Is my gear good enough for plane spotting at JFK?

[boeingboy_787]

G'day gents (and ladies if there are any);

I'm coming from Downunder and will spend 2 weeks in NYE over xmas and NYE with my girlfriend. I intend to spend some time plane spotting but unsure on the kind of lenses suitable for plane spotting at JFK.

Currently I'm using a Nikon D300 with 70-200 VR for my plane spotting. The 70-200 is sharp but I am afraid that it might not enough reach for those amazing banking shots of heavies out of JFK....

what is a good lens for plane spotting at JFK? I've been looking at the AF-S 300 f/4D which is supposed to be amazingly sharp even wide open.

Also: What are the days/times best for plane spotting? I understand that daylight hours are significantly shorter in winter-but I do hope to see the EK A380 and perhaps CX 777-300ER.

Any advice is much appreciated.

[moose135]

Welcome to NYCA! I think your 70-200 will be a little short for the classic Howard Beach departures off 31L, but if they are departing 13 or 22, you should be fine. Can't help you with Nikon lens info, but we do allow a few other Nikon shooters here, so someone should be able to give you some advice :wink:

You shouldn't have any problems catching the A380, it arrives early afternoon. The CX 777 arrives during daylight also, mid to late morning, if I remember.

When you get into town, let us know. We'll be able to give you a better idea of what is going on, and usually you can find someone here to meet you for a little spotting.

[eric8669]

Tony,

Glad you made it over to NYCA.

I'm am sure you will get plenty of advise about spotting here in nyc.



Eric

[cancidas]

i'm just now realizing how long it's been since i made it out to JFK. in any rate i use the nikon D70 and 80-400mm VR and do fine. i know another member who also uses the 70-200 VR but the last time i saw him use that was for the A380 arrival on 22 and we were standing almost right underneath it.

due to the speed of the 70-200 you could try a 2x tele converter if speed isn't your main concern. that ought to work fine.

[mmedford]

I'd recommend using the 1.7x teleconverter...doesn't cause as much lag as the 2x...

[nikon50bigma]

The 70-200 would be good enough if they are landing on 31R I think.
Good luck with the D300, you won't be disappointed-I'm not. Its an awesome camera.

[boeingboy_787]

yeah it seems 70-200 is ok for some places around the JFK but i'm tempted to get a 1.7x tele at B and H when i get into NYC. The issue then is the sharpness and loosing a f-stop but hopefully the weather will be good enough at this time of the year so the photos dont turn too sh&**y. The EK A380 I'm quite keen on seeing, on the other hand, whatever flies into JFK is something 99% I dont see here in Oz.

basically i'm flying out tomorrow from Melbourne to Sydney, hopping on CI and do a stop over for a night in Taipei, and then off to NYC.

Not sure what internet access I will have when I'm in NYC, although my laptop should work with its wifi at starbucks! :mrgreen:

A 'meet and greet' sounds like a good idea if that is possible-"i'll drop a line here" once I get to NYC. It'll be a fantastic oppurtunity to meet fellow plane spotters from half way around the world (from where I am). :borat:

[PhilDernerJr]

Definitely keep in touch and we'll all see who can come out to shoot with you. :)

Welcome to the site!