A shout-out to BorrowLenses; Nikon D800 and 200-400 f4

Picture: Sunset through clouds at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge, San Joaquin Valley, California

Several weeks ago I had to ship my (nearly) brand new Nikon D800 camera off to the Nikon Repair facility in Los Angeles. During those couple weeks I had a couple shoots scheduled, and BorrowLenses.com became my go-to rescue resource. Not only were they able to immediately provide a replacement D800 body, but I was also to use their great inventory to test out a prime piece of Nikon glass, namely the robust 200-400mm f/4 VR AF-S lens. Now please understand, I’m not a sports or wildlife shooter, but I love using a good telephoto for quite a number of my landscape and travel photos, and for me, this is a pretty big lens. Weighing in at over seven pounds, and when combined with the D800 and battery grip, this was a beast of a combination. Shooting handheld for any period of time was a real test of upper arm strength, and with an injured shoulder, my hand-holding times-until-exhaustion were fairly brief.

I must say, for a first time experience with BorrowLenses.com, I was totally delighted with the prompt and courteous service, and the clear and easy use of their web site. The equipment was delivered exactly as promised, and the loan period was just right to cover my needs while my own camera body was repaired. I loved testing the D800 & 200-400mm combination, and was delighted by the swift and accurate AF. In the long run however, and after a few dedicated shoots, I decide that was just too much lens for my own particular needs over 85% of what I typically shoot. If I do come up with a job where this lens is the go-to piece of equipment I’ll need, I’m delighted I now have a go-to place to get those specialized bits of equipment that just aren’t practical for me to own outright.

Below are a few other images shot at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge using the Nikon D800 and 200-400mm f/4 lens.

100% detail, hand-held, Shot at 400 mm, Manual exposure, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200

Based on my experience, I’m happy to recommend BorrowLenses.com to anyone looking to rent or test out some great camera gear. I was happy as a clam in mud that they were able to take such good care of me on short notice. (And no, I’m not sponsored, and these are not affiliated links; I’m just a very satisfied user.)

Click the logo to visit the BorrowLenses.com web site.

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