What would the best lens be to photograph Birds in Flight to go with a D850. I would like to spend under 2000. Apparently I am learning that the Nikon 80-400 focuses too slowly to on the moving target to get clear clean results with regularity.
How fast a shutter speed is required to get it right?
Thank you so much!
This may sound like a crazy idea at first , but hear me out.
With a 2000.00 dollar budget, I would pick up a Nikon 200-500 mm F/5.6 lens and attach it to a refurb D7200. (It might run a few hundred over your budget, but it will be close)
Now you have a nice reach (500mm with a crop camera will give you close to 750mm if you had it on your D850)
Plus, now you also have a spare camera if something should go wrong with your D850 and need to send it out for repairs. It might be worth at least thinking about.
As far as shutterspeeds go for BIF , the faster you can get away with the better. I try not to get below 1600 if I can help it.