300mm 2.8 Nikkor Experience

[412 Burgh]

Hey guys and girls! I figured I'd share a quick story. So, at my university's soccer games I go down for the yearbook/student lead newspaper. I just bring my D7000 and 80-200 2.8. And this recent game there was another photographer there for the opponents team with a Nikon D800 and 300mm 2.8 VRI or ii? Not sure. However I walked by and gave him a polite hello and smile. He then shouts and tells me to come back and mount my camera onto the lens. I didn't pass up the offer!!! I only had it for 10 minutes, but DAMN that is the nicest and fastest glass I ever shot a sporting event with!!!

I'm so glad there are nice people out there today that gladly encourage and help out young guys like me!

 

[JacaRanda]

Hey guys and girls! I figured I'd share a quick story. So, at my university's soccer games I go down for the yearbook/student lead newspaper. I just bring my D7000 and 80-200 2.8. And this recent game there was another photographer there for the opponents team with a Nikon D800 and 300mm 2.8 VRI or ii? Not sure. However I walked by and gave him a polite hello and smile. He then shouts and tells me to come back and mount my camera onto the lens. I didn't pass up the offer!!! I only had it for 10 minutes, but DAMN that is the nicest and fastest glass I ever shot a sporting event with!!!

I'm so glad there are nice people out there today that gladly encourage and help out young guys like me!

I agree. This photography - I mean picture taking thing reminds me of golf. An instant connection with most often really cool people that I would love to sit down and have a Samuel Adams with.

 

[table1349]

Your ought to try the 400 f2.8 if you ever get a chance. I own both a 300 f2.8 and a 400 f2.8 and generally prefer the 400 for such field sports. Remember all it takes is money.

 

[412 Burgh]

Your ought to try the 400 f2.8 if you ever get a chance. I own both a 300 f2.8 and a 400 f2.8 and generally prefer the 400 for such field sports. Remember all it takes is money.

I couldn't not imagine the 400mm. I would be in HEAVEN!

 

[MitchStrp]

Drooling at the thought of the 300 or 400.

 

[kathyt]

Hey guys and girls! I figured I'd share a quick story. So, at my university's soccer games I go down for the yearbook/student lead newspaper. I just bring my D7000 and 80-200 2.8. And this recent game there was another photographer there for the opponents team with a Nikon D800 and 300mm 2.8 VRI or ii? Not sure. However I walked by and gave him a polite hello and smile. He then shouts and tells me to come back and mount my camera onto the lens. I didn't pass up the offer!!! I only had it for 10 minutes, but DAMN that is the nicest and fastest glass I ever shot a sporting event with!!!

I'm so glad there are nice people out there today that gladly encourage and help out young guys like me!

I agree. This photography - I mean picture taking thing reminds me of golf. An instant connection with most often really cool people that I would love to sit down and have a Samuel Adams with.

I agree too. Plus add some BBQ. (KC BBQ)

 

[JacaRanda]

I agree too. Plus add some BBQ. (KC BBQ)

Ah yes, some Gates. That is the ticket.

Sent from my iPad using PhotoForum

 

[Aloicious]

Hey guys and girls! I figured I'd share a quick story. So, at my university's soccer games I go down for the yearbook/student lead newspaper. I just bring my D7000 and 80-200 2.8. And this recent game there was another photographer there for the opponents team with a Nikon D800 and 300mm 2.8 VRI or ii? Not sure. However I walked by and gave him a polite hello and smile. He then shouts and tells me to come back and mount my camera onto the lens. I didn't pass up the offer!!! I only had it for 10 minutes, but DAMN that is the nicest and fastest glass I ever shot a sporting event with!!!

I'm so glad there are nice people out there today that gladly encourage and help out young guys like me!

With most hobbies/professions that require people to have a strong passion for the work (like photography), most people in the real world will be nice and helpful....at least more than what the internet leads us to believe .....

sounds like you had a blast. now you going to start saving for one? heh

 

[TCampbell]

I have a 300 f/2.8. I honestly rarely use it... and for a few reasons.

#1... it comes with it's own suitcase. This is not the sort of lens you just toss into your camera bag (not if you want to put much else in your camera bag.)
#2... I typically don't shoot sports and only rarely shoot wildlife.
#3... Sure it's a 50% bump in magnification over a 200mm (e.g. 70-200 f/2.8) but that's not a huge difference... 400mm would be a huge difference (at 100% increase).

Then I watched Scott Kelby talk about shooting sports and he prefers a 400mm for just about every outdoor sport and I think it really does make sense.

I will say the compression of the lens sure is fantastic... and the "bokeh" sure is gorgeous.

 

[Derrel]

I have a nice, lightweight 300/2.8, the AF-S II model, the one with the magnesium alloy barrel, which makes it "light"...a little over seven pounds. The focus is more-reliable than my 300/4 AF-S, so it can be depended upon for action shooting much more so than the f/4 model...the difference is pretty noticeable. The 300/2.8 works well with a 1.4x teleconverter, makes a 420mm f/4, while still weighing in around seven pounds. My 400mm is old...it's a manual focus 400/3.5 ED-IF, with the feather-touch internal focus system with distance pre-set stop and tension regulator...it's actually also in the 7 pound range, so it handles well; better than the 300/2.8 actually, since the balance is different, and it's really skinny in the tube area...makes it very easy to use. I have shot both the 300 and the 400 mostly on 1.5x Nikon bodies. I need to dig both out more often I suppose, although I think the old 3.5 is not really quite up to par with these new, high-rez 24 to 36mp sensors we have nowadays.

I think it's nice the guy let you try out his lens for a bit after he was done shooting.

 

[play18now]

I'm glad there are folks willing to let unknown fellow photographers try their gear. Photography can be a wonderful fraternity, through which I have met many wonderful people. That lens (OK well the Canon version) is on the list for my dream system.