I have never had the money to purchase a 300mm f2.8 so when I purchased a D500 recently I was blown away with the iso capabilities the camera offered. So I started doing some research on line about my options and this lens just caught my eye for its specs but more importantly the price point.

This is a great prime telephoto lens for those who can't afford the Nikon f2.8 300mm that costs more than four times as much. At f4 this one is only one stop slower but doesn't have VR (vibration reduction). That's why I gave it 4 stars (would have been 4.5 but that wasn't a choice).

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  Easily Interchangeable, Strong Construction, Fast / accurate auto-focus, Nice Bokeh, Durable, Consistent Output, Rugged

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  A bit heavy but not bad

Every time I shoot, my paycheck depends on the quality of my images. (I shoot for some very picky editors.) All of the sample shots below were shot handheld using the 300-f4 IF ED, TC-14 extender, with aperture virtually wide open for minimum depth of field.

This is an awesome lens and, in my opinion, a great choice for wildlife photography on foot and from a kayak. I picked mine up used. It's quite an easy lens to carry around for hiking etc.

This is a great lens, a really great lens. Sharpness is excellent from f4 and only gets marginally better at f5.6 to f8. No Chromatic Aberration or Color fringing. No distortion obeserved. AF is fast, but not like newer generations AFS.

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  very sharp wide-open

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  Flimsy tripodfoot

Primarily purchased as a ‘with minimum compromise’ telephoto lens for wildlife photography, after years of being ultimately disappointed by the performance of 70-300 f.4-5.6-type lenses when compared to my prime wide-angle and medium-range telephoto lenses.

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  Pretty much everything, see above

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  Pretty much nothing, see above

I've taken some stunning photos of birds with this lens. It would be great if the lens had a larger aperture, but then the price would shoot up. Make sure you have a good, solid tripod.

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  Easily Interchangeable, Rugged, Sharp Focus, Strong Construction

it's sharp but a bit slow. I like it regardless.

It does not get the picture close enough for my satisfaction so I ordered a larger one...

Very sharp and well built.