Opinions? New lens or new camera?

Borrowlenses.com

Thanks for the info. I was checking them out online a few days ago. Looks good.

Be well,

Thanks, I looked at that website too once I found it. I'll have to see which site offers me the best deal, etc.

Be well,

Thanks for the info. I"m not sure yet what they are going to let me do. But, I am checking into a 70-200 2.8 so I can have the reach and speed.

Be well,

Thanks....I'm checking that site too.

Be well,

Thanks for the info.

For now, I've decided to hold off on buying the v3. I REALLY want a full-frame mirrorless anyway. I am hoping that Nikon eventually gets on the bandwagon with such and by then, I'll have enough saved.

Thanks for your input. At this point it is just this one event, but since this is the first year for it, it MAY turn into more in the future...at least I'm hoping that's the case.

Be well,

Thanks for your ideas. I'm going to start w/ the lens first, and then go to a venue similar to where the actual event will be and practice shooting some dogs in agility training. That way I"ll see how things go and then if my d800 isn't cutting it, I'll consider renting the d4, etc.

Be well,

Good luck

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Good luck with your new adventure into shooting moving animals.

You seem to be quite excited about this up coming challenge.

Many have made some good suggestions on what to do and what

not to do. Robert Cohen being one of them with first hand knowledge.

One item I'd like to add is be mindful of clutter and unwanted objects

that you won't want in your final photos.PP may help but if they can be

avoided from the start it makes life easier .Think your plan through and

have a second and third plan as back up. Sometimes the handlers are

stressed out so be prepared to bend with the wind and go with the flow.

I'm an old guy and have been shooting dogs and wildlife most of my life.

I wish you the best of luck, learn from your mistakes and never give up..;-)

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VR will do nothing for the motion blur you will experience form fast moving dogs. You need fast glass or a better low light sensor or both. An f2.8 lens probably won't do it. You also have to remember the longer the lens the faster the shutter required to eliminate motion blur. I would suggest a 50 f1.4 and an 85 f1.2. As others say - you might want to rent.

--

Truman
www.pbase.com/tprevatt

From my experience shooting agility a 50mm or an 85mm lens aren't going to have enough reach. Yes, a 70-200 f/2.8 is going to let in a bit less light than a 1.4 or 1.8, but it has the needed reach - and flexibility. You can't get right next to the dogs.

GAK753 said:

... I will be working to get a few strategic shots of each dog in the course--perhaps at the slowest points in their run, and snap the shots then. The people who asked me to do this also want posed shots at the end of each run of the dog and its owner

...so this is the the first time this organization has done something like this and this is my first experience doing something like this, so we all may be learning.

GG

Click to expand...

GG,

If you're going to take both of these shots for every dog you're going to be running a lot. Unles the posed shot is take right behind you, you'll have to move around for every dog. My suggestion is to get all of the posed shots before (or after) the agility runs. Then focus in on the run and getting the motion shots with some consistency.

The group may need some coaching on how to get the best photos. As an experienced wedding photographer, you know how difficult and arduous this assignment can be. Set the photography up for success.

If you're going to practice this before the shoot, you need to see the results on a screen, not the back of the camera. You can't check focus on the LCD screen and if it's not working you may need to think about it for a while before you fix your methods. I suggest shooting a similar event anywhere you can, outdoors if necessary, and go home and check your results. The indoor facility may vary the lighting for different events so going there may or may not represent what you'll be working with. And they won't let you in the ring for someone else's event. If the outdoor event works then you only need to achieve the same shutter speeds and use the focus method that worked outdoors.

You could buy the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR, version 1, for about what your budget is. The lens is just as good as the VRII, when not using VR, except maybe for the nano-coating on the VRII. And version 1 does not suffer from focal length creep at close distances, like the VRII does. The VRII is closer to 135 mm when focused close at 200 mm. This lens would be an excellent wedding and event lens so you can use it long after the dog show.

As many have said, VR is not going to help you here, given the shutter speeds you need for subject motion. But a good monopod will. It provides a lot of steadiness to a long lens and allows you to shoot at 1/focal length. The monopd needs a sturdy ball head or single-axis monopd head like the RRS, Acraech or Kirk. I have the RRS monopod head and it makes a huge difference in holding the lens steady. For these heads you need Arca-Swiss style base plates and clamps. These are super strong, reduce vibration with a sure lock and are quick and easy to use. An L-Bracket is the best thing for the D800 using a normal lens. For any of the 70-200 you need an Arca-Swiss lens plate anchored on the lens collar foot. RRS and Kirk both make good L-Brackets for the D800. Any lens foot will do if it's longer than the lens collar foot. A good monopod will hold the weight of the camera and long lens all day for you and keep it in the ready position. It has enough flexibility that you can move quickly as needed to adjust your frame.

If you're shooting the agility or jump action from the side then focus could be very easy. Just prefocus on the intended target and adjust manually as needed. If you're shooting from in front of the dogs then consider pre-focusing on one well defined point in the run and waiit for the dog to move through that point. I'd be tempted to try this in manual focus so that the lens doesn't constantly hunt for focus, refocusing with every shot. Turn off the VR to speed focus and get sharp results.

I have a D800 and a V3. I've never done dog competition so I'm not sure how good the V3 would be. It does have a 2.7 crop factor so if you use a lens like a 85mm f/1.4, then you would have an effective focal length of over 200mm. I use my V3 as mostly a field macro camera with the Nikkor 40mm f/2.8 Micro lens.

Whatever setup you use, be it lens rental, or V3, make sure you do your homework and thoroughly research your event. You will need to know the best shooting locations for the equipment you bring and you will need to practice with your equipment.

What might be helpful is to see if Google Images or Flickr has photos of past events. It's a good idea to see what others have done for ideas and technique.

--
Cliff

We're talking about photographing dogs, not horses. And I doubt he'll be seeing any Irish Wolfhounds. Most dogs doing agility are relatively small, and if you want to come anywhere close to filling the frame with the obstacle and the dog, you have to either be pretty much on top of the obstacle - and that won't be allowed - or have a lens with a decent amount of magniification.