Nikon 300mm F4E PF "Real World Review" It's so good I BOUGHT one
The Nikon 300 F4E
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I will have to try again later to upload the sample jpegs as flickr is not accepting them right now for some reason.
This lens is meant for the run and gun photographer who one may not be able to afford a 300 2.8 at $6,000 or simply wants something smaller and lighter.
The older 300 F4 was much heavier and longer and more cumbersome to cary around. Nikon was able to shrink this bad boy down by using some new type of lens element called “Phase Fresnel” or PF for short. Nikon also added Vibration Reduction into this lens to allow for sharper handheld images at slower shutter speeds.
The first time I put this lens on my camera I was blown away by the fact that it really was a 300mm lens. I say that because it’s so light, manageable and almost the same size as the 24-70mm 2.8.
If you are using this lens on a DX camera you will get the equivalent of a 450mm focal length at F4. That is a nice option to have if you’re on a DX body and can afford the almost $2,000 price tag.
This is an expensive lens but in comparison to the 2.8 it’s affordable and at times possibly a better option. One it actually fits in your bag and can be easily pulled out and ready to shoot in seconds. The 2.8 version takes time to set up and weights somewhere around six pounds.
Of course it’s always a dilemma to decide what lens to take with you. I LOVE my 300 2.8 AFS VR II but if I want to move around with less gear I will toss this 300 F4E VR into my bag.
I personally bought one for my camera bag even though I own the 300 2.8 AFS VR II ($6,000). If that isn’t a stamp of approval as to how good this lens is I’m not sure what is.
