Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Lens !!

Run Forest, run....

More Gulls...

Some more beauties Phil.

I saw the link below on another forum.
Guy in video claims he gets 100% sharp BIF images. ( Z9 and 500 pf )

Did not watch it all but he had some real nice snowy owl photos at the beginning.

Thought you or anyone with Z9 may be interested.

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=tXwjpsqJp_g&​t=14s

lacogada wrote in post #19338529
Some more beauties Phil.

I saw the link below on another forum.
Guy in video claims he gets 100% sharp BIF images. ( Z9 and 500 pf )

Did not watch it all but he had some real nice snowy owl photos at the beginning.

Thought you or anyone with Z9 may be interested.

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=tXwjpsqJp_g&​t=14s

Thank you, Sir!

Z9 is starting to look mighty tempting

Here's a couple of Momma's shots from a recent visit to So. NV.

Photo from EyeSpyEagle's gallery.

EyeSpyEagle wrote in post #19344857
Here's a couple of Momma's shots from a recent visit to So. NV.

Gallery photo:
posted by EyeSpyEagle originally in forum: Wildlife

So Phil, how does the AF do w/ cluttered, challenging environments such as branches/foliage? Is it still afflicted w/ the MILC issue where it will refuse to AF on something closer (i.e bird on a branch) if you're zoomed out past it? That's the singular hesitation I have w/ any mirrorless camera at this point, it absolutely kills birding for me.

MatthewK wrote in post #19344868
So Phil, how does the AF do w/ cluttered, challenging environments such as branches/foliage? Is it still afflicted w/ the MILC issue where it will refuse to AF on something closer (i.e bird on a branch) if you're zoomed out past it? That's the singular hesitation I have w/ any mirrorless camera at this point, it absolutely kills birding for me.

That's something I was worried about as well. Actually, a couple things I was worried about.

Cluttered BG's... This is really more of a learning / technique thing than a camera issue. It took me a little bit of playing, but I've learned that horribly cluttered BG's require a more precise focus point (Duh!) than cleaner areas. Where-as my typical modes have become Wide-Area Small and Wide-Area Large (both with animal detection enabled), I can't reliably use them in clutter scenes. Instead, 3D-Tracking (or even single point, but Subject detection is not available with single point).

It's quite easy (FAST) to do this, as I've been a mutli-button shooter for a long time.

Currently, I use AF on the shutter for Wide-Area Large (or small), Auto-Area AF on the Back Button, 3D tracking on Fn1, and Single Point on the Joy-Stick press. So, it's as easy as just pressing another button.

It's taken some time to acclimate to using the shutter button as a AF activation because I have used only BBF for so long. However, with these camera's it's really not necessary any more. Additionally, to take advantage of the "Focus Persistence" feature that allows you to "hand-off" the active focus point from one focus mode to another, you have to initiate AF from the shutter button. What I mean by this is that I can use Wide-Area Large to grab focus on a bird and then press either the button configured for Auto-Area AF the button set for 3D tracking and either of those modes will "lock onto" the active focus point and then track the subject around the entire screen. It's super cool once you understand it.

Regarding the issue of pulling focus back in close after grabbing a distant object - I have seen it on a few occasions, but it's quite rare compared to how my Z7II was. When it has occurred, I can just point at the ground below the subject, press single point or the 3D button (because they start at a dedicate spot w/o searching around) and it instantly comes back & raise, focus & shoot. This really isn't nearly as bad as it may sound, because the Z9 is stupid fast. It's faster with the 500PF + TC than the 500PF is natively on my D500! It's F A S T.

Hope this makes sense. If not, please ask.

EyeSpyEagle wrote in post #19344880
That's something I was worried about as well. Actually, a couple things I was worried about.

Cluttered BG's... This is really more of a learning / technique thing than a camera issue. It took me a little bit of playing, but I've learned that horribly cluttered BG's require a more precise focus point (Duh!) than cleaner areas. Where-as my typical modes have become Wide-Area Small and Wide-Area Large (both with animal detection enabled), I can't reliably use them in clutter scenes. Instead, 3D-Tracking (or even single point, but Subject detection is not available with single point).

It's quite easy (FAST) to do this, as I've been a mutli-button shooter for a long time.

Currently, I use AF on the shutter for Wide-Area Large (or small), Auto-Area AF on the Back Button, 3D tracking on Fn1, and Single Point on the Joy-Stick press. So, it's as easy as just pressing another button.

It's taken some time to acclimate to using the shutter button as a AF activation because I have used only BBF for so long. However, with these camera's it's really not necessary any more. Additionally, to take advantage of the "Focus Persistence" feature that allows you to "hand-off" the active focus point from one focus mode to another, you have to initiate AF from the shutter button. What I mean by this is that I can use Wide-Area Large to grab focus on a bird and then press either the button configured for Auto-Area AF the button set for 3D tracking and either of those modes will "lock onto" the active focus point and then track the subject around the entire screen. It's super cool once you understand it.

Regarding the issue of pulling focus back in close after grabbing a distant object - I have seen it on a few occasions, but it's quite rare compared to how my Z7II was. When it has occurred, I can just point at the ground below the subject, press single point or the 3D button (because they start at a dedicate spot w/o searching around) and it instantly comes back & raise, focus & shoot. This really isn't nearly as bad as it may sound, because the Z9 is stupid fast. It's faster with the 500PF + TC than the 500PF is natively on my D500! It's F A S T.

Hope this makes sense. If not, please ask.

Just like when I made the leap into Nikon, you're here to show me the way to the promised land Appreciate the heck out of this explanation, and it's mind blowing all the new tech!!! Very heartening to hear that the background AF issue has been improved upon, and I believe that if any of the big 3 can fix it, it'll be Nikon, considering they seem to be more wildlife-focused than the other two.

The hard part now is figuring out how to finagle a Z9...

Momma's still kill'n it with the D500 & 500PF.

Smith Oaks Rookery

EyeSpyEagle wrote in post #19368467
Momma's still kill'n it with the D500 & 500PF.

Couple magnificent photos.
Beautiful details and composition.
Agree on your summary Phil. Congratulations Theresa.

avondale87 wrote in post #19368497
Couple magnificent photos.
Beautiful details and composition.
Agree on your summary Phil. Congratulations Theresa.

Thank you Richard. As always, you are very kind.

Finishing up our vacation in Key West, FL. Managed to squeeze in some time at Ft. Zachary Taylor, and got super lucky and was able to get out to Dry Tortugas!

Dry Tortugas is the main stopping point for migrants after they cross the Gulf Of Mexico. It also hosts enormous nesting populations of Sooty Terns, Brown Noddies and Frigate Birds. Needless to say, the place was teaming with wild life, though the Warbler count was quite low: I’ve had better Warbler outings back in Maryland, but I’ve been hearing that the migration this year is late, so I may have missed the big event.

The ferry only drops you off at around 10AM (after a 2hr ride) and leaves at 3, so you’re contending with extremely harsh light and the fact that Warblers hunker down during those hours. Best bet is to camp there for 2-3 days so you get that good morning light + more Warbler activity, and aren’t inundated by 250 other tourists.

I got the these Brown Noddy shots after wading offshore in order to get a better light angle; again, it was harsh light, and I was contending with waist deep ocean waves! Such a fantastic time:

At Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West, very sparse Warbler activity.

Palm Warbler, and a Black-throated Blue:

Lovely shots.

The 500 PF is most certainly quick, easy and razor sharp, even wide open.

Then why did I just sell mine? Because after a year I missed the versatility of my old 150-600 zoom. So back to a 150-600 I went. With the money I had left over, I bought a used AF-S 600 F4 lens that will be my dedicated wildlife lens for days when I have time to lug around a tripod. Those are the days my wife isn't birding with me. When she's with me, the 150-600 will be slung over my shoulder for general nature, bird ID help, and even the occasional portrait shot.

When I looked back over my Flickr feed, most of my favorite shots over the past 5-6 years were taken with my 150-600 and not my 200-500 or 500 PF Nikons. (frankly I didn't get along with that 200-500 whatsoever).

For what it's designed to do, the 500 PF is an amazing lens. But for me it was too limiting without enough reach.