Wildlife camera

[Ralph]

David
I was in the same situation last year that you are this year. I was a Canon user forever . Own their best professional film camera equipment but never made the leap to a DSLR system. Near retirement I was eyeing a Canon system but once I saw the quality of photos taken by the 200-500 zoom which was reasonably priced, I considered Nikon instead. My interest is birds and I was looking for a crop sensor camera . Th D500 appeared to be the best option and that’s what I got. And I love it. Super fast autofocus and just the right size for my hands.
I started to question whether I wanted the zoom because of it’s weight and the fact that I know that I would probably use it at the 500 focal length most if not all the time. Instead I went with the 500PF. Took four months to get it but it was worth the wait. It’s not much heavier than my 70-300 zoom and takes fantastic photos. There is always the argument that it is f5.6 lens but in most cases it’s not an issue for me. Also I never seriously considered a full size sensor because I wanted the extra reach with the 500mm. I’m not a professional. I just enjoy taking photos , so the smaller sensor is just fine.
I purchased the D500 and 70-300 zoom in March , 2019. I waited until this year to purchase the 500pf. It actually took me that long to decide whether to get the 500 zoom or the 500PF. In the meantime I learned a lot about the D500. I also realized that the FX AF-P 70-300 takes some darn nice photos.

 

[Larry Shuman]

I shoot flying eagles ,ospreys and hummingbirds with a variety of cameras. I use D3, D600, D810, Df and a old D2Xs. In January this year (and years past) I've use the Nikon D5 and D850 at Lock and Dam 14 and got stunning images each year. Its not what camera/lens you have but your experience with camera and post processing.

 

[David M-J]

David
I was in the same situation last year that you are this year. I was a Canon user forever . Own their best professional film camera equipment but never made the leap to a DSLR system. Near retirement I was eyeing a Canon system but once I saw the quality of photos taken by the 200-500 zoom which was reasonably priced, I considered Nikon instead. My interest is birds and I was looking for a crop sensor camera . Th D500 appeared to be the best option and that’s what I got. And I love it. Super fast autofocus and just the right size for my hands.
I started to question whether I wanted the zoom because of it’s weight and the fact that I know that I would probably use it at the 500 focal length most if not all the time. Instead I went with the 500PF. Took four months to get it but it was worth the wait. It’s not much heavier than my 70-300 zoom and takes fantastic photos. There is always the argument that it is f5.6 lens but in most cases it’s not an issue for me. Also I never seriously considered a full size sensor because I wanted the extra reach with the 500mm. I’m not a professional. I just enjoy taking photos , so the smaller sensor is just fine.
I purchased the D500 and 70-300 zoom in March , 2019. I waited until this year to purchase the 500pf. It actually took me that long to decide whether to get the 500 zoom or the 500PF. In the meantime I learned a lot about the D500. I also realized that the FX AF-P 70-300 takes some darn nice photos.

Thank you Ralph, very useful.

Take care and remain safe.

 

[Ralph]

Thanks. You too.

 

[Woodyg3]

Are you thinking of anything other than Nikon? If I was starting from scratch, and was able to pay the Sony premium for prices, I'd go with a Sony A9. That said, I'm really happy with my D500. Keep in mind that lenses are even more important than the body you wind up with, so figure that into your budget.

 

[Demodave]

I started back into photography after a 20+ year hiatus. Went with the D500 and a 200-500. While the 200-500 produced some very good images, it left me wanting for sharper, more consistent images. So I sold the 200-500 and bought the 300 PF with a 1.4 tc. It seemed sharper, and the more I used it, the more confident I was with it. It just simply performed. But I kept wanting longer glass. I then got a 70-200 E as I wanted a super sharp close up lens. Then I had the chance to pick up the 500PF. I Waited 6 mos and it finally arrived. It is now my most treasured and used lens. Again it simply performs.

I wish I would have just gone with the PF's to begin with. Along with the 70-200E I trust them to produce stellar images if I do my part. So 3 years later. 5 bodies and a 600G, I'm just having a blast.
The 2 D500's I use primarily for BIF'S running the 500 and the 600. The D850 I run on the 600 or the 300, and the Z6's are typically with the 500 and the 70-200. I hate changing bodies in the field..... As an all around camera, I like the D850 the best, More versatile, more pixels. But as you can tell, different bodies for different needs.
Anyone know of a cheap sherpa

 

[Snapshot2020]

Like others I have both the D500, D850, 200-500 5.6, and the 500PF. Started with the D500 paired with the 200-500 and was very pleased with the focus acquisition and tracking for Eagles and Ospreys in flight. However, recently purchased a D850 and paired it with the 500mm PF and at the push of the PV Button turn of the dial and it’s DX to FX and it’s my go to combination for trekking a local Wildlife Refuge. Some Excellent feedback on this thread and good luck with final choice.

 

[Woodpecker]

I wish I would have just gone with the PF's to begin with. Along with the 70-200E I trust them to produce stellar images if I do my part. So 3 years later. 5 bodies and a 600G, I'm just having a blast.

Interesting ! So if you hae to go beyond 200mm you still prefer the 300PF instead of the 70-200 E with TC ? Did you ever try this and - if yes - what did look like for ouy concerning IQ, AF and handling ?

I hate changing bodies in the field

I don't have a probblem doing it if necessary but juast as you I try to avoid it whereever possible. When I am stationary I have two bodies at hand with different lengths attached.
I am using two D750 for that and if the light is good enough I use a D7200 as "TC15" which is especially helpful if you have to deal with a f5.6 lens and wnat to keep AF working, i.e. 500 f4 + TC or the 500PF.

One important aspect with these cameras is the burst rate and the buffer of these cameras. Well, you can't do anything about the burst rate, but there are some knobs to play with if it comes to buffer:

• Format (FX, 20x30, DX)
• Bit depth (12 versus 14 bit)
• Speed of memory card
• Setting for second card slot

Picture format​

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I liked this thread, because the pixelmania syndrom really doesn't help that much if it comes to wildlife. There is a good reason why even the latest bodies D500, D5, D6 have "just" 21 MPixel. If you consider that the D4/D4S is still one of the top cameras for wildlife/action with excellent low light tolerance, has just slightly more than 16 MPixel and is still used by many pro's out there, you can make the first step to more buffer by going back to 20 x 30 if you think you need longer bursts and you still have the resolution level of a D4(S).​

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Bit depth​

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After reading a couple of articles about RAW formats including this one here I decided to default to 12 bit and put the option for swithing to 14 bit in "My menu" just in case I run in situation where I fear problems (which I never did up to now). This give me another step forward regarding the time I can fire with full burst rate.​

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Speed of memory card ​

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This one is trivial but still, the faster the write speed to the memory card the smaller the net data flow into the buffer. Thus the buffer overflow is reached later and once it has filled up it gets empty again faster.​

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Setting for second card slot​

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Now this is an interesting one and primarily applies to cameras that are limited UHS-1 SD cards.​

Unlike computers who have one controller per hard disk, the cameras usually have one controller in total, i.e. for both card slots. That means, if you activate the backup function, each picture has to written from buffer to card twice and sequentially. This cuts the data flow out of the buffer more or less in half. Thus your buffer fills up much faster and it takes longer to empty it.​

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I can't even remember how long I use SD cards already - not only for photography - and I didn't have a single time of data loss due to a destroyed card. And because I am doing photography not professionally I can easily cope without the backup. And you can always switch it back on again if you feel you need it.​

Using all these options together gives you a number of pictures per burst with mx. rate that should probably be more than sufficient at least for the enthusiasts and hobbyists among us and it is well possible to "survive" with the buffers of D750, D7200 and alike.

And if the burst rate really becomes a problem I would go back to a used D4(S), because you have 10/11 fps and still one of the best low light tolerances that you can get. And the money I save compared to a D5 or D6 I then can be spent on better glass - if I have it