When friends ask…
Living on or near the water can be a photographer’s dream.
A good friend lives on the Chesapeake Bay. He asked me recently what lens he could add to his Nikon D3400 to better capture the birds they see along the water. As a photographer in my circle of friends, most of who are NOT photographers, what’s the best answer? Buy a lens that costs more than the camera? Suggest investing in a newer camera with better lenses? There is a $600 answer AND a $6000 answer.
After a little consideration, I DO think investing in the Nikon D3400 isn’t the answer. Even if he added a Nikon 200-500 at under $1000, the camera would struggle to focus and his burst speed would leave him unsatisfied on the first heron that flew past. That lens is also big and heavy. Find a good used Nikon D500? That could be a really good solution since it will function much like his D3400. Many really good wildlife shoots swear by the Nikon D500.
Shot at Viera Wetlands while there were still birds there.
But where do I start? Not everyone wants to be as involved in the process. Certainly not everyone wants/needs the latest and greatest, they just want the simplest path to the results they’re after. He already HAS a Nikon 70-300mm for his camera, giving him the rough equivalent of 450mm. Many great wildlife shots have been captured with less focal length. Do I actually suggest he switch systems so he can use a Fujifilm body with the same 70-300mm zoom in Fujifilm’s lenses that takes a 1.4x converter for extra reach?
In all truth, the D3400 is discontinued. Nikon will probably make no more DSLRs in favor of the newer mirrorless technology. I could recommend a Nikon Z50 with an FTZ(II) adapter and he’d be using his current lens on a newer body. But now to add some range… Nikon 200-500? Still big, slow, and heavy though on that camera it would be an equivalent of 300-750 (approximately). I think the smart money would be to grab the Z50 now, and wait for the new Nikon 200-600 reportedly coming very soon. At around $1500 it is expensive, but made for Nikon’s Z-system and the APS-C equivalent of about 300-900. A first-gen FTZ adapter is about $100 and I’d suggest that to use his current lens until the new 200-600 became available. Oh, and buy the kit lens with the Z50 for regular snaps.