500VR or 600VR? - 600 VR manageable on the monopod for BIF's

[Mário Esteves]

Hello everyone.
I intend to start myself on wildlife photography, mostly of small birds. I have the D700 and some lenses and I intend to acquire the 500 VR or 600 VR, Gitzo tripod and Wimberley II and eventually the D300s.
I am undecided between these 2 lenses, but the kind of subjects to photograph, it would be advisable to VR 600 at longer range. Yet their weight is an issue to handle for the BIF, for example.


Given your experience, would like to get your help for my decision on the following aspects:

• which lens should I choose?
• Which of these tripods is most advisable to support the 500 or 600? Gitzo 3530LS or 3541LS for 500 and 600, 3530LS or 3541LS for 500 and 5541LS for 600? (I am 1.75 m / 5 '10 "tall)
• The 600 VR is easily manageable with a monopod, eg for BIF?
• If yes, what is the most suitable head for the monopod?
  

Thank you for your attention and help.
Sorry for my poor English.
Yours sincerely,
Mário Esteves

[James Shadle]

600VR
5541LS - with VR a 3541LS will work.
The RRS mono-pod head works well, however I still prefer a tripod.

[Harshad Barve]

Another vote for 600mmVR , I have used that lens extensively with D700 , D300
600VR is awesome glass

[Danny J Brown]

I recommend buying the longest lens you can afford. You won't regret it. I use the Gitzo GT3530LS and it is more than enough for my 500/4. I'm 6' tall. Good luck.

[Roger Clark]

Mario,

Before deciding, I suggest thinking about use. How much will you carry the lens? And if a lot, how strong are you? Do you plan to travel with it to remote locations? A 600 mm lens plus tripod and head are a lot of weight and bulk to carry. Will you need to hike long distances withy it?

Having said that, the 600mm lens can certainly be a benefit, but it is only 20% more than a 500. A 500 can be put in a backpack with a lot of other lenses, bodies and accessories and still be airplane carry-on legal (at least in the US).

I was making this choice about a decade ago and opted for a 500 mm. I made the right choice for me as I travel by air a lot. If I did not travel be air, and only by car, I might have gone for the 600. In fact, a couple of years ago I decided I want to travel lighter sometimes so bought a 300 f/2.8.

Roger

[Marc Mol]

Mario,

Before deciding, I suggest thinking about use. How much will you carry the lens? And if a lot, how strong are you? Do you plan to travel with it to remote locations? A 600 mm lens plus tripod and head are a lot of weight and bulk to carry. Will you need to hike long distances withy it?

Having said that, the 600mm lens can certainly be a benefit, but it is only 20% more than a 500. A 500 can be put in a backpack with a lot of other lenses, bodies and accessories and still be airplane carry-on legal (at least in the US).

I was making this choice about a decade ago and opted for a 500 mm. I made the right choice for me as I travel by air a lot. If I did not travel be air, and only by car, I might have gone for the 600. In fact, a couple of years ago I decided I want to travel lighter sometimes so bought a 300 f/2.8.

Roger

I agree with Roger here, and is why I chose the 500VR, with my D3S it handles perfectly on my Sidekick/Gitzo3541LS tripod and RRS MH-01 hi-capacity head & GM3561 monopod.

Cheers
Marc

[Harshad Barve]

But 600 VR will give you 44% bigger image than 500VR :)

[Roger Clark]

But 600 VR will give you 44% bigger image than 500VR :)

I agree 44% by area, 20% linear. But if your targets mean significant hikes and with the heavier lens your either can't go as far or leave it at home, then you don't get any image. That is why I asked about use.

But if use is such that you do do not need to carry the equipment long distances, or one has the strength to carry it, then the bigger lens will get those small subjects at a distance.

But another way to look at it is to match a camera to a lens. For example, (I'm using canon examples because that is what I know), consider a 7D with a 500 mm lens versus a 1D Mark IV with a 600 mm lens. The 7D+500 will get more pixels on the subject (10% more linear measurement).

(Although in this case the 7D can only use a 1.4x TC and still have AF while the 1DIV can use a 2x, and 1DIV+600+2x will win, but that is a camera capability issue.)

I think the camera manufacturers make these trades so consumers have more choices and have to buy more to get all the capability they want.;)

Roger

[Mário Esteves]

Hello everyone.
I carefully read your wise opinions, which I thank you.
Although I too wish to acquire 600 Vr due to its greater range, perhaps your biggest weight does not make it sufficiently manageable without the tripod, although I travel mostly by car, but sometimes walk reasonable distances in the field. Given the same IQ of 500Vr, its easy handling and my inexperience with super telephoto lenses, I feel that this lens might be more appropriate for me at this stage. I'll think better and then decide. However, I would confirm that the 600Vr is fairly manageable with a monopod (?).
About tripods, which is de preferable, the 3530LS or 3541LS? Besides the number of segments in the legs, can not find other significant differences.
Thank you again for your valuable contribution and I wish you continue to make great pictures.

Mario

[Jim Fenton]

There is no deciding.

If you are shooting Nikon FF 12 MP bodies and are shooting small birds, the 500VR won't cut it.

I had a 500VR on DX bodies and moved to a 600 VR......even the 600 on a D700 and D3 I found to be insufficient on small subjects.

[Mário Esteves]

Hello Jim, thanks for your contribution.
I'm still very undecided about which one should I buy. I understand that 600Vr would be more advisable, since I will mainly shoot small birds and, in most cases, I will use a tripod. I would sometimes break free of the tripod, but my big fear is that even with a monopod it is not manageable.
With some frequency I like to walk and photograph animals without tripod and, in other situations, photographing birds in flight as well without a tripod. So it would be important for me to know if the 600Vr is fairly manageable on a monopod as it becomes very difficult to shoot without any support.
If so, I would think more seriously about acquiring 600Vr and a monopod.
Respects,

Mário

[Tony Whitehead]

For me the the 500VR + 1.4x is the compromise that works best for me using a D700 (mostly) and D300 (only when I absolutely need more reach). It remains hand holdable for BIF which for me the 600 wouldn't and fits in hand luggage for flying.

[Juan Aragonés]

Another vote for the 500VR, it is really handholdable and superb for BIF. Of course, a 600Vr has more reach but it is really heavy and it is balanced for a tripod, not for handholding.

[Nancy A Elwood]

Hello Jim, thanks for your contribution.
I'm still very undecided about which one should I buy. I understand that 600Vr would be more advisable, since I will mainly shoot small birds and, in most cases, I will use a tripod. I would sometimes break free of the tripod, but my big fear is that even with a monopod it is not manageable.
With some frequency I like to walk and photograph animals without tripod and, in other situations, photographing birds in flight as well without a tripod. So it would be important for me to know if the 600Vr is fairly manageable on a monopod as it becomes very difficult to shoot without any support.
If so, I would think more seriously about acquiring 600Vr and a monopod.
Respects,

Mário

I have never regretted getting the 500 instead of the 600. The 500 for me is just much more manageable. As for support, when I am not using a tripod, I am using the Quick Action Harness, which was developed by myself and my husband, and is now on the market. This is myself with a Canon 500mm f/4. I can walk around, following a subject very easily. Just a thought:). More info can be found at http://www.naturesportal.net/Service...Action-Harness.

[Mário Esteves]

Tony, Juan and Nancy, thanks for your valuable contribution.
For me it is very important to obtain this information because distributors do not have these supertelelens in stock, so I can not try.
Nancy, I was surprised by the color of your 500 ... changed? And Quick Action Harness is functional?
Again tank you.
Mário

[Nancy A Elwood]

Tony, Juan and Nancy, thanks for your valuable contribution.
For me it is very important to obtain this information because distributors do not have these supertelelens in stock, so I can not try.
Nancy, I was surprised by the color of your 500 ... changed? And Quick Action Harness is functional?
Again tank you.
Mário

I shoot Nikon, but this picture was taken with a perspective customers rig. Functional, yes very! I become the tripod and gimbal head. Where I turn to look the lens is ready, where I bend forward or backwards, the lens is ready. I can walk along inbetween shots without holding a lens, completing letting go. I am the pivot point.