D600 start-up kit on a budget

[Cage]

re the bird lens, Mongo likes the 500 f4 P lens and may well get one soon. It is a very good lens for the job and for the money. Will work well with 1.4 converter (but not sure how good with X2 converter).

Would also strongly consider a AIs 400 f3.5 because it is said to work extremely well with a Nikkor 301 (X2 converter).

All your other choices seem fine.

Thanks for the input Mongo.

I've been doing some research on the 500f4 P and it seems highly regarded, particularly IQ wise. Lack of AF and VR doesn't affect my birding style as I always shoot off a tripod. I've seen some tidy 500mm's go for not a lot more than a new 300mm F4 + T/C.

When I think about it, the two areas I really want critical sharpness are for birding and macro.

I've also been giving some thought to how much weight I'll be carrying, and am currently playing around with the idea of adapting a light golf buggy as I'll then be able to utilise my heavy, but quite stable, old tripod, for use with a longer lens.

Cheers

Kevin

[old dog]

might have to get a pack horse Kevin......park it in your back yard...

[Cage]

might have to get a pack horse Kevin......park it in your back yard...

Gee thanks Graeme.

You are full of bright ideas.

Either that or a Sherpa.

[old dog]

[cupic]

The next couple of weeks Ill be listing my Nikkor300mm afs + a 1.4TC for sale


cheers

[Cage]

Only four more sleeps (I hope, if all falls into place).

D600, here I come. And I'm not expecting a miracle camera to make up for my shortcomings.

[cupic]

I see you have almost divested from your Pentax Portfolio,over at the other marketplace

[Cage]

I see you have almost divested from your Pentax Portfolio,over at the other marketplace

I'm working my way through it. Boy, I sure have accumulated some gear.

I still have another 1/2 dozen lens plus T/C's and macro tubes etc to sell.

Cheers

Kevin

[old dog]

hope it all goes to plan Kevin. Look forward to checking out the new kit. We are off to NZ tomorrow so will catch up when we get home. You should have mastered the new camera by then..

[Cage]

hope it all goes to plan Kevin. Look forward to checking out the new kit. We are off to NZ tomorrow so will catch up when we get home. You should have mastered the new camera by then..

Thanks Graeme.

With a bit of luck I should have the camera and one lens next week. Fingers crossed.

[Cage]

WoooHooooooooo

They have arrived !!!!

My new D600, AF-S 300mm f4 ED IF and an AF-S 50mm f1.8G.

First impressions:
Camera Looks great, doesn't seem too complicated, but I think the MB-D14 grip will feel better in my largeish hands.

AF-S 300mm f4 Wow, this thing is built like a brick outhouse. Very impressive.

AF-S 50mm f1.8G Looks like a beaut little walk around lens. Gets great reviews.

Well, to say I'm one happy little Vegemite would be understating the obvious.

Now saving and selling stuff like mad to get the AF-S 16-35 f4.

Cheers

Kevin

[Tommo1965]

nice one Kev...Im really interested in the 300F4..so once you're done testing it..if you could post some images and your feel about the lens, that would be very helpful .

[Cage]

nice one Kev...Im really interested in the 300F4..so once you're done testing it..if you could post some images and your feel about the lens, that would be very helpful .

Will be my pleasure to post some shots from my new pride and joy Tommo.

Battery is charged and in. All I need to figure out now is how to use the camera.

Actually it's not too confusing. Just working my way through configuring the various buttons to suit my requirements, the first is to shift 'auto focus' off the shutter button.

Cheers

Kevin

[WhoDo]

WoooHooooooooo

They have arrived !!!!

... snip ...
Well, to say I'm one happy little Vegemite would be understating the obvious.

Hehe! And the best is yet to come, once you start ogling those FF images on your PP machine of choice! Keep any eye out for sensor dust in the top left corner (as you look at the image) - some copies apparently have a gap in the shutter curtain that pumps stiff into that area. Only affects about 1 in 4 units according to LensRentals so the odds are in your favour.

You will miss the Pentax, but you won't regret the move to Nikon either. Just make sure you keep the GAS under control.

[Cage]

Thank for the dust alert Waz.

I guess my first shot should be of a white wall @f16.

- - - Updated - - -

Well my first shot was of a white wall, really exciting stuff, and it all appeared clear of any spicks 'n' specks.

PS: I'm not going to concern myself with what may, or may not, be wrong with it, I'm going to learn how to get the best out of it and enjoy it.

[WhoDo]

PS: I'm not going to concern myself with what may, or may not, be wrong with it, I'm going to learn how to get the best out of it and enjoy it.

That's the Nikonian spirit!

[RRRoger]

I like Nikkor zooms.
The AF-S Nikkor 28-300 is my all-around favorite lens.
I have one for my D600 and a second for the D800.
I also use my 14-24, 17-35, 28-70, 70-200, 80-200, and/or 80-400 less than 10% of the time.
Not needing the reach, I no longer carry the 200-400 or Sigma 300-800

As for any brand 70-200, except for the newest Nikkor VRII,
I think the "old" AF-S 80-200 is superior on FullFrame Cameras.

And, as for the 16-35, I sent mine back.
If you don't need VR why not get a 17-35
I find F/2.8 a lot more useable.

[Cage]

Update.

Firstly, I'd like to again thank all those who took the time to help me with this rather difficult decision to switch camps, and to put together a reasonable kit to get me started in Nikon Land.

As mentioned previously I now have the D600, AF-S 50mm f1.8G and the AF-S 300mm f4 and am LOVING all of them.

I was seriously considering the 16-35 f4, but today I hit the 'BUY' button on an AF-S 28mm f1.8G. I think it will suit my genres just fine.

I'm now down to a mid-range tele, and the 80-200 f2.8 is looking good and within my budget, and a macro down the track.

Thank you all for your help.

Cheers

Kevin

- - - Updated - - -

And thank you too Lance.

You alerted me to the AF-S 28mm f1.8G. It sure does review well.

Cheers

Kevin

[arthurking83]

.......

I'm now down to a mid-range tele, and the 80-200 f2.8 is looking good and within my budget, and a macro down the track.

.....

I'm not normally one to recommend against a Nikon lens, but this is one I usually tell folks to seriously reconsider.

While it's a good lens, and is very capable in most respects, it has(or can have) various flaws when compared to other lenses in this focal length range.

Sigma 70-200 with OS is almost certain to be better in many ways, and I know that the Tammy 70-200/2.8 is better in most if not all respects(other than solidity)

The 80-200/2.8 is an absolute tank of a lens(going by feel, not actual impact experience) but it feels as though you could use it as a hammer in an nail driving emergency!
By comparison, the Tammy feels a lot more flimsy, but that's not to say it IS flimsy, only that when compared to the N80-200 it feels like plastic and a lot .. lot! lighter.
Even the much loved 70-200/2.8's feel less solid than the 80-200/2.8

But mine was let down by an annoying tendency to backfocus to begin with, but when I set it to focus correctly, even then, the Tammy had slightly better contrast quality at wide open apertures and the longer end of the zoom range.

But more importantly was the focusing system .. being not only AF-D and not allowing easy manual override(the Tammy non focus motor type is easy to over ride), but also the mechanism to over ride from Auto to Manual is well known for being fragile if used frequently.
An ex member on here broke his after on a couple of months, and his lens was purchased new.
Mine never broke tho, so this strange anomaly was a bit hit and miss, but the point is that it's known to be fragile.
The mechanism is this M-A ring type system, also seen on other lenses of this era(85/1.4 AF-D among others) and some are more prone to breakage.

The other annoyance is the design of the front of the lens.
Many of us would normally advise against the use of protective, or UV, filters on lenses .. but this one is of the design type that really needs it.
The front barrel is open ended, and the front lens element if recessed into the barrel which moves back and forth inside the barrel to fit the description of 'internal focusing'!
What happens is that dust accumulates very quickly inside the lens unless you fit a protective filter of any sort(UV/CPL/Skylight/whatever) ... and the front of the barrel is rubberised to assist in creating a firm seal.

The focusing noise is best described as a graunchy loud and not particularly fast mechanism too.

On many ways it's a great lens .. awesome bokeh, and very rich colour reproduction and all that, and when the focus is nailed(and the image processed accordingly) the images can be second to none.
But it takes work, and the lens's negatives outweighed it's positives(I reckon).

I replaced mine with a Tammy 70-200, back in early '09 ... and have never regretted it(apart from the loss of the creamy bokeh rendering).

In the next 12 months or so, I'll end up with a 70-200/2.8 lens with optical stabilisation of some type .... not sure which one exactly yet ... but the Tammy will stay with me as well as it's been far better value for money.

just some of my thoughts for 'ya.
(I reckon I'll end up with a VRII in those next twelve months too )

[Cage]

Gee thanks Artie.

Just when I thought I had it all sorted, you send me back to the drawing board.

As a previous owner of an 80-200, you are more than qualified to make a considered evaluation, and this is one of the things I like about this forum, the fact that someone else has usually 'been there, done that' and is willing to share their experiences.

Obviously the 70-200 f2.8 VRII is my top pick, but it is twice the price of the alternatives, and I just can't see it being proportionately that much better. I think Rick has the Sigma incantation and he seems pretty sold on it.

I have searches going on fleabay for all three brands, so I'll see what comes up.

Thanks again Arthur, I think.

Cheers

Kevin

PS: I've just sold my Pentax mount Sigma 70-200 f2.8 APO EX and it was a bloody ripper of a lens. I don't know whether I just lucked onto a good one, but I wish I could have kept it.