have to do Geoff. I may have jumped the gun here. I've seen Sony artisans using the A7riii and raving about the speed of it's eye-AF etc. (note it is NOT the same AF as in the A9, far fewer AF points and coverage isn't 100% as is the A9) but that probably won't work on birds. Surely blackout at 10 fps (if it's there) would likely be the same as the D500 ? The A7riii only shoots 8 fps in silent mode btw.




Nov 06, 2017 at 01:38 AM
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