Reviews
Nikon 600mm f/4G ED VR
I suppose the best place to start would be with the sheer dimensions of this beast. It is built to last & to a high standard. With the two piece HK-35 hood fitted, it measures in at a whopping 630mm (25 ½ “) long & has a diameter of 195mm (7 3/4“). With the supplied soft lens cover you can add a further 10mm (3/8”) to both the length & diameter. This size can cause problems in some of the public hides on nature reserves that have small openings, forcing you to remove the lens hood. Length is reduced to 445mm (17 ½”) when the hood is removed or reversed for transportation. Weight is 5.06 KG (11.1lbs) but to be fair does not seem overly heavy & balances beautifully when a pro camera is attached to the rear.
The lens comes supplied with two detachable feet, one for use with a monopod, the other for tripod use. The foot is attached via four cap head screws & while secure, does prevent a quick changeover. The tripod foot is also very high & can cause balance problems with some gimble tripod heads. For this reason, as well as for aesthetics, I have opted for a replacement Wimberley AP-452 tripod foot, which is a full 45mm (1 ¾”) shorter. This also has the advantage of having Arca-swiss compatible dovetails machined into it, getting rid of the need for separate lens plates. Also supplied is Aluminium, lockable trunk (CT-607), lens carrying strap & Allen key. The CT-607 can accommodate a pro body (not attached to the lens), as well as other bits & bobs in the separate small compartment inside the case.
Performance.
This is a big pricey pro lens, so expectations were high. I was not disappointed. The large f4 max aperture lets in a lot of light & coupled with the silent wave motor, focuses quietly & blindingly fast. The focus limit switch can be set to full (5m-infinity) or 10m-infinity, the latter setting coming in handy in low light or when using a teleconverter. Minimum focus is 5m, which for such a long lens is pretty good. You can of course get below 5m by using an extension ring. Used wide open at f4, the sharpness of this lens is excellent & my eyes cannot tell any difference once it’s stopped down.
Now for the question you have all been waiting for! Does the vibration reduction work? & does it work well? The answer to both parts is yes; it does work, but remember what it is called....Vibration reduction. When used on static subjects on a locked down tripod head on a hefty set of legs & the VR set to tripod, the results speak for themselves. In low light testing with VR on, images were noticeably crisper & sharper than when it was turned off. With the head unlocked (VR set to normal) or even handholding the lens, the VR system does a fairly good job. Results on moving subjects are variable but may be down to the photographer rather than the lens. The VR system is clever in the fact that it senses when you are panning & alters the parameters of the vibration reduction. This said, no stabilisation system can reduce blur induced by rapid subject movement, only high shutter speeds can do this. Focussing errors can also be mistaken for lens blur. Camera autofocus or user error, are usually the culprit. The only way to get sharp images of birds in flight for instance, is still to use a high shutter speed. The best way to think of this or any stabilisation system is as an added extra that in the right situation can make the difference. It is not however the answer to all our problems. A good long lens technique & sturdy tripod in my opinion are far more important.
Use with teleconverters.
I currently own Nikon TC-14e (1.4x) & TC-17eII (1.7x) teleconverters. You lose 1 stop of light with the 1.4x & 1 ½ stops with the 1.7x making max apertures f5.6 & f6.7 respectively. The correct aperture is reported in the viewfinder when the TC is fitted. The 1.4x is almost invisible in use & AF speed & image quality are virtually unaffected. The 1.7x however is slower to AF with & can hunt a bit in bad light (though nowhere near as bad as on my old Sigma 500mm f4.5). On brighter days though, it is very usable & image quality is still good. VR still works with both TC’s. As I do not own a 2x converter, I can’t say through experience how good or bad the performance or image quality is. Other sources claim the trade off in 2 stops of light, at best dodgy AF, & reduced image quality is not worth the extra reach.
Other features.
Three focus modes: A/m: Autofocus with manual override (AF priority), M/a: Autofocus with manual override (MF priority), & M: Manual focus.
Memory recall: It is possible to set the AF to remember a focal point at a specified distance. This is good for instance if you have to swing the lens back to a branch, that a Kingfisher uses. You could be photographing a duck 50m away when you hear the shrill peeping call of a Kingfisher coming in to land on the branch. Press the memory recall button & swing the lens around & the Kingfisher should be already in focus.
Focus operation buttons: Four buttons are mounted around the lens, just in front of the focus ring. These can be configured to operate focus lock, memory recall or AF on. Because of the posisitioning, they should always be able to be reached, whatever orientation the lens is in.
52mm Drop in filter holder: Lenses of this size generally have a rear filter holder to take small cheaper filters. Imagine the price of a polarizing filter that fitted to the front element!
Conclusions.
A great lens, packed with features & stunning image quality. Price is generally higher than the Canon equivalent but is now dropping & at some retailers, it’s on a par. Is it worth the hefty price tag? Probably not. But as a long term investment (& it should outlive me), it does not seem so bad. Would I be without it? Definitely not!
Sigma 150mm F/2.8 APO Macro DG HSM
Build & performance
The EX designation signifies Sigma’s pro (or semi pro?) line up of lenses. Build quality is good, but in my opinion, not as good as a pro lens from the top manufacturers. The barrel is coated in a non reflective matt black paint which has an annoying habit of flaking, especially around the base of the tripod mount. This all said, I wouldn’t swap mine for the world. Image quality is absolutely amazing! The detail captured has to be seen to be believed. The large 72mm front element lets in loads of light, which is a bonus when using manual focus, the preferred method for macro & the barrel does not move in & out or rotate due to the internal focus design. The focus ring is wide & has a long throw, typical of dedicated macro lenses, to allow accurate manual focus down to 1:1 (life size). A HSM autofocus motor is fitted, which is quiet but relatively slow, again due to gearing of the lens. I have also used it as a short telephoto for twilight work & again the results are excellent.
Many people also look at the 180mm F/3.5 when considering which lens to buy. For me the choice came down to longer length or bigger aperture. The bigger aperture won due to the better low light performance & I can always add a Sigma 1.4x teleconverter to get extra length if needed. The 150 is also lighter & physically smaller & of course cheaper!
A word of caution. The Nikon TC-14e or TC-17eII will not physically fit onto this lens.
Features
A removable tripod mount is fitted & is sturdy enough for a relatively small lens & a tripod is desirable for macro work.
A focus limit switch can be found on the side of the barrel with three positions: full, 0.52m-infinity & 0.38-0.52m, handy for telephoto work or to get a rough focus for macro work, touching up manually afterwards.
Accessories
A soft case & lens hood are provided.
Conclusions
This is a much more versatile bit of kit than many other dedicated macro lenses. As a telephoto, it gets by. AF is relatively slow but the image quality more than makes up for this. And for macro, I don’t think you can get a better value for money lens. At around £400, it is cheaper than similar offerings from Nikon or Canon.
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 G AF-S VR IF ED
Build & performance
I bought this lens primarily to fill a gap. After a complete re-jig of the lenses I own, I found that I needed a mid range zoom for close up wildlife shots. For example for use with Badgers, where on some occasions, they have approached far too close for longer glass. My first impression of this lens was how heavy it seemed for a 200mm zoom (1.47kg). This lens is built like a tank with impressive build quality. The large front element (77mm) obviously contributes a fair bit to the weight, but the upside of course, is its greater light catching ability & the max aperture of F/2.8 is available throughout the 70-200 range. In dimly lit woods or at dusk or dawn, you will appreciate a fast lens. Autofocus is as fast, if not faster than the F/4 600mm that I own. The silent wave motor ensures quiet operation of AF & the focus ring & zoom rings are wide & smooth to operate. The lens stays the same length when zoomed in & out & also does not rotate when focusing, handy if using filters. The added benefit of using a zoom is of course that you can vary your composition without the need to change the lens. I have also taken this lens on holiday & used it fairy successfully in conjunction with a Nikon TC-17eII teleconverter, turning it into a handy 109-340mm F/4.7 lens. Autofocus does suffer a bit when using this TC as should be expected, but is still well up to the job of capturing birds in flight. Image quality without a TC is excellent & although not as sharp with the 1.7x attached, is still very usable. In my opinion the negligible loss of image quality is not worth worrying about. Most people would not notice a difference, especially after a bit of processing in the digital darkroom.
Features
The lens is fitted with Nikons Vibration reduction (VR) system to allow a claimed 3 stop advantage at slow shutter speeds. Having used this lens primarily hand held, I can say that the VR system definitely works & I experiments at speeds around 1/60 sec resulted in many keepers. There are two VR modes available, normal & active. The user manual states that active is for use in moving vehicles! Looking at the diagram in the manual, I think it is safe to assume that active roughly equates to the tripod setting on the 600. Normal is the setting of choice for hand holding & panning is automatically detected & compensated for. (Please read my thoughts on the use of image stabilisation systems on the 600mm page, as they also apply to the 70-200).
There are two autofocus modes, manual (M) & autofocus with manual override (M/A). The M/A mode allows touching up of focus using the focus ring, while lightly depressing the shutter release or the
AF-ON button.
Three focus lock buttons are situated around the end of the barrel, in front of the focus ring, the bottom one is slightly offset to allow easier access.
Internal focussing with 1.5m minimum focus distance could be useful for photographing dragonflies & butterflies during the summer & adding an extension ring would get you even closer.
Accessories
A soft lens case (CL-M2) & a petal type lens hood (HB-29) are provided. A removable tripod foot is a great touch. It clamps securely onto the non removable tripod mount ring with a turn of a knob allowing a quick change from tripod to hand held use. Replacement feet are available from manufacturers such as Kirk, Wimberley & Really-right-stuff. These have the added benefit of having Arca-swiss type dovetails machined into them so negating the need for separate lens plates. I have a Kirk replacement foot attached to mine.
Conclusion
This particular lens is probably due for an upgrade in the near future. The `internet experts’ are expecting VRII & changes to the lens configuration to stop or reduce vignetting when used on a body with a full frame sensor (e.g. the D3). Some users say it is not really a problem. I have not seen for myself or heard anyone say that they have had similar problems with a DX sensor. Prices at the moment are generally slightly lower than the Canon equivalent but could increase if a new version becomes available. Second hand prices are high, which is another measure of how good this lens really is. Is it worth waiting for the new version? Knowing Nikon, it could be out tomorrow, or in three years time! Who knows? I suppose if you have a D3 & the new version is announced shortly then yes. But don’t hold your breath!
I suppose the best place to start would be with the sheer dimensions of this beast. It is built to last & to a high standard. With the two piece HK-35 hood fitted, it measures in at a whopping 630mm (25 ½ “) long & has a diameter of 195mm (7 3/4“). With the supplied soft lens cover you can add a further 10mm (3/8”) to both the length & diameter. This size can cause problems in some of the public hides on nature reserves that have small openings, forcing you to remove the lens hood. Length is reduced to 445mm (17 ½”) when the hood is removed or reversed for transportation. Weight is 5.06 KG (11.1lbs) but to be fair does not seem overly heavy & balances beautifully when a pro camera is attached to the rear.
The lens comes supplied with two detachable feet, one for use with a monopod, the other for tripod use. The foot is attached via four cap head screws & while secure, does prevent a quick changeover. The tripod foot is also very high & can cause balance problems with some gimble tripod heads. For this reason, as well as for aesthetics, I have opted for a replacement Wimberley AP-452 tripod foot, which is a full 45mm (1 ¾”) shorter. This also has the advantage of having Arca-swiss compatible dovetails machined into it, getting rid of the need for separate lens plates. Also supplied is Aluminium, lockable trunk (CT-607), lens carrying strap & Allen key. The CT-607 can accommodate a pro body (not attached to the lens), as well as other bits & bobs in the separate small compartment inside the case.
Performance.
This is a big pricey pro lens, so expectations were high. I was not disappointed. The large f4 max aperture lets in a lot of light & coupled with the silent wave motor, focuses quietly & blindingly fast. The focus limit switch can be set to full (5m-infinity) or 10m-infinity, the latter setting coming in handy in low light or when using a teleconverter. Minimum focus is 5m, which for such a long lens is pretty good. You can of course get below 5m by using an extension ring. Used wide open at f4, the sharpness of this lens is excellent & my eyes cannot tell any difference once it’s stopped down.
Now for the question you have all been waiting for! Does the vibration reduction work? & does it work well? The answer to both parts is yes; it does work, but remember what it is called....Vibration reduction. When used on static subjects on a locked down tripod head on a hefty set of legs & the VR set to tripod, the results speak for themselves. In low light testing with VR on, images were noticeably crisper & sharper than when it was turned off. With the head unlocked (VR set to normal) or even handholding the lens, the VR system does a fairly good job. Results on moving subjects are variable but may be down to the photographer rather than the lens. The VR system is clever in the fact that it senses when you are panning & alters the parameters of the vibration reduction. This said, no stabilisation system can reduce blur induced by rapid subject movement, only high shutter speeds can do this. Focussing errors can also be mistaken for lens blur. Camera autofocus or user error, are usually the culprit. The only way to get sharp images of birds in flight for instance, is still to use a high shutter speed. The best way to think of this or any stabilisation system is as an added extra that in the right situation can make the difference. It is not however the answer to all our problems. A good long lens technique & sturdy tripod in my opinion are far more important.
Use with teleconverters.
I currently own Nikon TC-14e (1.4x) & TC-17eII (1.7x) teleconverters. You lose 1 stop of light with the 1.4x & 1 ½ stops with the 1.7x making max apertures f5.6 & f6.7 respectively. The correct aperture is reported in the viewfinder when the TC is fitted. The 1.4x is almost invisible in use & AF speed & image quality are virtually unaffected. The 1.7x however is slower to AF with & can hunt a bit in bad light (though nowhere near as bad as on my old Sigma 500mm f4.5). On brighter days though, it is very usable & image quality is still good. VR still works with both TC’s. As I do not own a 2x converter, I can’t say through experience how good or bad the performance or image quality is. Other sources claim the trade off in 2 stops of light, at best dodgy AF, & reduced image quality is not worth the extra reach.
Other features.
Three focus modes: A/m: Autofocus with manual override (AF priority), M/a: Autofocus with manual override (MF priority), & M: Manual focus.
Memory recall: It is possible to set the AF to remember a focal point at a specified distance. This is good for instance if you have to swing the lens back to a branch, that a Kingfisher uses. You could be photographing a duck 50m away when you hear the shrill peeping call of a Kingfisher coming in to land on the branch. Press the memory recall button & swing the lens around & the Kingfisher should be already in focus.
Focus operation buttons: Four buttons are mounted around the lens, just in front of the focus ring. These can be configured to operate focus lock, memory recall or AF on. Because of the posisitioning, they should always be able to be reached, whatever orientation the lens is in.
52mm Drop in filter holder: Lenses of this size generally have a rear filter holder to take small cheaper filters. Imagine the price of a polarizing filter that fitted to the front element!
Conclusions.
A great lens, packed with features & stunning image quality. Price is generally higher than the Canon equivalent but is now dropping & at some retailers, it’s on a par. Is it worth the hefty price tag? Probably not. But as a long term investment (& it should outlive me), it does not seem so bad. Would I be without it? Definitely not!
Sigma 150mm F/2.8 APO Macro DG HSM
Build & performance
The EX designation signifies Sigma’s pro (or semi pro?) line up of lenses. Build quality is good, but in my opinion, not as good as a pro lens from the top manufacturers. The barrel is coated in a non reflective matt black paint which has an annoying habit of flaking, especially around the base of the tripod mount. This all said, I wouldn’t swap mine for the world. Image quality is absolutely amazing! The detail captured has to be seen to be believed. The large 72mm front element lets in loads of light, which is a bonus when using manual focus, the preferred method for macro & the barrel does not move in & out or rotate due to the internal focus design. The focus ring is wide & has a long throw, typical of dedicated macro lenses, to allow accurate manual focus down to 1:1 (life size). A HSM autofocus motor is fitted, which is quiet but relatively slow, again due to gearing of the lens. I have also used it as a short telephoto for twilight work & again the results are excellent.
Many people also look at the 180mm F/3.5 when considering which lens to buy. For me the choice came down to longer length or bigger aperture. The bigger aperture won due to the better low light performance & I can always add a Sigma 1.4x teleconverter to get extra length if needed. The 150 is also lighter & physically smaller & of course cheaper!
A word of caution. The Nikon TC-14e or TC-17eII will not physically fit onto this lens.
Features
A removable tripod mount is fitted & is sturdy enough for a relatively small lens & a tripod is desirable for macro work.
A focus limit switch can be found on the side of the barrel with three positions: full, 0.52m-infinity & 0.38-0.52m, handy for telephoto work or to get a rough focus for macro work, touching up manually afterwards.
Accessories
A soft case & lens hood are provided.
Conclusions
This is a much more versatile bit of kit than many other dedicated macro lenses. As a telephoto, it gets by. AF is relatively slow but the image quality more than makes up for this. And for macro, I don’t think you can get a better value for money lens. At around £400, it is cheaper than similar offerings from Nikon or Canon.
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 G AF-S VR IF ED
Build & performance
I bought this lens primarily to fill a gap. After a complete re-jig of the lenses I own, I found that I needed a mid range zoom for close up wildlife shots. For example for use with Badgers, where on some occasions, they have approached far too close for longer glass. My first impression of this lens was how heavy it seemed for a 200mm zoom (1.47kg). This lens is built like a tank with impressive build quality. The large front element (77mm) obviously contributes a fair bit to the weight, but the upside of course, is its greater light catching ability & the max aperture of F/2.8 is available throughout the 70-200 range. In dimly lit woods or at dusk or dawn, you will appreciate a fast lens. Autofocus is as fast, if not faster than the F/4 600mm that I own. The silent wave motor ensures quiet operation of AF & the focus ring & zoom rings are wide & smooth to operate. The lens stays the same length when zoomed in & out & also does not rotate when focusing, handy if using filters. The added benefit of using a zoom is of course that you can vary your composition without the need to change the lens. I have also taken this lens on holiday & used it fairy successfully in conjunction with a Nikon TC-17eII teleconverter, turning it into a handy 109-340mm F/4.7 lens. Autofocus does suffer a bit when using this TC as should be expected, but is still well up to the job of capturing birds in flight. Image quality without a TC is excellent & although not as sharp with the 1.7x attached, is still very usable. In my opinion the negligible loss of image quality is not worth worrying about. Most people would not notice a difference, especially after a bit of processing in the digital darkroom.
Features
The lens is fitted with Nikons Vibration reduction (VR) system to allow a claimed 3 stop advantage at slow shutter speeds. Having used this lens primarily hand held, I can say that the VR system definitely works & I experiments at speeds around 1/60 sec resulted in many keepers. There are two VR modes available, normal & active. The user manual states that active is for use in moving vehicles! Looking at the diagram in the manual, I think it is safe to assume that active roughly equates to the tripod setting on the 600. Normal is the setting of choice for hand holding & panning is automatically detected & compensated for. (Please read my thoughts on the use of image stabilisation systems on the 600mm page, as they also apply to the 70-200).
There are two autofocus modes, manual (M) & autofocus with manual override (M/A). The M/A mode allows touching up of focus using the focus ring, while lightly depressing the shutter release or the
AF-ON button.
Three focus lock buttons are situated around the end of the barrel, in front of the focus ring, the bottom one is slightly offset to allow easier access.
Internal focussing with 1.5m minimum focus distance could be useful for photographing dragonflies & butterflies during the summer & adding an extension ring would get you even closer.
Accessories
A soft lens case (CL-M2) & a petal type lens hood (HB-29) are provided. A removable tripod foot is a great touch. It clamps securely onto the non removable tripod mount ring with a turn of a knob allowing a quick change from tripod to hand held use. Replacement feet are available from manufacturers such as Kirk, Wimberley & Really-right-stuff. These have the added benefit of having Arca-swiss type dovetails machined into them so negating the need for separate lens plates. I have a Kirk replacement foot attached to mine.
Conclusion
This particular lens is probably due for an upgrade in the near future. The `internet experts’ are expecting VRII & changes to the lens configuration to stop or reduce vignetting when used on a body with a full frame sensor (e.g. the D3). Some users say it is not really a problem. I have not seen for myself or heard anyone say that they have had similar problems with a DX sensor. Prices at the moment are generally slightly lower than the Canon equivalent but could increase if a new version becomes available. Second hand prices are high, which is another measure of how good this lens really is. Is it worth waiting for the new version? Knowing Nikon, it could be out tomorrow, or in three years time! Who knows? I suppose if you have a D3 & the new version is announced shortly then yes. But don’t hold your breath!
