I'm having a NAS attack these past few weeks and feel compelled to purchase a long lens, mainly for birding with DX cameras. Short-term plan is backyard birding, but hoping for something I don't have to replace as my hobby grows. My budget is $500, and I'm looking for an option that lends itself to shooting handheld. Would appreciate if fellow Nikonites could weigh in on the options that I'm considering (please steer me away from bad choices!) and rationale (please correct any incorrect assumptions):
How would you rank these? Or if you had to pick one, which would it be? Or do you know of a superior option in this price rance? Can't wait to see the responses.
- 300 f/4.5 ED-IF AI-s MF (+modified TC-16A for limited AF): I already have this, but my copy is faulty and doesn't focus at infinity. Peak sharpness is supposedly at f8, which limits utility, esp. with TC added.
- 70-300 AF-P f4.5-6.3 DX VR: Briefly owned this but returned due to AF being a bit off. Better usability than the 300 f/4.5 ED-IF, but not impressed with sharpness beyond 10ft. Slow speed at long end = grainy images.
- 300 f/4 AF-D (screw drive): Hoping this will be sharp enough wide open and work with a 1.4x Kenko pro or TC-16A (or both stacked) for added reach. Will have AF at 300 f/4 and 420 f/5.6, and possibly at 480 f/6.4, 670 f/9
- 300 f/2.8 ED-IF MF (+modified TC-16A for limited AF): Haven't tried this, but hoping it will be sharper and afford better noise control.
- 400 f/5.6 ED-IF MF (+modified TC-16A for limited AF): Haven't tried this, but the 300 f/4 with 1.4x TCs is generally recommended instead
How would you rank these? Or if you had to pick one, which would it be? Or do you know of a superior option in this price rance? Can't wait to see the responses.