I am looking to buy a Nikon 300mm f/4 EDIF for my Nikon N90, but before I take the plunge, I have a few questions for which the answers I could not find in this forum or in the Q&A forum.

I have gotten mixed reviews concerning the 300/4 autofocusing abilities. I know it's not going to be AF-S speed, but then again, I've never even used an AF-S or Canon USM lens before, so I might not see the difference there. I am, however, going to be using it for wildlife and sports, so it does need to AF rapidly. Is this going to work out for me?

Also, if I do find myself manually-focusing for whatever reason, will I find that the focusing ring is very loose and hard to use for fast action? I have a Nikkor 70-210 f/4 AF (non-D) and using it in manual-focus simply is no fun whatsoever. I don't want the focusing to be too light or the rotation to be too short making it difficult to critically focus. I like some tension in the focusing. So, how is the 300/4 in this respect?

Thanks in advance. I appreciate it.

-- Jonathan Daniel (knnthd@gateway.net), June 05, 2000

Answers

the 300 f4 is quite different than the 70-210...so don't worry about that comparison. If price and weight are not problems go for the 300 f2.8 AFS and call it a day. However the 300 f4 will probably do all that you want even if it is slower than the 2.8. One method that really helps is to pre-focus on an area close to where the action will be (might be) that will then allow a quick focus on the subject without having the lens rack all the way in or out to find your target. Even the fast 2.8's benefit from this. Optically, the 300 f4 is excellent and is also very good with the TC14b (but no AF). The TC combo will work for you if the subject isn't always in motion.

-- Robert Smith (glle@rcn.com), June 05, 2000.

There is a similar question right here on this very discussion forum. The opinions seem mixed. From my experience, I'm not at all impressed with the focusing speed of the 300/4. I have a 300/4.5 EDIF AI lens (manual focus) and find I can focus it faster than an N90 can focus the 300/4 AF lens. This is not because I am particularly fast at focusing. I'm 45 years old and in dire need of reading glasses. But considering that with my F3 I can beat an N90 and 33/4 combination, I decided to wait for the 300/4 AFS version before replacing my manual focus lens and buying an AF body.

-- Darron Spohn (dspohn@photobitstream.com), June 06, 2000.

I own and use the 300/4 AF + TC-14B combo regularly and MANUALLY. AF is much too slow to be of any use on the late '80s models F801 and F4. Overall optical and mechanical quality is fine, but the manual focussing is not ideal. The slighest touch on the focussing-ring will change focus, the total focussing 'throw' is just too short.

Some people have complained about the fact that AF-camera's are not sufficiantly precise in getting the focus right, leaving the owners of expensive optics with less than perfectly sharp images. I find the focussing aid in aforementioned camera's a great help in getting the focus right! I rarely do it better (and I never use a viewfinder- loupe in the field).

Previously I used the older Sigma AF 400/5.6. It's AF was just as slow as with the Nikon-lens. The lens also had a very quick reacting focussing-ring, but this one wasn't damped, like the Nikon's. It didn't require any force at all to focus, which made it possible to even follow flying birds while MF'ing!

Not so with the 300/4, exactly because this lense has the added 'MF- feel' dampened focussing-ring. You need a little extra force to turn it, but because its throw is so short, I practically ALWAYS overshoot the point of focus! Then I start going to and fro just like the old AF camera's..

My conclusion is: if you will only use a/the 300mm manually, then get the older 300/4.5 IF-ED version!

-- Albin Hunia (a.hunia@dlg.agro.nl), June 06, 2000.

I have had a 300mm/f4 AF for over 10 years. I think it is an excellent lens and AF is quite fast even on my old F4 body, and it is even faster on the F5 and F100. At least to me, its AF speed is more than sufficient, mainly because it is an IF lens so that the AF motor doesn't need to move that much glass around to focus. I also have the 300mm/f2.8 AF-S, whose AF isn't that much faster IMO. The main problem with the 300mm/f4 is that it doesn't work with the TC-14E. It does work with the TC-14B and remains excellent optically, but you lose AF that way.

As far as focusing manually, the focus ring on the 300mm/f4 is indeed a bit loose, but I rarely use it in manual-focus mode as its AF is excellent for a lens without a built-in motor.

-- Shun Cheung (shun@worldnet.att.net), June 07, 2000.

Hi,

I own the 300 F4 and really think the lens is great. It's very sharp and will satisfy all of your photographic needs unless you're depending on maintaining accurate focus on subjects coming at you at 60mph. Even then, the N90 will be just as much of a limiting factor as the lens.

Like I said, this lens is great but if you're going to depend on auto- focus of high speed objects you'll need to probably get something else.

Tom

-- Tom Hill (teamhill@f15.net), June 08, 2000.

Jonathan,

not to confuse you, but there was a rumour on the Nikon List a while back that by fall Nikon would come out with a new AFS model of the 300 f/4.

-- Mark Vints (mark.vints@skynet.be), June 10, 2000.

Dear Jonathan, I notice you want to shoot sports so i think the 300mm AFS is a must, i have this lens and it is so much quicker, you will notice it straight away, believe me, alternatively, why don't you bite the bullet and go for the Sigma 300 f2.8, not as much as the Nikon and a really good lens, Good luck, Matty

-- Matt Fidler (matty@dakin.freeserve.co.uk), August 01, 2001.

I have bought a second hand Nikon 300mm F/4 ED (IF) in the past few weeks; it seems to give great pictures and I must say that the quality is just as good as the 2.8. I use my lens with a sigma 1.4X convereter so it gives good quality at a good range. pictures in kenya are wonerfull. I would recommend getting one if there are any going; look at it as if saving yourself a lot of money because you don't need to fork out thousands of pounds for a 2.8 so get the f/4. I recommend it.

-- APP (battle@safrica.fsnet.co.uk), April 23, 2002.