100-400 4.5-5.6 for Costa Rica?

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aringer

aringer

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LensRental has a 20% off of some gear, so I picked up the Z 100-400 for $1,750. I've been thinking about renting it for a week, but this is a much better option; I try it for 30 days and I keep it at a great price if I like it, or return it for the cost of shipping.
Anyways, I'm going to CR in 10 days for the first time, and I'm taking my 70-200 2.8, 105 macro and 500 f4. Would taking the 100-400 in addition to the others be an advantage, or do I already have most of it covered?
Thanks!
 
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Butlerkid said:
I've been to CR 3 times. IMHO - there is too much overlap with the 70-200 and the 100-400 to carry both around. Do you have a 1.4 tele for the 70-200? My choice would be the 100-400, 1.4 tele and 500 PF.
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I am going to CR in November and am planning on getting the 600 PF and also take my 100-400. Don't think I'll need the 1.4 TC if I have the 500. Would you agree? I have the 105 1.4 E and wonder if that would be useful for any night photography opportunity that comes along. What do you think?
 
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I went to CR in January and took the 105 f2.8 macro, 70-200S, and the 100-400S, with a Z8 and Z6II. I found I used the 100-400 the most, followed by the 70-200. I did not use the 105 at all. I found the 70-200 worked well for low light and close up of frogs. I found lighting was the biggest issue both day (due to the jungle canopy) and nights on nature walks. I found lume cube panels were helpful for frogs at night and flash lights to spotlight things in the trees.
 
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Casey said:
I went to CR in January and took the 105 f2.8 macro, 70-200S, and the 100-400S, with a Z8 and Z6II. I found I used the 100-400 the most, followed by the 70-200. I did not use the 105 at all. I found the 70-200 worked well for low light and close up of frogs. I found lighting was the biggest issue both day (due to the jungle canopy) and nights on nature walks. I found lume cube panels were helpful for frogs at night and flash lights to spotlight things in the trees.
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If I use DX my 105 1.4 will be almost 160mm so that would be my substitute for the 70-200.
 
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jhallettbc said:
I am going to CR in November and am planning on getting the 600 PF and also take my 100-400. Don't think I'll need the 1.4 TC if I have the 500. Would you agree? I have the 105 1.4 E and wonder if that would be useful for any night photography opportunity that comes along. What do you think?
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The 600mm and the 100-400 are fine. You might want the 1.4 tele IF it does well on the 600mm PF. Definitely take the 105 1.4E for all the macro shots you will encounter! The tour leaders usually have at least 2+ macro sessions.....either at night or mid day.
 
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Butlerkid said:
The 600mm and the 100-400 are fine. You might want the 1.4 tele IF it does well on the 600mm PF. Definitely take the 105 1.4E for all the macro shots you will encounter! The tour leaders usually have at least 2+ macro sessions.....either at night or mid day.
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I hadn't thought of the 1.4TC for the 600 so that's a good idea. I will definitely take my 105 1.4. I reread my asking you about the 1.4 TC and noticed I typed 500 in stead of 600 but you figured out what I meant.
 
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I went a year ago and mostly used my 200-600. if I didn’t have that lens my 100-400 would have been fine most of the time. I agree with those who say drop the 70-200 in favor of the 100-400. If you have a 1.4x tele, that might be nice to have for the times when you need more reach.
 
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I just returned from a birding trip in CR a couple of days ago, and I faced a similar dilemma to the one you present. I traveled with both the 70-200 and the 100-400 on a Z8 plus a 1.4x tele and I agree with Butlerkid that the 70-200 was unnecessary. Since the focus of my trip was birding (I am not a hard-core birder but the majority of the group was), I used the 100-400 at maximum zoom almost exclusively, and the best results were with the 1.4x tele. I was told by the serious birders that we were very lucky to see almost 20% of the 900+ distinct species of birds in CR, and I can report that most of them were 6" or smaller, so the shorter focal lengths were not adequate to always capture focus quickly. That said, there is lots of other wildlife in CR, we saw tapirs, anteaters, sloths and monkeys (4 species), so depending on the venue and how close you can get, the shorter focal lengths may be useful.
 
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BakerBrad said:
I just returned from a birding trip in CR a couple of days ago, and I faced a similar dilemma to the one you present. I traveled with both the 70-200 and the 100-400 on a Z8 plus a 1.4x tele and I agree with Butlerkid that the 70-200 was unnecessary. Since the focus of my trip was birding (I am not a hard-core birder but the majority of the group was), I used the 100-400 at maximum zoom almost exclusively, and the best results were with the 1.4x tele. I was told by the serious birders that we were very lucky to see almost 20% of the 900+ distinct species of birds in CR, and I can report that most of them were 6" or smaller, so the shorter focal lengths were not adequate to always capture focus quickly. That said, there is lots of other wildlife in CR, we saw tapirs, anteaters, sloths and monkeys (4 species), so depending on the venue and how close you can get, the shorter focal lengths may be useful.
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That's great info, thanks. I wanted to get the 100-400 mainly for the non-birds, as I figured the 70-200 would fall short at times. I have my 500 f4 with a 1.4 TC for the birds, and my 105 macro for frogs, butterflies, etc. I'm also bringing my 28-75 for non-wildlife.
 
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aringer said:
That's great info, thanks. I wanted to get the 100-400 mainly for the non-birds, as I figured the 70-200 would fall short at times. I have my 500 f4 with a 1.4 TC for the birds, and my 105 macro for frogs, butterflies, etc. I'm also bringing my 28-75 for non-wildlife.
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I think your 500 with 1.4 tele will be great for birds. I had hoped to take the 180-600 that I ordered last November but it didn't come in time. Sadly I got a notice of delivery 3 days into my trip (hrumph).
 
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BakerBrad said:
I just returned from a birding trip in CR a couple of days ago, and I faced a similar dilemma to the one you present. I traveled with both the 70-200 and the 100-400 on a Z8 plus a 1.4x tele and I agree with Butlerkid that the 70-200 was unnecessary. Since the focus of my trip was birding (I am not a hard-core birder but the majority of the group was), I used the 100-400 at maximum zoom almost exclusively, and the best results were with the 1.4x tele. I was told by the serious birders that we were very lucky to see almost 20% of the 900+ distinct species of birds in CR, and I can report that most of them were 6" or smaller, so the shorter focal lengths were not adequate to always capture focus quickly. That said, there is lots of other wildlife in CR, we saw tapirs, anteaters, sloths and monkeys (4 species), so depending on the venue and how close you can get, the shorter focal lengths may be useful.
Click to expand...
I''m planning a tour for next year to CR. Torn between the tours staying in one location - the Osa peninsula or the tours traveling around the country. Would you mind sharing a little about your trip and any recommendations?
 
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TamiBoise said:
I''m planning a tour for next year to CR. Torn between the tours staying in one location - the Osa peninsula or the tours traveling around the country. Would you mind sharing a little about your trip and any recommendations?
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I was in CR for 16 days last Feb-March, visiting 4 different locations from Osa to Monteverde. I would definitely recommend a change of scene every few days. CR has several different ecosystems and you will find different critters in them.
 
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Archibald said:
I was in CR for 16 days last Feb-March, visiting 4 different locations from Osa to Monteverde. I would definitely recommend a change of scene every few days. CR has several different ecosystems and you will find different critters in them.
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Good to know. That is the way I am leaning for sure. Thanks! May I message you with some questions?
 
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TamiBoise said:
I''m planning a tour for next year to CR. Torn between the tours staying in one location - the Osa peninsula or the tours traveling around the country. Would you mind sharing a little about your trip and any recommendations?
Click to expand...
I am happy to share my experiences while they’re still fresh in my mind. We took a tour that visited six different locations in Costa Rica. We started off in the Osa Peninsula and followed up by going to the northwest of the country. We had a fantastic tour guide, who, I think, made a tremendous difference in our experience. He knew where to find many of the scarce bird species, and while this wasn’t my personal goal, it was a rare chance to see things that you might not find normally, or certainly on your own. The Osa Peninsula was fabulous, although be prepared for hot and humid conditions which required handling your optics in a way that would prevent moisture from condensing internally if you’re accommodations have air conditioning. Another unusual place that we visited was the Caño Valley, where we took riverboat tours to see the birds and wildlife on the water. There were many species of egrets and herons and kingfishers, and even caimans and crocodiles.

Be aware that traveling to Osa is on a 12 seat plane with limited baggage allowances, so minimizing gear is pretty important. Feel free to message me with specific questions.
 
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The 70-200 f2.8 has one specific appliaction in Costa Rica, if any of the lodges you are visiting have owls visiting at night the f2.8 is a big help. If you have a chance for owls and can carry both best take both lenses as you won't want to miss the owl opportunity.
 
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Add the S 1.4x teleconverter and leave the 500mm f/4 at home. With the 500mm there is the likelihood of having subjects too close for this lens. I took the 500mm PF and it was OK on river boats but too long for hummers in most situations and I ended up using the 80-400mm lens instead. If planning on macro be sure to take at least one speedlight that can be triggered while off the camera (having two is better).

The 70-200mm with its 1.6' close focus distance may work better for macro subjects than the 105mm lens. With my DSLR cameras I used the 200mm f/4 and left my 105mm at home. Additional working distance helped with poisonous snakes and very small frogs and with butterflies flitting about.

Juan Carlos Vinda is an excellent guide for most parts of Costa Rica. His website provides some perspective of subject sizes and distances.

Juan Carlos Vindas Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images

Browse Getty Images' premium collection of high-quality, authentic Juan Carlos Vindas stock photos, royalty-free images, and pictures. Juan Carlos Vindas stock photos are available in a variety of sizes and formats to fit your needs.
www.gettyimages.com

I have made 6 trips to Costa Rica and traveled to everywhere except the Osa area and by far my least used lens was the 600mm f/4 which I often left in my room.
 
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BakerBrad said:
I am happy to share my experiences while they’re still fresh in my mind. We took a tour that visited six different locations in Costa Rica. We started off in the Osa Peninsula and followed up by going to the northwest of the country. We had a fantastic tour guide, who, I think, made a tremendous difference in our experience. He knew where to find many of the scarce bird species, and while this wasn’t my personal goal, it was a rare chance to see things that you might not find normally, or certainly on your own. The Osa Peninsula was fabulous, although be prepared for hot and humid conditions which required handling your optics in a way that would prevent moisture from condensing internally if you’re accommodations have air conditioning. Another unusual place that we visited was the Caño Valley, where we took riverboat tours to see the birds and wildlife on the water. There were many species of egrets and herons and kingfishers, and even caimans and crocodiles.

Be aware that traveling to Osa is on a 12 seat plane with limited baggage allowances, so minimizing gear is pretty important. Feel free to message me with specific questions.
Click to expand...
Thanks Brad. What did you do to prevent condensation? I want to do the river portion as well. I think it sounds fabulous!
 
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Calson said:
Add the S 1.4x teleconverter and leave the 500mm f/4 at home. With the 500mm there is the likelihood of having subjects too close for this lens. I took the 500mm PF and it was OK on river boats but too long for hummers in most situations and I ended up using the 80-400mm lens instead. If planning on macro be sure to take at least one speedlight that can be triggered while off the camera (having two is better).

The 70-200mm with its 1.6' close focus distance may work better for macro subjects than the 105mm lens. With my DSLR cameras I used the 200mm f/4 and left my 105mm at home. Additional working distance helped with poisonous snakes and very small frogs and with butterflies flitting about.

Juan Carlos Vinda is an excellent guide for most parts of Costa Rica. His website provides some perspective of subject sizes and distances.

Juan Carlos Vindas Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images

Browse Getty Images' premium collection of high-quality, authentic Juan Carlos Vindas stock photos, royalty-free images, and pictures. Juan Carlos Vindas stock photos are available in a variety of sizes and formats to fit your needs.
www.gettyimages.com

I have made 6 trips to Costa Rica and traveled to everywhere except the Osa area and by far my least used lens was the 600mm f/4 which I often left in my room.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing Juan Carlos' info. I'm surprised that the 500 was too long, with so many birds and small subjects on trees, thanks for the info.
 
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Often one will be photographing birds at feeders and not high up in the trees. I have gotten good images of iguana and sloths high up in the trees but with small birds the backlighting and small subject size does not work all that well.

The great images of birds are taken at nearly the same level as the bird and not from below. That can be a problem with birder guides as they only need for their clients to be able to ID the birds with their 8x binoculars.
 
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