p.96 #1 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
birdied wrote:
i didn't look for a few days and my what glorious shots I missed!!!
Will , the shot of the view from your kitchen window is outstanding.
Birdie
Thanks very much, Birdie! Julie (wife) has some great wine to share with you the
next time you're in NM. Told her of the horrible glass you encountered at Sophie's
and she said she'd send me down with appropriate imbibement, or have you over.
p.96 #3 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
mp0363 wrote:
Literally
Love it when an artist has a sense of humor!
Thanks for the comment..... here's another of the same subject, from the same day... I think this lens (at least mine) performs best at close to medium range....
p.96 #4 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Stryker279 wrote:
Thanks Chris.
Did you go on multiple safaris in Ranthambore? One usually finds a tiger at least once every two or three safaris, depends on the time of the year, weather, etc.It has one of the highest tiger population densities in India.
We visited Ranthambore, Panna and Bandhavgarh and during the last safari in Bandhavgarh and the last day of our trip we found one.
Two safaris in Ranthambore, one in Panna and two in Bandhavgarh.
It was December/Januari 2012 and it was freezing cold!
p.96 #9 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
I captured this little Red Browed Finch at dusk, in the shadows of a bush.... at only 2-3 inches in length, and about 5-7 meters away, this is a massive crop. At ISO 9000, I wasn't expecting much when I got back home, but was pleasantly surprised at the detail retained in the image...
p.96 #10 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Nonesuch River, Maine, USA, December 2, 2016
Yesterday, all shooting was done with the D500 at f8, almost all at ISO1250 and Manual mode. For several minutes the Sun was full and for the next 1/2 hour it would be behind clouds. So I varied shutter speeds from 1/2000 to 1/6000. High shutter speeds were chosen (with VR OFF..... BTW), because most of the shooting was done of gulls, not these two boats:
Regarding the lobster boats here: one moored and the other returning from a day of fishing. The houses are 0.51 nautical miles distance. So that opposite shore is 1/2 mile away.
The boat underway was shot at or near the 500mm end while I had to pull the zoom all the way back to fit in the moored boat.
This is the second 200-500 I am in the process of testing. I no longer have the first lens as it was not sharp.
Regarding this 2nd 200-500:
So this lens is VERY acceptable at long distances (I am very impressed!) but apparently not acceptably sharp at close distances when shooting the gulls here. So far at least, I am not impressed with any of the bird shots I took yesterday (the first day field testing it.... and the same day as these two boat images).
AFFT:
Right out of the box....the AFFT was just about dead center; i.e. "0". BTW....I am wondering: Is there confusion about AFFT and sharpness or acuity? Two separate things they are . Though one can effect the other.
Just because a long lens's auto-focusing point is at zero; i.e. the lens is autofocusing at the exact point that I am autofocusing on, this does not mean that the lens is going to be sharp. It can be inherently soft. And I would think that the manufacturing tolerances of a $1500 super tele lens is not nearly as tight as that of a very expensive super tele lens. Would't you?
IMAGE SHARPNESS
For me anyway, I have learned to make my "image-sharpness" judgements based on what I see on the computer screen only (at 100% enlargement of the image), NOT on the camera's LCD (regardless of how much I enlarge that LCD image).
My acid test for image sharpness is only after enlarging the image to 100% on the computer screen and then immediately looking at fine features such as the eye area (all animals) or whiskers (in mammals) or the fine hairs on many plants...and that tested at all focal lengths. And it's all relative. All lenses have varying degrees of sharpness I think.
It may be that the not-so-good performance of this 2nd lens on birds..... could also be due to poor lighting, though I doubt this is true.
Also, it seems that gulls are all I can shoot now, since the migrants have all left this spot.
Have to do more testing, but it does not look good for this second one either. Yesterday the light was not direct on virtually all of the several hundred gulls I shot; i.e. mostly cloudy. Today I hope to be in direct sunlight.
Going to check the Photographer's Ephemeris for sun information specific to the shooting location.
p.96 #11 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Exciting developments on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway! A week and a half after her mate's death from rat poison, "Mom" has made her choice among four or five suitors. Meet "T4" - he's young (2 or 3) and followed her from lamp post to lamp post, all cute like.
p.96 #12 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
This day (December 4, 2016) was the 2nd day for testing for my 2nd copy of the 200-500. I am anxious because I am about to post a handful of shots here to see what they look like after more fine tuning. All shot as RAW's and none in this first group received any post processing.
BTW....pigeon stock photography does sell. And there's always room at the top.
p.96 #13 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
A couple more from today (December 4, 2016) on Nonesuch River, Maine. Captured as RAW; no post sharpening. Do not remember just how sharp that first rented copy was. Don't know if I want to sharpen at all.
The last image of the gull on the beach was spot-lightened and straightened.
The house is 1/2 mile away (determined by Google Earth scale)
p.96 #18 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
A few more Red-tailed Hawks from my Benjamin Franklin Parkway project. The area's endless supply of rats and squirrels attracts a vibrant community of Red-tailed Hawks. Mostly it's just the resident pair, but "Mom" is tolerating the presence of some juveniles this time of year. That'll change once the mating season gets underway in late January. The 200-500 comes in handy because I can throw it in my book bag and still ride my bike to work. I love my commute!
Two-year old male (the Parkway's new resident male) "T4" by Christian Hunold, on Flickr
So I varied shutter speeds from 1/2000 to 1/6000. High shutter speeds were chosen (with VR OFF..... BTW), because most of the shooting was done of gulls, not these two boats: 
