[C300]

Originally Posted by Aroy

The D500 has a phenomenal AF as well as a low light performance, ideal for wildlife shots at dawn and dusk, where others struggle. So if you can afford the set definitely go for the D500 + 200-500 combo. Else you can get the D7200 at a much lower cost.

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

I've been using the Nikon D610 and Tamron 150-600mm combo without a tripod since I bought them both in 2014. It's just a matter of getting used to it.

Originally Posted by M35

Nikon 300 F4 PF VR weighs just 754g

D3xxx for birding? Nah - the AF, ergonomics and handling, shooting speed, buffer, …you name it. You ask me how I know

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

D500's AF is a bit better than D7200's.

Low light performance is more or less the same.

Thanks folks. Will have to think this through and plan the budget. It will be D500 if I decide to change the system.

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by C300

Recently tried the Nikon D500 + 200-500mm combo at Bengaluru. Coming from Pentax set up the AF was a revelation. The bird in flight shots which I couldn't get with Pentax were so much easier with D500. The overall weight of the combo was the only downside. Pentax K-5 + 300mm is compact and lightweight. Still in two minds whether to take the plunge.

Any reason you are not considering the Full Frame D750 or the highly rated D850?

If money is not a problem, then the D850 is the best buy today, it's an all-rounder!

[VW2010]

then the D850 is the best buy today, it's an all-rounder!

At least not for the action shots as per various reports. D5 appears to have the best of AF module across all cameras. D850 is a great camera meant for a completely different set of population.

D500 is one of the best for the requirement of C300. Cheaper and does the job.

[C300]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Any reason you are not considering the Full Frame D750 or the highly rated D850?

If money is not a problem, then the D850 is the best buy today, it's an all-rounder!

D850 is out of my budget. I didn't try D750 but the extra reach of D500 along with better AF (from what I read) suits my Birding needs. I am noob to Nikon system so its actually an open question and alternate views are welcome.
I will be keeping my existing Pentax lenses which will serve me well in low light for indoor family functions and portraits.

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by C300

Thanks folks. Will have to think this through and plan the budget. It will be D500 if I decide to change the system.

All the best I've been ogling at the D500 it's the crown jewel of the crop sensor brigade and many have been waiting for it.

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Any reason you are not considering the Full Frame D750 or the highly rated D850?

If money is not a problem, then the D850 is the best buy today, it's an all-rounder!

D500 is the successor of the famous D300 and it has the same autofocus as the D5 except in a lighter and body and with a smaller sensor.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by C300

D850 is out of my budget. I didn't try D750 but the extra reach of D500 along with better AF (from what I read) suits my Birding needs. I am noob to Nikon system so its actually an open question and alternate views are welcome.
I will be keeping my existing Pentax lenses which will serve me well in low light for indoor family functions and portraits.

I moved 'UP' to the D500 9 days back, and have clocked 1500+ clicks since - all birding!
My previous was (still have it) a D5200 and shots that were previously almost impossible, are child's play now.
The AF on the D500 is blo*dy fast, accurate and the camera goes like a machine gun with a XQD card. I used it for 3 straight days last week, all on the field, hand held, without a problem. But then I don;t use a heavy prime, rather a 150-600...

When buying, I was also torn between this and the cheaper D750, and after seeing the pictures, I don't have any regret at all. Now, I need to do some portraits too, to see how much have I actually lost vis-a-vis the 750.

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

D500 is the successor of the famous D300 and it has the same autofocus as the D5 except in a lighter and body and with a smaller sensor.

Agreed!
The D500 has a beast of a AF system with a superb sensor.
Wildlife and Sport Photographers, who want a bit more range can definitely go for this, over the entry level Full frames.

Personally, I am a landscape guy, so I am waiting for the D850 prices to drop!

[C300]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

All the best I've been ogling at the D500 it's the crown jewel of the crop sensor brigade and many have been waiting for it.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by roy_libran

I moved 'UP' to the D500 9 days back, and have clocked 1500+ clicks since - all birding!
My previous was (still have it) a D5200 and shots that were previously almost impossible, are child's play now.
The AF on the D500 is blo*dy fast, accurate and the camera goes like a machine gun with a XQD card. I used it for 3 straight days last week, all on the field, hand held, without a problem. But then I don;t use a heavy prime, rather a 150-600...

Thanks. Is it Tamron 150-600? Did you also try 200-500? Any particular reason for choosing Tammy.

[M35]

Originally Posted by Aroy

In spite of having a limited number of AF points, D3300 has a decent AF and in good light I have yet to miss a bird in flight.

Thanks for the pictures, says a lot. Lovely birds those, the white eye one of my favourites.
I have had some serious time on BIF off late and love them in action, but I do come back home with just a few keepers, the rest of them- mostly out of focus ad badly composed- usually get deleted.

Would love to see a BIF from you.

@C300,
I had a sharp copy of the Tammy in the past and I am one of those who acquired a Nikon 200-500 as soon as it was launched. Even at the cost of that 100mm at the longer end, would get the 200-500 any day.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by C300

Thanks. Is it Tamron 150-600? Did you also try 200-500? Any particular reason for choosing Tammy.

Mine is the Sigma 150-600 C lens, and was purchased last year. If however, I were buying today I would buy the new Tamron 150-600 G2 lens.
I had extensively tried the Nikon 200-500 and while it's very good on paper , in birding that extra 100 mm really counts.
The Nikon does have better VR than the Sigma, but that doesn't matter much to me when shooting at over 1/1000. I hardly ever lose shots due to camera shake.
As far as the aperture goes, the Sigma gives me similar apertures at similar focal lengths and both need to be stopped down for better sharpness. In any case, I am more than happy with the sharpness that this lens offers me at 600 mm and 1 stop down.
The Sigma also has 3 focus limiter settings that is incredibly useful, and has soft locks at multiple focal lengths, which again I find very useful. But finally, when birding it all boils down to the extra 100 mm.

[M35]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

I had extensively tried the Nikon 200-500 and while it's very good on paper , in birding that extra 100 mm really counts.

Not just on paper, but a reliable performer in the field, if you know what you are doing.

Originally Posted by roy_libran

But finally, when birding it all boils down to the extra 100 mm.

Shooting with a 1.5x crop body + 500 mm, still no enough reach ? = You are simply not close enough

Stopping down for sharpness? Never needed in my case. I bought it for that F5.6 and always Super sharp @5.6 when you nail the focus. When I miss the focus, the picture gets the 'shift + delete" treatment anyways.

It’s not the VR and sharpness, but the beautiful colour rendition, f5.6 and above all, the consistency and reliability both in terms of AF and overall performance. Would you mind posting a picture from your Sigma C? A picture is worth a thousand words

[sgiitk]

Seems that my Nikon D5500 with the 18-140 zoom is now with my son. He finds the body as well as the 18-140 phenomenal. His D5100 and the 18-55 is with me. He finds the focus on the D5500 very fast, which I agree with. So I am thinking of an 18-140 lens for it. I do not like two lenses to cover the vital range.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by M35

Shooting with a 1.5x crop body + 500 mm, still no enough reach ? = You are simply not close enough

I will not comment on sharpness, because it is perceived very subjectively. I'll just leave it at "good enough for me".

Coming to your point on focal range - Where I live, I end up shooting a lot of Himalayan Birds, which means I go to locations where the typical canopy is high up and the birds are very small. It's not easy to find birds nearer than that. Hence, for me, the extra mm matter a lot.

[M35]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

I'll just leave it at "good enough for me".

Sure.
I had a Tamron 150-600 G1 for quite some time and played with the Sigmas - both C and Sports briefly, hence my comment. While I liked the Sports – built like a tank and on my D810 it felt solid, both the Siggy C and Tamron never gave that ‘tight’ feeling when mounted. With Tamron, I was frustrated due to the fact that it used to freeze up at times in the field – a common issue reported by many users. Restarting the camera wouldn’t help and dislodging the lens and then reattaching it in the field was no fun. I had sent it in to the Tamron Shanghai but it came back unresolved. Apart from that, the Tammy was a good lens for the pre-Nikon 200-500 era, and I enjoyed shooting stationary subjects both with my D610 and later, with my current body, D810.

I was one amongst the early adopters of the Nikkor 200-500. Apart from the slightly sluggish initial AF acquisition with my D810, compared to the Sigma Sports, the lens is a steal. Tammy G1 and Siggy C ? No match, sorry. The Nikkor rendered much smoother OOF areas / better colours and contrast, hence went with it. No regrets ! No rattles, no niggles, No AF fine tune required for any focal lengths. Once you get to know it, the lens just delivers. One from one of my first outings with the Nikon, a couple of years back.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by M35

.....

I have seen that shot earlier in one of your other threads... Great shot especially with the backlit subject!

A few samples from my 'Siggy C' shot on the lowly D5200 @ 600mm.
The D500 IQ is a whole lot better.

All these are from my beginning days of Bird Photography and this level of sharpness suffices for my record keeping needs...

Anyway, I think the discussion has been delineated enough from where it started from...