D70s with a Sigma 170-500mm

[MarkHows]

I am sure this has been done to death but I would appreciate opinions on my my proposed setup of a D70s with a Sigma 170-500mm F5.6-6.3 APO (86mm) for wildlife photography (mainly birds) and should I get a 1.4x converter, will this work, or will it be to much for the camera.

Any pitfalls with this setup

Many Thanks

Mark

[Keith Reeder]

Great camera.

Great lens.

Says it all, really...

Whether you want (or need) to add a teleconvertor is down to you and what you're taking photos of - but I "only" use a 400mm lens, and although I've got a 1.4x tcon, I hardly ever use it.

I don't even know if the Sigma 170-500mm plays nicely with a tcon. The Sigma catalogue suggests it's a questionable idea...

[baillieswells]

I am sure this has been done to death but I would appreciate opinions on my my proposed setup of a D70s with a Sigma 170-500mm F5.6-6.3 APO (86mm) for wildlife photography (mainly birds) and should I get a 1.4x converter, will this work, or will it be to much for the camera.

Any pitfalls with this setup

Many Thanks

Mark

Sigma do not list this lens as taking their 1.4 converter. With the protruding front I don't think it can be attached. I have a Canon 350D with this lens, and certainly the Canon 1.4 converter will not attach for the same reason. You would have to go for the Kenco or Tamron which look identical and which would probably fit. However, I have enough difficulty in focussing, and keeping this lens still, even using a tripod, at 500mm (800mm with 1.6 factor) to want to increase its focal legth even more. Though I have to confess I am stil a 'new boy' with this lens.

[postcardcv]

I'd agree with Keith - great camera and lens - I'm sure you'll be happy with this set up.

1.4x converter - don't bother... I have tried this lens with a sigma 1.4x tc (on a Canon body) and it does not work well. The front element of the tc protrudes, so you have to avoid pulling the lens in to 170mm or the lens and tc will 'clash'. The lens does not AF with a 1.4x tc, you have to switch it to manual focus or the lens will hunt continually. I've also tried it with a Kenko 1.4x tc (both with and without taped pins) and this also does not work...

I'd say that the lens is well worth going for, but forget about the tc, with this lens they're more hassle than they're worth.

[Keith Reeder]

Mark, I apologise for the brevity of my first response - I hope it didn't seem rude!

It is a surprisingly good lens - far better than it has any right to be, really - though like any other lens it needs the photographer to put the effort in (you'd be surprised how many people don't "get" this!)

As for the camera - as you might have noticed I've got the D70, and it's just a great little camera. One of the few things that would improve it (for me) is a bigger LCD screen.

Like the one on the D70s..!

;)

Something which causes much discussion between Nikon and Canon users is high ISO noise.

Canon is really the Top Dog here, it's fair to say.

The photographer can do quite a lot to move the goal posts though...

Many commentators are of the opinion that Nikons tend to under expose (or "expose for the highlights") and I'm inclined to agree.

Under exposure can significantly increase noise on any camera.

But if you do a good exposure job on the D70/s, you can claw back a lot of ISO performance ground: I've got perfectly usable 1000+ ISO pictures from my D70 without the need for noise reduction (but it should be noted that I actually quite like a bit of "grain" in a picture!) , and I've seen a number of grim 400 ISO (and below) shots from Canons, caused purely by under exposure.

[postcardcv]

and another thing...

I was thinking about this while I was out shopping... the 170-500 is a decent lens, capable of very good results. However there are a couple of drawbacks with it. Firstly is not very fast focusing and often hunts in low light conditions. Secondly it's not particularly sharp wide open and really needs to be stopped down (to say f8) to get the best out of it. That said I still think it's a good lens and certainly is amazing value for money (especially if you get the non-DG version from warehouse for just £399).

[paulc]

I think that with the nikons crop factor you would be looking at an equivelant of 255mm to 750 mm with this lens and if you are going to ramp up the iso,then dont rely on the cameras noise reduction feature to help, since it slows the camera down to a crawl, it does on my D70.

[MarkHows]

Many Thanks for all the replies, I will go for the D70s with the 170-500 lens as it sounds like good value for money

Mark

[Keith Reeder]

Paul,

just so that you know, the D70 Long Exposure noise reduction is only for those 30 second night-time shots of city lights, the moon and whatnot - it has no effect whatsoever on normal day time shooting except, as you say, to slow things down.

There's no point having it on unless you're doing extended exposures.

I should also add that the "crop factor" doesn't really provide the equivalent of a longer focal length: it simply gives the appearance of moving closer to the scene by chopping stuff off the edges.

[paulc]

I should also add that the "crop factor" doesn't really provide the equivalent of a longer focal length: it simply gives the appearance of moving closer to the scene by chopping stuff off the edges.

just out of curiosity, does crop factor effect the dg lenses that are optimised for digital?

[Keith Reeder]

Y'know Paul, I've been trying to figure that one out for myself.

"DG" lenses are only different from the earlier versions from the point of view of their internal coatings, so that won't change anything - optically DG and non-DG lenses are identical, and the DG ones can be used by film and digital cameras.

I think we're actually talking about DC lenses here, to use Sigma's naming convention.

The Sigma catalogue says:

[DC lenses] are special lenses designed so that the image circle matches the smaller size of the image sensor in most digital SLRs...

That suggests to me that the cropping effect vanishes - the size of the image from the lens and the size of the sensor are the same, so there's nothing to crop.

[paulc]

Thanks keith,..blummin dg, ed ,dc, dx..I wish that they could all use the same lingo.
I wonder what would happen if you used a dg lense with a dc converter or the other way round.

I personally use an 80-200 ed f2.8 and a kenko pro dg 2x converter and have no complaints really, but like Markhows, I did like the look of the 170-500 and I'm sure that a trip over to pbase or into birdforums gallery will bear out the sigma's quality. :t:

[DOC]

Most of the Tele lenses ( Bigma, 170-500, 200-500 ) - do not work well ( if at all ) with TC's. It is possible to attach a TC ( especially Kenko ) BUT- you loose up to 2 F stops and the pictures become even softer.

Nikon 80-400 or Sigma 80-400 work well with TC's.

One cannot have it all - A 500 m"m reach, + a TC and get it for ~900$ ;)

Prime lenses like the 500 or 600 m"m work excellent with TC's but you've got to have a very loving bank manager to go with the lense ......

As for the Sigma 170-500 - i've used it, and you can get very good pictures especially with a tripod and good light. It is at it's best with F\8 , F\9.
I have the Tamron 200-500 and very pleased with it.

[MarkHows]

Many Thanks,

I did indeed purchase the D70s and have ordered the Sigma 170-500. I did not get the tele converter. I am currently playing around with the settings and getting used to the camera, and will hopefully get some great pics from my upcoming trip the the US and Canada.