Did you end up getting the 500mm PF? I’m looking at getting a prime 500mm Nikon and my choices were the ED-VR, a AF-S D or the PF. The AF-S D being non-VR is lighter than the VR version, still pin sharp though and much cheaper. The PF is virtually impossible get hold of but is still a little slow at f5.6 BUT is much smaller and lighter than both the other 500’s. I had dismissed the 200-500 because of it’s slower focussing speed but you simply cannot be failed to be impressed when you get images like you have.
Unfortunately not yet , I was very close but now thinking of either a 500mm PF or might sound crazy a Sony A9 or A7R4 with 200-600 , if only this 200-500 was quicker I'd be happy . I missed another shot last week of a Sparrow Hawk flying towards me , I managed to keep it in the VF but the 200-500 motors are so slow it was too late. I've learned to use my thumb on the 200-500 focus adjuster to help speed things up but this time it wasn't quick enough. Its causing me a little frustration with some BIF , I know the 500mm f4 would have nailed it but that is just too large and apparently these Sony's are supposed to have fantastic AF with even the slower zooms. If the 500mm PF is quicker to grab and good for tracking it'll be great :/
There's a lot of pro folks moving from Nikon and Canon to the Sony A9 mk2. Canon are still plodding on with the 1Dx mk3 but that'll be the last pro spec DSLR from them. Both Nikon and Canon have been slow to respond to the Sony A series cameras and it's starting to cost them users. I fear for Nikon in the pro area but Canon still have great glass that you see on the end of Sonys so I think they can ride things out till they launch the pro version of the R but that won't arrive until Canon have sold enough 1Dx Mk3s to recoup the R&D on it. How much R&D there actually is on such an old platform I don't know.
You won't go far wrong if you go for the Sony - get to a decent Wex store and try one out and this is coming from a Canon user of 30 years!
Great pics you're getting with the 200-500 especially on the D850 -what a camera that is - amazing image quality for the money!
Kind Regards, Rack.
Thank you, I've still never printed any of my shots , just on my HD and uploaded to Flickr . You should give wildlife photography a go, I find it quite enjoyable especially being out away from too many peopleYour images are superb @ron - makes me wish I was a wildlife photographer!
I hope you are printing these!
8 guys I sometimes see when out was all Canon users for many years but 6 of them have now moved over to Sony , a couple A9 the others A7R4 (one owns both) I think I'll have to try and rent one at some stage just to see how I got on with it . TBH think I'm pushing the 200-500 as far as it'll go , must admit though I love the canon glass . I tried a friends 1DX mk2 with latest 600mm f4 , I was amazed how light that lens is , I was expecting it to weight a ton
Would be interested to hear from people who've gone to Sony how they find the user interface, as that seems to be where complaints are centred on Sony.
Years ago I had a Nex 7 CSC, the menus were awful...and almost every time I picked it up I found I had inadvertently started video capture.
Thank youLovely shot of the Kingfisher.