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D700 with Nikon AF NIKKOR 300mm F/4 ED for softball?

d700 300mm softball

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7 replies to this topic

#1
akptc

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Hi, I am new here. 90% of the time I am a Pentax shooter but have always wanted to try the D700. Finally got one in great condition for cheap and am looking to add an inexpensive telephoto to photograph my kid's softball games. 

 

The AF 300mm F/4 ED lens has caught my eye due to the low price and good range. Has anyone here any experience with this lens?

 

Edit: I have since added these two candidates to the list
1. Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD 
2. Sigma 100-400/4  EX DG HSM

 

Cheers,

 

Andy



#2
akptc

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Any D700 sports shooters out there? :)



#3
TBonz

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I would not recommend a 300 for softball and certainly not a fixed 300.  If I had to pick one lens for softball, it would be a 70-200 f2.8.  The real answer depends on how serious you are about shooting, how old the kids are and what kind of access you will have.  One reason I ask about the kids age is the size of the people you will be trying to frame.  Another thing that also ties into that would be potential for long term shooting.  Do you expect them to play for a few years or 8 years?  Do you hope to continue shooting them as long as they play?  Do you expect to be shooting from inside the fence, outside the fence, in the dugout?  All of those answers will play a big part in what I would recommend...The simple recommendation is to buy the best glass you can afford.  

 

If they are younger, you will have the advantage of mostly day games until they get older.  By the time they are in high school, you will be shooting quite a bit under the lights.  You will definitely want a 2.8 aperture at that point.  Yes, I shoot baseball and other sports under the lights with my 200-400 f4, but it is really pushing the limit of low light capabilities on a camera that has better low light capabilities than the D700.

 

As far as a 300 prime lens, you might be able to pick and choose some shots and get some great results and nice close ups, but there will likely be as many times when you will want wider than the 70mm compared to the times you will want longer than a 200mm.  I can crop out dead space on an image taken with a 200 but I can't widen the coverage of a 200.  You will also find some value in having a zoom to allow you to follow the action better.

 

If I am limited to choosing from the 3 lenses you listed, the Sigma would probably be the best choice.  Superzooms (28-300) generally do not provide the quality of shorter range zooms and the aperture will be much worse to deal with than the f4.  However, as stated, you will probably find more times you want wider than 100 than times you will use the 400.  



#4
Merco_61

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I would stay away from a prime as your only long lens  too, for much the same reasons as Tom. One more lens to look for is the old screw-drive 80-400 Nikkor. It isn't as nice as the later and still current version but it is *very* usable in daylight or well-lit arenas and turn up for around $600 from time to time.



#5
akptc

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Tom and Peter, thank you for your advice. My daughter is now 14 and I expect she will play softball through college, so a few more years. I don't have any credentials, so I am usually shooting through  the fence (literally holding my lens to the hole in the fence) although I just got a nice folding ladder so will try shooting from the sides, over the fence. During practices, I have the freedom to shoot from the field. 

I normally bring my Pentax K3 and a 70-200/2.8, sometimes the 50-500 Sigma, to the games and practices but since I have a ton of Pentax lenses, I am always tempted to bring a superwide, a fisheye (you never know), the 90mm Tamron macro (perfect for when my kid pitching), and so on, so my backpack is super heavy. With  the D700 + lens, I am hoping to always carry a simple kit that would take care of most of my softball shooting needs. I always have my Ricoh GR with me so wide is covered too. 

I didn't stick to my own list and ordered the 70-300 VR lens, due to nice reviews, just to try. I read about the 80-400 but was a bit discourages as many folks called it "very slow", I hope I was looking at the right version. 80-400 sounds very attractive to me as I love closeups. Need to read up on that some more. 



#6
Merco_61

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I think most of the "very slow" crowd tried it on a D70 or something like that with an earlier AF module and a focus motor that doesn't have the torque to move all that glass fast.

 

The 70-300VR is quite nice, if you get a good sample. There is definitely sample variation, but it can be *very* sharp and contrasty up to ~260 mm or so. it goes a bit soft at 300.



#7
Ron

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The AF-S 70-300VR sample I have is apparently one of the good ones. I regularly shoot with it wide open and racked out nearly all the way and most of my images have been uniformly sharp and contrasty. I'm very pleased with it.

 

--Ron



#8
akptc

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Murphy's Law at work - the seller sent me a Sony Alpha camera instead of the lens. I am not sure whether to laugh or send him a piece of coal in return..







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