p.43 #1 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
OwlsEyes wrote:
You won't go wrong with the 400 f2.8TC, it is a spectacular lens that just wants to be used.
I happen to use the Backlight 36L because I want to carry other gear with me. I shoot more than wildlife, so I want to have my wider zooms and primes along for the ride. In order to pack the lens with the camera and hood together in shooting position, you will need to buy a shorter replacement hood. Zemlin makes a hood that is half the length of the standard hood, and this substantially reduces the overall length of the kit. As Robert stated, I believe that this same set up will fit in your Kiboko bag. While I like the Kiboko, I find the straps to be a bit too flimsy and prefer a rear-entry system. I also use F-Stop Gear bags, but I do not like the way the 400TC packs into that bag.
See attached for how I pack my bag.
regards,
bruce
I had a look online at the Backlight which looks like a great bag, my only concern is that it shows up just a little longer than many airlines' carryon limits.
For some reason I thought I had the Kiboko 30l (I've had that bag since 2012), but I have the 22l - which is why I knew the 400/2.8 wouldn't fit in what I have lol
So I do need to shop for another bag. The Kiboko 30l fits the purpose and is within carryon limits. So that is an option I am familiar with, however I will definitely explore other options
p.43 #3 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
mholdef wrote:
I had a look online at the Backlight which looks like a great bag, my only concern is that it shows up just a little longer than many airlines' carryon limits.
For some reason I thought I had the Kiboko 30l (I've had that bag since 2012), but I have the 22l - which is why I knew the 400/2.8 wouldn't fit in what I have lol
So I do need to shop for another bag. The Kiboko 30l fits the purpose and is within carryon limits. So that is an option I am familiar with, however I will definitely explore other options ...Show more →
have a look at this thread on BCG. we go over a ton of different bags to carry the big primes, and which ones work for airlines and whatnot
I find the Nya Evo 60L with the XL ICU to be the best travel bag.
The Mr Jan Boris IV seems to have the most room and good for local travel.
MS36L is a great local backpack, but oversized for most - if not all airlines. Many have squeaked by with it, but I don't like taking that risk. I only use ICU bags when I travel, because it guarantees that my gear will come with me
Generally speaking, the Gura Gear is similar to the Mr Jan Boris IV - with one huge difference being that it opens from the back. Meaning if you use it in the field, you will have to put the bag down on the side that will eventually end up on your back. It's a deal breaker for me.
Also as reported, the Gura Gear is great for travel in cars/planes, but it is not very comfortable if you actually carry your gear any amount of distance (hiking, camping, etc.).
lukemeup wrote:
Randoms from the weekend. All options - bare / TC1.4 / 2xTC1.4 I still need to get used to panning with this beast. My 800PF has a new owner.
Excellent images! Glad to hear you are liking it. I know you were a huge poster in the 800PF thread, so it's good to see the transition went well.
I started with the 400TC + 800PF pair, but like Bruce (and now you) I found the 400TC to be better at every single focal length and aperture. The only downside is the weight.
I find images from the 400TC + 2x to be much better than the 800PF.
The 400TC has incredible flexibility, and is probably hands down the best travel wildlife lens. I'm still thinking of swapping to the 600TC for more reach, since 600/800mm are my most used focal lengths, but it sure is hard to part with how "small" the 400TC is relatively.
p.43 #4 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Many thanks ! I actually have never heard about Nya-Evo, shows how disconnected I've been from the world of bags lol (Most of my photography is around dance and sports, I do wildlife but my last bag bought is a Kiboko 22L 12 years ago)
I've been reading through stuff at BCG, and seems like the Nya-Evo is the bag that rises to the top.
Will a 400/2.8 with hood fit in the bag when is compressed ? Does adding the XL ICU require expanding the bag or can be used compressed?
nmerc_photos wrote:
have a look at this thread on BCG. we go over a ton of different bags to carry the big primes, and which ones work for airlines and whatnot
I find the Nya Evo 60L with the XL ICU to be the best travel bag.
The Mr Jan Boris IV seems to have the most room and good for local travel.
MS36L is a great local backpack, but oversized for most - if not all airlines. Many have squeaked by with it, but I don't like taking that risk. I only use ICU bags when I travel, because it guarantees that my gear will come with me
Generally speaking, the Gura Gear is similar to the Mr Jan Boris IV - with one huge difference being that it opens from the back. Meaning if you use it in the field, you will have to put the bag down on the side that will eventually end up on your back. It's a deal breaker for me.
Also as reported, the Gura Gear is great for travel in cars/planes, but it is not very comfortable if you actually carry your gear any amount of distance (hiking, camping, etc.)....Show more →
p.43 #6 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
mholdef wrote:
Many thanks ! I actually have never heard about Nya-Evo, shows how disconnected I've been from the world of bags lol (Most of my photography is around dance and sports, I do wildlife but my last bag bought is a Kiboko 22L 12 years ago)
I've been reading through stuff at BCG, and seems like the Nya-Evo is the bag that rises to the top.
Will a 400/2.8 with hood fit in the bag when is compressed ? Does adding the XL ICU require expanding the bag or can be used compressed?
From what I can tell, Nya Evo is a relatively new (or unknown) bag manufacturer. I had never heard of them until Jan Wagener mentioned the brand on his YT channel.
They're also EXTREMELY expensive for what they are... but hey, if you have $15K+ in camera gear, what's $700 on a backpack? I'd much rather buy once and cry once than show up to an airport excited for a trip, only to be told they have to check my bag or that I couldn't bring my gear with me.
Yes - all dimensions provided are when the extra hood is compressed. It fits with plenty of room. The bag will fit a Z9 + 600TC which is almost 2.25" longer.
Using the XL does not require expanding of the bag. It's hard to describe, but if you watch some videos or if you get the bag yourself - you'll see. I don't ever plan on using the bag in its extended form. There isn't a need for the type of stuff I do.
NaturRosi wrote:
Some random wildlife shots.
Excellent photos as always NaturRosi.
No disrespect to the other great photographers in here, but I find your images to be the top.
Are you usually shooting from hides? Or do you approach this wildlife out in nature?
p.43 #7 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
nmerc_photos wrote:
[Excellent photos as always NaturRosi.
No disrespect to the other great photographers in here, but I find your images to be the top.
Are you usually shooting from hides? Or do you approach this wildlife out in nature?
Thanks a lot for the great compliment.
It really depends on what I want to photograph. For badgers and foxes, stationary camouflage is almost a necessity in Germany. However, I also spend a lot of time freely roaming in nature. The location and species are crucial in determining the best approach to achieve success.
p.43 #11 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
mholdef wrote:
Beautiful
Love the seal 😌
Thanks for commenting... that was a lot of fun to watch, as it was trying to eat a skate... the last shot is the seal attempting to control, kill, and chew one tough fish.
p.43 #12 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Just picked up this lens a few days ago. Haven't done much shooting except my kids and backyard critters, but I love how it renders and the bokeh is marvelous
p.43 #13 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
some from this weekend. looks like the baby loons are big enough to feed themselves, so my season is probably done. bucks are getting bigger - excited to see if I can find any of them in the woods this fall!
taking pics from the road is easy, but all the pics look boring
p.43 #15 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
A few more casual photos from my backyard. Amazed at the detail this can render, either @ f/2.8 or f/4 with the TC. Color, contrast and light falloff really standout. All @ 400mm f/2.8 except for 2nd image which is 560mm f/4 with TC
p.43 #17 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Some weeks ago I bought this great lens and have been happy to use it. Only one thing a little bit disturbing and it is vignetting with external 1.4x TC. If I use external 1.4X TC, image corners coming very dark but if I using internal TC, not. Also internal TC + external TC, vignetting is okey. And also with external 2x TC vignetting is not bad. Of course, I understand that in post-processing it can be easily removed, but it strange that the vignetting is so strong with 1.4x TC.
So I have been wondering if this is normal for this combination? Do You have same experience if using external 1.4x TC?
p.43 #18 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
Just bought this lens a few weeks ago, price is 14K€ in France, got it for 12.7€ which is a great price. I've seen refurbished models pop up in the US, but never in France until yesterday, and in addition was discounted 10% to 9.5K€ ! I can tell you was sold within the hour...missed opportunity!!!
p.43 #19 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
pietipe wrote:
Some weeks ago I bought this great lens and have been happy to use it. Only one thing a little bit disturbing and it is vignetting with external 1.4x TC. If I use external 1.4X TC, image corners coming very dark but if I using internal TC, not. Also internal TC + external TC, vignetting is okey. And also with external 2x TC vignetting is not bad. Of course, I understand that in post-processing it can be easily removed, but it strange that the vignetting is so strong with 1.4x TC.
So I have been wondering if this is normal for this combination? Do You have same experience if using external 1.4x TC?
I use the combination of internal and external 1.4x TC's whenever I'm anticipating a shoot with small birds. I don't use this combination for distant subjects, as I think cropping is better when atmospheric conditions might influence the final image.
I sold my 800PF to buy the 400 f2.8TC and have stacked converters on and off for about a year now and am confident that the quality of the final output is essentially the same.
The key to optimize your image and minimize vignetting is two-fold... be sure to expose accurately. Underexposure will emphasize the vignetting that is inevitable with stacked converters. The second is to run your image through DxO pure raw before doing any adjustments. DxO Pure Raw can be used as a LR plugin and has been designed to optimize lens/camera/sensor combinations. When done, the file is dumped into a lightroom collection as a DNG file, so you still have the dynamic range of a raw file to finish your image.
I have no connection with DXO, but suggest you try their 30 day trial and see if this improves things for you.
p.43 #20 · Official Nikon 400/2.8S image thread + some discussions
pietipe wrote:
Some weeks ago I bought this great lens and have been happy to use it. Only one thing a little bit disturbing and it is vignetting with external 1.4x TC. If I use external 1.4X TC, image corners coming very dark but if I using internal TC, not. Also internal TC + external TC, vignetting is okey. And also with external 2x TC vignetting is not bad. Of course, I understand that in post-processing it can be easily removed, but it strange that the vignetting is so strong with 1.4x TC.
So I have been wondering if this is normal for this combination? Do You have same experience if using external 1.4x TC?
I've used my external 1.4TC with my 400TC a handful of times and I did not have any vignetting. Not sure if it matters, but I also didn't use the OEM hood--I used a shorter Zemlin hood.
I still need to get used to panning with this beast. My 800PF has a new owner. 
