Sad Long-Tele Tale...:-(

I'd been vaguely after a 600mm f4 for astro and stationary wildlife for a while, looking mainly at the old 600mm f4 AIS. My 200-500mm 5.6 isn't that great at the long end; the prime should be much better IQ.

Then I spotted a 600mm f4 AFS IF-ED II, the last version before VR came in. It had a dead AFS motor but MF was fine, and it was a little cheaper than a 'happy' AIS. ~£900 It was also the lightest 600mm f4 by far until the FL came in.

Short version, after a while I thought i'd just see if it was financially viable to get it fixed. Afterall, a happy AFS ED II, was still £££s, so I had some wiggle room.

So off it goes and soon I get an estimate for new a SWM and lens mount (+ labour etc) = £720.

OK, that stung a bit, but hey I'd end up with a 'perfect' lens worth ~£2400 for £1620. OK, go for it.

Got another email, the only AFS motor they can get is in Tokyo. OK, I'll be happy to wait.

Got another email, the part is here, but while fitting it, they found someone had been there before, and done a lovely 'fix' with epoxy and the wrong screws... Re-estimate time. Now up to £1400 with a new focus tube assembly needed.

Hummm, that's now almost the price of an OK 2nd hand version, but i would know mine has been serviced and pretty much everything mechanical has been changed out for new. OK, go for it..... I'll just have to work a bit harder!

Interestingly there was a new tube in the UK, so the repair was pretty rapid.

Got another email. All back together nicely but sadly now the lens main board won't talk. Marvelously, the company involved said they wouldn't re-estimate as it's now been quite a while and they'd add it on for free.

Got a phone call, Uh Oh! Unfortunately there are no mainboards for a 600mm f4 AFS IF-ED II left on planet Earth.

So, all the work, parts sourcing and time etc has been in vain. The company has said they will take out all the new parts and return it to it's 'before repair' status'. ie back to MF.

I could put dates on this narrative, but that wouldn't really help, let's just say the first estimate was Dec 8th 2017. The company involved have been exemplary and tried everything they could to get the old beast back on the road and kept me informed every step of the way, but sadly it's not to be.

I'll go and pick it up in a few weeks after they've rebuilt it.

At best estimate the lens is close to the last of the 2001-2005 batch of 1708 units, so I can't really complain about lack of spares from 13 years ago. With that few units being made, the number that might come up for cannibalism is pretty low too.

Anyone know whether one of the 'modified' TC-1.6As might work with it? Might be interesting to try LV focusing with it!

Sorry to hear about all that trouble. We take chances, and sometimes we win and sometimes we lose.

By the way, the 200-500 E AF-S VR should be very good on the long end, although AF is on the slower side.

Very true in Life! :) and sometimes :( ......

I guess in the quest for more reach and reading all the 'reviews', the Sigma 150-600mm Sport is noticeable sharper than the Nikon @ 500mm.

Whenever I go through image folders shot with the 200-500mm, 90+% are @ 500mm.

The slow(ish) AF of the 200-500mm is the main reason I wanted to try and get the 600mm F4's AF working. I haven't played with one for a while, but I remember it being almost instant.

Apparently the 600mm f4 VR version is also much sharper, and a little heavier, than the ED-IF II. Time to save more money! Although I guess I've saved (ie not spent!) the £1400 repair bill. Domestic billing thoughts!

Poke me at your convenience, Mike. You're still welcome to try out my TC-16A, although going off the performance with my 500mm f/4 AI-P, I wouldn't expect to be excited. Sorry the direct option didn't work out; my experience with manual focus superteles has been pretty painful.

The 200-500 isn't at its best at 500mm, but it's certainly nothing like as bad as the 150-500 Sigma used to be. Many of my shots are at the long end too (although it's still nice to have a zoom for finding an elusive subject). My impression was that the Sigma Sport is a bit sharper at the long end (although - while these things are always approximate - at least one review I saw suggested that the Sigma would have a smaller aperture than f/5.6 at 500mm); I went with the Nikkor partly because it was somewhat cheaper and lighter, and partly so I could teleconvert it and still get f/8. From what I've seen, the primes still very much have the edge. If the recent rumours of patents regarding 400, 500 and 600mm f/5.6 PF primes turn into products and they behave well enough, Nikon may have my attention.

I'm not particularly fussed about VR on a supertele prime (though the 200-500's is epic for hand-holding). I don't really use monopods, so once the lens gets too long to hold (500mm and over, for me), I'm going to be on a tripod anyway. That would make me interested in the older AF-S 600mms (especially since putting on a TC20 is much cheaper than getting an 800mm and using my TC14) - but I'm put off by seeing how much improved the optics of the latest round of superteles are in the few tests I've seen. Plus there's the transport problem, so I'm probably better off just throwing lots of money at LensRentals when I travel.

Andrew,

There is an old lens, that is nice and compact, easy to transport ... a mirror lens :-)

Only cons, manual focus and fixed aperture.

Andrew,

There is an old lens, that is nice and compact, easy to transport ... a mirror lens :)

Only cons, manual focus and fixed aperture.

And what that fixed aperture is, and manual focus, and bokeh, and (a bit) contrast...

Thank you for the suggestion, though. If I want to use a mirror lens for reach, I'll stick my camera on the adaptor I have for my 10" Dobsonian. Not so compact or easy to transport (especially since mine isn't the truss design), but 1200mm f/4.7 is hard to argue with for the money. It's sorely tempting to try to rent one in the US and take it to Yellowstone for wolf spotting, but I have a feeling I wouldn't make friends moving it about.

Sigma 150-600mm Sport

The one I had considered before settling on the 200-500. Main reason for not choosing the Sigma: the substantial weight difference to the Nikkor.

The one I had considered before settling on the 200-500. Main reason for not choosing the Sigma: the substantial weight difference to the Nikkor.

Since I hike with the 200-500 often, weight is certainly a concern. I also don't like any 150-600mm lens that is f6.3 on the long end, as that is way too slow. In fact, I consider f5.6 too slow already, but that is a compromise against the weight.

I also like the fact that the Nikon 200-500mm/f5.6 is an E lens. IMO that is more future proof.

Since I hike with the 200-500 often, weight is certainly a concern. I also don't like any 150-600mm lens that is f6.3 on the long end, as that is way too slow. In fact, I consider f5.6 too slow already, but that is a compromise against the weight.

 

I also like the fact that the Nikon 200-500mm/f5.6 is an E lens. IMO that is more future proof.

All that too :cool:

Don't get me wrong, my 200-500mm 5.6 is THE walk-around wildlife lens for me. Everything from settled butterflies 6ft away to BIF 30m away to warbirds wanging by at over 350knts, It's wonderful VR helps with the butterflies and the bird-in-tree in poor light. AF can be a bit slow and sometimes pauses with indecision.

I use it on a Nikon J1 with some success, it's a shame Nikon disabled it on the J5. It's possible to handhold it, the trouble is finding the target, a small Telrad or zero-mag gunsight mounted on the upturned foot helps. I tried one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neewer®-Optical-Magnification-Foldable-Viewfinder/dp/B017NHZ45S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1517650419&sr=8-4&keywords=viewfinder+neewer+magnifieron it, which was OK, if a little crazy looking!

But for reach and more light at the expense of ease-of-carry, I still hanker for the 600mm f4 with some degree of AF. Zoomed LV helps with MF, but it's hard to get it still enough and the screen refresh rate is a bit slow.

Now my poor lens has been totally disassembled and reassembled (and re calibrated), I'll have another play at gimbal stuff.... and may well take up Andrew's offer of a play with the TC 1.6A.