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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,416
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i'm gonna say that it's a money question. if you can afford the 400 i bet you would be happy. but,, the 300 with a 1.4 converter would save some money and most likly get the job done. my 300 f4 (the birdzooka) works very well, without a converter. from what i understand about modern converters is that depending on the model, you will loose one or more f-stop, and some are not compatible with auto focus. so match the converter to the lens, crank up the ISO to compensate for the lost stop, and GO! i haven't used a converter in 20 years, but i would not hesitate to use one again. i believe their pros out-weigh any cons. jealous,, wish i was shopping for new gear!!!
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 5,255
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hey barn - the thing i was talking about is called an AF illuminator. it is handy - but my night shots still suck . will learn to play with my ISO - HA! that sounds dirty !!
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,416
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WOW!! speaking of money,,, i just checked in at my favorite photo gear page, BHphotovideo.com and looked at the latest prices of a 300, 400, and converters! now i am glad i am not shopping!
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,416
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jane,, that little light is to give the auto focus sensor something to see when it is too dark for it to focus. has nothing to do with exposer. flash, flash, flash!!!
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Harriette - I'd get a 400 or 500 reflex (mirror) lens, but you will HAVE to use it with a good quality tripod. You'll also need to get the right filters for it, which usually fit on the back, not the front. The most useful I think you'd find would be a polarising filter.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 5,255
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oh, i know barnacle - it is still a major step up from my old camera where i had to shoot 'blind' at night.
my flash washes out. what intensity should i set it to?
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,416
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that's a tough one. auto should give decent reslts in almost all situations. can you email me a washed out shot? maybe i can get a better idea of how to help. shed some light,, har har.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7
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It really does come down to cost as someone else has said. The Nikon 200-400VR is probably about the perfect birding lens, but fairly expensive for the person just having fun. I would suggest a couple of different things that depend on what/how you shoot. The 300 f4 is about 1k, good lens and has AF-s. If you shoot in the daytime mostly it is probably your best bang for the buck. For somewhere near double that, find a used AF-S 300mm f2.8 ver1 and get the 1.4 converter for a longer reach if desired. There are also 300 and 400mm Ai-S (manual focus) lenses for a kinder price out there. Please read the manual with the D70 to confirm that it functions with Ai-S lenses though, I know some bodies do not meter with them. The Sigma 120-300 lens gets great reviews and sits in the middle of the pricing above. I make part of my living with photography, and I settled with the quality of the 1.4 converter on my 70-200 for long reach when I need to. I do lose a stop, so instead of f2.8 and I can only go as large as f4. So for about 2k you could essentially have 3 lens ranges with the normal 70-200, 98-280 (with 1.4), and 140-400 (with 2.0). I don't have the 2.0, but notice little loss in AF or quality with the 1.4. There is some great stuff over on www.nikonians.org with tons of folks who have much more experience than me in birds and what it takes!
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 5,563
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Tim - very good info. I don't understand converters. Can you educate me? If that will work with my 50-200 Sigma zoom lens I would be very happy.
Harriette Take only pictures leave only bubbles
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,416
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scuba,, this is the 300 i use. i bought it 10 years ago for around 900$(?). i hear you can find excelant ones on e-bay for around 5-6,, (so i hear). since it is a 'film' lens, once attatched to my digital nikon, it crops to being a 450mm. poor mans tele for sure! http://www.bythom.com/300lens.htm
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