sharp. great combo with the TC-301

heavy.

This is a fantastic lens. agile. small. precise.
see samples at: http://panorama.yaalherman.com/en/?page_id=354

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tamron sp180, tamron mirror sp500 f8

Speed, optical quality, weight (for this kind of beast, 3Kg isn't that much...), fits in my Lowepro MiniTrekker, excellent tripod collar. Works great with TC 301, works not as well but still very good with my Kenko 1.5 TC.

Hood is perhaps a little short.

I was actually looking for a 400 f/5.6 qhen I came across this one. For some extra bucks I got the Tc-301 2x TC form this guy who was switching to Canon. I love user who switch to Canon! :-) Mine is actually AI, not AIS, but there's no difference between them in terms of image.
Performance is excellent at all apertures, even wide open, which makes sense, since you'll need speed. Color rendition is optimal, contrast is great, it's a joy to focus and it's definitely handholdable, albeit for short periods.

Customer Service

Well, can't comment on this one, other than the lens has the legendary Nikon build: it's from around 1977, it's evidently got some heavy use, and it's going perfectly.

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Played with sigma 170-500 (another league, certainly), AF Tokina 400 f/5.6, Nikon 400mm f/5.6 AIS.

The big Nikkors are all built to last a lifetime, and there's little to go wrong with these, provided the internal basket mechanism holds up OK, and it should. They are outstanding resolvers and quick focusing, since they are designed for manual use.

Heavy, awkward to lug around (but aren't they all?) Lack of AF is generally seen as a weakness, but this depends largely on your application--it could be a virtue, when considering longetivity, freedom from maintenance, weight and size--not to mention price.

Was lucky to find a very clean example of the 400 f/2.8 on eBay, and am elated with its performance. Wide open, it resolves (from my tests) at least 68 l/mm center and edge, and that's all the 14nx's sensor can do. These big Niks were designed for sports coverage, so are intended to be used wide open. The older manual-focus versions of the ED-IF stovepipes are good bargains, but you always need to be careful not to get one that's been a rental for years, or beating around in the back of a trunk, lots of them have seen better days.

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None required.

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Nikkor 200mm f/2 (2 samples), 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8, 600mm f/5.6, 500mm f/8 reflex, 1000mm f/11 reflex

Relatively light (versus 400/2.8D) Built like a tank Very easy to focus Balances well with a F5/D1H on a mono/tri-pod

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As a serious amateur who did not want to spend $6000-$10000 on a new D Nikkor big glass lens, I opted for this lens used. I use it primarily for sports and wildlife (with a TC-301 2X converter). Looking through the viewfinder of a D1H or an F5 with this lens is rather breath-taking because everything is so clear & bright. Image quality is of course superb, but I have not found that image quality holds up really well using the matched Nikkor teleconverter (TC-301). Nevertheless, on a D1H, this becomes a 600/3.5 with a silky smooth manual focus that works easily of a tripod/monopod. Simply put, you can get exhibitable images with this lens that you just can't get any other way. It is clear at all apertures, and I seem to shoot this lens at f/3.5-4 most the time, particularly since wildlife seem to be more active at dawn and dusk, and night sports photography seems to always want a wider aperture lens to achieve acceptable shutter speeds.

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Not required

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Sigma 100-300/4D HSM Sigma 50-500/4-6.3D HSM 300/4D AF-S

- Light - Hand-holdable - Sharp and contrasty - Arguably working very well with TC301 (making a still quite fast and sharp 800mm f:7)

- Minimum focusing distance (4,5m) - To heavy front if using other than F4/F5 - Too short hood

A great lens for those who cannot afford paying and carry an AF and/or 500mm or 600mm. Easily (for a 3 kg lens) hand-holdable, smooth focus, small enough to fit in a LowePro MiniTrekker.

Customer Service

None

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Tokina AT-X 400mm 5.6 AF

Sharp optics Small size and light weight

The hood is too short! It''s only slightly larger than the hood of 300/4 AFS.

This is an outstanding lens. I just got back from Bosque del Apache, and the picture taken with this lens are so sharp. It''s also very easy to focus. I''m not sure why but I can focus much better with this lens than other manual lens I''ve used(Nikkor 500/4P and Tamron 300/2.8). Overall I''m very happy with this lens and recommend it to people who wildlife photographer who don''t need 500mm or 600mm.

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Nikkor 500/4P Tamron 300/2.8

Fits easily into an airline size carry-on case (eg. a Calumet large format case); focusses easily and provides a bright clear view. Takes the TC-301 multiplier nicely and renders reasonably good images as an 800/7 on the N90s/F5 with that extender.

Not autofocus. It doesn''t meter with N50, N65, N80. I understand a "P" chip can be placed in the lens for a reasonable price after-factory to allow TTL metering with the above bodies.

A superb lens. Works very nicely with my F5 and my N90s. Not autofocus, but only about half the weight of the Nikkor 400/2.8D. I purchased it USED from B&H and it seems to work perfectly. (I have had the lens about two months and have shot 12-15 roles of film, ranging in ASA from 100-1000.

Customer Service

Not required

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Nikkor 300/4 AF-S "D" Tamron 200-400/5.6 "D"

Size, speed and with the p-chip f stop read out and of course matrix metering.

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Super sharp, small for speed and focal length. Very smooth and accurate focusing. Built like a tank. After having a P-Chip installed it does everything but communicate distance and autofocus. If autofocus is not a dire necessity one can own a manual lens for a fraction of an auto focus with all the sweet communication features of the much more expensive lenses.

Customer Service

Never used in 27 years of using Nikon products.

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300mm 2.8 AF-S

Superb sharpness and contrast even wide open. Super smooth, one finger focus. Relatively small compared to f:2.8 version, but still weighs approx. 5lb. Wide aperture eases focus in dim light. I have Kodachrome 25s taken at dusk that show more than the naked eye. Sharpness and contrast still excellent when used with TC14. Beautiful and solid construction. Takes 39mm drop in filters.

Front heavy. Most of the glass is concentrated up front.

An excellent 400mm. Great sharpness, fast aperture, half the size and weight of the f:2.8 AIS or AF-S variations.

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Leica R

VERY sharp, excellent with converters. Built like a tank. Drop in 39mm filters. AWE inspiring.

Expensive, manual focus, no Matrix metering with newer cameras.

Beautiful "big glass" from Nikon.

Great with tele-converters. VERY highly regarded by others as the best supertelephoto available.
Comes with case, strap, hood, and drop-in filter.
Lots of $$$

Customer Service

Never needed.

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