Mike_R1664876643

I joined in 2003 and photo net is still my favorite message board for posting questions.

I feel the same way about buying any more F mount lenses. The Z mount is definitely the future. I have my D810 and a few lenses, and those are going to have to hold me over for a long time.

I don't know why it is but my tripods are my favorite pieces of photo equipment, and as essential to my photography as my camera and lens. About the only time I don't shoot from a tripod is if I'm when I'm on vacation and just taking snapshots, or shooting where tripods aren't allowed. I have two, a Gitzo series 2 Mountaineer I've owned since 2010, and then last Christmas I got a Feisol 3401 for hiking and travel. I really like the small Feisol.

Well, I feel kind of foolish now but I think I found the source of the problem and it was in the lens plate I was using. I was using a short generic Kirk plate that had came with my old BH3 head until I got a new one. I just received a longer Sunwayphoto plate that fits the tripod mount fully and it now seems to be much more solid. I didn't think that the plate would cause that much of an issue but I guess it does. Thanks everyone who took the time to respond to my initial concern.

Thanks Hector. I'll check that link out.

Thanks Andrew. The way you described it makes a lot of sense. What happens is when I mount the lens on the head (using the Vello collar), there is more "play" or flexing up and down than when I just attach the body directly to the head, where there is virtually none. It's not wobbly, but it does move more if I push the camera up or down. Of course, I wouldn't be doing that when taking a shot, at least I hope not. But I guess I was just expecting it would be more solid using the collar than without. And it still may help minimize vibrations because of where the mount is positioned compared to mounting the camera directly to the head. I mainly got it for adjusting orientation without having to remount the camera, and of course it serves that purpose. It also raises the camera just a bit higher which doesn't hurt. I'll probably just keep it unless someone says the Nikon brand collar is absolutely rock solid, then it might be worth the extra price.

I just bought one of the Vello tripod collars for my Nikon 70-200mm f4 lens. While it seems well built I have noticed a lot more flex or rocking of the lens if I put downward or upward pressure on my camera compared to when I just mount the camera directly onto the head. Is this typical for added on collars (that arent built-in like with my 80-200)? Other than that it seems to hold the lens securely when locked and I still like it for the convenience of switching between landscape and portrait orientation.

It is nice to see smaller cameras. I love my D810, but its amazing how much bigger it is than the 35mm cameras I used to shoot with. I think in time DSLRs will be a thing of the past, but it may take at least 20 years for that to happen because of all the lenses out there and still being sold. Myself, I'll probably stop buying any more lenses unless it's a lens I can't do without.

I think the Feisol ct3401 makes a nice travel tripod. I got one for Christmas and have been using it a lot. Its a little on the short side at 50 " but you can add a center column to it if you need additional height.

Another good reason to not do rebates is Nikon saves me a lot of money. Last year I was going to get the 70-200 f4 if they did a rebate on it. They never did, so I ended up getting a near mint condition one off of KEH for over $500 less than they sell for new.

I really don't think anyone would know unless they worked for Nikon and even then I'm sure it's kept quiet until they announce. I don't think there were any fiscal year end rebates last year, so I'll be surprised if we see them this year. But I'm hoping, as I've been thinking about getting the 35 1.8g after selling my 35 2.0 last year.

I have the 16-35, 24-120, and 70-200 f4 zooms and I would say the 16-35 and 70-200 are the most similar when it comes to build and optical quality. Both are very sharp lenses corner to corner and the zoom/focus are very smooth. The 24-120 is a step down from those lenses in optical performance and build in my opinion.

I recently picked up a Dell U2413 monitor, that is wide gamut and has both Adobe RGB and sRGB color space settings built in.. I use Lightroom to post process my RAW photos. I then export them in jpg format set to sRGB and post them to my website and Facebook, or have them printed by either Mpix or Adoramapix. While I have the monitor set to sRGB, I'm not sure whether I should have it set to Adobe RGB to see the wider color spectrum while I'm doing the edits?. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks.

Richard, it sounds like either you got a bad copy of the 16-35 f4, or mine is abnormally good. My copy is very sharp in the corners (actually, I see little difference between the corners and the center even at 100%) in the 16-18mm range. In fact, my copy is at its sharpest at the wide end through about 24mm, then at its weakest past 28mm, where even my 24-120 f4 outperforms it.. Now all of this is shooting at mid apertures, which is generally where I'm at shooting landscapes. I feel like the 24-120 is a great all-purpose lens, plenty sharp, great zoom range, with the benefit of VR.

I always use the back button for focusing. I would have thought when the camera goes into standby or even if turning it off completely, once you set the focus point, it doesn't then refocus' when the camera is turned back on. But there's a lot I don't know about how these things work.

I was close to buying a used 70-200 f4, but paused when I seen this announced. But after reading about the limitations of the lens on a D810, I think I will pass. I shoot 99% from a tripod, often waiting for the right light before pressing the shutter after composing and focusing. If I'm understanding the limitation correctly,I can't imagine having to refocus every time the camera goes into standby mode.

I used to own that lens many years ago, but it doesn't seem like I had it for long. It was fairly well built if I remember correctly.

Thanks again for the feedback and suggestions. I am on KEH newsletter list right now to be alerted of any flash sales they might have, but I'm also eyeing a couple of the lenses on Ebay that look like they're in great shape according to the photos.

Thanks everyone. KEH sounds like a good place then. I don't mind taking a chance on Ebay, but when it's this much money I worry about something could go wrong and I'm out $1,000 or so. If I could get in on a sale that would be great because I just saw that KEH has a couple of the 70-200 lenses for sale now.

I want to pick up the 70-200 f4 before I go on a trip to Seattle in early August. I currently own the 80-200 f2.8d but want something smaller/lighter, and with hopefully even better performance. I've always bought lenses new, primarily from B&H but once a non-USA but new 24-120 on Amazon, which worked out well. But given the high price of the 70-200 ($1400) and no rebates currently, I'm going to have to go the used route for it. I've been looking on Ebay and Amazon, and also found out about a company called KEH that sells used equipment. Does anyone know about KEH and how would they compare vs. buying a used one on Ebay or Amazon? Are there any other places that sell good used lenses that could be exchanged if there is an issue?. I live in a small town from any good camera shops, well any camera shops for that matter. Thanks so much for any suggestions.

For landscape photography, I think a good wide angle zoom is almost indispensable. I have the 16-35 myself, which is excellent IMO. Very sharp in the 16-324 range, at its worse as it nears 35mm, but still certainly useable. I've considered adding the 20mm 1.8g as well for night photography, but have a feeling I wouldn't use it enough to justify the $800 price tag.

For years I used a Bogen 3021 tripod with first a Bogen three way head, then later with a Kirk Bh3 head. Other than the weight, I really liked the tripod but as carbon fiber models became more popular and a little less expensive I decided to splurge and get a Gitzo 2531 Series 2 Mountaineer back in 2019. I've now used it for 7 years with a Markins Q10 head and have little need for anything else. I know I'm biased, but as an all-around tripod I don't think the Mountaineer tripods can be beat. Mine still looks and functions as new.

Like it or not, many have come to rely on the rebates as a small incentive to go ahead and buy a lens they didn't necessarily need, but wanted. I think this will hurt Nikon's bottom line for that reason. If someone really needed a lens they would buy it with or without rebates, but this takes away a lot of potential buyers waiting for the rebates, who will now either hold off buying for now or maybe just not buy it at all. I'm in that category. I have the 80-200 2.8d, which is a great lens, but thought I would get the 70-200 f4 as a lighter weight alternative to take on a photo trip this summer. But without the incentive of a rebate I'm just going to stick with the lens I have, unless I can find a good deal on a used one between now and then.

I ended up deciding on the Sirui n1204x for a travel tripod. I'm going on a photo trip to the Pacific Northwest (my first time there!). I really want something smaller than my Gitzo for packing and doing some light hiking. Hoping it works out. I can't wait to see all those great places in Washington and Oregon I've only seen in pictures.

<p>Maybe using a UV or clear filter for protection makes as much sense as car seat covers, but I still like to use them to keep the front lens element looking new. I use either Hoya or B+W.</p>