I let my close friend and amazing photographer, Chris Zak, borrow my 600mm f/4 lens that I got on loan from NPS and he has put together an awesome review for today’s Tech Review Tuesday article. He will be more of a familiar face around the inLIGHTin’ed Workshops so be sure to comment and make him feel at home! His review is very in-depth and informative.

BTW I love the format that he created for the review… Very clean and organized. Don’t you think?

Nikkor AF-S 600mm f/4D IF-ED II Review
By Christopher Zak
August 25, 2009

Introduction:

This past weekend my family and I headed out to Cape Cod for some relaxation.   While my wife’s idea of relaxation is to settle down with a good book, I tend to enjoy a good hike or drive in quest of a great photo opportunity.   I especially was looking forward to this trip since I was able to get my hands on a Nikkor 600mm lens for the journey.  Visions of close-up wildlife ran through my head the entire drive down to the cape.  I must confess that my primary objective was to simply get some hands-on time with this lens – actually capturing wildlife images would be a secondary consideration.  With an Alaskan trip planned for next summer, I really wanted to evaluate the 600mm lens to see if rental or purchase would make sense.  I must say, what I learned will definitely affect how I approach next summer’s Alaskan journey.  Hopefully my comments will help you in your gear selection as well.

Before we move on, it is important to note that this lens is not the newer ($10,000) 600mm VR lens currently being sold by Nikon.  It is the prior generation lens that can be found on eBay for half the price of the VR version. 

Image 1 – Nikkor 600mm lens and case

Features & Specifications:

No equipment review would be complete without the requisite technical specifications.  Since the specs for this lens can be found elsewhere, I will simply outline some of the major features that I found important. 

• f/4 (the largest fixed aperture you will find on a lens with this focal length)
• Silent wave motor for quiet high-speed autofocus
• Ability to focus down to 5.6m (5.4m in manual focus)
• 9 rounded diaphragm blades that provide blur for out-of-focus elements
• M/A mode to quickly switch between autofocus and manual focus operation
• Auto-focus range limiting switch to improve auto-focusing speed
• 4,750 grams – (think heavy!)
• 430.5mm long – (think long!)
• Rotatable tripod collar (the only acceptable way to tripod mount this lens/camera combination)
• Rear slip-in filter housing (for circular polarizer filter sold separately)

A more complete list of specifications can be found at: http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/lens/af/telephoto/af-s_600mmf_4d_if_2/index.htm

First Impressions:

Before I even laid my eyes (and hands) on the lens, I was impressed with the moderately-sized Anvil-style case that housed the lens (see Image 1 above).  Even before opening the case I got an inkling that the lens was going to be impressive.  And impressive it was.  As soon as I opened the case, I blurted out a “wow” when my eyes saw this big boy.  This is one big lens, clearly not for the casual photographer.  As I lifted the lens out of the case, it immediately became apparent that this is one heavy lens.  I knew immediately that a tripod was in order.  The sheer size of the front glass element was quite impressive.  I felt as if I had a small telescope in my hands.

As quickly as I could, I connected the lens to my Nikon D700 and snapped a few photos.  Here’s what I immediately noticed:

1)      The minimum focusing distance of approximately 16 feet means you need separation between you and your subject.

2)      The bokeh, or quality of the blurred image, was incredible.  Out-of-focus background elements were rendered smoothly.

3)      Very sharp edge-to-edge images.

4)      My TC-17E teleconverter worked and looked good (providing 1020mm of focal length).

5)      Auto-focusing wasn’t the fastest, but use of the AF distance limiting switch helped.

6)      I preferred to manually focus the lens most of the time.

7)      I immediately wanted Vibration Reduction (VR).

So with my quick first impressions out of the way, it was time to take the lens out into the field to see how it performed (or should I say how I handled it).

 

Image 2 – Illustration of  bokeh
Shot with Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens with Nikon TC-17E teleconverter.  ISO 800, f/6.7, 1/1600 sec. 

Hands-on Experience:

First and foremost, I cannot imagine using this lens handheld.  Its weight and size make it difficult to hand hold effectively.  So I decided to lock it down on my tripod.  Problem number one arose – my carbon fiber tripod uses a ball head equipped with a Really Right Stuff clamp.  Although the 600mm lens included a rotatable lens collar mounting foot, it didn’t fit my RRS clamp.  So for me to use this on my tripod, I had to pull out an older style clamp and swap it out on my tripod head.  While this wasn’t the end of the world, it was a pain every time I wanted to change lenses because I needed to swap tripod clamps.  Lesson learned – remember to purchase the necessary RRS lens collar foot replacement if you buy or rent one of these lenses.  I’m glad I figured this out now rather than on my upcoming Alaska trip.

My next issue arose as soon as I locked the lens down on the tripod.  Lens movement.  As I mentioned, I have a light-weight carbon fiber tripod that I carry with me when I travel.  Simply stated, this tripod failed to provide the support that this lens requires.  Even when this lens was mounted on a more beefy tripod, there was still some movement/vibration.  This is where I found myself wishing for vibration reduction technology.  Had this lens been equipped with VR, my problem would have been solved.  Since it wasn’t, I found that I needed to wait for the lens to stop vibrating and use a high shutter speed to get crisp images.  Since even the slightest amount of wind caused some lens movement, I probably never really got this lens to stop moving.  The problem I have with using really high shutter speeds is that I like to keep my ISO settings as low as possible.  Once I put a teleconverter on the lens and sucked up two more stops of light, I pretty much was ensured of having to raise my ISO settings to be able to shoot with high shutter speeds.  While this wasn’t the end of the world (since the D700 has great high ISO capabilities), it wasn’t ideal for me.  Yes, a more stable tripod would have helped to a degree, but to me the real answer was vibration reduction.  So, needless to say, I will only consider long focal length lenses that have VR from this point forward.  And, if I’m using a lens of this size, I will bite the bullet and carry a heavier sturdier tripod with me.  Hey, if I’m going to lug this beast around, what’s another 4 pounds in tripod weight?  Oh, one last thing here, to keep the camera stead when triggering the shutter, I always used a wired remote trigger.  Whenever possible, I also engaged mirror lockup.

Image 3 – Night photo of the moon
Shot with Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens with Nikon TC-17E teleconverter.  ISO 3200, f/6.7, 1/6400 sec.

 

 

Image 5 – Same image as Image 3 above but cropped to 200%.  Notice the crater visibility.

Now I don’t want to sound too critical of the lens (it’s sweet), but I do want to share my issues.  My next problem came with locating subjects in the lens.  This of course is strictly a user operator issue and not a fault of the lens.  But, I did find myself having to search around to get the lens targeted on my subject.  The lens is so powerful (especially when coupled with a teleconverter), that it sometimes took me a few seconds to find the object I was planning on shooting.  This became problematic when I was trying to take photos of a bird that kept moving (to purposely evade my photo taking efforts).  Unfortunately, the bird’s movements were quicker than my ability to relocate and track the bird in the viewfinder.  So, ultimately, the bird won – I gave up – he didn’t get photographed.  So what lesson did I learn?  Well two.  First, more work with the lens would make me better at using it.  Second, that I would typically use this lens for photographing less robust creatures.  For example, I can see locking this lens down on a tripod aimed at a bird house.  Then, I could simply click the shutter when a bird entered the frame.  Similarly, it would work well for photographing slow-moving or stationary bears eating salmon out of a river.  I can’t envision me using this to shoot Nascar races or football games.  At least not without some serious practice time.  Oh, by the way, it takes some time to un-box the lens, attach the lens hood, mount it to your camera and tripod, and find and focus on your shooting subject.  So consider this if you are planning on doing some run-and-gun photography.  You might be better served with a 70-200mm or 200-400mm lens that is more suitable to handholding or monopod mounting.  

Image 6 – Shot from a distance of approx. 3700 feet away.
Shot with Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens with Nikon TC-17E teleconverter.  ISO 400, f/4.5, 1/4000 sec. 

 
Because this lens is an AF-S style lens, it accepts any of the Nikon teleconverters (1.4x, 1.7x and 2.0x).  Only the 1.4x will preserve the ability to autofocus the lens since the 1.7x and 2.0x suck up too much light and exceed the f/5.6 aperture required for the autofocus to be effective.  This didn’t turn out to be much of a problem for me since I preferred to manually focus any way.  But, the autofocus did work well when given adequate light and time.  I guess I can’t really call the autofocus slow, but the range limiting focus switch did improve focusing speed when used.  Hey, it’s 600mm – I’m not expecting lighting fast focusing.  
 

Image 7  – Image of an osprey atop a utility pole shot from ground level approx. 100 ft. away.
Shot with Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens with Nikon TC-17E teleconverter.  ISO 800, f/11, 1/500 sec.

 

Image 8  – Cropped Image of an osprey atop a utility pole shot from ground level approx. 100 ft. away.
Shot with Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens with Nikon TC-17E teleconverter.  ISO 800, f/11, 1/500 sec. 

If you plan to travel with this lens, you really need to consider its size and weight.  Most airlines will probably nail you with an additional bag charge if you send it through with the baggage.  This lens simply won’t fit in most camera bags/back packs.  The lens and case weighed in at 24 lbs.  I personally would consider shipping it to my destination via UPS or FedEx.  Also, once on location, you need to remember that you need to transport the lens out to your shooting location.  If you’re alone, it’s probably going to be an issue on long hikes.  Personally, I found carrying all my gear and this lens to be acceptable for short distances, but  not too desirable when I had to hike a distance.  Keep this in mind before setting out on a hike through the desert!  Working out of the back of your car shouldn’t be an issue.

Things I liked.  Well, the lens is really sharp.  Especially for a 600mm.  In optics, you get what you pay for, and with this lens you’re getting top-notch clarity.  The build quality of the lens was also substantial.  The lens felt solid and not cheap.  Even the case it comes in is well built.  Autofocus switches were large, well marked, and conveniently located.  The lens hood was easy to secure with a single screw and flipped around nicely for packaging.    The way out-of-focus backgrounds were rendered was outstanding.  It is easy to get object-to-background separation with this lens.  Aside from the addition of VR, there’s not much more I would want from this lens. 

 

Image 9  – Image of a water lilly
Shot with Nikkor 600mm f/4 lens with Nikon TC-17E teleconverter.  ISO 800, f/6.7, 1/1250 sec.
 

 

Image 10  – Same as image 9 above but cropped to 100%

 

Image 11  – Same as image 9 above but cropped to 200%
 

Summary:

So, would I buy this lens? No.  I wouldn’t consider this (or any other super telephoto) lens without integrated vibration reduction (VR) now that it exists.  That said, if cash wasn’t a consideration, I would absolutely buy the newer VR version of this lens for those once-in-a-while shots.  The one problem that I continued to notice while using this lens was that even the slightest movements (caused by the wind) required me to use high shutter speeds to get the sharpness I wanted.  VR would certainly have helped in this area.  Since VR technology exists, and works well, I absolutely would spend the money to purchase a lens so equipped. 

Now, since cash is obviously a consideration for me, and since I am not a professional nature (or bird) photographer, I would probably opt for a VR-equipped high power zoom lens (that I can occasionally handhold) instead.  I think the versatility of variable focal length, combined with reasonable long reach capability would serve me better.  Couple this with the fact that a lens like the Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 VR is 1475 grams lighter than the 600mm, it would probably make a better traveling companion for me and would work better on a monopod.  While I would sacrifice some focal distance, I feel that the other gains in flexibility and cost savings will be beneficial for my shooting style (think my kids sporting events and nature photography).  Since I plan to use my Nikon teleconverters, I will of course need to stay with an AF-S lens (since they don’t work with other lenses).  For those few times where I will really need the reach of the 600mm, I will rent a lens.  I can’t imagine this happening too often.

So in summary a great lens (especially if VR equipped), sharp with great bokeh, big and heavy, expensive, and tripod-dependent.

What better time to review the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 VR when a new one has been announced right?

Basically, I just wanted to let you know that this lens is still going to be used by myself and I do not have immediate plans to upgrade to the new 70-200mm with VRII…

Here are the differences real quick between the old model and the new one:
1.) Price! I paid around $1,800 last year from my 70-200mm while the new one appears that it will be going for around $2,400.
2.)VR vs. VR II: You basically get an extra stop of light with this newer version VR. The old one states that you can handhold the lens and get an additional three stops out of it while the new one is rated for four stops.
3.) Lens Coating & Design: The new VRII lens has the nano-crystal coating and sports a new design to boot.
4.) Minimum focusing distance has been dropped from 5 feet to 4.5 feet or so.
5.) The VRII lens is about a quarter inch shorter than its predecessor. However, it is approx. 2.5 oz. heavier.
6.) Sharpness: The new VRII is supposed to have better edge to edge sharpness on the new VRII lens.
7.) AF: Faster focusing with the A/M, M/A and M options.

So if you think that the extra $600 will help out your photography then put an order in for one of the new VRII versions… Otherwise, wait it out and continue to rock it’s predecessor.

I personally love my current lens. The important things are that it is fast to acquire focus, it is sharp (even at f/2.8) and it is comfortable in the hands. Need I say more? This lens has some amazing bokeh (that is the term given to the aesthetic quality of the blurred out background in your image when using a shallow depth of field)

I chose to do this review actually because I have been using this lens for more and more of my work as the days go on. My full frame D700 rocks with this lens. I did find that DX crop cameras give me a little too much zoom (approx. 105-300mm focal lengths after considering the crop factor) for my wedding and portrait needs. This lens coupled with a 2x teleconverter on my D300 DX camera gives me an effective 600mm f/5.6 (you lose a stop of light with each x in the teleconverter so my f/2.8 bumps up to f/5.6) Not too shabby! So all in all, I can use this lens with either a DX or FX body and for various photography assignments.

The image quality of this lens really excels when shooting wide open. Here are some sample pics from a job that I just did where the 70-200mm was used at f/2.8:

 

This lens is a staple for Nikon shooters. There are a couple other “necessary” lenses in Nikon’s lineup that you should have with you. The 24-70mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4 would have to be the other two that I can come up with. Enjoy and check back tomorrow for some awesome workflow techniques!

Thanks for stopping by.

The Nikon 105mm VR macro lens is a relatively new addition to my camera bag. It is a very sharp specialty lens that really deserves to be recognized. The 105mm is a macro lens and the way to use it is really different from how we work with conventional lenses. I have to admit, when I put this lens on I thought it was broken. See, I put the lens on and tried stopping down to f/2.8 but couldn’t. Instead, I had a very odd aperture that it was stuck at. I put two and two together and started working the manual focus ring and then figured it out and that it is just how the lens works. Being a macro lens, it is used because it provides you with a close focusing distance as well as the ability to produce 1:1, 1:2 (and so on) reproductions of your subject. This is great for flower photography, insects and stuff of that nature because you can do your cropping in camera and have the subject take up the entire frame if you so choose.

This lens can also be used as a portrait lens since it is very sharp and it is at a focal length that is flattering to your subject without any real lens distortion occurring.

There are two cons to this lens that pose a problem. The first is sort of the nature of the beast and deals with a shallow DOF (depth of field) even at higher apertures. I noticed it when I first got the lens. I started off at like f/5.6 or f/8 with flowers but noticed that the foreground leaves were still out of focus. Sure the part of the flower I focused on was 100% sharp but the DOF fell off way too soon IMHO. To combat this and get the photo that I wanted (i.e. ALL petals in focus) I had to set the aperture to f/11 or f/16… That is great and all but you need a boat load of light at times in order to get these shots. I worked my way around that by using my speedlight to compensate for the loss of light. f/11 is totally doable with a speedlight if it is very, very close to your subject. This is also where the VR (vibration reduction) comes in handy to achieve sharp images even at slower shutter speeds.

The second issue I had with the lens is that it is slow to auto focus. This lens works best when you set your focusing distance and physically move yourself and the camera back and forward until you achieve the sharpest focus. I noticed that this was a pain with a tripod!

Now imagine the trouble I had to go through to get this photo:

These bats were all huddled up and hanging on the wood rafter in a historical building in the Smokey Mountains. There was no light whatsoever. I had to have my associate hold up my iPhone to give me something, anything to illuminate these little critters. That gave my camera enough light to detect the contrast necessary to acquire focus. I had my SB-900 speedlight mounted on my camera and it was pointed directly behind me so it would hit the wall behind me and lit up the little guys… I got a couple good snaps off before I looked down and checked out that bat guano that I was stepping in. lol. Anything for the shot right?

So back to the reivew. The 105mm VR is a very nice (and ridiculously sharp) lens. Remember that photo above? Well here is a 100% crop of the little bat off to the bottom right of the frame.

Yeah THAT’S sharp!

Is is necessary for 99% of the work people do? No… Well unless you photograph flowers and bugs for a living then consider yourself in the 1% range. I personally do not use this lens for portraits often. I bring it out for weddings and baby portraits to capture details. Wedding ring shots work great with the 105mm and I can get those little baby details with this lens as well. Little ears, hands and feet. The other times this lens comes out is when I do the flowers and bug photography.

It is a great lens and I would definitely recommend it.