Need help with artic trip, lens help.

Hello Everyone

 

I am planning a special trip to the Artic in Canadas north. I am

planning to study the Artic wolf. Since i am a photographer, I would

like to take pictures of this amazing mammel. I have Nikon N65 and

Nikon F100 cameras, MY longest lens right now are the Nikkor 70-300mm

and the 100mm-400mm and i have a teleconverter at 1.4. I am wondering

for about $650 usd what lens could i get that is longer or at 600mm.

Thank you very much.

In short - not much. If you sold your other lenses you might get an 600mm F5.6 Manual focus - great lens, fairly light. Other than that you are probably out of luck

For that amount you can rent a 600f4AFS + 1.4TC for a week...probably your best bet in your situation.

--evan

Here's the link to a pdf pricelist for rentals at a place called Glazer's in Seattle....I've used them and have been very happy with thier service.

 

http://www.glazerscamera.com/files/rentals.pdf

Why don't you try to get a little closer to the wolf?

 

But seriously, in case you're serious, your only bet is a reflex lens. The Sigma 600mm f/8 sells for $379 (what will you do with the $271 left over?), or you could get a 500mm Vivitar for $100.

Please, no mirror lenses again. Years ago I bought a 500mm/f8 mirror Nikkor and that is by far the biggest lens-purchasing mistake I have ever made over 20+ lenses.

 

If your 100-400 cannot get the job done, one alternative is to buy a used 500 or 600mm lens, take great care of it and sell it after the trip. Of course, there are risks involved e.g. if the lens is damaged while you are the owner, it can cost you a lot more than $650.

you can take the risk out of buying a used lens (as Shung recommended) by buying insurance for that lens (for me it is 2.5% of the cost of the gear for a years worth of no-fault insurance)... mind you, you'll need a decent tripod if you would seriously consider buying and selling or renting a 600mm lens...

Shun, i apologize for spelling your name incorrectly

You would do well to find a 'mechanical' body for the cold weather.

Once you have voltage drop (way up north, it gets da*n cold) in your present cameras, the thought of using them for paper-weights becomes a prime consideration. With a F2, FM2N, or the FM3A body, the meter may cease to function, but the camera will continue to operate.

(Also, a power winder or motor drive may do damage to your film if it becomes brittle in -30 F or colder temps.)

 

Good luck.

The only thing I can think of is the 600 5.6, but that's going to run at least $2000 if you can find one used.