I chose (did research and wasn't bound by equipment) Nikon because of much better support for work with off camera flash (CLS and better sync speeds).

I'm still heavily in DX. If Pantax had 1/250+ snyc speeds back then, I might have considered.

I love msmoto's Nikon F with its patina of use and love. Very nostalgic and romantic!

My last film camera was a Nikon F100 that I still have and I had several lenses for it that carried over into my first digital body- a D200. The F100 remains the best 35mm film camera I have ever used. What impressed me at the time was the seamless transfer to the D200, with almost all the controls being instantly familiar. I cannot comment on Canons as I have never used one but several colleagues of mine have them and they seem to produce very good results. They like them.

It might be worth remembering that before about 1990 or so, I don't think Canon really featured on the professional scene at all (mostly being used by keen amateurs) and therefore many photographers from the 60s, 70s and 80s grew up with Nikon as THE professional 35mm. camera and continued to use them after that. They had a reputation of being literally bullet proof- Don McCullin's Nikon F stopping a bullet in Vietnam that would have otherwise killed him as I remember.

My favourite camera is in my camera cupboard, unused for a couple of years now, my beautiful Horseman 5X4 monorail. I aim to shoot some B&W on it in the spring. I regret no longer having my stunning Nikkor lenses for it though!

Other than being heavily invested in Nikon-compatible equipment, my reason for sticking with Nikon is that I find the ergonomics better than the Canon-equivalent cameras, particularly at the semi-pro and pro end. Button and dial placement is much more comfortable to me on Nikon cameras.

Safyre.......don't worry about what "some people" think about K.R.; the guy's sharp as a tack on a lot of stuff; I just think he's "all wet" about "never needs no stinkin tripod"! Lotta people around who are just jealous of Ken; (how many guys you know who can make a great living with just a website ?) (answer: not many!)

Now;
Way back in "the day" I had a very nice Canon F-1; I loved that camera! I had a bunch of focusing screens for it, a REALLY cool flexible right angle "or straight through gadget that replaced the penta prism.......(wish I could use that thing on my D SLR); also had some VERY nice Canon FD lenses; then BAM! Canon went digital.....just like that ! "but what am I gonna do with all this "glass" that cost me a bundle ?" Canon: "Not our problem.....use 'em for door stops"!

I guess they figured if they came out with a new lens mount, everyone would just "run out" and buy all new glass ! I gotta tell you....that kinda pissed me off; (and please forgive my "course" language) So.......even before I went digital, I "upgraded" to a Nikon F-5; as far as I'm concerned, the thing has the finest view finder of any 35mm camera I have EVER looked through; I even bought a 300mm/ f:4 MF for it, an 80-200 / 2.8 , and about 4 more; guess what.........Nikon "went digital too"........and all that glass still works ! How's that ? Say you can't "get by" without auto focus ? Poor you! For some stuff, I prefer MF. (And I REALLY appreciate that Nikon didn't leave all of it's thousands of customers sitting with a pile of useless "glass" that they spent a fortune on !)

(I don't tell tell anyone who asks all of that; I just say "I prefer Nikon")

Charley

msmoto.

I too have had very good results with the 70-200mm f2.8 and the TC17. I am looking forward to using this with a TC2.0 III someday which should be even better. This is such a good lens! When I bought it, it nearly crippled me financially but it was worth every penny really and is my favourite portrait lens. To my surprise, it is also very good for product shots in studio and location as well and I often use it in preference to anything else.

@ DJBee49

Good point about the TC-20EIII with the 300mm f/4 being good. If one searches on the forum you will find a comparison I did with the 70-200mm f/2.8VRII with the TC-20EIII and when stopped down a stop it is excellent even when compared with the 400mm f/2.8VRII. Actually, the first generation of the 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR (Ser No 201XXX) is an excellent performer when I use it and compares favorably with the 400mm f/2.8 and the combination of 70-200 plus TC above. The primary issue with the 80-400mm is the focus speed.

@ msmoto Nikon will sometimes say a combination will not work when it actually does function under some good conditions. They like to error on the conservative side so no one can get into a hassle about promising something which is not true.

I am sure that this is true and makes the dissemination by users of the real day to day possibilities, without 'corporate responsibility' getting in the way, very important.

On a related note, the reason this is all important to me, and I suspect others, is that I can neither afford nor justify the purchase of a 300mm f2.8, or more pertinently, a 600mm f4- however much I would like one....or both! Therefore, the performance of the 300mm f4 and TCs of various strengths is of great interest. This is in fact why I got the D800, not for the 36 megapixels or the video (I don't shoot video and my D700 had ample sensor resolution for me) but for the ability of the sensor to accept good AF performance at maximum apertures of f8. Thus, when I can afford one, I will get the TC 2.0 III and have a usable 600mm lens set up. The D800 and TC2.0 III is a CHEAPER option-by about half- than purchasing a 300mm f2.8 and TC2.0 III. I know it still is not going to be quite as good as the f2.8 option but I am not in a position to choose this anyway. Perhaps I would if I was able to justify it from professional earnings but wildlife photography is a hobby, not my professional photographic sphere. Maybe one day!

@ DJBee49...excellent point about the physical limits and potential for rear element/TC element colliding. Once this happens I suspect it could destroy both lens and TC. Playing with the lenses and focus points is probably the best solution to figuring all this out.

Nikon will sometimes say a combination will not work when it actually does function under some good conditions. They like to error on the conservative side so no one can get into a hassle about promising something which is not true.

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Thanks for the replies.

In fact the 300mm f4 WILL autofocus with the TC17 and I believe the TC2 as well. I have successfully used this combination on my D700 many times. It sometimes hunts a little and can be slow but it does work- in moderately bright light at least. The D700 allows full autofocus at f5.6 but struggles a little at f7 or so, whereas the D800 is designed to allow autofocus at f8 so it should work perfectly well, which it does. As msmot suggests above, it works fine in single point servo and with 9 and 21 point AF settings. The problem is that I cannot SET either AF auto or AF 3D with this 300mm f4 and the TC 17. The camera just will not come up with the setting. I do not have any other TCs to try out as substitutes for the TC17. I suspect some sort of electrical conductivity problem with this particular lens or TC and wondered if anyone else had had the same problem and if so what the solution was.

This link says it all.

http://www.nikonusa.com/en_INC/IMG/Assets/Common-Assets/Images/Teleconverter-Compatibility/en_US_Comp_chart.html

The 1.7 Teleconverter will not let you AF with the 300 f/4.

I am just guessing, but it could be that the AF modes available at f/7 may be limited. If you have a TC-14EII, try it and see if it works.

The 300mm w/ TC-17EII works in single servo AF and in continuos servo with a single point, correct?

My 300mm f4 works fine on my D800. No problems. When I put my TC17 on it, I cannot select either 3d or Auto AF modes. When I put the TC17 on my 70-200mm f2.8 I can select all the AF modes. Curious. For some reason there is a specific problem with the 300mm and TC17. I have tried cleaning all the contacts to no avail. It may have been like this all along because I rarely use either 3D or Auto settings on this lens, indeed I may never have tried these settings on this lens before! All the other AF settings seem to work OK.

Any ideas anyone?

I know that this is not gonna be a popular answer, but it was originally Ken Rockwell that got me on the Nikon bandwagon. Back when I got my first SLR around 5 years ago, Ken's site had a large amount of information that helped make the foray into the DSLR market less intimidating. I know a lot of people have strong opinions of him, but one needs to realize that his target audience is beginners and amateurs; and for that he does a good job of telling people whats important to get out there and shoot, and not worry too much about the technical jargon. Now, that I've developed my craft, I very rarely check out his site anymore, but but his message still applies to this day, which is spend less time analyzing on the computer and more on actually shooting.

Nice thread.
I keep it simple.
I just say it has great glass and consistent reliability over time, any conditions, under a sickening amount of use by me.
I don't have to think so much or treat it like it's fragile.
I can just count on it, and I really like that.

fjota said:
Well, it is a good and easy question to be answered.
My first camera was a Nikon FE purchased in 1982 with a 55mm 2.8 MF MICRO lens that I use until now with my D7000 DX camera. There was others many steps between both cameras.
Since 1982, Nikon, for me, is a lifestyle, that reflect the attitudes, values and worldviews of your users and mine. The yellow color in the Nikon logo and in the square logo of the National Geographic Society are representations of adventure and proficient’s photographers living together, surrounded by the yellow color of the sunset in the Africa. Romantic, probably… But it is a real connection for many.
Our lifestyle controls our use of technology, while technology influences our lifestyles, Nikon did this with me.
fjota

Well, it is a good and easy question to be answered.
My first camera was a Nikon FE purchased in 1982 with a 55mm 2.8 MF micro lens that I use until now with my D7000 DX camera. There was others many steps between both cameras.
Since 1982, Nikon, for me, is a lifestyle, that reflect the attitudes, values and worldviews of your users and mine. The yellow color in the Nikon logo and in the square logo of the National Geographic Society are representations of adventure and proficient’s photographers living together, surrounded by the yellow color of the sunset in the Africa. Romantic, probably… But it is a real connection for many.
Our lifestyle controls our use of technology, while technology influences our lifestyles, Nikon did this with me.
fjota

msmoto said:
Well, I guess I could not resist this one... mine from the 1960's... a little used maybe...

Msmoto, that is beautiful.