TimMunsey wrote:
Geoff, the first image how is that perch working is it magic?
Great images of course.
The vertical part is actually the end of the perch broken and just hanging on by a thread. The main branch is the horizontal part...that is how the magic happens
Also sorry about throwing in a couple 300PF images....totally forgot I used that lens also yesterday
MatthewK wrote:
The Z50 + 500PF sounds awesome, bringing all of the advantages of mirrorless to birding/wildlife, but I'm really hesitant to trust another MILC for birds after my experiences w/ the EOS R and 600 + 1.4. Described in as few words as possible: I absolutely hated it.
Right now, the D500 + 500PF are pretty much perfect, I see no reason to upend the balance and risk another episode of being let down by a mirrorless body, yet maybe Nikon has done it better than Canon in this area. For you all that are using the Z50 and have the D500, how'd you compare the two bodies in terms of AF speed and accuracy? How's the viewfinder lag/blackout in the Z50?
The thing about the EOS R that frustrated me to no end was it's penchant for missing AF on a target (bird on a branch) in front of a busy background, and then grabbing onto that background for dear life and not letting go unless I manually reeled the focus ring back in. I gave up on shooting Warblers this past fall with the combo, the camera just couldn't deal w/ the messy fore/backgrounds and the rapidly flitting birds. The D500 (and the Canon 90D) were rock solid, in comparison. ...Show more →
I would not recommend the Z50 (or Z6/7) for warbler photography. I tried using it for kinglets and it was infuriating...well kinglets (and warblers) can be infuriating with any camera but you really had to be very close to the "zone" of correct focus plane for it to get on the bird fast enough before it moved again. Sure I was able to get shots with effort but I'd certainly would prefer the D500 for that type of photography. Even the A9 with its quick focus has issues because of the EVF lag and other AF quirks in shooting flittering birds in cluttered trees. A DSLR is still my preferred gear for that type of thing although I can make the A9 work most of the time.
I've never tired the EOS R so not sure how its AF modes work but with the Z50 I used either Single point or the Wide-Area (S) mode. I had no issues with those modes jumping to other things when I did my part but obviously Nikon's system is totally different than Canon's. The consistency of sharp shots was very high. Easily as good as a D500 once I was on the bird.
arbitrage wrote:
I would not recommend the Z50 (or Z6/7) for warbler photography. I tried using it for kinglets and it was infuriating...well kinglets (and warblers) can be infuriating with any camera but you really had to be very close to the "zone" of correct focus plane for it to get on the bird fast enough before it moved again. Sure I was able to get shots with effort but I'd certainly would prefer the D500 for that type of photography. Even the A9 with its quick focus has issues because of the EVF lag and other AF quirks in shooting flittering birds in cluttered trees. A DSLR is still my preferred gear for that type of thing although I can make the A9 work most of the time.
I've never tired the EOS R so not sure how its AF modes work but with the Z50 I used either Single point or the Wide-Area (S) mode. I had no issues with those modes jumping to other things when I did my part but obviously Nikon's system is totally different than Canon's. The consistency of sharp shots was very high. Easily as good as a D500 once I was on the bird....Show more →
Right on Geoff, thank you for sharing your insights. Interesting to hear that even the A9 may not quite be up to that task, wow. The EOS R had enough VF lag, that when shooting a burst of a moving bird, if the AF point drifted off there'd be a chance it'd catch the background, and it'd be game over. Some photogs are having better luck with that camera, but for bigger birds and wildlife.
It sounds like the D500 is where I'll stay for the time being, and that's perfectly awesome for me. I had my best warbler season yet this past fall, no need to change anything up.
Kinglets are... trying, that's for sure. My favorite winter bird to photograph, but I have to be in a patient frame of mind going in
I had better experiences with the AF of the EOS-R, but ended up returning it due to serious IS issues with my EF400DOII, that are likely due to incomplete firmware on the EOS-R. So like you, I am back to shooting a good old aps-c dslr.
I am perfectly satisfied with the canon 7DII+400DOII+1.4TC, a fast and reliable combo with great IS, AF speed and accuracy and júst good enough IQ for someone coming from Sony sensors (I shot Pentax for years). The thing is though, that 560mm is not always long enough for me, and putting the 2.0ex on the 7DII with the 400DOII totally takes the magic out of that combo.
In short: I am looking for a way to get to around 700mm without losing too much IQ and AF. I thought the EOS-R would be an option, but that door is closed due to IS issues. So aiming to spend not all too much, would the 500PF+1.4TC on the D500 be an option to get reach together with IQ and accurate AF? My issues with the 400DOII+2.0ex. have been mainly the weaker IQ of the 7DII when not sufficient light, and the terrible bokeh when busy backgrounds are relatively closely behind distant subjects. My Pentax DA560+1.4tc was much better there. I guess the compression that comes with a 2.0TC does no good here. Closer subjects are fine, but I am looking for some more reach without going to 10.000,- f4 super teles. I was thinking the 500PF+1.4TC or the sigma 500mm f4 with 1.4TC, because a 1.4tc does not obliterate bokeh as much as a 2.0tc the sigma 500mm f4 would mean a lot more weight and size though....
MatthewK wrote:
Right on Geoff, thank you for sharing your insights. Interesting to hear that even the A9 may not quite be up to that task, wow. The EOS R had enough VF lag, that when shooting a burst of a moving bird, if the AF point drifted off there'd be a chance it'd catch the background, and it'd be game over. Some photogs are having better luck with that camera, but for bigger birds and wildlife.
It sounds like the D500 is where I'll stay for the time being, and that's perfectly awesome for me. I had my best warbler season yet this past fall, no need to change anything up.
Kinglets are... trying, that's for sure. My favorite winter bird to photograph, but I have to be in a patient frame of mind going in
This thread is over 150 pages so far! Imagine how long it would be if this lens had been more available... Here are a couple images from this afternoon. Both were taken at Marsh Point, near Anacortes, with the D850 camera and the 500mm PF lens. And yes, we actually saw the sun today in the Seattle area!
Keith W.
Great shots... I love otters!
You mention availability.. in less than a year Nikon has produced over 10,000 of these lenses. That is more than the total number of 500mm f/4G lenses produced in a 10 year period. To those who say that Nikon have underproduced the lens is unfair given that stat (note... I am not referring to you in particular, it's just that a lot of people claim that the lens has not had a large production run).
Check out this link regarding serial numbers over time: http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html#500
Immature Bald Eagle. It was a lousy day weather wise, so dark with thick clouds... but being out in a lousy weather day shooting photos and chasing birds is better then being at work
Good eye!
We saw two great grays in pre-sunrise light, but that was it. Tamy and I spent most of our time shooting gray jays at the feeders and ruffed grouse... the grouse numbers are way up. I think I saw nearly 20 ruffed grouse. Those pics were taken with the 200-500, so I will likely post them on that thread.
