AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4D IF-ED Used Going for Cheap Now
You should hear the D4. It will wake the dead.
The D810 has a ridiculously well dampened and quiet shutter. It's the best camera I have ever used. I wonder if the 850 is that nice. If you grip it, it basically has a. D500 built in.
Well I shipped it back to MPB for a refund. I wanted a replacement but all the lenses they have cost more and I'd have to pay the difference. So for now the K3iii+DA*300 vs D500+AF-s 300 experiment is on hold. It was fun for the hour I used it though. I think I'm just a sucker for telephoto primes lol. It's the same feeling as with macro, you really feel like the camera is showing you parts of the world you don't normally see, or at least in a way you don't normally see them. The AF-S 300 was sharp, fast, and had nice rendering. Winner for sure. Can't believe you can get so much lens for ~$300, or less if you're patient!
Quote from JBP on March 19, 2024, 2:48 pmWell I shipped it back to MPB for a refund. I wanted a replacement but all the lenses they have cost more and I'd have to pay the difference. So for now the K3iii+DA*300 vs D500+AF-s 300 experiment is on hold. It was fun for the hour I used it though. I think I'm just a sucker for telephoto primes lol. It's the same feeling as with macro, you really feel like the camera is showing you parts of the world you don't normally see, or at least in a way you don't normally see them. The AF-S 300 was sharp, fast, and had nice rendering. Winner for sure. Can't believe you can get so much lens for ~$300, or less if you're patient!
Looks like the PF version is comming down. I was in a camera store yesterday- they sell a lot of used gear. The guy told me he has never had that much used gear on hand. I overheard a conversation with a person trying to sell some cameras. They are only paying $300 for a D810 and $700 for an 850.
Good that you can return that lens. It's $300 to replace the motor IF you get a good deal.
In my opinion this is one of the sort of "sleepers" in Nikon line-up, it's an incredible steal for the price it goes used now, considering how good optically still performs also for today's standards. The major gripe being indeed the delicate AF motors (but replacements can still be found online in a disaster case) and the sub-par tripod collar.
Bokeh to my eyes is also softer and more pleasant than the PF.
And the fact that can be also found in the (at least for me) very sleek "tropical grey" livery it's a nice added bonus 🙂
I am finding out that this lens is pretty jealous type. It really does not like to be neglected and it seems that at least my copy, developed the the dreaded squeak pretty bad and even stopped AF. I ended up just turning it on and off and just kept shooting with it. Now it doesn't squeak at all and it's tack sharp as always. I put the 1.4TC on it and have been shooting a lot with it. There is no squeaking. Pretty sure if it goes back in the closet it will squeak gain.
I have my eye on a light grey version (just to mess with the canon guys 🙂 ) with a Kirk collar which is a million times better than the stock version. It's at a camera store, it's been there months. I think I can get it for 400 clams.
