Nikon Long lenses - Talk by Brad Hill Wed. Jul. 27

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

fcotterill

fcotterill

Well-known member
Member's gallery
fyi

Nikon's Long Lenses - A Rapidly Evolving Landscape - Wed. Jul. 27​


Nikon's telephoto and super-telephoto lenses have undergone rapid evolution over the past few years. Along the way many long-held generalizations and assumptions about how Nikon's long lenses perform have been challenged or even shattered. Are fixed focal length lenses still sharper than zooms? Must high-performance super-telephotos still be big and heavy? Can you get professional-quality results when you add a teleconverter to a super-telephoto lens? Can you really hand-hold 800mm lenses?
In this presentation Brad Hill will provide an update on the performance and use of Nikon’s telephoto and super-telephoto lenses, including the latest mirrorless lens releases. You’ll come away with the knowledge you need to choose the right Nikon long lens to meet your own unique needs.
Sponsored by Nikon Canada

Date & Time:
Wednesday, July 27th, 2022
7:00 - 8:30 PM MDT

Location:
Your Home!
EDIT - updated youtube link
thecamerastore.com

Nikon's Long Lenses - A Rapidly Evolving Landscape - Wed. Jul. 27

Join us and professional wildlife photographer, Brad Hill, as he dives into Nikon's long lenses and how to find the right lens for you! Nikon's telephoto and super-telephoto lenses have undergone rapid evolution over the past few years. Along the way many long-held generalizations and...
thecamerastore.com thecamerastore.com
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
I highly recommend "Brad Talks," and his workshop/tours. I've been on a tour with Brad and added his "one day" pre-trip workshop. I've been photographing wildlife for 30 years, been published in books, magazines, and ad copy more times than I can remember. The time I spent with Brad was a great review, and provided very specific/actionable techniques catered to his tour.
I valued the time I spent with him so much in 2017, that I arranged a 90 minutes one on one session to customize my Z9 to meet my photographic priorities. Brad enjoys digging into the details of his cameras, me... not so much. After 90 minutes, I had video of our discussion and a better understanding about how the AF system in the Z9 could be leveraged for my specific needs.

So.. when Brad has a "geek talk"... I try to attend. The hour I spend with him here may save me time and money in the field.

cheers,
bruce
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
Butlerkid said:
Superb discussion! Really informative and enjoyable!
Click to expand...
I agree... Brad did a great job laying out all of the options available to Nikon shooters, and made the emphatic claim that you do not need to spend $12000+ to have best in class optics.
While there is no question that f/2.8 offers long lens shooter the best bokeh control, there are signigicantly less expensive ways to get close to premium lens performance.
He also made a strong argument for keeping the 500PF even as you transition into the Z series.
bruce
 
Member's gallery
I just watched this, instead of getting to more official tasks today (!). Here's his summary of Part I (~ first 46 mins), which he summarized in how his own kit is evolving.

Through Part II he evaluated the 4 New Z Nikkors, which has some interesting points, including about the niche of the 400 f4.5S : a topical subject. Also useful (40:00) describing his own "Commando" and "Destination" Kits. Nikon's recent releases provide us with new choices to select Big, Fast vs Slow, Smaller. The options today (so many choices) confer novel benefits to tailor make one's Lens System(s)

1658999401541.png
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
One takeaway from this discussion addressed the "this vs that" discussion that is inevitable with new introductions.
I'll offer the following as my summary of the A or B debate.
  • If you need a flexible zoom, you are not losing a lot to the 400mm f4.5 by going with the 100-400. In fact, on multiple occasions Brad stated that the 100-400 is comparable in quality to the 180-400 up to 350mm.
  • The 400mm f4.5 is sharper at 400mm than the 100-400, and if sharpness is more important than flexibility then go for the 400mm f4.5
  • The 500PF is not dead... that is, it is a very high quality professional lens that is worth adapting to the Z system. According to Brad it stacks up against the 400 f4.5 for sharpness, but the cost is a 2/3 stop slower lens and less desirable bokeh if bright speculars dominate the scene. Brad wanted to be clear that this does not discount the value of the lens.
  • 1.4x converters perform exceptionally well with the 400 f4.5, 400 f2.8S, 500PF, 800PF and 100-400S.
  • 2x converters are usable with all lens, & can produce exceptional images in a pinch.
  • The 400 f2.8S takes a 2x converter well and produces similar quality as the 800PF.
  • If getting beyond 500mm is important buy you can not afford the 800PF, the 500PF + 1.4x iii is an amazing performer/option on the Z7ii and Z9
For others who watched... did I miss anything or get it wrong?

bruce
 
Member's gallery
BLev65 said:
One takeaway from this discussion addressed the "this vs that" discussion that is inevitable with new introductions.
I'll offer the following as my summary of the A or B debate.
  • If you need a flexible zoom, you are not losing a lot to the 400mm f4.5 by going with the 100-400. In fact, on multiple occasions Brad stated that the 100-400 is comparable in quality to the 180-400 up to 350mm.
  • The 400mm f4.5 is sharper at 400mm than the 100-400, and if sharpness is more important than flexibility then go for the 400mm f4.5
  • The 500PF is not dead... that is, it is a very high quality professional lens that is worth adapting to the Z system. According to Brad it stacks up against the 400 f4.5 for sharpness, but the cost is a 2/3 stop slower lens and less desirable bokeh if bright speculars dominate the scene. Brad wanted to be clear that this does not discount the value of the lens.
  • 1.4x converters perform exceptionally well with the 400 f4.5, 400 f2.8S, 500PF, 800PF and 100-400S.
  • 2x converters are usable with all lens, & can produce exceptional images in a pinch.
  • The 400 f2.8S takes a 2x converter well and produces similar quality as the 800PF.
  • If getting beyond 500mm is important buy you can not afford the 800PF, the 500PF + 1.4x iii is an amazing performer/option on the Z7ii and Z9
For others who watched... did I miss anything or get it wrong?

bruce
Click to expand...
Maybe you could add in that a key point he makes is his description of what makes a very good lens. He puts forward the view that “usability“ is a very important part as is the way the lens performs in the isolation of the subject and the quality of the out of focus zones. I think he said that something along the lines of too much emphasis is placed on sharpness, which is only one part of the properties of a very good lens.
Translation? Sometimes having a very usable good lens is much better than having a somewhat difficult to use/carry/set up very very sharp lens.
 
Member's gallery
I was interested to see he's revised (1:11) his initial assessment of the 800 f6.3S PF.
And earlier in the presentation, he flags one new factor is the recognition of the value of the '800mm Realm'. Brad's clearly one of these discoverers or rather converts.
Having tried one out in the field, he's now on the waiting list :)

Natural Art Images: Voice: Brad Hill Blog

The Blog of Brad Hill, wildlife photographer. Cameras, lenses, camera gear, field tests, conservation, photo tours, and other bits of questionable wisdom from a young-at-heart nature photographer!
www.naturalart.ca www.naturalart.ca

Usability and Affordability are the enablers for many. Over the past 4 years I've often set up my 400 f2.8E as a 800 f5.6 - and often for large mammals; weighing over 4kg without a camera one feels every single gram.... This new Z mount 800 is pure pleasure for it's Usability especially as it happens up the 1120 and even 1600 realms.

Nikkor 800mm f6.3S PF with Z-TC's for African mammals and Birds

My 800 PF arrived early May not long before I left on a long (and long awaited) trip into northern Kruger Nat Park. I took many more images with the 800 PF than anticipated, which meant the Z9 was mostly glued to this lens. But in retrospect, a 400 f2.8E FL has been my previous workhorse for...
bcgforums.com bcgforums.com

However, there has been a splurge of Used copies of the 800mm f5.6E FL at relatively affordable prices. Released in January 2013, this prime is rated as one of the best telephotos ever made. It's interesting to read what is still the only detailed review of this, which Nasim Mansurov found very challenging to test, especially measuring the MTF data. The lesson still applies today about the risks of vibrations at these high magnifications. Worth a read
photographylife.com

Nikon 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR Review - Page 4 of 7

photographylife.com photographylife.com

It is a mere 9 years ago that this 800mm Nikkor broke new ground when Nikon inaugurated the Electronic aperture, fluorite elements and a bespoke Teleconverter in a camera lens. At 4.59kg, it weighed less then 4.62kg 400 f2.8G and 5.1kg 600 f4G! Moreover, when coupling the TC125, it doubles up as a very sharp 1000 f7.1 - compare the MTF profiles in the comparisons ( PL review) and also the 400 f2.8E FL and 600 f4E FL which remains hard to match in sharpness and rendering. Either with or without its bespoke TC125, the 800 f5.6E FL is still unique in the Greater (F-Z) Nikon Ecosystem.
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
Brad Hill has the first hand experience to flag improved Usability as one of the key trends over the past decades in telephoto evolution - and how Nikon (as have Canon) have trimmed the weights of their telephotos. And he's in the prime position to have lived through this - owning the G Nikkors: eg the 400 f2.8G, which weighs all of 4.62kg (released in Aug 2007 along with the groundbreaking D3).
It's interesting looking back at some of his reviews at the time - eg comparing the 400 f2.8G against the then new 400 f2.8E [8 Feb 2015]. Together with Photography Life's, Brad's reviews were a deciding factor why, in early 2018, I chose the 400 f2.8E over the 600 f4E. Its unique IQ and performance with all 3 Teleconverters was a deciding factor.

Beyond and besides its E FL Exotic telephoto primes (4 released in 2013,2014,2015), Nikon revolutionized the concept of Telephoto Usability with the 300 f4E PF in Jan 2015, and have followed up with the 500 f5.6E PF in August 2018: preceding the latest 800 f6.3S PF. Exciting times, and to consider what other PF lenses might be pending !

Griffym said:
Maybe you could add in that a key point he makes is his description of what makes a very good lens. He puts forward the view that “usability“ is a very important part as is the way the lens performs in the isolation of the subject and the quality of the out of focus zones. I think he said that something along the lines of too much emphasis is placed on sharpness, which is only one part of the properties of a very good lens.
Translation? Sometimes having a very usable good lens is much better than having a somewhat difficult to use/carry/set up very very sharp lens.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
BLev65 said:
One takeaway from this discussion addressed the "this vs that" discussion that is inevitable with new introductions.
I'll offer the following as my summary of the A or B debate.
  • If you need a flexible zoom, you are not losing a lot to the 400mm f4.5 by going with the 100-400. In fact, on multiple occasions Brad stated that the 100-400 is comparable in quality to the 180-400 up to 350mm.
  • The 400mm f4.5 is sharper at 400mm than the 100-400, and if sharpness is more important than flexibility then go for the 400mm f4.5
  • The 500PF is not dead... that is, it is a very high quality professional lens that is worth adapting to the Z system. According to Brad it stacks up against the 400 f4.5 for sharpness, but the cost is a 2/3 stop slower lens and less desirable bokeh if bright speculars dominate the scene. Brad wanted to be clear that this does not discount the value of the lens.
  • 1.4x converters perform exceptionally well with the 400 f4.5, 400 f2.8S, 500PF, 800PF and 100-400S.
  • 2x converters are usable with all lens, & can produce exceptional images in a pinch.
  • The 400 f2.8S takes a 2x converter well and produces similar quality as the 800PF.
  • If getting beyond 500mm is important buy you can not afford the 800PF, the 500PF + 1.4x iii is an amazing performer/option on the Z7ii and Z9
For others who watched... did I miss anything or get it wrong?

bruce
Click to expand...
Its as if we sing from the same hymn sheet, Bruce. :giggle:
 
Member's gallery
My big takeaway is that the Z400TC went from my wishlist/some-day-down-the-line to maybe I should order one now given how awesome and versatile it seems, as well as how long it's likely to be before I'd get one in my hands (non-NPS). I went on to NikonUSA and actually tried to order one. It kept saying it was added to the cart, but if I went to the cart there was nothing there. I thought maybe it was a browser issue, tried several browsers - same thing. Then I found the thread on here saying they've stopped taking orders. :-( Man, if they're not even taking backorders .... I can't even imagine how long it's going to be before I'd be able to actually get one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top