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by nicholasseger on Sat May 18, 2019 9:34 am
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I currently own the Nikon 200-500 as my main bird/wildlife lens on a D500 body but have the opportunity to purchase a very nice nikon 300 2.8 lens the version right before the first vr version with a 1.7 teleconverter. I was just wondering if the investment is worth it in regards to image quality and auto focus speed compared to the 200-500. I do most of my shooting on a tripod as well. 

Thanks 
Nick 
 

by ricardo00 on Sun May 19, 2019 2:09 pm
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nicholasseger wrote:I currently own the Nikon 200-500 as my main bird/wildlife lens on a D500 body but have the opportunity to purchase a very nice nikon 300 2.8 lens the version right before the first vr version with a 1.7 teleconverter. I was just wondering if the investment is worth it in regards to image quality and auto focus speed compared to the 200-500. I do most of my shooting on a tripod as well. 

Thanks 
Nick 
  Nick,
  I have the 200-500mm lens and the D500 as well as the current version of the 300mm 2.8 VR lens which I have used both with the 1.7TC and 1.4TC.  IMO, if you plan to mostly use the 300mm lens with the 1.7TC, then I would just stick with the 200-500mm lens you currently have.  The image quality would not be that different (assuming your copy of the 200-500mm lens is relatively sharp).  However, if you might want/need to use the 300mm without the TC part of the time (ie. when light is very low, for example to photograph owls), then get the 300mm f/2.8.  It is great for low light, focuses incredibly fast and is very sharp.  Basically you are trading the ability to zoom out with the 200-500mm lens for the ability to shoot at much lower light with the 300mm f/2.8.  Only you know which of these trade-offs is best for your photography.
  If the majority of your shots with the 200-500mm lens are at 500mm and you are trying to improve the speed of auto focus, then the 500mm f/5.6 is the lens you want.
 

by SantaFeJoe on Sun May 19, 2019 2:57 pm
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It depends on how much focusing speed you need. Image quality with most 300 f2.8 lenses is great. With a tripod, VR probably won’t matter, especially at f2.8. Do note that some of these lenses are going at giveaway prices, as the link below shows. They are a real bargain. The 1.7 TC is not the best, but many people are happy with them.

https://albuquerque.craigslist.org/pho/ ... 11435.html

Joe
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.  -Pablo Picasso
 

by Mike in O on Sun May 19, 2019 3:24 pm
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Do the Z cameras with IBIS stabilize non vr lenses? I know my Sony cameras can do this.
 

by Gary Irwin on Sun May 19, 2019 5:05 pm
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Mike in O wrote:Do the Z cameras with  IBIS stabilize non vr lenses?  I know my Sony cameras can do this.
Yes, but three-axis stabilization only, not five.
Gary Likes Nature.
 

by DChan on Sun May 19, 2019 10:30 pm
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If you are to buy a 300 f2.8 for its optical quality but then stick a TC 1.7 on it all the time, you might as well use the 200-500 f5.6.
 

by photoman4343 on Mon May 20, 2019 9:13 pm
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In addition to the above responses, if AF is important to you, make sure that af replacement motors are still available for the particular model 300mm f2.8 you are looking at before you buy it.
Joe Smith
 

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