DX Crop Body for Safari or just get another FX body

ndwgolf

ndwgolf

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Neil Williams
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Heading to a Tanzania Safari in January and I am thinking of getting a DX body to extend my 600mm f4 to 900mm or would I be better off just staying with 600mm and getting another FX body (three total) and couple that to a wide angle to save lens changing in the field.
Depending on the above I plan to take
D4s with 600mm f4
D800 with 80/400mm (need to buy this lens)
Either DX or FX for 300mm f2.8 or 14/24mm for landscape
 
What about a x1.4 or x2 extender with the 600mm? Would that not AF with the D4s?

1200mm might be overlill though :)
 
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ndwgolf said:
Heading to a Tanzania Safari in January and I am thinking of getting a DX body to extend my 600mm f4 to 900mm or would I be better off just staying with 600mm and getting another FX body (three total) and couple that to a wide angle to save lens changing in the field.
Depending on the above I plan to take
D4s with 600mm f4
D800 with 80/400mm (need to buy this lens)
Either DX or FX for 300mm f2.8 or 14/24mm for landscape
Click to expand...

Neil,
If you are taking your 14-24 for landscape then I guess you have already answered your own question.
However,
If I was taking the 80-400 then I wouldn't bother with the 300 and just take the 14-24.
Stick the d800 on the 14-24 and a 71 / 7200 on the 80-400.
 
I borrowed a 3200 for the extra reach last year and was pleasantly surprised. The higher specced bodies will probably be more dust resistant though. Not sure what your weight allowances will be for flights - not sure I'd be trusting baggage handlers anywhere with some of that kit!
 
D7200 would be my choice of DX with the better buffer but hope you have a Sherpa to carry your gear !
I think your pretty much already geared up TBH
 
ndwgolf said:
Depending on the above I plan to take
D4s with 600mm f4
D800 with 80/400mm (need to buy this lens)
Either DX or FX for 300mm f2.8 or 14/24mm for landscape
Click to expand...

Neil,

Wait until you get the 600mm then put the D800 on it & try it in DX mode.
You may find this gives you the best bang for buck...
 
Phiggys said:
D7200 would be my choice of DX with the better buffer but hope you have a Sherpa to carry your gear !
I think your pretty much already geared up TBH
Click to expand...
Phil its a private tour so just me in the Jeep with the guide/driver, so I'm guessing not much carrying involved. As for flights its a 777/300 from Dubai to Nairobi and a 737 from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro so hopefully I will have no issues with hand luggage as I should get all my gear in the Bataflae 32L Backpack
 
Nod
Nod said:
I borrowed a 3200 for the extra reach last year and was pleasantly surprised. The higher specced bodies will probably be more dust resistant though. Not sure what your weight allowances will be for flights - not sure I'd be trusting baggage handlers anywhere with some of that kit!
Click to expand...
Nod
This is the first of hopefully many Safaris as I am now working in Nigeria (have been for the last two years) so making the most of Africa while I am here. After the feedback from this and other threads my equipment list for this trip will be this;
Nikon D4s
Nikon D800
Nikon 600mm f4
Nikon 300mm f2.8
Nikon 80/400mm f5.6
Nikon 14/24mm f2.8
Zeiss 55mm Otus (for people shots)

Once I get this first trip under my belt I will get a feel for what else I should have brought or left at home :)
 
Sounds like a fantastic holiday Neil how about a macro for good measure ? But with your D800 I'm sure one of the existing lens will more than suffice.
I she'll look forward to seeing your images once you get back home
I do hope you have a fantastic time !
 
ndwgolf said:
As for flights its a 777/300 from Dubai to Nairobi and a 737 from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro so hopefully I will have no issues with hand luggage as I should get all my gear in the Bataflae 32L Backpack
Click to expand...
Which airline(s)? This matters far more than you might expect. Some otherwise first rate airlines have extremely restrictive carry-on allowances.
 
StewartR said:
Which airline(s)? This matters far more than you might expect. Some otherwise first rate airlines have extremely restrictive carry-on allowances.
Click to expand...
Certainly a lot I've flown with have a max 7kg carry on allowance unless you ask, and pay, for more!
 
Thats me back in KL now and picked up the new 600mm on Saturday...........I am having big time second thoughts about getting the 80/400mm (even though I have already bought and received the Really Right Stuff foot package for the 80/400). I am worried about dust being sucked into the lens due to the large movement of the inner barrel so for a few extra quid, instead go getting the 80/400mm I think I will just get another body the D810 and then I can use the lenses that I already have without buying more.
D4s with the 600mm f4
D800 with the 300mm f2.8
New D810 with the 70/200 f2.8
Throw the 14/24 into my bag for and landscape opportunities that I see that I can't get with the 70/200 or 300mm.

That way I am pretty much covered for focal length, and no need to change lenses in the field, unless I want to take a wide angle landscape shot, which if I do I can do it in a controlled manner trying to avoid dust into the body..............what do you think

Neil
 
I think you need yet another D8?0 for the 14-24!!! ;) And a team of native bearers to carry it all.
 
Nod I tried it all in a backpack and it wasn't an issue carrying it...............remember I am on Safari with just me and a driver/guide so 95% of the time my gear will be sitting on the back seat of a jeep, the rest of the time it will be in my hotel/lodge room :)
 
I would just shoot the D810 in full frame, and crop in post where needed.
Best of both worlds !
 
And if you do use the DX crop it's worth noting you can shade out the unused bit of the viewfinder - I think the default on most nikons is to just display grids lines to show the DX (or 1.2) crop.
 
Other than saving on memory space and I guess maybe higher fps, does shooting in crop mode offer any advantage over cropping later? I'd always assumed not.
 
gad-westy said:
Other than saving on memory space and I guess maybe higher fps, does shooting in crop mode offer any advantage over cropping later? I'd always assumed not.
Click to expand...

I'd say not, in most cases. I actually think it's easier to shoot FF then you lessen the chance of cutting off eg a birds tail & it's easier to re-compose the image later.
Obviously you don't gain with smaller targets, especially much further away, but even then I don't think you lose out by much, if at all.
 
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