# Photography can be fun!



## tirediron (Mar 31, 2016)

For the last couple of years I've made a concerted effort to keep my GAS* under control and haven't bought anything that I couldn't justify from a business perspective.  In addition, while I really enjoy portraiture, I'm not sure that I would call it "fun".  After reading reviews and seeing some of the results posted here from Nikon's new-ish 200-500, I relaiized I'd missed having some long reach for personal shooting.  The lens was advertised at one of my local stores, and I decided to take a chance. 

I have to say, I'm very pleased, and overall, for the price, I think this lens is a real gem.  The VR is excellent, and I had no problem hand-holding 1/125 at 500mm.  At 500mm it's a little unweildly, but it's not terribly heavy, and hand-held shooting is not difficult. 

It's more than acceptably sharp across the range, and even the corners at 500mm and f5.6 are acceptable.  It's no 400mm f2.8 prime, but it's also no $7500 either!  There are a couple of negatives:  The bokeh is not exatly pleasing, and while overall the build quality is very good for a lens of this range, the tripod foot, specifically the threads for the tripod mount are a concern.  Instead of being threaded metal, the foot is polycarbonate with a helicoil style insert pressed into it.  I see this as a real weak point, and would be VERY careful about how much torque is applied when attaching a QR plate and definitely do NOT recommend using a BlackRapid style strap.

That said, the proof is in the pudding, so here are a couple of examples (all with a D800):



1. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




ISO 400, 500mm, f9; subject about 150 yards away


2. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



ISO 400, 500mm, f25, subject about 100 yards away


3. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Rather "nervous" bokeh, but decent detail & sharpness


4. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



ISO 640, 500mm, f16 - This is the full frame of #3 posted for reference.


*Gear Acquisition Syndrome


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## oldhippy (Mar 31, 2016)

Nice shots, congrats on the new toy. Ed


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## goooner (Apr 1, 2016)

Very nice, I will have to decide between that lens and one of the Siggy's in about a year from now.


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## KenC (Apr 1, 2016)

Enjoy!  I'm glad you gave in to the fun.


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## table1349 (Apr 1, 2016)

Nice shots there. I especially like the first one.


I was concerned about the thread title though,  I thought you were going to tell everyone how you have fun dressing up in clown face and a rainbow striped speedo and take photos of scantily clad women playing in a ball pit.  When you confided in me a while back about this I promised I would never reveal this and I have kept my promise.



Oops, did I miss the conversation button?  Sorry.


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## tirediron (Apr 1, 2016)

oldhippy said:


> Nice shots, congrats on the new toy. Ed


Thanks Ed! 



goooner said:


> Very nice, I will have to decide between that lens and one of the Siggy's in about a year from now.


I would definitely give this one a long, hard look.  For the price, I really can't see any negatives, other than the tripod foot.



KenC said:


> Enjoy!  I'm glad you gave in to the fun.


Me too!



gryphonslair99 said:


> Nice shots there. I especially like the first one.
> 
> 
> I was concerned about the thread title though,  I thought you were going to tell every how you have fun dressing up in clown face and a rainbow striped speedo ant take photos of scantily clad women playing in a ball pit.  When you confided in me a while back about this I promised I would never reveal this and I have kept my promise.
> ...


 Blabbermouth!


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## Watchful (Apr 1, 2016)

Can be? I have always thought it to be very fun. Some of the best fun is building / modding your gear.


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## table1349 (Apr 1, 2016)




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## JacaRanda (Apr 1, 2016)

Have lots of fun Tirediron.  Were you practicing mostly to see how slow of a ss you could get hand holding?  I'm wondering what larger apertures with much faster ss would look like.


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## spiralout462 (Apr 1, 2016)

Cool lens!  It definitely has "unique" bokeh.  I remember commenting on that when I saw the first shots with it.  Kind of "wavy".  Enjoy the new opportunities.  Birds are a challenge!  I can't seem to get enough.


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## baturn (Apr 1, 2016)

Congrats on the new lens. Birds can be very addictive.


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## tirediron (Apr 1, 2016)

Watchful said:


> Can be? I have always thought it to be very fun. Some of the best fun is building / modding your gear.


Agreed, but not having done much work for me recently, I was losing track of that fact.



JacaRanda said:


> Have lots of fun Tirediron.  Were you practicing mostly to see how slow of a ss you could get hand holding?  I'm wondering what larger apertures with much faster ss would look like.


I did some playing around, and actually, I think I could get away with 1/60th if I was stable.  I plan to do a more thorough review in the near future.



baturn said:


> Congrats on the new lens. Birds can be very addictive.


Thanks!
Indeed, especially with a little Shake-n-Bake!


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## tirediron (Apr 1, 2016)

spiralout462 said:


> Cool lens!  It definitely has "unique" bokeh.  I remember commenting on that when I saw the first shots with it.  Kind of "wavy".  Enjoy the new opportunities.  Birds are a challenge!  I can't seem to get enough.


 Unique, unfortunately does NOT equate to attractive, but again, given the price... I can live with that!


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## table1349 (Apr 1, 2016)

Hey, with that lens and spring coming you need to be here shooting.


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## tirediron (Apr 1, 2016)

Never shot soccer; lots of court sports & swimming, but never soccer.  Might be interesting!


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## table1349 (Apr 1, 2016)

My favorite sports to shoot are field sports.  Football, soccer, track  & field, cross country and my all time favorite, baseball.  You are pretty well set up for any of those during the daytime.


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## ronlane (Apr 1, 2016)

Congrats on the gear. The images look nice.


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## spiralout462 (Apr 1, 2016)

tirediron said:


> spiralout462 said:
> 
> 
> > Cool lens!  It definitely has "unique" bokeh.  I remember commenting on that when I saw the first shots with it.  Kind of "wavy".  Enjoy the new opportunities.  Birds are a challenge!  I can't seem to get enough.
> ...



Totally agree.   The Canon 200-400 cost more than my truck!


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## tirediron (Apr 1, 2016)

ronlane said:


> Congrats on the gear. The images look nice.


Thanks Ron - I'm hoping to get out for more of an acid-test this weekend!



spiralout462 said:


> Totally agree.   The Canon 200-400 cost more than my truck!


 Yep...  I've always wanted the Nikon 200-400, but I just can't justify the $8K for a "fun" lens.


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## vintagesnaps (Apr 1, 2016)

Nice. I particularly like the silhouette.


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## table1349 (Apr 1, 2016)

I don't particularly like #3 & #4.  Not the shots themselves they are nice, it's the birds that were captured.  We get giant flocks of those damn things here in the spring and the fall.  Everyone hates them except the car wash businesses.


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## NancyMoranG (Apr 1, 2016)

"Hand holding" OMGosh, you're kidding right? 
I got this lens for Christmas and it has only been used on a tripod!
Let me crank up the RV and I will be there in a few weeks for lessons!
Congrats..


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## tirediron (Apr 1, 2016)

NancyMoranG said:


> "Hand holding" OMGosh, you're kidding right?
> I got this lens for Christmas and it has only been used on a tripod!
> Let me crank up the RV and I will be there in a few weeks for lessons!
> Congrats..


  It's not hard, really; it's a good 1 1/2 pounds lighter than my 300 2.8 and I hand-hold that all the time.


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## table1349 (Apr 1, 2016)

What does you Nikon 300 come in at.  My Canon 300 is about 5 pounds.  My 400 is around 8 pounds give or take.


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## tirediron (Apr 1, 2016)

gryphonslair99 said:


> What does you Nikon 300 come in at.  My Canon 300 is about 5 pounds.  My 400 is around 8 pounds give or take.


A hair under 7.


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## table1349 (Apr 1, 2016)

Dang, I'm assuming that is with body attached.  Otherwise some needs to tell Nikon that there are lighter, stronger metals these days than cast iron.


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## tirediron (Apr 1, 2016)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Dang, I'm assuming that is with body attached.  Otherwise some needs to tell Nikon that there are lighter, stronger metals these days than cast iron.


Yeahbut... if you try and steal it, and I beat you with it, you STAY beat!


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## tirediron (May 15, 2016)

Cheers.


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## terri (May 15, 2016)

I missed these before.   I see what you're saying about the bokah, but agree it's hardly a deal killer.   Lovely shots!

And yes, photography is supposed to be fun, and personal.   Always ok to make a buck, but the real enjoyment should come from personal work.   

Go buy more stuff!


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## Rick50 (May 15, 2016)

Good ones, new stuff is always a good thing....


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## imagemaker46 (Jun 17, 2016)

Great shots. Glad that photography can be fun, it should be, otherwise what's the point.  Even in the worst conditions when it really sucks to be standing in the cold or pouring rain and nothing seems to be going right, if I wasn't enjoying it, having some fun doing it I wouldn't be standing there.  Once a person loses that "fun" feeling it can be difficult to get it back. Buying a new lens, getting away from dealing with people and just shooting, that's when it all comes back.  It's why I started using my old manual 400 2.8 to shoot football practices, brings me back to where I started and ties me back the challenges of focusing again, I made it fun for me.


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## tirediron (Jun 17, 2016)

imagemaker46 said:


> Great shots. Glad that photography can be fun, it should be, otherwise what's the point.  Even in the worst conditions when it really sucks to be standing in the cold or pouring rain and nothing seems to be going right, if I wasn't enjoying it, having some fun doing it I wouldn't be standing there.  Once a person loses that "fun" feeling it can be difficult to get it back. Buying a new lens, getting away from dealing with people and just shooting, that's when it all comes back.  It's why I started using my old manual 400 2.8 to shoot football practices, brings me back to where I started and ties me back the challenges of focusing again, I made it fun for me.


Thanks Scott, and yeah... you have to do what keeps the spark alive.


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