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Which path to choose (1 Viewer)

Jungle

Jungle

Active member
Hi,

I normally shoot with a bridge camera but am getting increasingly unsatisfied with the results and find the autofocus isn't fast enough.
The answer i hope is move up to dslr, something i have been thinking about for a while.

The budget isn't large, thus i have been looking on WEX at the secondhand on offer.

Unfortunately the new 80-400 is currently above what i can spend.

So that leaves the combination of probably D90/D300/D300s as camera unless the new D7100 is far better. It has to be dx format. Combined with one of the xx-300 zooms e.g 18-300 / 55-300 / 70-300. Or possibly the old version of 80-400 but i've heard its not that great.

I do like the 300 f4 prime but which of the cameras mentioned would work best with it?

As you can probably tell i am a little stuck as to which path to take, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, George
 
Hi George,

My first DSLR was the D90.. and year and a half ago I got a D300s for £400 on Ebay, immediately felt the difference (build quality, frame rate etc) and then got the 300 F4 (New) to accompany it.. it's a really great combo as light enough to carry around all day and the close focusing of that lens makes it great for dragonflies and butterflies too.. (I won't bore you with images but have 1000s that I was pleased with.) Most people using this lens get the teleconverter also (1.4tc) which increases your focal length to 420mm but the image quality doesn't suffer as a result, in fact even for insect shots I never take it off. Fast for BIF too..

Pound for pound, the lens is one of the best imho.

I am now lucky enough to own a D600 and the new D810 which I use with my 600mm but still the 300 f4 comes everywhere with me, especially for those flight shots.

Have no experience with the D7100 but if you're going to move from a bridge camera, you won't be disappointed with a D300s...

Feel free to ask any further questions... and have a Happy Xmas!
 
The appeal of a bridge camera is its tremendous flexibility, 50x zoom is really convenient. The downside is image quality.
You have to give up a lot of zoom to get the image quality, so must learn how to get very much closer to your subjects. If you can get that much closer, many of the bridge camera problems also go away. So the answer is at least as much field craft as it is equipment.
 
A used D300s or the earlier D300, a 300mm f4 and 1.4x TC EII is probably your best option. If you can get a good deal on the D7100 this may be worth considering however the build quality and buffer on the D300 and the D300s is far better. If the post Christmas budget is tight prioritise and invest in the lens and TC first. Used D300 are practically being given away by dealers who offer part exchange on new equipment.
 
I was just given a gently used D300 - my first real DSLR. I'd love to get into bird photography. 300/f4 vs Tamron 150-600? Prices are not very different. I have no experience with either. I'd love to hear pros and cons and advice from more experienced/knowledgable folks. Thanks!
 
If you match the 300/f4 with the Nikon 1.4xTC EII it'll give you a very sharp 420mm. Obviously it isn't going to match the length of the Tamron but if you routinely crop your photo's the quality of the Nikon will probably be the winner. In addition if you ever want to upgrade you'll find the Nikon lens will retain its value whereas the Tamron's is likely to plummet. Finally if you're out on one of those grey, miserable overcast days in mid-winter or perhaps dawn or dusk you can take the TC off and revert to a superb f4 lens that will give you a fighting chance. Flight shots at dawn or dusk with the f6.3 of the Tamron are a non-starter. Good luck
 
The panasonic FZ1000 is a bridge camera with a much larger sensor. That means that a lot of the worst issues with high iso etc goes away. The reach is probably similar to a dx camera with the 300 mm lens.

Had a camera such as the FZ1000 existed when I gave up on superzooms, I might never have given up.

Niels
 
I would definitely go with a D300 (or D300s). It feels twice the camera that the D90 is (although the sensor is the same).
 
Thanks to all for the help, so i take it that the D300(s) is the top camera, but how does the new D7100 compare to it?

Also, if i can't get a 300 f4 prime then would the 70-300 be worth getting?

Thanks.
 
Jungle said:
Thanks to all for the help, so i take it that the D300(s) is the top camera, but how does the new D7100 compare to it?

Also, if i can't get a 300 f4 prime then would the 70-300 be worth getting?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Approximately 3 MP more on the bird with the D7100 and 1 stop better in regards to noise vs better build quality and buffer of D300. Personally I'd go with the D300 and 300 f4 complete with 1.4tc rather than the D7100 and the 300mm zoom. Ultimately everything depends upon the quality of the lens a 300mm zoom is a compromise.
 
I agree with ikw101 on staying away from the 70-300 zoom and trying to get the 300mm f/4 with the 1.4x teleconverter. And if the lens and teleconverter burns most of your budget and you can save by getting a used D300s instead of a D7100 then I would agree again: go for the D300(s). Bodies come and go; lenses are long term investments. However I will say having moved from the D300 to the D7100, I much prefer the images I get using the D7100. The D300 has better build quality, better buffer and pro style controls, but despite these "handicaps" I get better images with the D7100. Good luck!

Dave
 
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D7100 gives the best image quality, AF also works down to f/8.
D300s IQ is fine up to ISO800, at higher ISO, DR and noise can be limiting, esp. in low light.
The D300s is better built.
Unfortunately nikon never released a true replacement of the D300s.
So D7100 would be the one to choose today.

And look at the new Tamron 150-600mm,
nice price and size.

Nikon seem to be releasing a new 300/4 with VR soon,
with their latest TC:s, probably more expensive then the Tamron.

http://nikonrumors.com/2013/08/21/n...ase-a-new-nikkor-af-s-300mm-f4g-vr-lens.aspx/
 
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