Advice needed

[Norman]

Hello everyone

I have not been as frequent a poster on the forum as i would have liked due to illness and an old injury that has become a problem, i have a damaged bone in my neck and although i am quite well and can still use my Camera i have been told i must stop the use of very heavy lenses altogether, to that end i have recently sold my beloved 200-400 afs vr lens that has given me so much enjoyment over the years and have also sold my D3s as i have the D800e and find i am no longer using the D3s

My questions are

I need a reasonable telephoto lens and am thinking of the new 80-400 afs vr lens i have read reviews and watched utube vids and think it is a good option, does anyone disagree or offer an alternative,

Also i would like to purchase a smaller DSLR for my wife, and was leaning towards a D7100, she has used a friends D600 and di not like the focussing for some reason but i again have read a lot about it and would like some of your opinions if you have the time

I have done a few searches here and people seem happy with both items i mentioned above so i am probably being a bit of a procrastinator but welcome advice

Cheers

[mudman]

what is the weight difference between the 80-400 and the 200-400? it may be an option to get a lighter lens and a quality tele-converter
i don't know what your main interests are, maybe a monopod or tripod may help lessen the weight issue on your neck
cheers

[arthurking83]

Something to consider.

Using the camera strap as a neck strap isn't a good idea I reckon.
I see folks with cameras slung around their necks all the time, and can't think why they prefer this option.

I've always assumed that the strap is actually a shoulder strap, and not a neck strap. Each to their own.
I very rarely use the strap to begin with, but those rare times when I do, it's always over the shoulder.

As for the 80-400AF-S, it appears to be an extremely good lens, and I remember Lance has a thread with images.
All tests reviews I've seen indicate a very nice quality to the images it makes.

I was going to attempt to get one myself a while back, but have since changed my mind and will hopefully get the Tamron 150-600 as soon as one is available to get!
It looks as good as the 80-400 at 400, with the bonus of having a few more mm's beyond that if needed(most likely for me) .. I'm looking to replace the 500/8 as my every day long lens in the bag I use.

As for the weight of the 80-400 compared to the 200-400, it's a significant step up/down ... about 2kg difference between the two.

[Norman]

Thanks for the thoughts ! i am grateful for the help

I have ordered a new 80-400 afs vr after borrowing a friends and am amazed how sharp and quick to focus it is, i still would like a second body and am undecided at this stage, i may wait until Nikon make an announcement which is expected soon

Cheers

[Speedway]

I'm with Arthur here, if the problem is the weight on the neck try a rapid style strap as these spread the weight over the shoulders not on the neck. I use a double strap and comfortably carry two cameras with heavy lenses around all day at motor sport events. I am 70 with some neck and other arthritic problems.
Cheers
Keith.

[arthurking83]

Actually, I'm currently having trouble with my left shoulder(AC joint) which in certain situations feels like a knife being forced into it.

A short while back, I was out shooting at an event with another member and decided to have two cameras at my disposal, one of which was to hang off my shoulder whilst using the other.
At no time did the camera strap become an issue hanging off my left (sore) shoulder tho during the five or so hours during this part of the shoot.

(I use a couple of small carabiners on the end of the camera strap to make removal of the strap off the camera quick and easy).

Another option to seek out a strap mode out of neoprene. While it may not help with the weight of the equipment hanging off the neck/shoulder area, being made of neoprene, it dissipates much of the shock force of that weight .. which is probably half the battle.
That is, the weight itself may not be the issue, the sudden transfer of the weight onto your body could be. I found this was the case whilst engaged in a food delivery business. A padded shoulder protector allowed me to carry more weight without any problems.

As for second body .. there are rumours of a D300s replacing D9xxx series coming soon.
If you're in no rush for this second body, I'd be inclined to wait till Aug/Sep/Oct to see if Nikon announce this one.
otherwise a D7100 would work well.