Inexpensive lens for bird photography

I'm looking to get a longer lens for bird photography. I

currently have a 300mm f4 AFS which is nice, but not very long. As

much as I'd like to get one, I can't afford a 600mm f4 AFS.

 

I'm considering the following: 600mm f5.6, 500mm f4, 500mm f4.5

Sigma. I'm leaning towards the 500mm f4 which seems to be a pretty

common, cheap, high quality lens and would give me a 700mm f5.6 with

a converter. If anyone has experience with these lenses I'd like to

hear it or recommend something else. I'm ok with a manual focus lens.

I have the 500f4P and love it. I use it frequently with a modified TC14E (You have to file off a small tab on it) which means I get all the metering modes but of course still no AF. The photos in my <a href='http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=207648'> birds</a> folder were taken with the 500f4 or 500f4+TC14e if you want a look. The only downside of the 500f4 is that it doesn't focus nearly as close as the AF-S models, and Nikon has yet to release modern extension tubes, so you're back to Kenko tubes or some other solution to maintain metering...

Nice Photos. How much does the TC degrade the image? Do you notice any vignetting with the Kenko tubes?

The Nikkor 500 f/4P works well with the TC14B 1.4X converter. Very little degrading of the image, but since it becomes a 700 f/5.6 lens, technique becomes much more important! I would guess that there may be a 10% drop in overall image quality compared to the lens without the converter, and I can live with that!

 

Alex

I actually took some photos to do a subjective side by side test, but so far I've only looked at them under a 4X loupe. At 4x I can't really see a difference IF technique was good. I never hesitate to use the TC, it's probably on more than off at this point.

 

Regarding the Kenko tubes, yes they do vignette. It's more pronounced with the 500 only, less so with the TC, and of course it gets worse as you add each tube. If you made a full frame 8x12 it'd be quite pronounced, but an 8x10 would cut most of it off.

 

The opening in the tubes is quite small, I've wondered about 'customizing' them from time to time...I don't know if that's where the vignette happens though.

When I saw the subject... Inexpensive... I thought about a 300/4 or 400/5.6. None of the lens you mention are cheap, but you know that.<p>

 

You might want to look around for a used 600/4 AIS. Not being a P lens, they are not that much more expensive than the 500/4 AIP. Then you can have a chip installed by <a href=http://home.carolina.rr.com/headshots/Nikonhome.htm>Rolland Elliot</a>

<center> <img border=2 src="http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1072843&size=lg"> </center>

 

Cheap? 300mm/4.5 AI Nikkor($200). Im starting with wildlife photgraphy and i dont want to use a tripod. Its much more fun to walk around and try to come close to birds IMO.

Obviously, inexpensive is a relative term. I meant compared to a new 600mm AFS. I have the 300mm and have had good success when I can get close, but I also miss many shots.

 

Looking at ebay the 600mm f4 AIS lenses do seem like a pretty good deal. I have an F4 by the way, so I don't need the chip to get matrix metering.

 

Both Keh and B&H don't have much in stock. Any good dealers with a larger number of telephoto lenses in stock?

http://www.photo.net/gc/view-one?classified_ad_id=499800

 

Keep in mind that this person has no background here. The lens is AI only (I don't know what's the difference).

 

Do you have a TC14E? Your lens has a very short MFD, With a good approach, you can get quite close to many species. Gotta be patient in your approach, don't look at them like a predator, take pauses. Spot favorite perches of birds at feeders. If you spook them, just wait, they'll come back. Sparrows are good at that. :-)