My 500PF is at Nikon Los Angeles getting the tripod collar repaired (I hope). This image was taken during my final outing with the lens before shipping it out.
A few more with the Z6 and FTZ. Also a couple with the 1.4x TC. I have to say, it is easier to get sharp shots with the Z6 and 1.4x TC then the D500. Not sure if that is because of the lack of need to AF fine tune or what. On the downside the Z6 and FTZ focuses slower, especially a near MFD. Sometimes I had to use the focus ring to get it close so it could then lock on.
TX-Photog wrote:
I got to handle one and was super impressed. I think as the used market gets them and the price comes down a bit it is worth getting!
What is not fully appreciated from reading posts and looking at pictures is how easy this lens is to shoot hand held and get shots that would have otherwise been missed or not as effective in terms of the background if using a f/4 telephoto on its tripod and gimbal head.
When I bought a 11 lb 600mm f/4 lens I soon found that I needed to spend $1000 on a better set of legs and $500 on a better gimbal head and $80 on a tripod case and $120 on a replacemend foot or in total an additional $1,700. No such ancillary costs for owners of the 500mm PF lens.
One from the Mrs. that seemed to be "just an everyday sighting" in Southern Florida, during our recent visit. This was just on the side of the road, as we drove an old two-lane country hwy.
It's certainly not "everyday" in our neck-o-the-woods. Lol!
EyeSpyEagle wrote:
One from the Mrs. that seemed to be "just an everyday sighting" in Southern Florida, during our recent visit. This was just on the side of the road, as we drove an old two-lane country hwy.
It's certainly not "everyday" in our neck-o-the-woods. Lol!
We actually have an Osprey up here in the mountains at the cabin every late spring/summer/very early fall. The lake is 1.5 miles long, so evidently big enough to support his fishing requirements. As soon as it get's just a bit cold he is out of here. Never seen an opportunity for an image though.
I really like the wren shots... very cool with the dark background.
How do you like the Z50?... I can't imagine that the AF is any faster than what the Z6/Z7 can do.
OwlsEyes wrote:
I really like the wren shots... very cool with the dark background.
How do you like the Z50?... I can't imagine that the AF is any faster than what the Z6/Z7 can do.
regards,
bruce
Thanks Bruce. The Z50 AF seems to behave similar to the Z7 I had for 2 weeks. However, there is no setting to adjust Focus Tracking Sensitivity and Lock-On settings for stills so I don't know if that will become a limitation at all.
Nikon repair update...
I sent my 500PF to Nikon (West Coast Office) on 11/20 to repair the lens's tripod collar. The lock knob would not lock the collar in place. The knob never locked the collar correctly ever since the point of my receipt in September 2018. As the year progressed, the collar became increasingly loose. With the frigid temperatures of a MN winter, the problem had transitioned from an annoyance to an impediment.
As an NPS member, I had hoped for a speedy repair, but the need for out of stock parts meant a delay. On Friday 11/13 the lens moved from "Parts Hold" to "Shop," and yesterday (12/16) it was shipped back to me. Twenty-four hours later, I now have my lens with a new tripod collar. In addition to replacing the collar, Nikon cleaned the external elements and checked AF, VR, and the optics to make certain that they were within spec.
Kudos to Nikon for the work and 24 hour shipping.
