Nikon 300mm f4 PF + Nikon TC20Elll/TC14Ell - Images - Post your images

BillN_33 said:
Thanks guys - I'm in Japan for a few days - rained all the time - light rain and dark + very high humidity

a couple of big cropped shots at ISO 2800 + 1/500th + f7.1 + VR + Hand held

D750 with Nikon 300mm f4 PF + Nikon TC14Ell

The lens is beginning to work _ I just hope that it is water proof

HB_3.jpg



HB_2.jpg
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Bill these do look a bit like they only need good light,lets hope so.
 
they are everywhere

Sparrow in Japan that came near .... it is a classic Finch

D750 + 300mm PF + TC14Ell @ ISO 2000 ........ 1/200th sec at f5.6 using on camera flash .... hand held

The D750 is a remarkable piece of kit for the money

Dull conditions but sensor pulled in the available light ..... transformed the dull situation

Cannot wait to use the 300mm PF properly, back home to France on Sunday and may try to get down to the Pyrenees for a day or two


Sparrow_1_Japan.jpg
 
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Such a light lens lends itself well to the Nikon 1 which I got a couple of days ago with the FT1 adapter. A very light package with an equivalent FOV to an 810mm lens on 35mm. It's a very sharp lens but a bit soft wide open when cropped to this degree. Just 1/3 of a stop down and it's showing some nice detail and at F5.6 it is very sharp.
This dragonfly was shot from about ten feet away, hand held.

DSC_0125 by Mike D, on Flickr
 
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eccles said:
Such a light lens lends itself well to the Nikon 1 which I got a couple of days ago with the FT1 adapter. A very light package with an equivalent FOV to an 810mm lens on 35mm. It's a very sharp lens but a bit soft wide open when cropped to this degree. Just 1/3 of a stop down and it's showing some nice detail and at F5.6 it is very sharp.
This dragonfly was shot from about ten feet away, hand held.

DSC_0125 by Mike D, on Flickr
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It will be interesting to compare the combo with the old 300mm f4 + V1 + FT-1
I have used this combo a lot for Dragon and Damselflies

here's a Female Broad Bodied Chaser

D_fly_2.jpg
 
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Nice shot Jerry - I'd like to see it "backed off" a little - i.e. not as big a crop - did you apply any adjustments to the image in PP?

I have not used mine in good light yet, but I just get the feeling that it lacks contrast and seems a little noisy, (not sure why noise should be associated with a lens)

I'm back in France now so I can sit in the garden in peace - the weather looks good so I can compare the 300 PF + x 2 TC with the 600mm f4 @f8 ........ until I can do this comparison I won't really be happy
 
White & black levels adjusted, sharpening applied in ACR, also changed the camera calibration setting to standard as the neutral setting seems really flat. Tightly cropped to reduce the vast quantities of guano that would otherwise be present :D on the unsightly concrete, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Shot was hand held.
 
BillN_33 said:
It will be interesting to compare the combo with the old 300mm f4 + V1 + FT-1
I have used this combo a lot for Dragon and Damselflies

here's a Female Broad Bodied Chaser

D_fly_2.jpg
Click to expand...

Very smart shot, Bill...the 300f4 is a great lens for macro shots, I use mine for Dragons as it gives a good working distance.
 
I am really finding this lens quite disappointing, because of "noisy images"

OK - I've not have anything new "perfect" shooting conditions yet, BUT

look at this image from this morning

1/1800th sec, f6.3 and ISO 1250 and +0.3EV
VR on

D750 + TC14Ell

focus was on the eye and confirmed

I am sure that my 300mm f2.8VR with the same settings etc., preforms better than this

Full image

Robin_300_full.jpg



CROP

Robin_300.jpg
 
BillN_33 said:
I am really finding this lens quite disappointing, because of "noisy images"

OK - I've not have anything new "perfect" shooting conditions yet, BUT

look at this image from this morning

1/1800th sec, f6.3 and ISO 1250 and +0.3EV
VR on

D750 + TC14Ell

focus was on the eye and confirmed

I am sure that my 300mm f2.8VR with the same settings etc., preforms better than this

Full image

Robin_300_full.jpg



CROP

Robin_300.jpg
Click to expand...

So how many shots did you take of this?
 
Bill why are you surprised your 300 f2.8 performs better,i would have thought it was designed to,you have lost me on the lens making noisy images can lenses do that ?
 
I've been using this lens recently on a Nikon 1 V3 with 1.4x teleconverter. Below is a heavily reworked 100% crop of a sparrowhawk that was an outrageously long way away. The combination out resolved shots taken with D7200 + 300mm F2.8 VR2 + TC20-III.
DSC_0972 by Mike D, on Flickr
 
u8myufo said:
So how many shots did you take of this?
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Just one Rich - but I got a few more shots today - I just get "inconsistent" results - It is obviously me

I'll post a few more shots in a few minutes

mikew said:
Bill why are you surprised your 300 f2.8 performs better,i would have thought it was designed to,you have lost me on the lens making noisy images can lenses do that ?
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Mike - lens, noise - no it should not be the lens, I have floated this question a few times, but did not get a response ...... a poor lens can give poor IQ but I would have though noise is due to the ISO value or under-exposed images
 
Some more images for you to mull over, from yesterday and this morning - but not much about

as I said I am finding the results inconsistent, even at the same settings ...and it is probably me - I need to do more "tests" with VR on and VR off
the shots are on a small very light tripod with quite a "loose" head
the under-exposure of the blacks on the Great Tit is adding to the noise problem
(maybe I am under-exposing the shots generally)

all with D750 and +EV 0.3

with Nikon 1.4TC
1/1000th sec - f5.6 ISO720
Full

EX_1.jpg


with Nikon 1.4TC
1/1000th sec - f5.6 ISO720
Crop with adjs in LR/PS
EX_2.jpg


1/800th - f6.3 - ISO 560
FULL with x 1.4TC

EX_3.jpg


1/800th - f6.3 - ISO 560
CROP with x 1.4TC .. no pp as the image is too poor
EX_4.jpg


FULL
1/800th - f8 -ISO720
WITH x 2 Nikon TC
EX_5.jpg



1/800th - f8 -ISO720
WITH x 2 Nikon TC
Crop with adjs in PS/LR
EX_6.jpg



CROP
1/1800th - f5.6 - ISO640
with Nikon x 1.4TC ........ no pp adjustments

EX_7.jpg
 
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All of these look ok to me except for the chiffchaff. It's either back focussed or you have motion blur on the head as the bird's feet are sharp. The others are a bit flat, requiring some tweaking with contrast and saturation and maybe a little more USM, but they've all captured fine feather detail. The second great tit is surprisingly good considering it's with the 2x TC and wide open.
 
eccles said:
All of these look ok to me except for the chiffchaff. It's either back focussed or you have motion blur on the head as the bird's feet are sharp. The others are a bit flat, requiring some tweaking with contrast and saturation and maybe a little more USM, but they've all captured fine feather detail. The second great tit is surprisingly good considering it's with the 2x TC and wide open.
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Thanks Mike - the FULL images are just RAW to jpeg conversions with no pp or LR adjustments
 
BillN_33 said:
Just one Rich - but I got a few more shots today - I just get "inconsistent" results - It is obviously me
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VR or IS will only improve your keeper rate,it is not guaranteed every shot will be sharp,especially if you only take one or two single shots.
 
Joeturner11 said:
I hope it would perform better aswell pal than the 300mm f/4 considering how much they are to buy :D
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Hi Joe

These are with the new Nikon 300mm f4 PF VR Joe ....... I wanted it to replace taking my 300mm f2.8 VR when I travel, mainly long holidays ...... OK I still have a lot to learn in using equipment

It is good, light and very handy, but it still costs £1,600 ........... the lens was v good in Japan for non bird shots - the problem now is that I will end up taking both, the 300mm f2.8VR and the 300mm f4 E PF .... Crete new month, then S Africa for a couple of months from January ...... I will never be able to take the 600mm f4 as we use internal flights in S Africa on a small plane - they have weight limits below the nationals and are tight on cabin luggage ...... the new Nikon 400mm f2.8VR is a possibility, but have you seen the price.

Is my 300mm f4 AF-S lens now obsolete?

Maybe I should move away from "birds" onto other subjects, at least that would please my wife
 
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BillN_33 said:
Hi Joe

These are with the new Nikon 300mm f4 PF Joe ....... I wanted it to replace taking my 300mm f2.8 VR when I travel, mainly long holidays ...... OK I still have a lot to learn in using equipment

It is good, light and very hand, but it still costs £1,600 ........... the lens was v good in Japan for non bird shots - the problem now is that I will end up taking both, the 300mm f2.8VR and the 300mm f4 E PF .... Crete new month, then S Africa for a couple of months from January ...... I will never be able to take the 600mm f4 as we use internal flights in S Africa on a small plane - they have weight limits below the nationals and are tight on cabin luggage ...... the new Nikon 400mm f2.8VR is a possibility, but have you seen the price.

Maybe I should move away from "birds" onto other subjects, at least that would please my wife
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Tbh pal the 300mm f/4 might replace the 300mm f/2.8 for size etc. but IQ & AF wise I would still think the 300mm f/2.8 would beat it, I haven't looked at any comparisons etc. but simple logic would suggest that anyway...

I know how you feel about the weight limits and baggage sizes, thats the main reason I moved to the 500mm f/4, a lot less 'fatter' than the 400mm f/2.8 and lighter aswell for travel meaning I can take more of my landscape gear etc. Maybe a 500mm f/4 is your missing link? Or even better then Canon 400mm f/4 DO lightweight, smallish and great IQ, mind you I shouldn't be putting Canon into your head again as you have been looking down that route on and off for ages :D
 
The nearest I can do for comparison is the following 100% crop photos of a distant sparrowhawk that I took last week, The first was taken with D7200 + 300mm F2.8 + TC20-III. The second is a repeat of the shot I posted above which was with 300mm F4 PF + TC14-III on Nikon 1 V3 using FT1 adapter. Both are at F6.3. I used quite aggressive ACR sharpening on both to draw out as much detail as I could, then applied noise reduction after converting the raws to jpeg. I took many shots with each combo and satisfied myself that this wasn't a fluke.
The results with the N1 shows the 300mm PF is capable of very high quality results, well able to keep up with the extra crop factor of the smaller sensor and in my opinion the combo out resolves the 300mm F2.8 + 2x TC on the D7200. What this essentially means is that extra pixel density can do better than teleconverters. Bear in mind also that the 100% cropped image is larger on the N1 so detail is more readily seen. So why don't I just stick to the N1? Well, in general I got more keepers from the big combo than the small. The D7200 is better for noise, focus accuracy and the ability to catch fast moving targets. However if Nikon bring out a N1 V4 then I'll be viewing it with great interest.
I think what can colour results with the PF is the very thing that gives it its advantage, its light weight. Aside from the problem with resonance at 1/160s with VR on, there is a temptation to hand hold it with teleconverters. You simply forget that you're holding 420/520/600mm focal length. The VR system can handle the lens with 1.4x TC with ease but go any higher and you get rapidly diminishing returns unless you use a monopod or tripod, or find other means of support.
Mike.

DSC_2450 by Mike D, on Flickr

DSC_0972 by Mike D, on Flickr
 
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Hi Mike - I have a V1 +FT-1 which I used a lot with the 300mm f4 AFS lens, I have yet to try it with the PF

filling the frame with the image using the V1 can give more pixels than a DSLR cropped image, but I have never found it very flexible, exposure wise when using the V1 with either the 300mm f4, 300m f2.8 or indeed the 600mm f4
I find the V1 combo good with Dragon and Damselflies, but I will have a go this week with the 300PF

Here is a V1 +FT-1 with a 600mm f4, filling the full frame

V1 + FT-1 Nikon 600mm f4 - 1/400th sec, f5.6 - ISO400 ... and thru a window glass
FULL IMAGE - Not cropped
Great_T_V1-Edit.jpg



and a Dunnock - straight out of Camera, (V1) - no processing and taken as jpeg
V1 + FT-1 Nikon 600mm f4 - 1/125th sec - f8 - ISO 400
FULL IMAGE - Not cropped

Dunnock_V1.jpg
 
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Nice image. I agree with you on limited flexibility. There's no 3D tracking with the FT1 adapter for instance. I found that even at base iso there is some noise in the shadows which limits the ability to lift dark areas, and at any higher than iso 400 the ability to crop starts to drop rapidly. The new J5 looks promising with better high iso performance but unfortunately it doesn't have a viewfinder or the option to add one.
 
eccles said:
Nice image. I agree with you on limited flexibility. There's no 3D tracking with the FT1 adapter for instance. I found that even at base iso there is some noise in the shadows which limits the ability to lift dark areas, and at any higher than iso 400 the ability to crop starts to drop rapidly. The new J5 looks promising with better high iso performance but unfortunately it doesn't have a viewfinder or the option to add one.
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Agree on all points, only good at low ISO's, only spot and I find I blow the white quite a lot with any distance shots
but what can you expect from a body that you can pick up for £100 used and an adaptor for about the same - bargain for distance record shots and always good to have with you as it taken the same batteries as Nikon DSLR's

all long lenses are hard work!
 
Just a thought Bill,

Why don't you consider chopping in your old 300mm AFS lens against the Tamron 150-600mm for your SA trip's. Some of the guys are getting some very good results with the lens when using the D750. There is going to be a compromise over the primes, which may balance itself out if using X2 convertors. In good SA light it should perform well.

Have a look through here for the lens capabilities > https://www.flickr.com/groups/2470447@N21/pool/

https://www.google.com/search?q=tamron+150-600+and+nikon+d750&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
 
Swanseajack said:
Just a thought Bill,

Why don't you consider chopping in your old 300mm AFS lens against the Tamron 150-600mm for your SA trip's. Some of the guys are getting some very good results with the lens when using the D750. There is going to be a compromise over the primes, which may balance itself out if using X2 convertors. In good SA light it should perform well.

Have a look through here for the lens capabilities > https://www.flickr.com/groups/2470447@N21/pool/

https://www.google.com/search?q=tamron+150-600+and+nikon+d750&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
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Morning Simon

I'm always at the long end so I presumed the new Nikon 300mm f4 PF with the TC14Ell and TC20Elll would be better - lighter, small, (Nikon), and a prime with VR - I already have the TC's

gives me a good 300mm f4, 420mm f5.6 and a 600mm f8 ...... all with VR and as small as a 24 70mm zoom

( I think I just need to sort myself out with the lens, it is my use not the lens........ but you know how I can debate subject almost forever!!!)
 
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BillN_33 said:
Morning Simon

I'm always at the long end so I presumed the new Nikon 300mm f4 PF with the TC14Ell and TC20Elll would be better - lighter, small, (Nikon), and a prime with VR - I already have the TC's

gives me a good 300mm f4, 420mm f5.6 and a 600mm f8 ...... all with VR and as small as a 24 70mm zoom

( I think I just need to sort myself out with the lens, it is my use not the lens)
Click to expand...

Morning Bill,

I understand what your saying, but the Tamron will give you f6.3 at 600mm and approx f5.6 at 450mm all with Vibration Reduction (VC). I haven't used a pro Nikon lens with VR, but I prefer the VR from the Tamron 70-300mm over the Nikon version, I have owned both lenses.

My thinking was, as you have two 300mm f4 lenses, it would probably worth selling one to get the Tamron as there would be little outlay from yourself. Plus you have a 600mm lens weighing less than 2kgs.

Specs > http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-tamron-150-600mm-f5-6-3-sp-di-vc-usd-lens-nikon-fit/p1547624
 
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I have thought long and hard about this lens, a really good 300mm f4 with VR at this length/weight seems too good to be true and I am yet to be convinced of it's efficacy with TC's ... I wonder if, other than size/weight, there is any advantage over the older version?
 
gramps said:
I have thought long and hard about this lens, a really good 300mm f4 with VR at this length/weight seems too good to be true and I am yet to be convinced of it's efficacy with TC's ... I wonder if, other than size/weight, there is any advantage over the older version?
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In terms of IQ Roger, that's what I am trying to find out, in terms of more keepers etc., with the VR, again the same

They have achieved the objective of size, weight and convenience, I would also say that it is as good as the old AF-S non VR version ...... whether it achieves the 420mm f5.6 VR level especially for BIF, that will take time to find out and the same at 600mm ...... but as you know it may all just depend on "the light" and that's where the f2.8 and bigger f4's come in ...... optical quality and new design I cannot say
 
For a couple of days recently I have been using the 300mm PF with Nikon TC17-II on my D7200. This combo gives 510mm at F6.7 in a package that is light enough to hang on the camera neckstrap. I had the 1.4x and 2x TCs in the bag. I got plenty of detail at 100% wide open so I mostly used it that way, although with hindsight stopping it down 1/3-2/3 stop would have given me a bit more DOF. The dragonfly is uncropped, meaning that the combo is great for semi-macro subjects. Focus was on the eye and the original resolves the facets of the compound eye. The kingfisher is a slight crop, was accidentally underexposed by about a stop, and the image was flat as a pancake requiring boosts in contrast and saturation. But there was still plenty of feather detail. And a reminder, with the narrow DOF, I would consider it essential that AF micro-adjustment is checked carefully and set accordingly. Mine is set to +9 for this combo, i.e. it front focussed before adjustment.

DSC_2838 by Mike D, on Flickr

DSC_2728 by Mike D, on Flickr
 
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