Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
p.49 #1Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
George DeCamp wrote:
We really do!! The park I go to is Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina, its around #41 on ebird in number of different species seen there. It's a great place but this year a little slow but it's recently picked up again!
I need to make it up there sometime. Looks like a great place for birding/wildlife.
We really do!! The park I go to is Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina, its around #41 on ebird in number of different species seen there. It's a great place but this year a little slow but it's recently picked up again!
I need to make it up there sometime. Looks like a great place for birding/wildlife.
Dec 17, 2024 at 08:39 PM
p.49 #2Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
40Driggs wrote:
I need to make it up there sometime. Looks like a great place for birding/wildlife.
You bet and let me know and I'll show you around a bit if I am home!!
George DeCamp wrote
We really do!! The park I go to is Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina, its around #41 on ebird in number of different species seen there. It's a great place but this year a little slow but it's recently picked up again!You bet and let me know and I'll show you around a bit if I am home!!
Dec 18, 2024 at 08:00 AM
p.49 #3Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
George DeCamp wrote:
I need to make it up there sometime. Looks like a great place for birding/wildlife.You bet and let me know and I'll show you around a bit if I am home!!
That would be cool, thanks
40Driggs wrote
George DeCamp wrote
We really do!! The park I go to is Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina, its around #41 on ebird in number of different species seen there. It's a great place but this year a little slow but it's recently picked up again!That would be cool, thanks
Dec 18, 2024 at 08:19 AM
p.49 #4Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
With internal TC @ 560mm f4
at 400mm f2.8
at 400mm f2.8
Dec 27, 2024 at 07:10 AM
p.49 #5Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Moose by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Moose by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Gray wolf by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Gray Wolf by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Gray Wolf by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Elk by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Elk by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
_DSC0758 by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Red fox snack!! by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Red Fox by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
red tailed hawk by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Arctic Fox by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Arctic Wolf by eric laquerre, sur FlickrDec 28, 2024 at 06:16 PM
p.49 #6Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
High key egret.
NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens 560mm f/4.5 1/1250s 200 ISO +2.0 EV
Dec 31, 2024 at 11:35 PM
p.49 #7Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens 560mm f/4.0 1/100s 110 ISO
Great horned owl by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Great horned owl by eric laquerre, sur FlickrJan 05, 2025 at 07:30 PM
p.49 #8Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Some shots from Saturday after sunset and Sunday at sunrise...
regards,
bruce
regards,
bruce
NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens 560mm f/5.6 1/800s 800 ISO +0.3 EV
NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens 400mm f/3.5 1/1250s 6400 ISO +0.3 EV
Jan 05, 2025 at 10:07 PM
p.49 #9Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Sold my 400mm F/2.8E FL, bought the S and it finally got here last week. Not until today I have the chance to test it, initial impression is how light the lens is. The TC is super handy. Here's a couple of shots I took with it today.
400mm without TC
400mm with TC (560mm)
400mm without TC
400mm with TC (560mm)
Jan 06, 2025 at 09:52 PM
p.49 #10Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Wondering about which TCs I should bring in the field with me. Do you notice big drop in IQ when using the stacked internal & external 1.4 TC compared to just the 2x TC? I love the idea of double 1.4s for practical purposes, but want have heard mixed.
Jan 07, 2025 at 11:04 PM
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p.49 #11Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
swedishtomahaw wrote:
Wondering about which TCs I should bring in the field with me. Do you notice big drop in IQ when using the stacked internal & external 1.4 TC compared to just the 2x TC? I love the idea of double 1.4s for practical purposes, but want have heard mixed.
This topic comes up quite a bit, and you definitely should look through the thread for various points of view. I've contributed input in the past, but am happy to offer my own observations...
The 400mm f2.8TC operates at its best when shot w/ or without the internal TC. In fact, if I don't have time to mess with an external TC, I'm actually comfortable using the internal TC w/ DX crop to get out to about 800mm.
With that stated, if I know that I am going to be shooting small birds, I will attach the external TC14 to the lens and shoot at 560mm, and click in the internal TC if I need longer. If I need even more focal length, I will use DX crop.
Others have stated that the 400mm f2.8TC takes a 2x well, this may be true, but I find a 2x to be limiting due to loss of light. None of the TC options are my favorite if I am trying to make something distant appear close... this strategy only magnifies haze.
Statistically, the 2X performs better than stacking 1.4x converters. While this has been shown to be true with sharpness charts, using DXO pure RAW on 1.4x stacked images seems to equalize everything.
Personally, I prefer the 1.4x converter because I begin at f4 and choose to go to f5.6.
Finally, I had the 800mm PF lens... while the 800PF may be a hair sharper than stacking 1.4x converters, the difference was so negligible that I decided to sell the 800PF. Furthermore, the 400mm f2.8TC + 1.4x focuses closer than the 800PF, thus allowing more pixels per feather. If you think you need to shoot at 800mm more than 560mm, I suggest you consider the 600mm f4 TC... I had a choice between the two, but I prefer a wider field of view.
I hope I helped,
Bruce
Wondering about which TCs I should bring in the field with me. Do you notice big drop in IQ when using the stacked internal & external 1.4 TC compared to just the 2x TC? I love the idea of double 1.4s for practical purposes, but want have heard mixed.
This topic comes up quite a bit, and you definitely should look through the thread for various points of view. I've contributed input in the past, but am happy to offer my own observations...
The 400mm f2.8TC operates at its best when shot w/ or without the internal TC. In fact, if I don't have time to mess with an external TC, I'm actually comfortable using the internal TC w/ DX crop to get out to about 800mm.
With that stated, if I know that I am going to be shooting small birds, I will attach the external TC14 to the lens and shoot at 560mm, and click in the internal TC if I need longer. If I need even more focal length, I will use DX crop.
Others have stated that the 400mm f2.8TC takes a 2x well, this may be true, but I find a 2x to be limiting due to loss of light. None of the TC options are my favorite if I am trying to make something distant appear close... this strategy only magnifies haze.
Statistically, the 2X performs better than stacking 1.4x converters. While this has been shown to be true with sharpness charts, using DXO pure RAW on 1.4x stacked images seems to equalize everything.
Personally, I prefer the 1.4x converter because I begin at f4 and choose to go to f5.6.
Finally, I had the 800mm PF lens... while the 800PF may be a hair sharper than stacking 1.4x converters, the difference was so negligible that I decided to sell the 800PF. Furthermore, the 400mm f2.8TC + 1.4x focuses closer than the 800PF, thus allowing more pixels per feather. If you think you need to shoot at 800mm more than 560mm, I suggest you consider the 600mm f4 TC... I had a choice between the two, but I prefer a wider field of view.
I hope I helped,
Bruce
Jan 08, 2025 at 12:43 PM
p.49 #12Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
swedishtomahaw wrote:
Wondering about which TCs I should bring in the field with me. Do you notice big drop in IQ when using the stacked internal & external 1.4 TC compared to just the 2x TC? I love the idea of double 1.4s for practical purposes, but want have heard mixed.
This video released today by Steve Perry answers your question, including autofocus performance;
https://youtu.be/hzZIS_nrrc8?si=MK8ENwDwXgnBpRYh
Wondering about which TCs I should bring in the field with me. Do you notice big drop in IQ when using the stacked internal & external 1.4 TC compared to just the 2x TC? I love the idea of double 1.4s for practical purposes, but want have heard mixed.
This video released today by Steve Perry answers your question, including autofocus performance;
https://youtu.be/hzZIS_nrrc8?si=MK8ENwDwXgnBpRYh
Jan 08, 2025 at 01:02 PM
p.49 #13Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
swedishtomahaw wrote:
Wondering about which TCs I should bring in the field with me. Do you notice big drop in IQ when using the stacked internal & external 1.4 TC compared to just the 2x TC? I love the idea of double 1.4s for practical purposes, but want have heard mixed.
I use both, but the 1.4x external TC and internal give me more success in flying birds than the 2.0x. So most of the time 1.4x external TC is attached to my lens and I can choose 560mm f/4 or 784mm f/5.6. I think the IQ by using both 1.4x extensions (internal and external) is very good.
Why didn't I buy Z 600mm f/4 TC?
I also photograph insects, so minimum focus distance with Z 400 TC (2.5m) is then better than Z 600 f/4 TC (4.3m).
I often walk long distances with the camera attached to the lens with an external TC, and this must fit into a camera backpack that is comfortable to carry. This combination fits to my Kiboko, ThinkTank Glass Limo and Shimoda backpacks than Z600 f/4 attached to camera.
I live in the in Finland, and here in autumn and winter the light is often low, so f/2.8 gives, if necessary, one more aperture for action images.
Wondering about which TCs I should bring in the field with me. Do you notice big drop in IQ when using the stacked internal & external 1.4 TC compared to just the 2x TC? I love the idea of double 1.4s for practical purposes, but want have heard mixed.
I use both, but the 1.4x external TC and internal give me more success in flying birds than the 2.0x. So most of the time 1.4x external TC is attached to my lens and I can choose 560mm f/4 or 784mm f/5.6. I think the IQ by using both 1.4x extensions (internal and external) is very good.
Why didn't I buy Z 600mm f/4 TC?
I also photograph insects, so minimum focus distance with Z 400 TC (2.5m) is then better than Z 600 f/4 TC (4.3m).
I often walk long distances with the camera attached to the lens with an external TC, and this must fit into a camera backpack that is comfortable to carry. This combination fits to my Kiboko, ThinkTank Glass Limo and Shimoda backpacks than Z600 f/4 attached to camera.
I live in the in Finland, and here in autumn and winter the light is often low, so f/2.8 gives, if necessary, one more aperture for action images.
Jan 08, 2025 at 01:29 PM
p.49 #14Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
OwlsEyes wrote:
Statistically, the 2X performs better than stacking 1.4x converters. While this has been shown to be true with sharpness charts, using DXO pure RAW on 1.4x stacked images seems to equalize everything.
Bruce, this is exactly what I was looking for thank you! I've read all 40 page of the thread, and there was early data of 2x vs stacked 1.4x, but I was curious on more recent, real world application. Yes, the 2x may be sharper but the versatility of 560/784 is more useful even if it may be a little more post processing.
pietipe wrote:
I use both, but the 1.4x external TC and internal give me more success in flying birds than the 2.0x. So most of the time 1.4x external TC is attached to my lens and I can choose 560mm f/4 or 784mm f/5.6. I think the IQ by using both 1.4x extensions (internal and external) is very good.
Why didn't I buy Z 600mm f/4 TC?
I also photograph insects, so minimum focus distance with Z 400 TC (2.5m) is then better than Z 600 f/4 TC (4.3m).
This is what I was thinking as well. If I only shot small birds I would have opted for the 600 tc, but I shoot all wildlife. I like the freedom of the 400 tc, even if I have to give up a little IQ compared to the 600 tc.
Darren555 wrote:
This video released today by Steve Perry answers your question, including autofocus performance;
https://youtu.be/hzZIS_nrrc8?si=MK8ENwDwXgnBpRYh
I just saw this! I'm wondering if it was serendipitious the release of the video or if Steve Perry is monitoring my internet traffic lol!
Statistically, the 2X performs better than stacking 1.4x converters. While this has been shown to be true with sharpness charts, using DXO pure RAW on 1.4x stacked images seems to equalize everything.
Bruce, this is exactly what I was looking for thank you! I've read all 40 page of the thread, and there was early data of 2x vs stacked 1.4x, but I was curious on more recent, real world application. Yes, the 2x may be sharper but the versatility of 560/784 is more useful even if it may be a little more post processing.
pietipe wrote:
I use both, but the 1.4x external TC and internal give me more success in flying birds than the 2.0x. So most of the time 1.4x external TC is attached to my lens and I can choose 560mm f/4 or 784mm f/5.6. I think the IQ by using both 1.4x extensions (internal and external) is very good.
Why didn't I buy Z 600mm f/4 TC?
I also photograph insects, so minimum focus distance with Z 400 TC (2.5m) is then better than Z 600 f/4 TC (4.3m).
This is what I was thinking as well. If I only shot small birds I would have opted for the 600 tc, but I shoot all wildlife. I like the freedom of the 400 tc, even if I have to give up a little IQ compared to the 600 tc.
Darren555 wrote:
This video released today by Steve Perry answers your question, including autofocus performance;
https://youtu.be/hzZIS_nrrc8?si=MK8ENwDwXgnBpRYh
I just saw this! I'm wondering if it was serendipitious the release of the video or if Steve Perry is monitoring my internet traffic lol!
Jan 08, 2025 at 02:12 PM
p.49 #15Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens 400mm f/2.8 1/60s 1800 ISO
She came out to hunt when there was not much light left!! I really like to have a F2.8 for these situation.
Barred owl by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
She came out to hunt when there was not much light left!! I really like to have a F2.8 for these situation.
Barred owl by eric laquerre, sur FlickrJan 08, 2025 at 05:08 PM
p.49 #16Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Eurasian Bullfinch
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NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S Z TC-1.4x lens 784mm f/5.6 1/2500s 6400 ISO +0.7 EV
Jan 09, 2025 at 01:02 PM
p.49 #17Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Z9 with 400mm f2.8 TC lens, shot at 800mm with 2X TC
Steppe Eagle by Ganesh B, on Flickr
Steppe Eagle by Ganesh B, on Flickr
Steppe Eagle by Ganesh B, on Flickr
Steppe Eagle by Ganesh B, on FlickrSteppe Eagle by Ganesh B, on FlickrSteppe Eagle by Ganesh B, on FlickrJan 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
p.49 #18Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Different days, but similar subjects.
It's hard to not photograph captivating subjects through multiple days, as one never knows when the good shooting will end.
cheers,
bruce
It's hard to not photograph captivating subjects through multiple days, as one never knows when the good shooting will end.
cheers,
bruce
NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens 400mm f/3.5 1/2000s 6400 ISO +0.3 EV
NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens 400mm f/5.6 1/1250s 720 ISO +1.0 EV
Jan 11, 2025 at 05:09 PM
p.49 #19Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens 400mm f/2.8 1/1600s 560 ISO
Barred owl by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
Barred owl by eric laquerre, sur Flickr Jan 12, 2025 at 08:02 AM
p.49 #20Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
rick2906 wrote:
NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens 400mm f/2.8 1/1600s 560 ISO
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54261272633_230a9c7f35_h.jpgBarred owl by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
This is a super-beautiful flight shot.. love the positions of the wings and head
NIKON Z 9 NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens 400mm f/2.8 1/1600s 560 ISO
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54261272633_230a9c7f35_h.jpgBarred owl by eric laquerre, sur Flickr
This is a super-beautiful flight shot.. love the positions of the wings and head
Jan 12, 2025 at 10:12 AM