Nikon D7100 and Nikon 70-200mm f4 Lens: Action-friendly DSLR and lens combo for under $2500

Nikon D7100 and Nikon 70-200mm f4 Lens: Action-friendly DSLR and lens combo for under $2500

Submitted by David Cardinal on Wed, 07/31/2013 - 10:15

For those looking to photograph wildlife, sports or other action without breaking the bank, you can’t do better than the DSLR coupled with the new . After shooting with them for two weeks in Alaska (as my second body & flight lens) I was thoroughly happy with both their performance and the resulting images. Sure, they are not going to deliver the same results as a coupled with the new or , but they are a fraction of the cost and much smaller and lighter.

 


The + combo is a joy to hand hold. I photographed this Sea Otter
during our recent Alaska photo safari from a moving boat with no trouble at all.
+ @ 200mm
1/500s @ f/11, ISO 800, Matrix-metered

 

There has already been a lot written about the , so I’m not going to try to do it justice with a full in-depth review here (Jim Fisher has done a in PC Mag). Suffice it to say it is a nice upgrade from my previous favorite small DSLR, the Nikon D7000. Along side all the obvious upgrades, like to a new 24MP sensor (from 16MP) and 51-point (from 39-point) AF, there are some really nice features Nikon has thrown in. Removing the anti-aliasing filter definitely helps with sharpness – that option costs $300 on the or just about as much if done in the form of an aftermarket conversion. Nikon has also fixed the most glaring usability problem with the D7000 – the mode dial now has a lock like it does on the . That prevents the shooting mode from being accidentally changed when the camera is moved or taken out of your bag.


By keeping my in a while I photographed these bears,
I was able to bring it around for some shots I couldn’t get with my longer, tripod-mounted camera and lens. 
+
1/750s @ f/6.7, ISO 400, Matrix-metered

Less well known is the relatively new . When I first looked at it when it was announced, I wasn’t sure how it would get used. After all, Nikon already has a seriously excellent , and the new model isn’t all that much smaller or lighter. However, it is $1,000 less expensive. That plus the smaller size and easier hand-holding make it a great match for Nikon’s smaller-sized DSLRs – Like the and in particular – both in budget and in capability.

Sports shooting on a budget

When I photograph sports professionally, like most pros I use a full-frame DSLR, large and expensive telephoto lens, and often either a tripod or monopod. However, that much gear and hassle is typically well beyond what most parents or hobbyists want to deal with. Fortunately the combination of DSLR and fills the bill for many of them quite nicely. The APS-C sensor gives the lens an effective focal length of 300mm – 420 with a 1.4x TC – and the combination of un-aliased sensor and quality optics provide images that are plenty sharp. Night or indoor sports would still benefit from the better low light sensitivity of a full-frame model like the or , but for field sports or well-lit indoor venues, the D7100 + 70-200 f/4 combo gets the job done in a compact package for under $2500 total.

 


200mm on the APS-C sensor of the was just about right for full-frame America’s Cup shots.
NOTE: Haze is the fog on that day, not because of the camera or lens.
+ @ 200mm
1/350s @ f/16, ISO 400, Matrix-metered

But I really want a Nikon D400, do I have to settle for this?

Prosumer die-hards sticking with DX (APS-C) sensor size have had short shrift from both Nikon and Canon for years. There hasn’t been any innovation in the $2K DX camera space since the Nikon D300 years ago (sure the D300s added video and a second slot, but it didn’t improve image quality). Instead they’ve been treated to a tough choice of moving “down market” to the Nikon D7000 or now the , or abandoning their DX-hegemony and opting for the larger, more expensive full-frame bodies and lenses. Fortunately, the is really close to delivering the goods. It produces hands-down better images, at higher-resolution, than the D300 and D300s, and features improved AF as well as worlds better video. Improved weather sealing also make it more attractive for field use. However, it does require all new accessories. More importantly for me, it is still limited to 6fps – even with the vertical grip – so there is no way to match the 8 fps possible with the D300 family. The higher resolution images also mean the buffer can fill up more quickly – although the now features non-stop JPEG capture at 6 fps up to 100 frames, so JPEG shooters shouldn’t have any trouble at all.


I grabbed this quick flight shot of 3 Oystercatchers while our boat was moving at  full speed cruising
between islands in the Cook Inlet. The birds were almost past us when I saw them, but the AF on my
was quick enough to get a frame while they were still in profile. 
+ @ 155 mm
1/6000s @ f/6.7, ISO 560, Matrix Metered

Summary: Are the or for you?

If you are looking for an all-around great performing camera that won’t break the bank, the is as good as it gets. With excellent ergonomics and image quality, plus 6fps shooting speed and 1080p HD video, there really isn’t anything to dislike. Similarly, if you want a lens fit for flight and action photography and would like more performance than you can get from a 70-300mm model, but don’t want to break the bank on a 70-200 f/2.8 version, the should fit your needs. You can get the for $ and the from – making the total price of the combo less than $2500.

If you're hung up on f/2.8 performance but want to stick with the $2500 budget, the fits the bill nicely, coming in at $.

Note that the does not come with a tripod collar by default. You need to .

 


Grabbing some quick “environmentals” is another great use
for a mid-range zoom and camera combo at the ready.
+ @ 70mm
1/180s @ f/19, ISO 400, Matrix-metered

 


While on the short side for typical bird photographs, group shots like this one work well at 70-200mm
+ @ 200mm
1/2000s @ f/6.7, ISO 800, Matrix-metered