8 replies to this topic

[Silversailor]

I'm a new user of a d3200. I am using the kit lens, especially the 55-200mm 1.4 5.6GED. I'd like to do more bird photos and want to know what is the max focal length this camera will support. Nikon seems to have up to 300 mm. Would it be possible to use a Tamron ?...400mm?

This was shot at 200 mm, 1/4000s, f 10.0, ISO 400, shutter priority. I did some in-camera touch up which brought out the bird and then I cropped it on my ipad mini:

[Russ]

I beleive there is a Nikon 800-1200mm somewhere out there.

 

Your camera supports any focal length you can throw at it.

[nova85]

Silversailer - Nice picture.  I'm curious on how close you were to the bird.  I took this picture today with a D5300 and the same lens you used at 200mm, 1/1000s, f/8, ISO 800 and had to do major cropping in LR and some sharpening.  I'm guessing I was 200 yards (183 meters) from the eagles.  I like your  picture much better.  I'm assuming I was  way over the capability on the lens. 

 

attachment=4672:Dad and Tricia-1791.jpg]

 

 

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Silversailor]

I will post the original for comparison. BTW, I'm finding that most of my shots need some brightening with this camera. I guess I haven't found the majic combination.


magic, oops

My husband thinks I was about 30 feet or so away.

[Russ]

That particular shot would need brighening as you are shooting a white bird, and all the reflections off the water are bright, so the camera says to itself "crikey, this guy's shooting something very bright, I'd better darken the photo for him".  You could have changed your exposure compensation to +0.7 or 1.0 or whatever.

 

Remember if it's bright it's a + compensation, if it's dark it's a - compensation. Your camera is trying to make every picture average out to 18% grey (or some figure like that).

[Silversailor]

Thanks for explaining that. I wasn't sure when I would know when to use the ec button. I need to go to the beach and practice with the ec button and see what happens.

[deano]

Still a pretty good capture of the sea gull.

[asque2000]

I think the focal length support is really based on the lens not the camera.  As mentioned, you can put a 1200mm lens on there and it should work.  Usually for birding, the pros suggest nothing less than 400mm, but you can get good shots with 200 or 300mm.  

 

My question would be do they make teleconverters that work well with the 3200 and supported lenses? Nikon has some for sale, but I don't think they work with the kit lenses which is a bummer. Perhaps third party? 

[Russ]

Yes Nikon's TCs only fit some lenses, but 3rd party ones may fit other lenses. Trouble is if you put a 1.4x TC on a 55-200 you are cutting down on 1 stop of light, meaning AF will probably struggle, esp. at the long end where it has becone a f8 lens.

 

Of course they also deteriorate the image quality a bit too - more glass in the way.