p.102 #14 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
So many photos of birds. I'm thinking of replacing my 300 f/4 AF-S with this lens but I would be using it for daylight sports. Track and field mostly, so that means a subject moving directly towards me at a pretty good clip. I'm assuming the 200-500 will at least be equal to the old 300 in terms of focus speed?
p.102 #15 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
MikeW2 wrote:
So many photos of birds. I'm thinking of replacing my 300 f/4 AF-S with this lens but I would be using it for daylight sports. Track and field mostly, so that means a subject moving directly towards me at a pretty good clip. I'm assuming the 200-500 will at least be equal to the old 300 in terms of focus speed?
500mm would be great for hurdles!
There's a contract you sign when you buy a 200-500 that says "one must only use this lens for birds or wildlife" The lens won't function otherwise.
p.102 #16 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
MikeW2 wrote:
So many photos of birds. I'm thinking of replacing my 300 f/4 AF-S with this lens but I would be using it for daylight sports. Track and field mostly, so that means a subject moving directly towards me at a pretty good clip. I'm assuming the 200-500 will at least be equal to the old 300 in terms of focus speed?
500mm would be great for hurdles!
"so many photos of birds"
Those of us (and there are many) that shoot sports for renumeration LOVE the 200-500.
AF is easily as quick as the AF-S 300 f4 which I used for years in good light when I didn't
care to hump the 300 f2.8 around. I take the Winter off and shoot BIF to keep on my game.
The 200-500 is fantastic for peeps at events where you don't want to get in their grill, mine
knows no boundaries, just sayin'...it's a freakin' money maker!!
p.102 #17 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
MikeW2 wrote:
So many photos of birds. I'm thinking of replacing my 300 f/4 AF-S with this lens but I would be using it for daylight sports. Track and field mostly, so that means a subject moving directly towards me at a pretty good clip. I'm assuming the 200-500 will at least be equal to the old 300 in terms of focus speed?
500mm would be great for hurdles!
I suggest you first rent the lens to answer that question.
You may discover it is not able to autofocus fast enough to stay focused on a "subject moving directly towards me at a pretty good clip."
And...maybe you will find that it is fast enough to stay on it. I do not know the answer to this yet. But I will eventually find out, that is, for my situation.
I just realized that your track and field subjects are in a controlled environment. So I suspect you know exactly the path they follow. Is this true? In this case, I do believe this lens, coupled with the likes of the D500 will keep up with this AF task handily.
You see, the paths of nature photographer's subjects (often flying birds) are unpredictable. So the bird often goes in and out from "under" the D500's autofocus-point array that I have chosen. And to reacquire focus, I must constantly reposition the AF focus-point array back over the bird.
Though I love my 200-500, I am not so sure it does AF as fast as the old 300 f4 AFS. I did not own the 300 AFS that long.
So I am very curious to read how other 200-500 photographers here respond to your comment.
p.102 #19 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
bs kite wrote
I suggest you first rent the lens to answer that question.
You know, for $80 a week I just might do that this spring.
And thanks trenchmonkey. I think the bif photos are great. I have no idea how you guys with other full time jobs could ever come up with such awesome wildlife photos. My son just loves owls and we would just like to see one in the wild someday much less get a photo.
. All with VR "ON" and mounted on a tripod
