Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4D ED-IF Lens

Top Notch! Very sharp and fast focusing. Great combination!
I use a mono-pod usually. This lens works well with it. Tripod use is even better. Great color and contrast also.

While this lens brings you upclose and personal in many situations, it does have it's ups and downs. Great crystal clear shots, but a little slow on the focus at times. Great lens for still life or birds. Good lens for daytime sports action or outdoor stuff. The weight could be an issue for some... make sure you use a mono or tripod to cut the fatigue factor for extended use on a shoot.

I bought this because I shoot sports a lot, and needed the length to get some good shots works good at night with a high power flash

Robust, simple and uncluttered lens, does its job without fanfare or calling a lot of attention to itself. The key to razor sharp images with this lens is to maintain quick shutter speed. I set my D200 to shutter priority and set shutter speed at 1/640. ISO can be set to 800 without loss of detail. This s every bit as sharp as my Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VR, without all the bells and whistles. Bokeh is beautiful with this lens, though not as pronounced as 70-200 VR at 2.8. I use Really Right Stuff ballhead, so I purchased the much sturdier RRR collar for my 300mm. This adds tremendous rigidity to a tripod setup. Sure, I'd like a larger aperture (2.8) and VR, but this lens is what it is, a terrific lens for the bucks that earned its First String ranking in my all-pro gear lineup. Try it, you'll like it!

My favorite lens now. Excellent quality, even with 1.4x Nikon converter. Perfect choice when you don't want to spend $4,500 for a Nikon 300mm f2.8.

Best,
Steve