What to put on a Df to upgrade from a 300mm IF ED 4.5 Nikkor.

Tradewind35

Have a lovely old IF ED 300 mm f4.5 Nikkor which is great on the Df for tripod work and ok for handheld shots on land. It is not so good for photos taken from my boat however so a modern VR lens is tempting. Subjects are other boats/ships, marine wildlife/coastal scenery- lighthouses etc, not really birds in flight or anything too demanding. The new 300 f4E PF lens looks to be ideal but am also tempted by the 80 to 400mmf 4.5 -5.56G zoom. No doubt the Sigs and Tammies are fine lenses but I will prefer a Nik. I have 85 mm f1.4 and 180 mm f2.8 so a bit of overlap with the zoom - the only benefit would be less salt air getting into the works from changing lenses at sea.
Have never had a zoom before and the Df might object (if I asked it). What does the panel think?

heartyfisher

The 80-400 looks like a wonderful lense .. I do not have one but I would love to have one, If its in your budget it sounds perfect for you. However, also consider the 70-200 F4.0 VR although the range is less it has one advantage that It does not change length while zooming so it does not suck in air. If you need a longer tele attaching a TC17 or TC14 will give you a bit more focal lenght.

Photobug

Have seen a used 80-400 that was less than 6 months old that was in perfect condition. It was priced at $2100 but will probably sell for less. Between this lens, the current older 300 F4 and of course the new 300 FR PF are great options. I would post that older ED 300mm F4.5 on eBay.

tcole1983

Well do you want to stick with primes or do you want more flexibility and range? I love my 300 f4 non-vr. I think the new vr version is a worthwhile and great update. So far from what I have seen it looks promising. I haven't shot the 80-400 but something I have always loved about the 300 f4 was how sharp it is and the amazing bokeh...and I am not sure how the 80-400 compares. From the tone of your post you like your sharp/high performing primes. I don't think the new 300 f4 vr would disappoint.

Ironheart

The 300 F4E PF has the latest generation VR, claiming 4.5 stops. The 80-400 has the 2gen VR, claiming 4 stops. From a moving boat I'd want the latest gen VR. That plus it doesn't suck, air that is.

Tradewind35

Thanks for those comments I see that there are several other threads relating to the new 300 f4 - I think that will suit me best for use on the Df when on the boat, and I do like prime time!

kyoshinikon

Have a budget?

funtagraph

Thanks for those comments I see that there are several other threads relating to the new 300 f4 - I think that will suit me best for use on the Df when on the boat, and I do like prime time!

Be aware, there's a little problem going on: The VR makes pictures shot at a shutter speed between 1/100 and 1/250 look worse than the ones from 1/80 and 1/60. At least when I'm using mine and a also a tester's two copies, see http://forum.nikonrumors.com/discussion/3778/nikon-new-af-s-nikkor-300mm-f4e-pf-ed-vr#Item_165

The review on Camera Labs indicated a problem with the VR when used between certain shutter speeds. Says he tested two copies and both had the issue:

http://cameralabs.com/reviews/Nikon_Nikkor_AF-S_300mm_f4E_PF_ED_VR/

I hope it can be fixed by Nikon, because it's weight is clearly amazing as well as the resolution when no VR destroys it.

Tradewind35

Thanks for that funtagraph - useful to know. I am not sure what the supply situation in UK at the moment is with the 300mm f4E. Hopefully that is just a glitch as the new lens certainly looks to be the best weight/size 300mm prime and would match the handling characteristics of the DF well. UK prices are about £1900 for the 80 to 400 and £1640 for the 300mm - big lumps of money -but an f2.8 300 mm is £4000 so relative bargains! I will wait and see how the new 300f4E shapes up before committing.

Tradewind35

Does not look like the problem with the new 300PF is fully sorted yet so had a re-think. Maybe do without reach to 300mm and go for a 70 -200 f 2.8. Then had are-think about that when I saw that the f4 was so much lighter - hence my Df now sports a new 70 - 200 f4G. My first zoom out of a dozen primes and am very impressed - light , great image quality, and handles very nicely on the Df. VR is amazing!

spraynpray

I agree, it is an excellent lens. I have hand-held 1/15 @ 200mm with mine which is quite ridiculous.

heartyfisher

The 70-200 F4 out resolves your Df handily. As i mentioned previously, pair it with a TC to get the reach you want. :-) .. I love my 70-200 F4 and I use it with an old 1.4 TC sometimes. Considering getting a 1.7 or 2.0 TC ... but I have other higher priority targets at the moment :-) but on the look out for a good deal :-)

sevencrossing

....the only benefit would be less salt air getting into the works from changing lenses at sea.
Have never had a zoom before and the Df might object (if I asked it). ..?

Your Df will object very strong to salt air

I have the AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
exceedly sharp, even wide open
fantastic Vr

Down sides
only f 5.6 ( but with today's high ISO quality, not a big issue)
not really recommended for TCs
Twice the weight and more expensive than the AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR

Vipmediastar_JZ

@Tradewind35 df+70-200f4 is now my favorite combo in the tele department. I like it equally with the d810.
i dont leave 70-200f4 at home and the one time that i did i regreted it for the reach but the 85 1.8g does a great job.

If I may here is link to an event I ran into and covered with the df and 70-200f4

phk84

Nikon has a fix for the problem with AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR, i had mine serviced by Nikon, turnaround time was 1 week.
It´s only D8XX cameras that has the problem, and lenses with serial number 205101 or later are not affected.
This is a fantastic lens!

phk84

You may also read Ken Rockwells review of the AF-S 300/4,0 PF ED VR here:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/300mm-pf.htm

Tradewind35

Thanks for comments all - and great work with the Df and 70-200f4G outfit Vipmediastar_JZ.
That 300 PF looks to be a neat bit of kit from Nikon - however I have read that there may still may be a problem with it used on the D750. Hope Nikon keep up with such innovation anyway despite the odd hiccup. Now what would be very tempting would be if they brought out a 24 to 70 mm f4G VR111 to match the 70 to 200. The existing 24 to 70f2.8 is of course a great lens but I think technology will enable them to bring out a much lighter f4 VR with comparable performance at a better price - here's hoping.

spraynpray

That would be nice! :-)