Just spent £7,000

[Chris Hawkins]

I thought that one day I would spend £6,000 on a lens, but never £1200 on a tripod.

Hopefully, I'll get the Nikkor 500/4VR tomorrow, but won't be able to play until I get the tripod.

Plan to post more wildlife pics than usual after that - wish me luck :-)

[tenchy]

Wow, what a beast, and price to match! 3.9kg too :wacko:

You will be leading me astray. I've been researching a 5D MkII and ultrawide this week....

[fenboy]

Well Chris, i`ve just bought myself a brand new 70-200 VRII ,and i thought that was dear enough.But yours is magabucks and i hope you enjoy it to the full as i intend to mine.

John Turner:):)

[Chris Hawkins]

Well Chris, i`ve just bought myself a brand new 70-200 VRII ,and i thought that was dear enough.But yours is magabucks and i hope you enjoy it to the full as i intend to mine.

John Turner:):)

I remember how excited and nervous I was when I got the 70-200 VR I. Never rgretted it for one moment - you'll have the best there is for all eternity.

[Carmen]

Nice one Chris. Puts the fact I put a deposit on a brand new scooter last weekend into perspective a little for me, my commuting/pleasure transport is still loads cheaper than that lens!!

Can't wait to see the results!! :)

[Chris Hawkins]

Wow, what a beast, and price to match! 3.9kg too :wacko:

You will be leading me astray. I've been researching a 5D MkII and ultrawide this week....

I really believe that the advent of the D700/5DII gives you 100% of what you need in a camera - I feel that now and never felt it with an earlier camera - go for it :-)

[Chris Hawkins]

Nice one Chris. Puts the fact I put a deposit on a brand new scooter last weekend into perspective a little for me, my commuting/pleasure transport is still loads cheaper than that lens!!

Can't wait to see the results!! :)

Thanks, Carmen - a friend thought I was nuts today. I asked him how much his motobike cost - it was a tad more, but hestill couldn't see the comparison - different hobbies, different thrills. I bet my lens will hold its value longer and last longer :-)

[chaz]

Looking forward to seeing the results m8, how many more sleeps til you get the tripod :)

[paulmag]

Gulp

As you say the lens will hold its value

[Carmen]

I bet my lens will hold its value longer and last longer :-)

Very true - but I couldn't get to work on it... LOL

[Chris Hawkins]

Looking forward to seeing the results m8, how many more sleeps til you get the tripod :)

Sadly, I don't know - in fact, the tripod arrives tomorrow, but the entire UK is out of stock for the head - that gives me an idea - I could ask the Forum to help me search for one:-)

[tenchy]

I think you're right Chris. If you can afford it, why not just get it and enjoy it.
The hardest part is convincing yourself you really need it :)

[David Worthington]

a 500mm...blimey , things will be that close you will think they are behind you !!!!

[Benw]

hmm... all you need is a nice 2x converter.. ;-)

[Carmen]

a 500mm...blimey , things will be that close you will think they are behind you !!!!

Yes that just beats the 486mm equivalent lens I had on my £300 panasonic....:tease:


ha ha ha of course with a D700 attached that'd be awesome.

[mini_mad]

I've been researching a 5D MkII and ultrawide this week....

I just got a 5D MkII, my wide 16-35mm just wasnt enough on the crop sensor so thought it was time to go for it when I found the cheapest one at Focus on Tue, £100 less than everybody else with a shutter count of 0

[Bandit]

Wow..you only live once Chris, if you can afford it why the hell not. Can't wait to see the pics.:icon_nice

I'm wondering why the Tripod cost so much though? But what the Hell :grin:

[Shane Lewis]

Whats the tripod ?
More importantly what is this head that is so hard to find in the Uk ?

[lostmysnorkel]

Forget the tripod mate - get out and hand-hold it!

Jeez......you wimp.

[Kenny]

didnt spend as much as you guys did at Focus yesterday but I came away a happy man all the same....couple of weeks ago I bought a camera off ebay- an F80 film cam- that ate batteries for breakfast. been bidding on loads of F100's on ebay and they all went to over 250 quid....

...yesterday went to the camera world stand and there sitting there all shiney and almost new, a luvvly Nikon F100. so I bought it.......for 15 quid and my old F80 camera!!!

I moved away as fast as I could once I got my mits on it just in case it was the wrong price.Shot a roll of film with it there and developed it in the darkroom this morning and...think I've fell out of love with the the D700 now LOL ( not really...just enjoying shooting film)

...mind you if I'd had the money, that 7k spend of yours Chris would have been peanuts cos I'd have got that wonderful Hasselblad and Phase one 55 mega pixel back they were demoing at the Phase one stand...

Bessy regs

Kenny

[george.monaghan]

Hi Chris,

What model/head is it?

Enjoy your purchase.

[Chris Hawkins]

Hi Chris,

What model/head is it?

Enjoy your purchase.

Thanks - Gitzo 5541LS and Wimberley MkII head with P40 plate.

[Dotty.c]

glad you found your lens mate, your disappointment on monday was clear.............go enjoy yourself with it

[Rugbyleaguer]

So what would the Canon equiv be of that lens??? I had it on my conscience I had done the wrong thing when I paid a fortune for the car let alone a lens like that, but hey ho you can't take it with you and after what happened with the wife in the past few months has just reinforced my motto, "live for today, bollocks to tomorrow"! I'm sure you will have tremendous fun with it (jealous). The car was one thing, but don't think I could convince the missus £7k is a bargain for a lens lol (but I will work on it)....I'm looking at an L series lens as we speak lol.

[tenchy]

So what would the Canon equiv be of that lens???

This baby:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-500mm-f-4.0-L-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

[Rugbyleaguer]

Hmmm Just over 4k for that beauty I may have some bargaining power after all lol (NOT).

[Stewcp]

Blimey Chris... you don't do things by half measures!!!

I look forward to seeing some results from that bad boy :)

[Chris Hawkins]

Just waiting for the call now to say that it has arrived in Bristol - hope to drive over this evening to collect - otherwise it'll be delivered on Monday :-)

[Chris Hawkins]

glad you found your lens mate, your disappointment on monday was clear.............go enjoy yourself with it

Thanks Dotty, but I've ended up paying about £100 more than I would have done in Monday - I was foolish :-(

[keanmu]

Yikes!!! hummm tripod, need one of those too.

[Stevepud]

Thanks Dotty, but I've ended up paying about £100 more than I would have done in Monday - I was foolish :-(

£100 over the top on a £7k purchase... not too bad if it makes you happy.

[Stewcp]

Whats the latest Chris... do you have your new toy in hand?

[Chris Hawkins]

Whats the latest Chris... do you have your new toy in hand?

Indeed - some pics in wildlife thread. That will be it until I get that head :-(