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I’ve only been to Houston one time and I don’t think I could drive there without a roadmap today.

But I do remember it was within closer proximity to the Noxubee refuge. They have a waterfowl observatory there and I remember always seeing a lot of ducks and deer and other wildlife when I used to hang out there.

At least they used to have an observatory there when I was in school nearby.
 
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wildfowler said:
I have the book on the secrets of autofocus for the Nikon Z camera that I have. About 1/2 way done.
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wildfowler said:
One of the main reasons I signed up here yesterday was to be able to see the camera data for the photos posted in the 600pf topic on the main page. I don't know what pf stands for and didn't see "PF" listed in either of the model numbers of the two Nikon 600 mm prime Z mount lenses.
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Nikon uses the acronym PF for its 4 telephotos that use a phase-fresnel element in the optical design to reduce the length and weight. The 300 f4E PF and 500 f5.6E were released in 2015 and 2018 for F-mount only; and they have been a big success, and still are used on Z cameras with the FTZ adapter.

Help me understand Nikkor Phase Fresnel elements (PF)

I have never owned or researched a Nikon PF lens. The rumored 600 PF lens has me interested in what that means now and for future lens development. The little research I have done seems to indicate PF allows smaller and lighter elements while maintaining quality. Since PF has only been around...
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The first phase-fresnel Z Nikkor, the 800 f6.3S PF was released in April 2022, and this prime has arguably revolutionized bird photography especially being hand holdable and relatively affordable.

Nikon 800PF Review For Wildlife Photographers (Official Discussion Thread)

Nikon just announced their new 800mm PF and my extensive first-look review for wildlife photographers is ready to go! In this first-look video, I'll answer all the burning questions you have about the 800PF. We'll talk about the specifications, the controls, features, technology, ergonomics...
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The 600 f6.3S released a year later also uses a PF element, although "PF" is not used in the formal name of this S line. The dedicated threads in BCG (and on other forums, reviews etc) testify why this lens is also a major success.

Nikon 600 PF Test: Sharpness, Bokeh, AF Speed, VR, Focus Breathing & More

In this follow up 600 PF review, I pull out all the stops and put the 600PF through the wringer! We'll scrutinize sharpness, AF speed, background rendering, focus breathing, VR performance, and I'll even share the ARCA-SWISS foot I'm using with it! But it doesn't stop there - we gotta see how...
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wildfowler said:
I was trying to figure out if that topic was referring to the $15,000 lens, or the $5,000 lens.

After signing up, I was able to see that the topic was the less expensive f/6.3 lens. That lens may be in my budget next year.


Yes sir, I was hoping to get close this year with the teleconverter as a workaround.
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The Z Teleconverters work well with caveats of loss of 1 stop of light, minimizing cropping and realistic subject distances
wildfowler said:
Thank you.
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wildfowler said:
...Does using a teleconverter cause the camera to physically be limited to a new max wide aperture opening of two stops smaller?

Or does the camera still physically utilize its widest aperture setting and the depth of field associated with its widest physical setting, but now has an “effective” reduction of available light to work with?...
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The physical aperture opening in the lens does not change. What changes is the effective focal length. F-stop indicates the size of the iris/aperture opening relative to the focal length of the lens. The teleconverter changes the focal length so the effective aperture changes with the change in focal length. So with a 1.4x converter aperture area decreases by half(1/1.4^2) therefore f-stop increases by a full stop(i.e. half as much light reaching the sensor). With a 2xTC it's 1/4 the light so two stops. It is a real physical change to the optics. Similarly depth of field also changes to the same effective aperture. So a lens with f 2.8 max aperture used with a 2xTC becomes an f 5.6 lens.
 
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NorthernFocus said:
The physical aperture opening in the lens does not change. What changes is the effective focal length. F-stop indicates the size of the iris/aperture opening relative to the focal length of the lens. The teleconverter changes the focal length so the effective aperture changes with the change in focal length. So with a 1.4x converter aperture area decreases by half(1/1.4^2) therefore f-stop increases by a full stop(i.e. half as much light reaching the sensor). With a 2xTC it's 1/4 the light so two stops. It is a real physical change to the optics. Similarly depth of field also changes to the same effective aperture. So a lens with f 2.8 max aperture used with a 2xTC becomes an f 5.6 lens.
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That is a very thorough explanation on what is physically changing.

Thank you, sir!
 
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wildfowler said:
Thank you.

Is it safe to say that the 2.0 teleconverter will work just fine in good light?

I have a question about how they work in general.

Does using a teleconverter cause the camera to physically be limited to a new max wide aperture opening of two stops smaller?

Or does the camera still physically utilize its widest aperture setting and the depth of field associated with its widest physical setting...
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Yes it does change the maximum available aperture (while still being very sharp). On the lens we are discussing (70-200 f2.8), a 1.4x teleconverter removes one stop of light making it a 98-280 f4 lens. If you spin the aperture wheel until it won't go to a lower number, the display will read f4 instead of f2.8 as it does on the bare lens. A 2x teleconverter removes two stops of light, so this lens becomes a 140-400 f5.6 lens. I hope that makes sense.
 
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Welcome aboard, you'll learn a lot here. I'm an Olympus shooter, not Nikon, so I won't be much help regarding Nikon gear. However, if budget constraints are an issue I'd recommend buying used or manufacturer refurbished gear. I've bought a lot of used cameras and lenses from MPB, but KEH and the Marketplace here are good alternatives and you can save a bunch that way.
 
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Welcome. I hunted birds and shot sporting clays for many years. I transitioned to hunting with a camera only a few years ago.

I tried a lot of photographic genres and now do 90% bird ID for citizen science E bird and various no profits.

I do birds of all types so passerines are a big part of the mix.

Primary for birds: 2 Z9's and Z800 f/6.3, Z600 f/6.3 an zmount Tamron 150-500. I also use a Z6III for low light and indoors for people stuff.
 
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wildfowler said:
I didn’t see any specific instructions to introduce myself as a new member and took it upon myself to do just that. Now.

I really like the Web forum style of communication and am using the same username on a couple of old websites I used to frequent as a waterfowl hunter.

I’m from Mississippi and recently purchased a Nikon Z8 with the 70-200mm lens from a local camera shop.

I’m here to learn how to take better bird photographs since I’m blessed with some good access to areas that birds frequent.

Thanks.
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The best way to learn is to get out and allow yourself to make mistakes.
You can also study the work of others and try to see how they did it ... 🦘
 
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I started with the 70-200mm f2.8 lens. It is a very nice lens and capable of a lot, however you will probably find as I did that it is too short for a lot of wildlife,

As a general rule bird photographers typically need 600-800mm. For mammals and other larger creatures a shorter focal length could work.

You can also find deals on used The 180-600mm zoom is the least expensive way to get meaningful capability. You can do a lot with that lens.

PF stands for phase fresnel, a type of lens element. PF elements can be used to make more compact and relatively less expensive telephoto lenses.

If you only get one lens dedicated to bird photography the 600mm pf would be a good choice. You will also need a 1.4x teleconverter.

When ypu start shooting with longer focal length lenses you will encounter unexpected problems with getting sharp pictures. this is because all sorts of circumstances conspire to top the image of sharpness. Among the worst probolems you may enconter is atmospheric diffraction. These issues become more prevalent when shooting 600mm and above.

A lot has been written in here take your time and do some browsking. Also look at getting some of the Steve Perry guides avaiable on this site. He is a walth of knowledge.

You will eventually also need a decent tripod and gimbal had.

Like people have said, this can be a spendy place.
 
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I purchased a 1.4 tele converter and used it for the first time this morning.

Standing in front of my hummingbird feeder at the same distance I had been able to position myself without bothering the birds too badly. I noticed the camera auto focus did a much better job of grabbing for the eyes of the birds and I wound up with many more in focus photos.

I’m definitely pleased with how much more responsive my camera is after giving it a few more MM to utilize.
 
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wildfowler said:
I purchased a 1.4 tele converter and used it for the first time this morning.

Standing in front of my hummingbird feeder at the same distance I had been able to position myself without bothering the birds too badly. I noticed the camera auto focus did a much better job of grabbing for the eyes of the birds and I wound up with many more in focus photos.

I’m definitely pleased with how much more responsive my camera is after giving it a few more MM to utilize.
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When using subject detection ie. bird the larger the bird is in the viewfinder the better the AF works with subject detection especially on very distant small birds. I have not used my TC since 5-22 since I sold my Z100-400 that had it on almost all the time and used only on a Z6II until 4-22 when I got my Z9. Then came the Z800 f/6.3 and later the Z600 f/6.3. Because I am an on the go birder I never know what, where and when a bird is going to show up as I walk around in all types of terrain and habitat. So for me a TC is not practical so if I need to fill more of the frame and viewfinder I switch from FX to DX mode. This helps with AF using bird subject detection on distant birds especially the little ones. I have a button programmed on my lenses to toggle between FX and DX so I can have camera up and photographing a distant subject and be in DX and with fast button push go to FX to catch the Peregrine falcon that suddenly shows up much closer.
 
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wildfowler said:
I didn’t see any specific instructions to introduce myself as a new member and took it upon myself to do just that. Now.

I really like the Web forum style of communication and am using the same username on a couple of old websites I used to frequent as a waterfowl hunter.

I’m from Mississippi and recently purchased a Nikon Z8 with the 70-200mm lens from a local camera shop.

I’m here to learn how to take better bird photographs since I’m blessed with some good access to areas that birds frequent.

Thanks.
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Welcome to the BCG forum wildfowler.
There are some great photographers on here that are always willing to help you & give you advice on a range of topics.
Look forward to reading your posts & seeing your images. 👍👍
 
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