Yesterday was my 28th birthday. My husband made me dinner and we had cake – there’s a slice of it at the top.
That was yesterday. Monday we got my present – a Nikon 200-400mm f4 lens. Okay, okay, it wasn’t exactly for my birthday, it was really for work. But with the cost and the excitement and the shear proximity to my birthday, I’m calling it my birthday gift. Nick (my husband) calls it my birthday/anniversary/Christmas gift. (If you didn’t get the headline reference from Emperor’s New Groove, you should really watch that movie!)
If you’ve been following my blog, you know I’ve been debating about getting the 200-400mm f4 vs. the 300mm f2.8. While I really wanted an f2.8 lens, I tried out the 300mm and it just wasn’t as different from my 80-200mm f2.8 as I was expecting. I couldn’t justify the cost for the 300mm if it was so close to something I already have. Also, I found the fixed-ness of the 300mm constricting.
The 200-400 f4, while not as practical in low-light, gives me a lot more versatility. I have some zoom (which increased my previous lens range by 200mm) and that allows me to better frame action shots as their happening. I’m also able to get in tighter on the action. Plus, and this is a big point for me, the 200-400mm lens just feels more balanced than the 300mm. That’s a big deal when you’re carrying around that much weight.
So that’s what led me to my final decision. Now I just need a whole lot of work to pay for it. If you need sports shots, I’m your girl!