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

birdbonkers84 · Jun 27, 2017

Has anyone got any experience with this lens, is it sharp? is it heavy? how's the auto focus on it? Considering getting a 2nd hand one.

Peeb · Jun 27, 2017

Coull3d said:
Has anyone got any experience with this lens, is it sharp? is it heavy? how's the auto focus on it? Considering getting a 2nd hand one.

I've read nice things, and seriously considered getting one prior to settling on my (very) heavy 200-500.

benhasajeep · Jun 27, 2017

It's a very respectable lens. I have a 300 f/2.8 and for a while considered buying a 300 f/4.0 just for carrying convince. If I find one at a reasonable price used one and good working order. I will buy one!

jaomul · Jun 27, 2017

It's one of the best lenses I have owned, unfortunately it didn't last long, when I sent it to Nikon they explained it got a nasty fall. I bought it second hand and the af intermittently did not work, it worked when I tested to buy it.

If you can find a good second hand one, I'd recommend it

table1349 · Jun 27, 2017

Since you are in Scotland I don't know if this will help or not, but both my 300mm f2.8 and 200mm f2 I got used at this time of year. Both were purchased from the local photography shop and both had been traded in by a parent of a teen that had played sports in high school and had just graduated. Both were in excellent condition.

You might also watch here. Refurbished Camera Products | Used Cameras, Lenses & Flashes | Nikon No used 300 f4 currently.

fmw · Jun 27, 2017

The design has been around for decades. It is a proven product by thousands of pro photographers. I had the f2.8 but I was younger and stronger then.

birdbonkers84 · Jun 27, 2017

gryphonslair99 said:
Since you are in Scotland I don't know if this will help or not, but both my 300mm f2.8 and 200mm f2 I got used at this time of year. Both were purchased from the local photography shop and both had been traded in by a parent of a teen that had played sports in high school and had just graduated. Both were in excellent condition.

You might also watch here. Refurbished Camera Products | Used Cameras, Lenses & Flashes | Nikon No used 300 f4 currently.

Been following them on ebay, literally just missed out on one because I couldn't type my bid in fast enough lol.

table1349 · Jun 27, 2017

Not sure what the VAT would be but you might checkout KEH as well as the used section at B&H.

The one thing you will get with either of these as well as Nikon refurbished is a warranty as well as being able to return the lens if you have in issue with it. Ebay is iffy at best for warranty or returns.

benhasajeep · Jun 27, 2017

I have done well on Ebay in the way past (over 15 years ago). Today there are so many scammers and Paypal guarantee is no true guarantee either. I second Keh. I have purchased and sold to them. You will not get highest price selling to them as they have to turn around and resell the items for a profit. So, I don't hold that against them. B+H, and Adorama are also trustworthy.

Derrel · Jun 27, 2017

I had the 300 f/4 AF-S for about 15 years...a VERY fine lens...autofocus is good, but not stellar; read the Thom Hogan review for a complete rundown on it! I had the 300/2.8 AF-S Mark II (the lightweight magnesium barrled model) concurrently with the f/4 lens for a decade or so; it focuses MUCH faster and MUCH more-emphatically than the 300 f/4 does. Still--the 300/4 is good, plenty sharp, and was the lens I used much more-frequently because it CARRIES so easily in a nylon sling pouch.

Works decently with the TC14e or TC14e-II for a 420mm f/5.6, but the focus DOES GET "nervous" when the 1.4x converter is added. Still--even with the 1.4x added, this is sharper than many long zooms.

This lens is a good focuser, but not 99.5% reliable on fast action, like the 300/2.8. Bur for most uses, the 300/4 is pretty good. Sharp, easy to carry, easy to stow, light in weight. It's hard to explain the focusing of this lens: jittery is one word some people might use...it's not bad, but it's perhaps something like 95% focus-reliable on fast action; it CAN hunt a bit at times, or drift a bit, which is different from the 300/2.8 or 200/2 models which are more like 99.5% focus-reliable on fast action.

What I mean is: take the 300mm f/4 AF-S to a track meet and shoot 800 frames with it: there will be 5% of those where the focus might not be spot-on...or 40 frames that could be at issue...something along those lines...