Question or advice needed?
Hello everyone - I'm new here.....
I could do with some advice?
Here’s a bit of background first: I’m a 73 year old pensioner and have owned quite a few Canon cameras, an odd Sony, Panasonic and Nikon cameras. I’ve had the following D7100, D7500, D600, D810 and currently, the D7200. I enjoy landscape photography, but also wild animals – I either quietly walk, or wait (weather permitting) each morning in the woods and fields. I’ve owned a small variety of telephoto gear, but I’m on a tight budget now and cannot afford fast or expensive lenses. The best results I got for wildlife were from my D7500 coupled with a Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary. (Sort of wish I’d kept them!) Then I wondered about less weight and ‘silent’ shutters and bought 2 Lumix mirror-less camera and some lenses. Ok, I love some of their advantages, but so miss my Nikons, (which I needed to sell to buy the Panasonic gear) So here’s the QUESTION – Until I can afford a large telephoto lens to go with my D7200, shall I buy either: (1) The Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 G ED VR, or (2) Nikkor 300mm AI-S ED IF f/4. Both are relatively cheap in price…. Would the Al-S ED prime 300mm f/4, give me a sharper picture, or would the AF-P 70-300mm (with excellent reviews on ePHOTOzine) prove more versatile generally? I'm happy to manually focus, but would I kick myself when seconds count and the animal is gone before I am ready? Any other suggestions? (PS. I want to keep the Panasonic gear too)
I could do with some advice?
Here’s a bit of background first: I’m a 73 year old pensioner and have owned quite a few Canon cameras, an odd Sony, Panasonic and Nikon cameras. I’ve had the following D7100, D7500, D600, D810 and currently, the D7200. I enjoy landscape photography, but also wild animals – I either quietly walk, or wait (weather permitting) each morning in the woods and fields. I’ve owned a small variety of telephoto gear, but I’m on a tight budget now and cannot afford fast or expensive lenses. The best results I got for wildlife were from my D7500 coupled with a Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary. (Sort of wish I’d kept them!) Then I wondered about less weight and ‘silent’ shutters and bought 2 Lumix mirror-less camera and some lenses. Ok, I love some of their advantages, but so miss my Nikons, (which I needed to sell to buy the Panasonic gear) So here’s the QUESTION – Until I can afford a large telephoto lens to go with my D7200, shall I buy either: (1) The Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 G ED VR, or (2) Nikkor 300mm AI-S ED IF f/4. Both are relatively cheap in price…. Would the Al-S ED prime 300mm f/4, give me a sharper picture, or would the AF-P 70-300mm (with excellent reviews on ePHOTOzine) prove more versatile generally? I'm happy to manually focus, but would I kick myself when seconds count and the animal is gone before I am ready? Any other suggestions? (PS. I want to keep the Panasonic gear too)
Hi Bob,
I see you're new to these parts, so welcome from me!
I've never used that prime but I do use, on my D7200, the AF-P DX 70-300 that you're considering.
Consequently, I can't really answer your question but I will say that the 70-300 does an excellent job.
Unless the 300mm. prime can produce markedly better images, I rather think that the flexibility offer by the zoom might outweigh any difference in IQ.
Bear in mind though that if you use any AF-P DX lenses on a D7200, you'll be unable switch off the IS.
That's not an issue if, like me, you never use a tripod and it's debatable whether it makes a difference if you do but you might want to consider it.
I see you're new to these parts, so welcome from me!
I've never used that prime but I do use, on my D7200, the AF-P DX 70-300 that you're considering.
Consequently, I can't really answer your question but I will say that the 70-300 does an excellent job.
Unless the 300mm. prime can produce markedly better images, I rather think that the flexibility offer by the zoom might outweigh any difference in IQ.
Bear in mind though that if you use any AF-P DX lenses on a D7200, you'll be unable switch off the IS.
That's not an issue if, like me, you never use a tripod and it's debatable whether it makes a difference if you do but you might want to consider it.
Thank you Jestertheclown for your advice.
I believe switching off IS when using a tripod only applies when using older lenses. More modern lenses are unaffected.
Quote:I believe switching off IS when using a tripod only applies when using older lenses. More modern lenses are unaffected.
Indeed so. In fact, the latest offering from Fuji - the 16-80 f/4 - has (up to) 6 stops of IS and no on/off switch as Fuji states the lens detects when it is on a tripod or support.
Quote:I believe switching off IS when using a tripod only applies when using older lenses. More modern lenses are unaffected.
That's also my understanding but ther's still a school of thought that says otherwise.
Quote:
Quote:I believe switching off IS when using a tripod only applies when using older lenses. More modern lenses are unaffected.
That's also my understanding but ther's still a school of thought that says otherwise.
Surely, the best advice to listen to is that of the manufacturer? Schools of thought tend to be as divided as the UK on Brexit...
Quote:Surely, the best advice to listen to is that of the manufacturer? Schools of thought tend to be as divided as the UK on Brexit.
Out of interest, I've just googled "should I switch off IS when using a tripod" and on the first page I opened it's recommended by Canon that it should be switched off.
In fact, all the subsequent pages I opened said the same thing, one way or another so perhaps there is a grain of truth in it.
Either way, it's a grey area.
Quote:
Quote:Surely, the best advice to listen to is that of the manufacturer? Schools of thought tend to be as divided as the UK on Brexit.
Out of interest, I've just googled "should I switch off IS when using a tripod" and on the first page I opened it's recommended by Canon that it should be switched off.
In fact, all the subsequent pages I opened said the same thing, one way or another so perhaps there is a grain of truth in it.
Either way, it's a grey area.
Did you check the dates of those results? Not all the first results are necessarily the latest ones. Just saying...
To clarify. I wasn't advocating leaving IS on, and if the manufacturers advice for its newest lenses is to turn it off, then that's what we should adhere to.
A grey area indeed...I know not all new lenses have the same tripod recognition built in, but my newly acquired Fuji 16-80 has (mentioned in my previous post) and I have used it quite a lot taking macro stuff, (with extension tubes) on a tripod, and comparing the results to previous images taken with a macro lens where the IS was turned off, I cannot find any difference in sharpness.
I guess as many will say the opposite as agree with me...such is the way of these things.
Quote:
Did you check the dates of those results? Not all the first results are necessarily the latest ones. Just saying...
Obviously.
In fact, regardless of their age, the half-a-dozen that I looked at all said much the same thing.
The IS gobbles up battery power, I switch it off if I'm not using it. If the newer lenses don't have switches because they can sense that the lens is perfectly still (sensors to do that are cheap now and are in smartphones and other gadgets) then you could not switch it off. It would go off automatically.
Quote:Obviously.
What is not obvious to you Jester is that it's highly unlikely that owners of such lenses would be asking about switches if the switches don't exist!! Your search term and search results prove nothing Jester, they are completely biased to lenses that have switches
Quote:Obviously.
What is not obvious to you Jester is that it's highly unlikely that owners of such lenses would be asking about switches if the switches don't exist!! Your search term and search results prove nothing Jester, they are completely biased to lenses that have switches
I haven't mentioned physical switches.
The question simply arose; "do I need to switch off IS on a tripod?"
The answers I found implied that you do.
Nothing more complicated than that.
The question simply arose; "do I need to switch off IS on a tripod?"
The answers I found implied that you do.
Nothing more complicated than that.
Quote:The question simply arose; "do I need to switch off IS on a tripod?"
No it didn't you created an issued about it.
What you originally disputed was whether switching off IS applies only to older lenses or to all modern lenses being unaffected which you agreed with here
Your search on Google was about switches and tripods, not about situations where switching off is not an option or about older lenses versus modern lenses, and as you were the one who claimed: " if you use any AF-P DX lenses on a D7200, you'll be unable switch off the IS" then the question isn't going to be answered using the search term you use and where you claim 6 answers prove the "school of thought" when you said: "ther's still a school of thought that says otherwise".
And why would your comment "on the first page I opened it's recommended by Canon that it should be switched off" have ANY bearing whatsoever?
The other flaw in your argument is that using the search term IS you are going to skew results towards the Canon system where it is called IS, Nikon's is called VR
Following the progress of this thread confirms to me why I very rarely participate in the forums. I've seen it time and time again ( and have admittedly been guilty myself )... someone comes along and asks an innocent question, seeking help, and it gradually evolves into an argument, a personality clash, two or more experienced members squaring up to each other like kids in the playground and completely ignoring the OP.
Apart from anything else it's incredibly ill-mannered, and I can't imagine what the OP, as a new member on his first day here, must be thinking of all this as a first impression of the site ... that's assuming that he hasn't packed up in disgust and gone home...
Apart from anything else it's incredibly ill-mannered, and I can't imagine what the OP, as a new member on his first day here, must be thinking of all this as a first impression of the site ... that's assuming that he hasn't packed up in disgust and gone home...
