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500mm f4 P - Is it a good alternative as a starter 500mm

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BlackOpal

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I've toyed with the idea of getting a 500 f4 for a couple of years now. Given the cost, I want to make sure I will make good use of it. As a less expensive trial, I thought the "P" version might be a good way to go. I could see how much I will really use it and develop some 500mm technique at the same time. No matter what happens, I should be able to sell it for only a small loss.

FYI - It will be used mainly for wildlife. (BIF might be hard though).

Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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Dave
 
--What and where are you planing to do with 500mm??? Manual 500mm in this days when VF are not that good you can do better at that $$$ level and get Sigma AF500mm 4.5 for less or Sigma HSM 500mm f4.5 for tad more than Nikon 500P.
Mironv
http://mironv.smugmug.com/
 
thanks for the comments. I'll look into the other lenses.

Here on Vancouver Island, there is no end of wild life. So far this year, in our backyard, we've seen two bald eagles, a dozen deer, a flock of geese and too many ducks to count. We have a big yard and most of the birds are too far away for a shorter lens.
--
Dave
 
--If you live in such wild life saturated place and this is something you like to do 80% of your photography but it is non profit casual work than your best lens as of now based on size range price and speed will be a new Sigma HSM 120-300mm f2.8 and a set of 1.4X and 2XTC's with OS you wont need tripod much so you can get a mid price tripod set up. Right now new they cost $3200 there is one mint like new on eBay for $2895 Buy it now.
Mironv
http://mironv.smugmug.com/
 
Its a very good lens and is the best value big lens available (assuming you can find a good used one at the right price).

Being a fully manual lens it is simple and robust. I have used mine in torrential rain, dropped it once, and it gets a few knocks on a regular basis and it has never let me down.

Birds in flight, and action shots take practice, and the rate of keepers is far less than you would get with an af lens but provided you can live with that it is a lens worth considering.





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Phil Bishop
http://philbishopsbirdingblog.blogspot.com/
 
Its a great lens mine is an old one, I bought it new right after it came out.
On a gimbal mount it handles easily.
I dont often wish it was AF. The VR I dont miss at all,
If it fits your budget go for it.
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Im having too much fun with my D 300 to worry about what camera comes next
 
As others have posted here, this is a very good lens that with some pratice can take excellent shots.

I strongly recommend you to read this thread about the 500mm f/4P EDIF lens and the use of a mod TC-16A for some limited AF:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1030&message=40213024

and this general review:
http://nikonglass.blogspot.com.br/# ! 2008/05/nikkor-mf-500mm-f4p.html

The guy of the review have published a blurb book with excellent bird shots using almost exclusively this lens + a TC14E:
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/731876
 
Does anyone do these mods for others Im too shakey Id lose at least 2 of those little gold springs
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Im having too much fun with my D 300 to worry about what camera comes next
 
I bought my 500 f4.0 P lens recently, and I have been blown away so far by the sharpness of it! Although the manual focus is challenging at times, it works just fine for relatively stable subjects (perched birds, wildlife, etc.) For birds in flight, I'm not sure I'd even attempt it, but for what I'm doing it's fantastic... here are a couple of samples taken at f 5.0 ... stunningly sharp ! (no sharpening added in post processing)...





 
thank you, Im really tempted
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Im having too much fun with my D 300 to worry about what camera comes next
 
I have had the Nikon 500mm f4 Ai-P manual focus lens for some time and it is a great lens extremely sharp even with a 1.4 tc. You just won’t be able to do fast moving subject very well ( birds in flight) other than that I doubt it is much behind the lastest 500mm in optical quality.
 
BlackOpal said:
Which 1.4 do you use with it?
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Click to expand...
Mine came with a TC-14B ... which is the old manual focus model. I have not had a chance to try it yet, but almost every Nikon version of the 1.4X teleconverter (based on my research) is very good with not much loss of sharpness.

The more intriguing option is the 1.6 teleconverter, which will allow a 'limited' version of autofocus ... from what I understand, if you get the focus somewhat close manually, the TC1.6 will do the 'fine' autofocus .... for fast moving animals, this could be a very neat option ... not as good as a 500mm AF/VR, but hey, at a fraction of the price (and great optical quality!) I'm not complaining !
 
JUNE 2016

Nikon Nikkor 500mm f/4.0P IF ED lens + hard case + 1.4x Teleconverter (TC-14B) Excellent Condition
(a.k.a.) Nikkor ED 500mm 1:4 P

I'm selling mine - need the $ for bills. - I want to keep it. - My AD:

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www.fredmiranda.com
 
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