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timbo2410

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Hi all, I'm looking for a good tele lens for my Nikon D7100. I've got a chance to get a used Nikon 600mm ED f 5.6 lens. If I were to buy it, what price would be called reasonable?
I've also seen the option of buying a 300mm and using a tele adapter (x2) ... as money is a rather large issue, and I cannot afford to spend £3000+ on a lens ... I am open to suggestions and advice in any way, shape or form :D
 
To get an idea as to what pretty much anything's worth, have a look at e-bay completed sales and a few of the ads in the photo magazines (AP has several dealers' ads every week). In theory, a 300mm f/2.8 lens with a 2x teleconverter will be the same as a 600mm f/5.6 lens but in practice, a teleconverter will almost always reduce the image quality a little. There will probably be times where a 600mm lens is too long though so you might want/need the 300mm instead. Be aware that some of the ?-300mm zooms won't accept a teleconverter and that zooms in general suffer more from image degradation when used with teleconverters than primes do.
 
thanks for the reply. Yes I know about the image quality on the 300 zoom. At the far end quality is an issue. What you've said echoes the majority of comments that I've read on the net. I've not read any "bad" reviews of the 600mm though apart from it being overtaken with the new VR and AF models.
 
Try it before you buy it, if you can.
Do you really need such an extreme lens? What are your interests in photography?
 
timbo2410 said:
..I've not read any "bad" reviews of the 600mm...
Click to expand...
Of course not! :D

I've seen some in very good conditions around £1500...

Be aware, that this is a fully manual lens! No AF here... will require a very sturdy tripod, a gimbal head and lots of practice with manual focusing...
 
It's the manual focus that worries me .. I've been doing more and more nature shots and wildlife is what I like. It's fine in a park where animals are tame but I'm planning on a trip to Canada and/or Alaska .. a long lens would be ideal. Yeah I agree a good tripod will be needed :D
 
Personally I would skip a non-AF lens... and take a deep look at the new 80-400G...

That combo with the D7100 is a dreamset. Highly portable, handheldable for longer time, a cracker of a lens... some of the safari and wildlifers at NikonCafe swears to this combo...

But of course the price...
Kick_Can.gif
 
I've got the 70-300 and it's still a long way off from where I want to be. At least with a 600 it's got a lot of range and with a tele converter I can extend that.
 
How about renting when you are out there?
 
Must admit, manual focus on a crop DSLR (or even full frame for that matter) would scare me a litttle. There are some potentially good compromise options. The 80-400 would be a nice option but I'm guessing you're looking for something longer? Maybe worth looking at the Sigma 120-300 2.8 and a 2x TC?
 
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