dennis_brabender

<p>I recently went to an airshow and was not exactly thrilled with the quality of the images that I captured<br />Major case of operator error<br />I use a D7000 and rented the 80-400 afs just wondering what settings I should of used<br />I am thinking the settings should of been AFC, matrix mode 21 point and a reasonably high ISO<br />Probably not 3D tracking<br />I heard some people say that you have to manual focus<br>

not really sure how you can do that with planes flying in hundreds of knots per hour with max zoom at 600mm on a crop sensor<br />I was using shutter priority with a F8<br />Also would these settings also apply to bird photography</p>

<p>William nice IR shot hope to see you at the Balloon launch/Sun N Fun on Saturday<br>

Hopefully the weather will co-operate</p>

<p>If you head to the small city area of the world, slow way down relax<br>

Locals can tell people from Chicago because they are always in a rush<br>

Green Bay has a railroad museum ,Packer Hall of fame<br>

Visit the Peshtigo fire museum, same day as the Chicago fire only much worse<br>

Lots of lighthouses still stand around the Lake<br>

talk to the locals ask them for their favorite pizza place etc. don't be surprised to actually talk to the people when you get gas. ask them for the most scenic spots, you never know. google the towns that you plan on seeing check the images<br>

stay out of McD's etc eat at local places<br>

if you go to the UP have a Pasty (pronounced "Past E" not "paste e", 2 completely different things) Friday night go to a fish fry (lake perch if you can find it) lot of taverns have great burgers and are much more than a bar<br>

you could easily drive around Lake Michigan in a weekend but you wouldn't see much <br>

Keep your eyes open anything can make a decent picture with the right composition and lighting from the smallest bug to a panoramic landscape</p>

<p>Woodstock has a pretty neat train museum unfortunately closed during the winter, Lake Geneva, Joliet Prison when all else fails take a drive around Lake Michigan more small towns then you can imagine. The largest town in the UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan for non Yoopers) is around 20,000 people. Lots of waterfalls great fall colors. Don't forget to stop at Tahquamenon falls see the Mackinac Bridge. See the Trolls that live under the Bridge. With the exception of Milwaukee 60 miles out of Chicago in just about any direction you will hit small towns</p>

<p>A shot of Spring to all of my friends up north<br>

Smile just 9 more months until Winter </p><div></div>

<p>I'm with you Rene' ....I'm waiting on some reviews and full sized pics (at least better than the few that I have seen so far) I can wait... a little while..Don checked out your website (really nice pictures) would be really interested what you think of the 80-400 what type of camera are you using?</p>

<p>According to a "rumor site" people who have preordered the 80-400 afs lens rcvd notification from BH that their lens are shipping. Looking forward to some sort of review with pictures from anybody who made the purchase. Upstate New Yorkers should be getting theirs any day.</p>

<p>I was thinking 300 f4 with a 1.4 TC but I'm thinking that lens is way overdo for an upgrade and has no VR as of yet. As far as what I shoot I am trying to get some extra reach instead of cropping pictures basically stuff that you can't get close enough to birds, animals, air shows etc. I am not really specaillizing in any particular mode. my current long lens is an 18-200 and I have a 55-200vr so I'm sure that any of the lens we are talking about will be a lot better than what I have.</p>

<p>I was thinking of purchasing another lens. My question is would I be better off picking up the new 80-400VRIII or getting a 70-200 2.8 VRII possibly with a teleconverter? I heard that the 70-200 gets a bit soft at the 200 range? So with the 70-200 would be 2.8 and 200-400 would be 5.6 with a 2X. As opposed to the 80-400 4.5-5.6 full range, not really sure at what length it goes from 4.5 to 5.6 maybe from 200-400 it would be 5.6 also? I currently have a D7000 so the range would go up to 600 with the 1.5 factor. The 70-200 weighs 3.39 lbs the 80-400 3.5 lbs, length about the same 8" to 8.1", the 2x teleconverter adds another 11.6 oz and 1.9 "<br>

The 70-200 has a rebate until the end of the month so I could get that plus a 2x for about the same price as the 80-400. Or is the 2x pushing the limits a bit and I would be better off going with a 1.4 or 1.7? Of course the rebate ends the end of March and the 80-400 expected March 19 from BH. As far as I can tell nobody has rcvd the 80-400 to review and I have not seen any pictures from the 80-400 with any resolution. I am sure that the 70-200 would be a better deal because of the rebate and the 80-400 has just been released and hopefully the price will be eventually be coming down some day.<br>

Either lens will be a major purchase for me, and probably be the last lens for a while, so I just as soon get the best lens in my price range.<br>

Thanks in advance for any comments.</p>

<p>B&H extended their rebate on the 80-400 until March 30 didn't check on the others that they previously rebated</p>

<p>A tree with a Ferris wheel in the background reminds me of Jerry Garcia for some reason<br />there must of been about 7 Ferris wheels at the Fair<br />I will comment on some other postings later<br />I haven't even looked at the page yet</p><div></div>

<p>2 Ferris wheels that were back to back</p><div></div>

<p>Well trying to do multiples didn't work so I will do multiple postings<br />I went to the Florida State Fair on Monday and experimented with some long exposure shots<br />there are some more in my PN location if you would like to see some more<br />feel free to leave some comments<br />all images are greatly reduced in size for the site so the image quality suffers a bit<br />Twilight before entering the Fair</p><div></div>

<p>My first attempt at posting multiple photos<br>

I went to the Florida State Fair on Monday and experimented with some long exposure shots<br>

I will attempt to attach 3 here<br>

there are some more in my PN location if you would like to see some more<br>

feel free to leave some comments<br>

all images are greatly reduced in size for the site so the image quality suffers a bit<br>

Twilight before entering the Fair<br>

<img src="/nikon-camera-forum/16950737-md.jpg" alt="" /><br>

2 Ferris wheels that were back to back<br>

<img src="/nikon-camera-forum/16950733-md.jpg" alt="" /><br>

A tree with a Ferris wheel in the background reminds me of Jerry Garcia for some reason<br>

there must of been about 7 Ferris wheels at the Fair<br>

<img src="/nikon-camera-forum/16950738-lg.jpg" alt="" /><br>

I will comment on some other postings later<br>

I haven't even looked at the page yet</p>

<p>the only thing that I read is deep cleaning and send it back to nikon<br>

which sounds scary to me</p>

<p>I hope the abcense of the 300 f4 and the fact that BH is out and amazon is down to 1 that this is signalling a new model<br>

adorama is still showing stock though</p>

<p>I am in the exact same boat as Evan in fact I could of wrote the email<br />things that I don't care for on the 300 no VR,tripod collar (easily fixed with an upgrade) and no rear element<br />the missing rear element concerns me I realize that you could always leave a 1.4 converter on the lens but using a DX camera (D7000) that would put you at 630mm (300X1.5X1.4 at 5.6) I don't know how well that I would be able to locate my subject at that focal length.I wouldn't be dropping stuff down the back of the lens but I don't drop stuff on my image sensor either and that still manages to somehow get dust on it.I never had that problem with my old D40.From what I understand if dust etc gets inside it is a major effort to get it out to the point that it might have to be brought into a shop?<br />Hopefully the good news is that Nikon isn't offering a rebate on this lens. BH has it on backorder, amazon has 1 left, Adorama still has it listed as available. Maybe it is up for the much needed upgrade. I know people have been waiting for that forever.This lens came out in 2000 technology has certainly moved forward alot since then.Keeping my fingers crossed.I don't need it right now but I would like to have something before the Blue Angels come to Tampa for an airshow later this year.<br />I really like the images that I have seen from this lens and the fact that it uses 77mm filters.The only filters that I use are a polarizer LB and vari-duo neutral density but they are from Singh Ray and I don't want to start picking up more.Doubt that I would use a neutral density on this lens.<br />I have a Manfrotto 190xprob with a 496rc2 head and I just picked up a Benro A49F monopod with the idea of using it for my next lens investment<br />Nice pictures Roberta. I have been watching the Wednesday post and I am seeing a several nice pics from this lens also</p>

<p>a guy on the unnamed site posted this link<br>

nothing that I am looking for though<br>

nothing new just some discounts<br>

<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/promotion/10324/deep-discounts-on-nikon-lenses.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/promotion/10324/deep-discounts-on-nikon-lenses.html</a>+</p>

<p>If Shun knew anything he couldn't say<br>

as long as we are talking rumors<br>

I notice that BH has the 300 f4 afs on backorder<br>

one with a rear element ,vr and a decent collar maybe with a 1.4 teleconverter bundle would be nice<br>

time for N to upgrade some of the bigger glass <br>

80-400 could use afs and a decent collar<br>

both released in 2000</p>

<p>A picture that I took of a waterfall/rapids in northern Wisconsin</p><div></div>

<p>my concerns with the 300 f4 are the lack of vr <br>

is this usable handheld<br>

I have a Manfrotto 190xprob tripod and 496rc2 ballhead<br>

but I might want to go handheld at times<br>

no rear element<br>

that looks like an accident waiting to happeen<br>

the tripod collar<br>

not really stable need to purchase a kirk or RRS upgrade?<br>

I could get the lens but the teleconverter 1.4 might have to wait for additional funds<br>

using a 300mm with no zoom is it difficult to locate subject especially with a TC?</p>

 

<p>I am thinking on expanding my lens with a long zoom<br>

thinking for birds, timid creatures and airshows<br>

general far away things<br>

currently I am leaning towards Nikon 70-300 or the sigma 120-400<br>

the nikon is about half the cost and weight of the sigma<br>

the sigma includes a collar and is longer<br>

I have a D7000 so the effective lengths would be 105-400 or 180-600<br>

currently my longest reach is 200mm<br>

I don't want to go with the bigma (500mm)<br>

trying to keep my filters no more than 77<br>

haven't heard too much good about the nikon 80-400 slow and expensive <br>

has anybody tried both of these lenses?<br>

how noticable is the extra 200 (from 400-600)<br>

what about image quality at full reach?<br>

is there another lens that I should be considering?<br>

I think that I would prefer a zoom as opposed to a fixed focal length<br>

I've read all of the reviews looking for some 1st hand info<br>

thanks in advance for comments</p>

 

<p>check your ISO settings also not exactly sure where the D80 tops out at acceptable range (you can probably google the answer) before the noise is intolerable or how large of prints you are intending on making. how close are you planning on being to the stage will affect what focal length lens you will have to use go to your seat area before the performance use the 18-200 and find what focal lengths you require. the 35mm 1.8 vr great lens, 50mm 1.8 or 1.4 depends on your budget 17-55 2.8 etc . you could go all the way up to the 70-200 2.8 Doubt that a tripod is an option but maybe you could pull off the string method for additional stability.connect a string with a large washer to bottom of camera, washer at the end put washer on floor pull up camera till string is tight, hold tension on string while taking pictures affords a level of stability. A vr lens would help.There is also a strap method for stability that gives extra points of stablility around your neck and down to your belt loops, never tried it but maybe an option you could probably make one yourself. 4 things that you need<br>

1 stability<br>

2 ISO<br>

3 F stop<br>

4 fast shutter speed<br>

might want to try and take pictures at a final dress rehersal that way they would be a bit more relaxed for tripods and you could move around things that they won't allow during an actual show</p>

<p>Some great fall color shots all ready<br>

We don't get any of that in Florida<br>

Saw this sign in Clearwater and thought that it was amusing</p><div></div>

<p>3rd</p><div></div>