Anyone know anything about this lens?

LRussoPhoto

Nikon ed af 300mm f1.4 is for sale and the guy only wants $500, looks brand new. I googled it and cant seem to find, I see f4 and f2.8. The f2.8 sells for over $1100. Is this a good lens?

Art Scott

Does his description say F1.4 or 1:4 ....the latter is an F4 lens if their is a photo of the lens showing all the detailed info that is beter than written descriptions by far.

LRussoPhoto

Art Scott wrote: »

Does his description say F1.4 or 1:4 ....the latter is an F4 lens if their is a photo of the lens showing all the detailed info that is beter than written descriptions by far.

Its says 1:4, that explains why i couldnt find a 1.4, lol. Yes there is a picture of it. Still seems like a good deal right?

ziggy53

QuadRacer041 wrote: »

Its says 1:4, that explains why i couldnt find a 1.4, lol. Yes there is a picture of it. Still seems like a good deal right?

KEH.com has a Nikkor 300mm, f4 ED IF (INTERNAL FOCUS and screw drive) (39/82) with caps, "EX" condition for $426.55:

http://www.keh.com/camera/Nikon-Autofocus-Fixed-Focal-Length-Lenses/1/sku-NA06999022397N?r=FE

KEH has a 14 day "no questions" return policy, and a 6 month warranty against defective items, standard and no extra cost.

If these are the same model lens, I would recommend the KEH lens just for the warranties they include. Still, it's your choice.

It would be helpful to know your application for the lens to know if this model lens is recommended for you or not.

angevin1

QuadRacer041 wrote: »

Its says 1:4, that explains why i couldnt find a 1.4, lol. Yes there is a picture of it. Still seems like a good deal right?

Yes. Even at $500 it can be a really good deal. There have been several iterations of that lens, some will be pricier than others, but speaking to the lens sharpness (no matter the iteration), they tend to be quite stellar. I had one of the Af/Ed 300f4's and it was superb. I got mine from KEH.

cmadness

I just bought this lens off Craigslist bundled with a 105mm 2.8. It is the 300mm f4 af (screw driven). At the time I wanted the 105 and needed somthing with more reach. I figured the 300mm would be useful so I picked it up not knowing too much about it.

I'm glad I did because this lens is super sharp. Even at f4 it is good to go, so that's where I leave it since I've only hand held it so far. The AF is not as slow as I thought it would be after reading other reviews but I wouldn't pick it up for auction shots. The AF is also not too loud either. I'm pretty happy with it and plan on keeping it for a while.

$500 seem fair but check the condition. They came with a case and a pleather hood. Mine was missing both but it does take a 82mm filter and cap and that is what sits on mine. They sell on eBay from $400 to $600 depending on condition. This is from the research I did prior to buying mine, hope it helps.

LRussoPhoto

I would be using it for off road motocross mostly. Have a 70-200 f2.8 but wanted a little more reach.

ziggy53

QuadRacer041 wrote: »

I would be using it for off road motocross mostly. Have a 70-200 f2.8 but wanted a little more reach.

For daytime events the f4 versions should be rather nice. Since this is a screw-drive lens, AF speed is partly controlled by the camera body's AF motor, as opposed to an AF-S lens with its own motor. There are anecdotal accounts of the strongest and fastest screw-drive motors in the single-digit models (D3, D3s, D4, etc.), followed by the D700 and then the D300/D300s.

Best review of the 300mm, f4 ED IF
http://www.bythom.com/300lens.htm
Note the opening comment, "If you don't need an extra stop of speed or fast autofocus, this lens should suffice for much of your telephoto needs."

For night time use I would rather recommend an f2.8 version, for better overall performance. (The Nikkor 300mm, f2.8 AF-S lenses are just amazing for night sports.)

LRussoPhoto

Yea I agree with using an f2.8 for night sports. As I said I'm just thinking about a little more reach, I will check out that review.
Thanks guys.