[jpzk]

The title may be misleading but I didn't quite had the room for the entire question(s).

So here it goes:
Some of you may know me as a Pentaxian "only", doing mostly nature and wildlife photography.
I presently have a great Pentax system/gear with two camera bodies, namely a K20D and a K7. Most of my stuff is done with a DA*300/4 with or without TC and /or a Tamron 80-200/2.8., plus quite a few other lenses.
Anyway, today I was shocked, or should I say amazed, to see what this Nikon300 could do when tracking BIF under cloud covered conditions. My buddy, a Nikon fan, let me use his D300 coupled with a rather fast 70-200/2.8 lens (Nikon).
Also, we use ISO 800 and up to 1250 and the results were unquestionably very good, to say the least.

I am now in the "consider Nikon" phase as a second system, specifically for wildlife, fast moving subjects and, more often than not, having to shoot at high ISO settings.
I am not trying to bash Pentax, which I really like and will likely stick with it for a very long time yet, but if Nikon can give me more latitude for this particular type of photography, that would be the most important reason(s) to buy into it.
As well, I NEED fast AF tracking which locks on the moving subject(s) without having to deal with AF hunting.

For that, I would sell some of my Pentax equipment, but still keep an entire system which, as I said earlier, suits me fine for most of my photography.

Hence, I would like to know whether this would be suitable for my purposes, for a few years at least:

Nikon D300 (lightly used or "NEW" in the box ... there are some still available out there I am told), and a Nikkor 70-200/2.8 VR, plus a 1.4X TC matching this lens.

I thought this would be a good place to start asking questions about the Nikon system.

Cheers.

JP

[Bart]

...Hence, I would like to know whether this would be suitable for my purposes, for a few years at least:

Nikon D300 (lightly used or "NEW" in the box ... there are some still available out there I am told), and a Nikkor 70-200/2.8 VR, plus a 1.4X TC matching this lens...

I don't think D300 + 70-200 VR (VR1, I suppose) + 1.4 TC (E AF S II, I suppose) is equal to or better than K20D/K7 + DA*300.
Plus, you read here and there that the 70-200 is not 'at its best' on longer distances (this has nothing to do with the vignetting and soft corners on FX - it's supposed to be perfectly good on DX).

[borno]

I was missing too many shots that would be out of focus with my pentax and the thing that did it for me was a bad experience with pentax service, so I got a 40d canon and the 400mm f5.6L to start.(later got a 300mm f2.8) The focus is really fast and accurate, great for bird in flight shots. I miss my DA300mm f4, but don't miss putting the camera up to my eye and seeing a bird almost in focus until pressing the AF button and watching as the lens slowly cranks to MFD and then back out ,only to find the subject long gone. The ring AF motors really do make a big difference. I think nature photography is hard enough even with the best tools, so why make it harder than it already is. I keep my k10d or k20d in my bag with a wide or normal lens and use the canon (50d now) for long stuff. I chose canon instead of nikon because most of the photographers I talk to at the local wildlife areas like the canon telephoto's and they are a bit cheaper. My old pentax lenses will fit on my crop sensor canon body too if I need to. (with adapter) I still screw up plenty of shots, but I can't blame the camera now.

[edl]

JP,

I had a similar experience, revelation, whatever you want to call it when I was street shooting with a D300 and 85/1.4 in Tokyo. It would lock AF long after the sun set, whereas my K20D AF became, well, not so great.

I ended up with a D700, but for BIF where you need the reach I think a lightly used D300 and 70-200 VR I with TC would be a great combo. You could also get a Nikon 300/4 AF-S, or longer, brand new from Nikon. In any case, if you did well with the camera on loan it'll be even better once you setup the AF to your preferences.

I would only caution you to consider the cost of glass, as Nikon lenses are generally more expensive then Canon. But they also come with a five year warranty, and slightly better quality control (although both Canon and Nikon typically have better QC on their expensive long glass).

Good luck,
Edmund

PS - I sold all my pentax dSLR bodies after 6 months of non-use after the D700 purchase. Kept the Takumars though.

[B Grace]

Edl, I'm not suggesting your observations are off or anything but the 85/1.4 lens on just about any camera would have a stunning impact on its AF accuracy. That's maybe the best reason to spend the huge money on the 85/1.4 and older 28/1.4 or new 24/1.4 Nikkors.

[Bart]

...That's maybe the best reason to spend the huge money on the 85/1.4 and older 28/1.4 or new 24/1.4 Nikkors.

Problems about AF failures with the 24/1.4 have been reported, unfortunately.
Even by a well respected tester.
Seems QC is a lost "art" these days

[jpzk]

I don't think D300 + 70-200 VR (VR1, I suppose) + 1.4 TC (E AF S II, I suppose) is equal to or better than K20D/K7 + DA*300.
Plus, you read here and there that the 70-200 is not 'at its best' on longer distances (this has nothing to do with the vignetting and soft corners on FX - it's supposed to be perfectly good on DX).

Thanks Bart.
OK, so I am better keep reding some reviews from users of that gear.
As for the K20D or K7 with a DA*300/4, it is as expected although I see more and more better pics taken with my K20D than with my K7, at least with long glass.
The K7 is superb at lower ISO, especially with the 31mmLtd.
JP

[jpzk]

I was missing too many shots that would be out of focus with my pentax and the thing that did it for me was a bad experience with pentax service, so I got a 40d canon and the 400mm f5.6L to start.(later got a 300mm f2.8) The focus is really fast and accurate, great for bird in flight shots. I miss my DA300mm f4, but don't miss putting the camera up to my eye and seeing a bird almost in focus until pressing the AF button and watching as the lens slowly cranks to MFD and then back out ,only to find the subject long gone. The ring AF motors really do make a big difference. I think nature photography is hard enough even with the best tools, so why make it harder than it already is. I keep my k10d or k20d in my bag with a wide or normal lens and use the canon (50d now) for long stuff. I chose canon instead of nikon because most of the photographers I talk to at the local wildlife areas like the canon telephoto's and they are a bit cheaper. My old pentax lenses will fit on my crop sensor canon body too if I need to. (with adapter) I still screw up plenty of shots, but I can't blame the camera now.

Borno:

I went out this morning and took at least 200 shots of different birds near the sea shore. Well, I had a few "incidents" when tracking a couple of BIF's, same as you report here.
That is one MAJOR reason that I am exploring the possibility of getting a D300. However, knowing Pentax, when and if I buy this Nikon, just watch: Pentax will have come out with something like a cross between the K7/Kx and with better AF.
Anyway, Canon could be another consideration and their lenses are a bit less expensive than Nikon's.
What sort of Canon camera do you have?

JP

[jpzk]

JP,

I had a similar experience, revelation, whatever you want to call it when I was street shooting with a D300 and 85/1.4 in Tokyo. It would lock AF long after the sun set, whereas my K20D AF became, well, not so great.

I ended up with a D700, but for BIF where you need the reach I think a lightly used D300 and 70-200 VR I with TC would be a great combo. You could also get a Nikon 300/4 AF-S, or longer, brand new from Nikon. In any case, if you did well with the camera on loan it'll be even better once you setup the AF to your preferences.

I would only caution you to consider the cost of glass, as Nikon lenses are generally more expensive then Canon. But they also come with a five year warranty, and slightly better quality control (although both Canon and Nikon typically have better QC on their expensive long glass).

Good luck,
Edmund

PS - I sold all my pentax dSLR bodies after 6 months of non-use after the D700 purchase. Kept the Takumars though.

Ed,
Thanks for the reply.

I like the fact that the crop sensors give you another x-factor and that really is a blessing for anyone doing wildlife photo.
Yes, I checked Nikon's lenses for prices: very expensive indeed, almost shockingly so!
Funny you mentioned the Nikon 70-200 VR I while some people say that it is not quite at its best at the long end. I couldn't tell, I don't own one.
Another thing is this: I am told by some people on another forum that one should not keep two different brands/systems, i.e; Pentax-Nikon. I realize this may be true for most, and I tend to agree with that, but why not?, except for more money spent (my own budget is also limited).
I hear the D700 is one great camera!

JP

[jpzk]

Edl, I'm not suggesting your observations are off or anything but the 85/1.4 lens on just about any camera would have a stunning impact on its AF accuracy. That's maybe the best reason to spend the huge money on the 85/1.4 and older 28/1.4 or new 24/1.4 Nikkors.

Problems about AF failures with the 24/1.4 have been reported, unfortunately.
Even by a well respected tester.
Seems QC is a lost "art" these days

Maybe that's why my Carl-Zeiss T*Planar 85/1.4 is manual only. As far as I am concerned, at that aperture, any camera will struggle, at least a bit, with it.
JP

[SpecialK]

T
Anyway, today I was shocked, or should I say amazed, to see what this Nikon300 could do when tracking BIF under cloud covered conditions. My buddy, a Nikon fan, let me use his D300 coupled with a rather fast 70-200/2.8 lens (Nikon).
Also, we use ISO 800 and up to 1250 and the results were unquestionably very good, to say the least.

...

Nikon D300 (lightly used or "NEW" in the box ... there are some still available out there I am told), and a Nikkor 70-200/2.8 VR, plus a 1.4X TC matching this lens.

You say you are only going to use the Nikon for a specific purpose, and you in fact have tested that equipment for that purpose with "unquestionably very good results".

What do you want us to tell you? You have already decided :-) Have fun Pentikon!

[borno]

Borno:

I went out this morning and took at least 200 shots of different birds near the sea shore. Well, I had a few "incidents" when tracking a couple of BIF's, same as you report here.
That is one MAJOR reason that I am exploring the possibility of getting a D300. However, knowing Pentax, when and if I buy this Nikon, just watch: Pentax will have come out with something like a cross between the K7/Kx and with better AF.
Anyway, Canon could be another consideration and their lenses are a bit less expensive than Nikon's.
What sort of Canon camera do you have?

JP

Hey Jacques,
I have a 50d now since the 40d refurb that I bought had a malfunction and adorama gave me a refund because no more 40d's were available. I think the IQ is about like my k20d really. I would love a 7D but I'll wait until the price comes down.

[Steve Beswick]

Instead of spending a fortune on switching systems you could just learn manual focus. Yes, people did take photos of birds and wildlife before AF.

[jpzk]

You say you are only going to use the Nikon for a specific purpose, and you in fact have tested that equipment for that purpose with "unquestionably very good results".

What do you want us to tell you? You have already decided :-) Have fun Pentikon!

Hi SpecialK!

Now, now ... what did you really understand with this ?

Seriously, I am still very much in the "consideration" phase, no firm decision made but let me tell you that this is not a case of "LBA-like" thing. What I mean is that once I have tested this Nikon under most lighting situations, specifically for birding and other moving live targets , I will make an informed decision.

Cheers.

JP

[jpzk]

Hey Jacques,
I have a 50d now since the 40d refurb that I bought had a malfunction and adorama gave me a refund because no more 40d's were available. I think the IQ is about like my k20d really. I would love a 7D but I'll wait until the price comes down.

Nice to see that you dealt with a store which respects customers. That is just great.
My K20D is one great camera, just that there is that "little something" missing, as I explained in my opening post. As for the K7, it is now being used with my "other glass": 31mmLtd, Carl-Zeiss 85/4, and a Tamron 70-200/2.8, the latter when the lighting conditions are perfect.
Yeah, the D7 seems like a great piece, but I haven't read much about it except that it performs very well. Expensive too, right?

JP