Bird Photography -- D7200 300mm f/4 or D610 200-500mm f/5.6?

<p>Sebastian, your image of the toy bird captured with the 300mm/f4 AF and D300 is clearly unsharp. Have you put the lens on a tripod and use live view on the D300 and D600 to manually fine tune focus? If it is still unsharp, that would indicate there is a problem with that lens. Of course, that lens was introduced over 25 years ago. That particular lens might have gone out of spec after long usage.</p>

<p>Both the 300mm/f4 AF-S and 300mm/f4 PF AF-S VR should provide better results.</p>

<p>Shun, yes tripod, no I used AF on both lenses for this comparison, several samples.</p>

<p>The 12MPx shot on the right (above) is magnified to make it comparable to the 24MPX shot on the left, 1.5x in linear dimension. Is my lens now below spec after 20 years? Well, it's possible. On the other hand, on a 24MPx body this same lens gives 2800+ LW/PH, so I think it's OK. I think the big difference in the comparison above is 24 vs. 12 Mpx. My conclusion: It's time to shoot birds with a better body.</p>

<p><img src="http://2under.net/images/151217-DX-24MPx-Prime-f4-2844LWPH.png" alt="" width="404" height="316" /></p>

<p>More to come. </p>

<p>Sebastian, I'm grateful for all the research and testing you are doing. And the news about the 200-500 is very encouraging. I suspected that the 12mp shot was fuzzy due to magnification. I moved from a D200 to a D7000 and was shocked at how much more resolution I had. I got some great shots with the D200 but never got it out again after the D7000. I retired them both after I got the D7200. Unless the next new body does something truly amazing, and I mean <em>TRULY</em> amazing, I won't be tempted to upgrade. It's quite a bit more camera than a D7000 and just plain killed the D200 for anything in low light or tracking of moving subjects.</p>

<p>Your initial question posed here was of a comparison between a full-frame camera on a 200-500 vs. a crop-sensor on your 300m f4.0. Out of curiosity, how much gear are you renting? Was is either rent a D7200 and stick with your 300mm or rent a 200-500 and use a D600 or D610 that you own or have access to? Your question mentioned a D610 and you did your 200-500 testing with a D600. Just curious.<br>

It's been a fun thread.<br>

Tom</p>

<p>To all -- I'm worried about the magnified image comparison above being misleading. The magnification, blowing up the 12MPx image to match the 200% crop of the 24MPx image makes the right-hand sample look awful. The 300 f/4 produces quite sharp images on every sensor I've tried it on.</p>

<p>Tom -- Thanks for your note. Yes, the comparison above is pretty much a sensor MPx comparison. I'm realizing that 24MPx will be a lot more image quality than I've been getting from my D300.</p>

<p>Yes, current bodies are truly amazing. On the other hand, I thought my D200/300 were both pretty amazing at the time. I thought my D70 was amazing. We'll see in a couple of years.</p>

<p>How much gear am I renting? We'll see. Right now, I'm inclined to buy the 200-500 zoom and just use it on my D600. Remember, I've been happy in the past with the results of the D300 and 300 f/4. It's obvious that the D600 plus the zoom will be a big step up, because the lens IQ is comparable, the MPx is double, and it has VR. I'll probably just do that for this seasonal trip, shoot with the D600. I won't have the extra reach, but I haven't had it in the past. I'll consider a current DX body sometime later. Shun's general recommendation of D7200 and the 200-500 zoom for birds is a good one. (Mentioning a D610 was an accident. That's not in my picture at this time.)</p>

<p>I've started a <a href="/nikon-camera-forum/00dds7">new thread with my full comparison test results</a> so the 200-500 vs 300mm comparison can be there, and further comments on FL Bird Shooting can be here.</p>

<p>Ofer wrote:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Just for fun, I am curious, when I am at Oleta River State Park in Florida, hoping catch some birds, I will have the following gear<br />D750,D7200, 70-200 f4, 300 pf f4, TC1.4II<br />which lens should I put on which camera to start with? </p>

</blockquote>

In my opinion, the D7200 and the 300 PF f/4. Maybe with the TC and certainly with some camera support, monopod or tripod. The 70-200 doesn't get me close enough on any body.

Friends - Bringing back a very old thread. Surprised to find that it was 2015, seven years ago, thinking about D7200 and the 200-500 Nikkor.

Update: That rig has served me well for the past few years. I don't mind carrying the 200-500 when I'm out specifically for birds; of course it's not a "casual carry" rig. Images at 24MPx are very satisfying. Compared to the very latest gear, the reach is fine, other bodies have higher frame rate and I think better focus tracking of moving object (as birds in flight).

On a recent bird photography workshop with some heavy hitters, the consensus was in favor of the Sony A1 body (50MPx, electronic shutter gives 30 fps, great AF tracking) and the Sony 200-600mm lens.

This: February 2022 at Sebastian Inlet, FL. Big waves crashing on the jetty, Pelicans hovering in the wind and updraft, diving into the surf. My D7200 and 200-500 Nikkor.

Thanks again for the helpful comments above.