Nikon 300mm F4

Cagey75

Cagey75

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Keith
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Ok, first off, I think I may have been dreaming the other day, because I am convinced I saw this lens somewhere for £700 - now for the life of me I cannot locate where that was. Thought it was too good to be true. I've even gone and double checked the classified section here. Maybe it was snapped up?

On amazon, new, it's £930 at best, and I think that may be an outside UK seller, but it says dispatched from the UK.

Anyway ... I've looked at this lens before, then forgot about it, looked again at other times, forgot about it ... now here I am looking to it yet again.

Anyone use this lens here? On FX? I'd love to see some samples and hear what you have to say about it in general, cheers.
 
Yes, I have one, use it on D800/700,300 and 200 before,what would one like to know?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm


Razor sharp wide open,razor sharp with the 1,4 and 1.7 tc,lightweight,superb AFS.

I would rather sell my 500 than my 300 if something had to go. Buy one, they are brilliant.

Owt else me owd mucka?
 
One would love to know exactly what thou has posted :D

Those are excellent, you're enticing me even more now.

If I could find it for that £700 I dreamed that I saw, I'd snap it up. I'm away for a week tomorrow, but I think it'll be my first purchase upon my return.

raging I sold my TC 1.7x now!
 
Keith, if you can find one for £700, buy it mate,they are a seriously good lens.
 
It's €1300+ over here, I would rather buy it locally so i can go check it out. But funk that! I know I can get it for better. There's a guy selling one on a local classified site I use for €1100 - just left a message on the ad asking for his absoloute bestest price. See what he comes back with.

I should have stated first post that it is wildlife I am looking to dabble in, also moon shots, and I think it will be interesting for portraiture too :)

I have thought on getting a TC for my siggy 150, but it's never going to be near as sharp as a dedicated 300mm, with a TC 2x on - if the Nikon ones are even compatible. Also, the price on a 2x TC you're almost halfway to a lens.
 
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wow! @ the shot, and 750mm on the D300!

Would you suggest 1.4x max then? I doubt I'll be getting shots of such cool birds, it'll be more Irish robins and hopefully, maybe, the kingfisher [I know where one hangs out] and maybe some buzzards
 
Cagey75 said:
Ok, first off, I think I may have been dreaming the other day, because I am convinced I saw this lens somewhere for £700 - now for the life of me I cannot locate where that was. Thought it was too good to be true. I've even gone and double checked the classified section here. Maybe it was snapped up?

On amazon, new, it's £930 at best, and I think that may be an outside UK seller, but it says dispatched from the UK.

Anyway ... I've looked at this lens before, then forgot about it, looked again at other times, forgot about it ... now here I am looking to it yet again.

Anyone use this lens here? On FX? I'd love to see some samples and hear what you have to say about it in general, cheers.
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Here you go, Keith - it's been at this price for a few months now. I've got it bookmarked awaiting the time when I have the funds to purchase, but I'm afraid it still looks a long way of at the moment!
 
300 + 1.4x + crop mode = 630mm!?

That would be more than enough for me.
 
Cagey75 said:
wow! @ the shot, and 750mm on the D300!

Would you suggest 1.4x max then? I doubt I'll be getting shots of such cool birds, it'll be more Irish robins and hopefully, maybe, the kingfisher [I know where one hangs out] and maybe some buzzards
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The exif on the border takes into account the 1.5 crop of the D300. That was taken with the 300 + 1.7, that gives around about 510mm @F7.1, so the border exif says 750.

The 1.4 gives 420 at F5.6.



Get both TCs,job done.................:D
 
davys said:
Here you go, Keith - it's been at this price for a few months now. I've got it bookmarked awaiting the time when I have the funds to purchase, but I'm afraid it still looks a long way of at the moment!
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Thanks a mill for that. A quick search on them though, and it seems they run out of HK, via UK. I think you guys are ok buying that way, but unfortunately over here in Ireland we get stung for 22% + customs handling charges :(

This would add at least another £170 [I know they always add on costs for their 'hassles'] on top, bringing it almost up to Irish prices.
 
Just checked camera price buster, did not realise they were top side of a grand now............:eek:
 
It sure is, I'd buy a lot more abroad if not for that. I think we're ok here from the EU, but anything outside that or UK, and we're screwed. We get stung same buying from the States.

It's really killing me now where did I imagine or actually see this lens for 700!!

What I can do, is buy it, new: then later on go for a TC.

Thanks for the input guys. I really appreciate it.
 
Mine is great, if you check some old threads of mine in last couple of months in Transport I have some airshow pics, mainly on D300 but some on D700.

Picked mine up off here, used but looked like new, for £640 I think. Bargain!
 
fracster said:
Just checked camera price buster, did not realise they were top side of a grand now............:eek:
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Great news if you ever plan on selling on of course! ;) if they happen to bring out a VR version say.
 
cambsno said:
Mine is great, if you check some old threads of mine in last couple of months in Transport I have some airshow pics, mainly on D300 but some on D700.

Picked mine up off here, used but looked like new, for £640 I think. Bargain!
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I'd take hand an' all for that price! You got lucky. The guy selling one in Ireland hasn't posted on his advert in a month, I just noticed. So I don't expect him to get back real soon, let alone drop his price. His €1100 = £940 - and that's used!

I think I will end up just buying new, a little over I expected, but it is good to see it's holding it's value over time, I guess.
 
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Cagey75 said:
I'd take hand an' all for that price! You got lucky. The guy selling one in Ireland hasn't posted on his advert in a month, I just noticed. So I don't expect him to get back real soon, let alone drop his price. His €1100 = £940 - and that's used!

I think I will end up just buying new, a little over I expected, but it is good to see it's holding it's value over time, I guess.
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Have a feeling there were a couple for sale sub £700 when I got mine.
 
davys said:
Man, that extra 22% + duty is a crippler, sorry to hear that.
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The real downside is that they've really hotted up on imported items now.
It used to be that anything with a value of less than £100 would get through without issue but now its:

Import duty (Usually around 4%) due on the total cost of the item + the shipping costs/insurance

VAT of £20% payable on the total of the above

One of £8 administration fee for contacting you and asking you to pay them.

In some cases now you have to pay VAT at source, ie when you purchase the product, even though the country concerned doesn't have VAT.

Fortunately if the items within Europe and you've paid VAT in the purchase price then there should be no further costs to you.
 
Just to add to consensus about this brilliant lens. Haven't spotted any ref to its seriously short MFD. Mine focuses down to around 4 ft.
 
Cagey75 said:
It sure is, I'd buy a lot more abroad if not for that. I think we're ok here from the EU, but anything outside that or UK, and we're screwed. We get stung same buying from the States.

It's really killing me now where did I imagine or actually see this lens for 700!!

What I can do, is buy it, new: then later on go for a TC.

Thanks for the input guys. I really appreciate it.
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Where in the south are you? I'm in the north but run down to Cork occasionally if that would he any help to you if you wanted something delivered to a uk address.

Phil
 
I have been recommended one of these for birdwatching and just about have the funds for one as i saw it at 769. I have the D3100 and would consider getting the TC1.4.

thoughts
 
TopDog said:
I have been recommended one of these for birdwatching and just about have the funds for one as i saw it at 769. I have the D3100 and would consider getting the TC1.4.

thoughts
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Go for it.
 
TopDog said:
I have been recommended one of these for birdwatching and just about have the funds for one as i saw it at 769. I have the D3100 and would consider getting the TC1.4.

thoughts
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I have that combo on my d600 and it is excellent

One bit of advice though, either have great technique or get a monopod/tripod , I though I was a steady shot yet plenty of my first shots ended up blurry lol, even at decent shutter speeds
 
phil_b said:
Where in the south are you? I'm in the north but run down to Cork occasionally if that would he any help to you if you wanted something delivered to a uk address.

Phil
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I'm in Meath, cheers for the offer, very kind, but I think I'll go local on this one :)

That guy who was selling on adverts has not replied to my offer, which was just over a week ago. He's probably sold elsewhere and didn't bother to take the ad down. But there's another up now, will suss out how low he's willing to part for.
 
MPB has a couple in excellent condition at £729...


Don't have the lens, but have dreams too... :D
 
JBuk said:
I have that combo on my d600 and it is excellent

One bit of advice though, either have great technique or get a monopod/tripod , I though I was a steady shot yet plenty of my first shots ended up blurry lol, even at decent shutter speeds
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Have a mono but looking at a tripod, I have a Redsnapper Mono and like the look of their tripods as well....
 
Jan K. said:
MPB has a couple in excellent condition at £729...


Don't have the lens, but have dreams too... :D
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Thanks for that - just ordered :)

That works out about €250 better than the used prices I find over here!

Sweeeeet.
 
Hang on a minute!

You haven't mentioned which of the 300 mm f/4 editions, you're after!

Judged by your price quoted in first post, I guessed the ED, but please note that MPB also has the newer ED-IF in "near mint" at £849...

Sorry if this is causing some confusion!
biggrin2.gif
 
AH sugar, better ring them, I did mean the newer one. I'm cancelling that order so. The image they used for the one I clicked was of the new AF-S one, their mistake.
 
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Cagey75 said:
AH sugar, better ring them, I did mean the newer one. I'm cancelling that order so. The image they used for the one I clicked was of the new AF-S one, their mistake.
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Yeah, got me too! :thinking:

But even at £849, it still seems to be a nice price?
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I'm awaiting their response, if it is indeed the AF-S, I'll take it, but if not, they had the wrong image up and it's not what I want. Hopefully it'll get sorted smoothly :) haven't dealt with them in the past, so this is their tester.

Btw, the one I ordered is now removed from sales obviously. The one remaining does have the older version image.
 
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Sorted that out with MBP, no hassle cancelling.

I've decided to just order it from my usual store in Dublin. More expensive, like everything over here, but at least if there's ever an issue I have that comfort that they're only an hour up the road. They usually get it out to you within 2 days after ordering too.
 
redddraggon said:
I thought MPB always used actual images of the exact copy they are selling ?? :shrug:
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That "error" has happened before, images are or should indeed be of the actual lenses.
But if observed, I know, they would like to have the SKU number, so they can correct things.

Cagey75 said:
Sorted that out with MBP, no hassle cancelling.
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Living up to their reputation again! :thumbs:


Cagey75 said:
I've decided to just order it from my usual store in Dublin. More expensive, like everything over here...
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Let's swap country and you'll suddenly feel lucky! :D


Congrats on your purchase! :thumbs:
I read somewhere, it works very well with the TC1.7....


Hmmm... can't help notice, there's a 200mm f/2 on their list.... and a 400mm f/2.8... a trio if adding the 600mm f/4... only £13900...
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Just ordered one today awaiting confirmation of delivery date now, excited but scared lot of money..... :gag:
 
Mine arrived today, just had a quick go with it. I'm heading to the Wicklow hills tomorrow, should get some nice wildlife shots hopefully :) feels real good, not as heavy as I imagined, and better balanced. I have no problem hand holding this whatsoever. Of course all the birds are hiding on me out in the garden soon as a I take it out to test. But I've been shooting in and outside. I'm really impressed with it's handling indoors in the shade. And the fact you can focus quickly on objects just 5 feet away, filling the frame, it's almost like a distant macro! I've already taken a few sharp images at 1/160, f/4 indoors. This is made possible by the weight and balance, Really impressed already. You would think you really would want to go 1/300+ to ensure stability without VR.


Now, the all important, probably over asked question: crop mode for more reach VS using a TC. I'm thinking 1.4 is possibly the best option for this lens? Being its f4 to start. And to keep any image quality degradation to a minimum. 420mm f/5.6 sounds great to me!

How does using DX mode in a D800 instead compare to a TC? You get to keep the f4 aperture, but you lose the megapixels. Would I be as well to just crop in post at that?
 
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