tom_williams12

Is there a cheaper alternative to the SB 700 to use on my D300? I've recently purchased a faster lens and the budget won't allow a new

SB 700 at this time

Hi David. I was in Tanzania in February. I took my D300, an old Nikon 80-400, an 18-200 and a 35mm. Easily 75% of my

shots used the 80-400. With the sensor on the D300, 400mm is plenty of length. When I was there light was absolutely

not a problem. If you are in the parks, you really do not go off the roads and most of the safari outfits supply bean bags in

their vehicles.

If you are into bird photography a longer lens may be necessary. Otherwise, I'd suggest you take a second body with your

18-200. Be prepared for dust, dust and more dust. Enjoy and don't carry too much equipment

Hello folks

I have the 'old' 80-400 that I bought used from KEH in December. It cost about $1000 and was/is in excellent shape. I

used it in February on a safari trip to Tanzania and it was superb. Light was no problem. I did not take my tripod as we

used mostly bean bags for support. I took the tripod collar off. On the older version the collar is also flimsy but otherwise

the lense performed superbly I certainly recommend it

Tom

PS since returning I have used it to photograph some of my grandson's soccer matches. Again, in decent light, the

performance was very very good

Evan, that's exactly what is happening with mine. Any cure?

Hi Matt. Thanks for the response. Yes, I have tried cleaning the contacts as you suggest. No luck. It still sporadically

loses contact.

I have a Nikon D300. I recently got a Tamron 90mm lens to begin some macro photography. My problem is, periodically the lens loses

contact with the cameras electronics. It won't focus and I can't take a photo. It's as if the electronics are 'dead'. I have 3 other Nikon

lenses and they all work well. I only have this issue with the Tamron. I would appreciate any suggestions folks might have to fix this issue.

Tom

Wel, it's time to close the loop and report back as you folks were so helpful to me in planning for my trip. Just back from a fabulous 8 day

safari in Tanzania. I took my Nikon D300, the 18-200 lens, a Nikon 35mm and the used 80-400 mm I bought for the trip. The 80-400 was

on the camera 90% of the time. My wife had a Canon Powershot SX260 HS for short range shots.

The 80-400 worked like a charm. The 18-200 simply was too short for many of the shots. While the 80-400's auto focus is/was slower

than more modern lenses, it was more than adequate for animal photography. Low light was simply not an issue as the days were sunny.

The big issue as some mentioned was dust. It's everywhere it's a pain to take off the hood to get at the lens cap all the time, but with the

dust, there is no option. I found a good make shift arrangement was to use a sandwich bag which covered the hood opening quite well

allowing me to leave the lens cap off when short changes of vehicle position were called for. Take lens cleaning kit for sure.

The vehicle had bean bags aboard so there was no need to worry about support. We were constantly in the vehicle so tripods would have

been useless. One has to be able to shoot pretty quickly so considerable practice with the camera is in order prior to departure. I think

most of my shots were in the range of 25- 150 yards.

I am of 2 minds regarding polarizer filters. I can't say that mine made a big difference. The direction of the sun changes constantly due to

the vehicle turning and twisting on the rutted 'roads'.

I found it best to keep the camera on manual mode. To maximize the sweet spot on the 80-400 I mostly had the lens set at f9 and 1/400.

Given the bright light, the ISO did not climb very high.

I'd like to thank everyone here for all the advice including several pm's. as a relatively inexperienced photographer, I benefitted

immensely from your experience and insight. Thanks to all.

Now to get over the jet lag.

Tom

<p>Thanks everyone for your help. Its great to have such a supportive community. Given my conservative nature, Id rather not risk the Sigma because of quality issues so I'll follow the suggestion here and look for a good used 80-400. On y D300 it should meet my needs and I'm sure I'll get lots of use from it on my return. Lil, I'm in Lund and then Stockholm over the next couple of weeks. Hope to have some photos using my current equipment after that trip. Thanks everyone</p>

<p>Thanks everyone for your insights. I really appreciate the opportunity to benefit from your experiences.<br>

Len, I too look forward to your post when you return as your kit is similar to what I have in mind.<br>

re other comments, there is no question the 'gold standard' for me would be the 200-400 but I am concerned about both weight and cost. (There is no way I can afford it so would have to rent). I have considered third party lenses, particularly the Sigma 150-500 or, 50-500 but frankly I have shied away because of the high frequency of user complaints about quality and breakdowns especially in AF.<br>

So, I guess I'm left with the 80-400 and its dated AF or somehow renting AND carrying the 200-400. There is no question I would use the 80-400 more after my trip. Most of the lenses I'm able to afford are pretty slow-even the Sigmas. How much of a problem will that be on a Tanzanian safari?</p>

<p>I have a Nikon D300. (Crop factor of 1.5). Would I be best served by a 70-300mm zoom lense or an 80-400mm lense on a Tanzanian safari. I'm not sure if the 70-300 will provide adequate reach. Any advice would be appreciated.( I do not want to take a long prime lense).<br>

Tom</p>

<p>Thank you everyone. This is a wonderful site on which to get advice from experienced photographers.A couple of comments as the OP as I wasnt as clear as I might have been. At this point, I do not want a prime lense as I want a bit more flexibility-hence the zoom. I will use it to take photos of my grandkids soccer, some stationary wildlife and some birdlife but rarely bif. While the Sigma sounds great for IQ and OS, I am really worried about its QA. Its range and IQ sound quite adequate for my current needs but I dont know how to assess its reliability without breakdowns in normal use. Lil's post reflects my concern. Would I run into the same issue with the Sigma 120-400? I particularly like the suggestion that I could pick up a used Nikon 80-400.<br>

One big limitation I have is I do not live in a place where I can try these samples at a local photo shop. Unfortunately I am going to be limited by what I can get on line- a big limitation I agree.<br>

I currently have a Nikon 35mm and the Nikon18-200. My plan is to get the longer reach zoom with a 400 mm or 500 mm reach and then get a 16-85 so Im starting with a search for zoom that fills the bill. I do a lot of hiking and take care of my lenses but need one that isnt so fragile the Af may get broken and spend time in the repair shop<br>

Tom</p>

<p>I have a Nikon D300 and am looking for a tele-zoom with 400-500 at the long end. I have narrowed my choice to the Nikon 80-400 and the Sigma 50-500. I can afford either lense. I have 2 big concerns. For the Sigma, there seem to be a lot of user concerns over quality control especially with issues around Auto focus. The extra reach of the Sigma would be nice but not a deal breaker for me but I do need a lense that isn't going to be spending time in the repair shop even under warranty. Am I over-reacting to the posted concerns of users re the lenses reliability??The Nikon on the other hand is 'old' with screw drive AF but a proven performer. Any advice to help me make a decision would be greatly appreciated.<br>

Tom</p>