So much information out there....

[Saudistu]

Hi Everyone from over here in Germany. I have a bit of a dilemma at the moment. I recently bought a D7100 and I love it with the kit lens it came with, the 18-105VR. To go alongside it I bought a 55-300, but to be honest, I am pretty disappointed with the results. I mainly shoot Aircraft, and I just cannot get good sharpness even after playing around in NX2. I know that at this time of the year heat haze plays a big part, but even photos taken when it is cool are not as sharp as I would like, and here is the problem...

I have heard that the 70-300 is a whole lot better optically, and normally I would consider selling the 55-300 and getting the 70-300, but now I see that several sites, and people on Flickr and such like are saying that the Tamron 70-300 is as good, or even better. Here in Germany it would cost me the equivalent of $438 for the Tamron and $705 for the Nikon. Would you say that the difference in price is justified ? For the difference I could go out and also get a 35mm F1.8 DX at $233 ! Has anyone tried both, and if so what do you think ? Typically I am shooting at 180-250mm. Of course I wish I could stretch to the money for a 70-200 F2.8 but that isn't going to happen. More likely is the 80-400 in a few years. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Dave_W]

Have you fine tuned your lenses to your D7100?

 

[Nathan Lanni]

Dave,

I tuned my 18-200mm but I read a little later that focus may change at various focal legnths. Is this correct, and if so what is the optimal mm?

 

[Saudistu]

Have you fine tuned your lenses to your D7100?

Hi Dave. I was under the impression that fine tuning wasn't really workable with zoom lenses. Do you think it would make any real difference ? Are there any easy to follow guides available for my lens ? Thanks for any advice.

 

[Dave_W]

I don't know the perfect answer for a zoom. I tuned my zooms at approx 50% focal length and it seemed to put all the focal lengths in tune. But I don't know if this is the best way or not.
As for tuning charts, my favorite chart has a built in fold that puts you exactly at 45 degrees is no longer available via the internet (not sure why) but if you send me a PM I'll forward the pdf file to you. It comes complete with instructions.

 

[Saudistu]

I don't know the perfect answer for a zoom. I tuned my zooms at approx 50% focal length and it seemed to put all the focal lengths in tune. But I don't know if this is the best way or not.
As for tuning charts, my favorite chart has a built in fold that puts you exactly at 45 degrees is no longer available via the internet (not sure why) but if you send me a PM I'll forward the pdf file to you. It comes complete with instructions.

Thanks Dave. PM sent. For everyone else, I am still interested on opinions regarding the quality difference between the Nikon 55-300 and the Nikon and Tamron 70-300 lenses. I could get around 200 Euro if I sold the 55-300, so my additional expense if I went for the Tamron would only be 130 Euro anyway. If I went for the Nikon it would be more like 330 Euros. I do quite like the idea of the Tamron AND also a Nikon 35mm F1.8 AF-S G lens though. Just need to be tipped in that direction rather than the Nikon 70-300 direction

 

[Dave_W]

You may not want to hear this but I love my Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.5 VRII lens. In fact, I've held off buying the 70-200mm f/2.8 because my 70-300mm does such a good job. Yes, I do suffer somewhat on the low light issue but it sure delivers some crispy sharp images. Take a look at my hummingbird shots, they're all passed through the 70-300mm

 

[Mestre]

Well, i had a Tamron 70-300 VC USD and it was a great lenses, VC is quiet good and the AF speed is also very fast. I only sold it when i bought the Nikon 70-200.
However, finetuning the 55-300 should be your first move.

 

[gqtuazon]

I am pretty disappointed with the results. I mainly shoot Aircraft, and I just cannot get good sharpness even after playing around in NX2. I know that at this time of the year heat haze plays a big part, but even photos taken when it is cool are not as sharp as I would like, and here is the problem...

Taking aviation shots will require a 300mm in most cases such as when you attend an air show. May I ask what shutter speed do you take your pictures? Do you use AF-C? Focus priority or shutter priority?

I would hold off in buying a lens for now until you familiarize yourself with the controls and functions of your camera.

If I was going to get a longer FL lens, for zoom, I would get the 80-400mm new VRII lens. For prime, the 300mm f4 AFS lens would be it. Save a little bit more and get the lens that you really want so that you avoid buying and selling.

 

[Saudistu]

Taking aviation shots will require a 300mm in most cases such as when you attend an air show. May I ask what shutter speed do you take your pictures? Do you use AF-C? Focus priority or shutter priority?

I would hold off in buying a lens for now until you familiarize yourself with the controls and functions of your camera.

If I was going to get a longer FL lens, for zoom, I would get the 80-400mm new VRII lens. For prime, the 300mm f4 AFS lens would be it. Save a little bit more and get the lens that you really want so that you avoid buying and selling.

I don't actually do Airshows. I take pictures of Civil Aircraft, usually approach shots or on the ground. I have AF-C with Focus priority and my shutter speed I try to keep at 1/800 as the slowest speed. I also try to keep the ISO at 100 if possible. This is all OK on nice days and I can usually end up with 1/1000 F9 ISO 100. The 80-400 would be the perfect lens, but it is too pricey at the moment. I have had a play around with the calibration settings with this lens and it doesn't seem to matter which settings I apply from all the ranges between +20 and -20 within the camera, the outcome is the same, pictures are pretty soft anywhere past around 120mm. I know it's not the body as the 18-105 is really sharp, even at 105mm. I guess you get what you pay for. The Tamron and the Nikon 70-300 are both given much better reviews than the 55-300. I will see if I can field test one and go from there.

 

[donaldjledet]

I have the 35mm f1.8 And i love it .
Also with the D7100.
There is a thread here in Nikonites
called D7100 and 35mm. photos.
So look there for a few shots with the 35mm.
Now I'm fairly new so some of them shots could
be better still learning.
​Hope this helps. Also Welcome to Nikonites.

 

[Moab Man]

You didn't have any examples posted of you pictures you're unhappy with. However, I have the 55-300mm lens and have posted below my images with this lens to help you decide if its not up to the quality you want or maybe your technique.

​

 

[Saudistu]

I think I may be expecting more than I can get. I look at some of the pictures on Airliners.net and they are so crisp. I have to admit that at this time of year where I live it is going to be nigh on impossible to get a really sharp image at an airport due to the temperatures. I will keep this lens for now and just add a 35mm F1.8 for everyday use. Is there a limit to picture size (resolution or physical size in Mb) that can be uploaded ? I could upload a few for people to see if I am misreading it. One thing I read recently was that with the larger resolution pictures you can have a problem if your display is not up to it. I have a LG 23" LCD monitor with a resolution set at 1920 x 1080. Maybe a 6000 x 4000 image is going to struggle when it is compressed down to that resolution ?

 

[Moab Man]

Set to 72ppi and 1000 pixels on the long horizontal side.

 

[Moab Man]

Looking at those images on Airliner.net, and the sharpness of some of the images, I'm sure they were shot with high end professional lenses. The question is not so much the camera as how much are you willing to spend on a single lens in the $1000's.

Anyone disagree?

 

[Saudistu]

Looking at those images on Airliner.net, and the sharpness of some of the images, I'm sure they were shot with high end professional lenses. The question is not so much the camera as how much are you willing to spend on a single lens in the $1000's.

Anyone disagree?

That's my guess also now, although I see plenty of really sharp images with the 70-300 on D7000 bodies etc. My wife told me she would get me the 80-400 for my 50th. I just have to wait a couple more years for that one. I will upload a couple of images later. Both are cropped, one from a JPG and one a converted NEF to JPG image.

 

[Saudistu]

Here are a couple. The 737 was straight from a JPG, the 380 was a NEF to JPG conversion. When you zoom in on them they look terrible, but I think that is only because of the cropping for the site....

Hope I did it right. First time I have tried to upload !

 

[Moab Man]

Have you done any post work? Sharpening? There is a lot that post does for digital images.

 

[Saudistu]

Have you done any post work? Sharpening? There is a lot that post does for digital images.

The 737 has been sharpened and had the contrast/brightness adjusted. The A380 is just a straight crop of a converted NEF to JPG. Nothing else altered. I have Capture NX2, but I am still getting used to it. I think I need to look at some video tutorials

 

[AC016]

I can certainly add a few things here: I had the Tamron 70-300mm VC USD and it is an excellent lens and is on par with the Nikon equivalent. Prior to that lens, I had the entry-level 55-200mm lens and took over a thousand photos of aircraft with it. I had zero problems with it when it came to producing nice, clean photos. Yes, there are many very nice photos on airliners.net. But keep in mind that the guys who take these photos, spend a lot of time post processing them and yes, I am sure that many of them have pro-grade lenses. To get your photo on airliners.net is like a rite of passage and when it happens, it's almost like losing your virginity. So yes, those photos are heavily worked on and are one of hundreds that were taken by the same person. Keep in mind that sharpness is like a tango: you and the camera have to work well together to get the results. If I were you, I would not pixel peep to much and just work on your shooting technique more and perhaps learn more about post processing.