Birding lenses: FirstUse
Far and wide, up close and personal!
When we upgraded our Nikon DSLR from the D90 to the D850, we went from a 12MP sensor to a 47MP sensor. That massive increase in sensor size enables us to capture higher resolution images, but that is just a small part of the upgrade story.
Camera technology changed a lot between 2008 (when the D90 was released) and 2017 (when the D850 came onto the market). While switching from DX to FX is a significant upgrade in itself, in order to take full advantage of all those extra sensor pixels, we also had to make an investment in our “glass collection” (aka lenses) to go with the new-to-us Nikon body.
After much research, we selected a set of zoom lenses that we thought would be excellent for the D850. All of the lenses have auto-focus, AF-S (Silent Wave Motor), and internal focusing. The zoom range spans from 14mm to 500mm, divided across four lenses. The lenses were chosen not just for their zoom capabilities, but also for their ruggedness, great weather-seal, low light tolerance, and other factors we felt were important for birding situations.
Nikkor 14-24mm Zoom
- Zoom Ratio: 1.7x
- Max/Min Aperture: f/ 2.8, f/ 22
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.9 ft. ( 0.28m)
- Filter Size: None
- Approx. Weight: 35.3 oz (1,000 g)
“If there’s a bird out there, this camera will let me see it.”
The lens is heavier than I’m used to, but the focusing is fast and quiet. The colors captured were surprisingly subtle, delicate, and had good contrast, even when using a large aperture. Clearly, we’ll need to spend a lot more time with this lens to find and understand its boundaries. All in all, a very impressive lens!!!
This may be Robert Frost’s “Road less traveled by,” and we’re totally okay with that.
OK, yes, this Nikkor 14-24mm zoom lens is amazingly sharp and a joy to use, but ultra-wide angle zoom is not normally associated with birding applications, right? So what’s up with that???
We had that same view about ultra-wide angle lenses until we got ourselves a copy of Xavi Bou’s Ornithographies. Inspired by Bou’s images, we absolutely want to give photographing murmurations and the hidden patterns in flight and flocking behavior a go.
Completely invisible – until they’re not.
Nikkor 24-70mm Zoom
- Zoom Ratio: 2.9x
- Max/Min Aperture: f/ 2.8, f/ 22
- Minimum Focus Distance: 1.2 ft ( 0.38m)
- Filter Size: 77mm
- Approx. Weight: 31.7 oz (900 g)
Jamaica Pond. In Boston. NOT SWITZERLAND. We checked.
The zoom range of 24-70mm makes the Nikkor a “walking around” lens from our perspective. When thinking about its FirstUse, we decided to see how it performs in crepuscular light. (“Crepuscular: Of or like twilight; dim.”)
We were not disappointed: the low light performance of this lens was outstanding…fast and sharp!
“Oh gawd, not these people again. Hey, I got mouths to feed here…!”
Nikkor 70-200mm Zoom
- Zoom Ratio: 2.9x
- Max/Min Aperture: f/ 2.8, f/ 22
- Minimum Focus Distance: 3.6 ft ( 1.1m)
- Filter Size: 77mm
- Approx. Weight: 51.8 oz (1,468g)
“Just take the picture already! I know you know I know I can see you guys…”
We expect the 70-200mm to be our “everyday” grab-n-go lens for the D850. The one we got is the older version, made between 2003-2009. We opted for this version because it has a wider aperture, more rugged metal construction, and super silent motor. The engraved markings on this lens is something we don’t see on many lenses today…a nice detail for sure 🙂
Our FirstUse of this lens was just shooting out the back deck on an overcast day. The squirrel was kind enough to pose for a few shots so we could get a feel for the lens. What surprised us was how easy the lens was to handle and how quiet the autofocusing was. The scene snapped into clarity with just a whisper. This one is a keeper!
“I’m here! C’mon, take the shot already!”
Nikkor 200-500mm Zoom
- Zoom Ratio: 2.5x
- Max/Min Aperture: f/ 5.6, f/ 32
- Minimum Focus Distance: 7.2 ft ( 2.2m)
- Filter Size: 95mm
- Approx. Weight: 81.2 oz (2,300g)
Full-on nature photographer mode.
We almost purchased this lens new because we knew this would be the one that we would use the most often for birding. Luckily for us, a used one popped up locally and was priced too reasonably to pass up. The photographer had switched to the Z and wanted a quick sale to fund the purchase of the equivalent lens for his new system. We happily helped him out with that 😉
Our first outing with this monster of a lens was to our favorite local section of the Emerald Necklace, Jamaica Pond. The Pond is always teaming with water fowl and birds of prey, making it the perfect FirstUse test of the Nikkor 200-500mm lens!
“Why is he staring at us, Marlene?” “Because, Trevor, you have a very cute butt.”
Another excellent proving ground for the long lens was Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. The Arboretum is a haven for all things aviary, and it did not disappoint in this outing. We had barely perambulated (“To walk about; roam or stroll”) ten minutes before a large hawk silently swooped by and perched on a branch high up. With no leaves on the trees, it was easy to track and spot it.
Yup, right there. Nope, didn’t make a sound flying or landing.
The Nikkor 200-500mm, when paired with the D850, is a physically HEAVY setup! Pointing it up at an angle took a little getting used to, but it was not impossible to get good results shooting hand-held…especially with the aid of VR. A tripod or monopod would make shooting with it easier, but they would add to the amount of stuff we would have had to haul. Still, we were quite satisfied with the sharpness of the images on an overcast day.
This guy is King of the Air – and knows it.
The final stop on the FirstUse tour for the Nikkor 200-500mm lens was the Franklin Park Zoo. The Zoo is a frequent venue for our Urban Safaris. This time we spent a good part of it inside the newly created indoor Tropical Forest habitat.
We, again, tested the ergonomics of wielding, zooming, and shooting with the big-@ss lens. The enclosing dome of the habitat made getting good quality shots of birds a LOT easier. The results we got were surprisingly good, especially considering we shot everything hand-held!
“Do YOU coo coo ca choo? I hope you do.”
FinalThoughts
All of the new lenses were sharp, fast, and relatively straightforward to use. We had no problem with any of them, other than that they are heavier than DX lenses—some considerably heavier—and that weight will need some getting used to. The weight was expected, though, as these rugged F-Mount lenses were made for professionals.
In our next series, we will bring tripods and mounts into the mix and compare the shooting experience with those to our handheld FirstUse outing. Look for it later in the Spring!
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