couple new toys

[rootrider]

I asked in here.. probably a year ago.. what the best way to get to 300mm was for me. Well, this popped up on Craigslist for $350 the other day so I got it. It's the 300mm ED F/4. There's obvious brassing on the tripod screw and drop in filter 'screw', and there are some marks around the edges where lenses tend to meet with other objects over time. Overall though the lens works perfectly, the glass looks amazing, and everything feels almost brand new. Even the leather protective 'cap' shows very little wear. The previous owner shot sports and tourist photos for various magazines & pamphlets and had just purchased the 300mm f/2.8.

Oh, and I also picked up a used copy of the Tamron 17-50 2.8. I've kind of been wishing I had bought the Tamron instead of the Sigma 18-50 2.8, and now I have both, at least until the Sigma sells. From what I can tell so far the Sigma has better corner sharpness, is heavier, and I think the Sigma shows more CA, but I love the feel of the Tamron more. The hood snaps right in, the filters kind of 'lock in' better, the focus racks in & out more quickly, and the zoom ring turns the right direction for a Nikon . I'm okay with my copy's glass not being quite as good as my Sigmas (which performed amazingly well) because I love the Tamron's build & feel so much more.

Soo.. the 300mm f/4, taken with the 17-50:


and the Tamron 17-50 2.8, taken with the 300mm @ f/4:

[cyclohexane]

Looking forward to seeing some more shots from each lens. =)

[moizes]

Michael, you ought to be more romantic! Dimitri.

[Bunny N]

I have a Tamron 24-70 for my Canon EOS Elan. I love it. The action is so smooth.

[rootrider]

not quite representative of either lens, but this is what I've taken in the last couple days:

50mm, f/9


300mm, f/5, iso 400, handheld

[moizes]

both are beautiful! dimitri

[gaopa2]

rootrider... both of those are fine images... thanks for sharing....

[rootrider]

here we go..

for comparison, this is the best I could get out of the most recent lunar eclipse with my 80-200


and with my new 300mm f/4

[rootrider]

effectively 600mm, ~f/7. Used my roommate's cheap Tamron 2x TC


relatively soft and I was fighting camera shake on my tripod at the lower shutter speeds, but it came out rather well anyway.