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

It's the middle of September and the Ruby-throated hummingbirds are getting ready to head south for the winter. I've had so much fun photographing them this year. I brought some plants into my backyard to attract them and it worked out quite well. The Z9 + 500PF continues to keep up with these fast little birds. Here are a couple of the last shots I'll probably get this season.

DocRoger wrote in post #19426092
It's the middle of September and the Ruby-throated hummingbirds are getting ready to head south for the winter. I've had so much fun photographing them this year. I brought some plants into my backyard to attract them and it worked out quite well. The Z9 + 500PF continues to keep up with these fast little birds. Here are a couple of the last shots I'll probably get this season.

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Hosted photo: posted by DocRoger in
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Stunning shots Roger!

Can't wait to see more pass through our area.

DocRoger wrote in post #19426092
It's the middle of September and the Ruby-throated hummingbirds are getting ready to head south for the winter. I've had so much fun photographing them this year. I brought some plants into my backyard to attract them and it worked out quite well. The Z9 + 500PF continues to keep up with these fast little birds. Here are a couple of the last shots I'll probably get this season.

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forum: Nikon Lenses

Hosted photo: posted by DocRoger in
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Doc, both pics are awesome, but the first one is gorgeous. The colors of the flower really pop against that background, and the Hummy pose + eye contact is outstanding! Thank you for sharing!

Doc's shots are a tough act to follow

Hate the stick behind the subject, probably shouldn't be posting this image because of it, but this is a Lincoln's Sparrow, a new bird for me, one that we only see during migration. Thought it was a Swamp Sparrow (super common), but the light brown/peachy breast had me second guessing myself.

Maiden voyage w/ the Z9 + 500PF this morning, get some cooperative Downy Woodpeckers in our River Birch and Apple trees out back, as the sun was coming up.

I won't belabor the point too much, but the Z9 is absolutely fantastic, and I can confidently say that it will be a worthy successor to my D500, which has served me well these past 3 years. Going into it, I thought the AF on the Z9 would be decent, yet still suffer from the issues that ML has had from the beginning, in that it would have trouble finding subjects against tangled backgrounds, and then get stuck on the background even if the subject was sitting clearly right under the AF point. Well, that is no longer a problem, and I about jumped for joy when attempting to snipe through leaves/branches the camera shrugged off all obstacles and nailed focus on the woodpeckers.

Not only that, the 500PF is an all-star on this body, it AF's quicker than a thought, and just locks on w/ a vigorous force. The thing is on steroids, now that it has a pro-level battery driving it. Haven't tried w/ the 1.4TC yet, that's my next test here in a bit

So yeah, not that many people are going to read this, but be confidant in knowing the Z9 AF is the real deal for birding (from my so-far limited experience, that is)

MatthewK wrote in post #19427181
Maiden voyage w/ the Z9 + 500PF this morning, get some cooperative Downy Woodpeckers in our River Birch and Apple trees out back, as the sun was coming up.

I won't belabor the point too much, but the Z9 is absolutely fantastic, and I can confidently say that it will be a worthy successor to my D500, which has served me well these past 3 years. Going into it, I thought the AF on the Z9 would be decent, yet still suffer from the issues that ML has had from the beginning, in that it would have trouble finding subjects against tangled backgrounds, and then get stuck on the background even if the subject was sitting clearly right under the AF point. Well, that is no longer a problem, and I about jumped for joy when attempting to snipe through leaves/branches the camera shrugged off all obstacles and nailed focus on the woodpeckers.

Not only that, the 500PF is an all-star on this body, it AF's quicker than a thought, and just locks on w/ a vigorous force. The thing is on steroids, now that it has a pro-level battery driving it. Haven't tried w/ the 1.4TC yet, that's my next test here in a bit

So yeah, not that many people are going to read this, but be confidant in knowing the Z9 AF is the real deal for birding (from my so-far limited experience, that is)

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Hosted photo: posted by MatthewK in
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Lovely shots, Matt.

I am happy for you and share the sentiments you have expressed.

It's difficult to put into words how nice it (and the experience) actually is.

For me, the 500PF is actually BETTER on the Z9 than it was on the D500 which really says a lot. I'd say that the Z9 AF with a 1.4x TC on the 500PF is as fast or even faster than the lens alone on my D500. I'll be eager to hear your experience with this.

The 500PF + 1.4 TC on the Z9, it's like the 1.4 isn't even there. Flawless AF performance, a far, far cry from how it acted on the D500.

We got some thunderstorms w/ hail blow through earlier this afternoon, which is exactly the conditions I love to shoot in, because storm light is the best light, and it's in the middle of fall migration! There was a ton of bird activity after the rain let up, 3-4 warbler species that I could count. Getting them to land in a good spot is the challenge though, and I didn't get too many looks, but it was still a good time! Here's a Palm Warbler, and a Tennessee Warbler; these are with the 1.4 TC, but POTN says otherwise:

MatthewK wrote in post #19427288
The 500PF + 1.4 TC on the Z9, it's like the 1.4 isn't even there. Flawless AF performance, a far, far cry from how it acted on the D500.

We got some thunderstorms w/ hail blow through earlier this afternoon, which is exactly the conditions I love to shoot in, because storm light is the best light, and it's in the middle of fall migration! There was a ton of bird activity after the rain let up, 3-4 warbler species that I could count. Getting them to land in a good spot is the challenge though, and I didn't get too many looks, but it was still a good time! Here's a Palm Warbler, and a Tennessee Warbler; these are with the 1.4 TC, but POTN says otherwise:

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Hosted photo: posted by MatthewK in
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Awesome!

Again, this mirrors my experience.

Crazy, isn't it?

Fall migration is in full-swing, so far have had a few good species in the backyard, which I've posted the last couple of days. Today, we had some Yellow-rump females hanging around, along with the Palm and Tennessee. Female Hummingbirds are still hanging around, but I suspect they'll be leaving here shortly. Nice overcast weather and beautiful light, the trees are just starting to turn color, and that crisp autumn air makes it so enjoyable being outside. Easily my favorite time of the year.

Here's a few of Theresa's shots from he 1st day of our recent visit to the TX coast.

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DocRoger wrote in post #19426092
It's the middle of September and the Ruby-throated hummingbirds are getting ready to head south for the winter. I've had so much fun photographing them this year. I brought some plants into my backyard to attract them and it worked out quite well. The Z9 + 500PF continues to keep up with these fast little birds. Here are a couple of the last shots I'll probably get this season.

Hosted photo: posted by DocRoger in
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forum: Nikon Lenses

Hosted photo: posted by DocRoger in
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forum: Nikon Lenses

Wonderful shots!

Young female leopard hiding among mopani tree branches in Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana. I still miss this amazing lens. The only time it would let me down was once the sun would go down. In Africa, this is when the action starts. For all other times, a fantastic lens.

Jorgac wrote in post #19438964
Young female leopard hiding among mopani tree branches in Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana. I still miss this amazing lens. The only time it would let me down was once the sun would go down. In Africa, this is when the action starts. For all other times, a fantastic lens.

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Lovely shot Charles!
Good to see ya, it's been a while.

Here's a few more from the Mrs....

We were at the beach waiting on sunrise. I was proud of her low SS results.

Photo from EyeSpyEagle's gallery.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nUJ​Fwp

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nUQ​2x2

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nUP​DrW

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nUN​KH9

EyeSpyEagle wrote in post #19439287
Here's a few more from the Mrs....

We were at the beach waiting on sunrise. I was proud of her low SS results.

Gallery photo:
posted by EyeSpyEagle originally in forum: Birds

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nUJ​Fwp 20221009 TLM D500 500PF, Gulls-050 by Phil McKinney

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nUQ​2x2 20221009 TLM D500 500PF, Gulls-059 by Phil McKinney

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nUP​DrW 20221009 TLM D500 500PF, Blue Heron, Flyby-031 by Phil McKinney

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nUN​KH9 20221009 TLM D500 500PF, Curlew-021 by Phil McKinney

I love Golden Plovers and Curlews, which are both extremely shy here. So kudos for getting up so close with the Curlew!
I will be picking up my birding activities again after a pause due to the shock over the avian flu catastrophy in western europe.
I will be travelling to a major migratory spot where large numbers of Crane birds gather for a week or two and gain weight before resuming their journey to their wintering grounds in Africa.

P.s. what is your favorite birding lens, the 500PF or the 800PF?