What’s old is my new F4; 300 mm lens. Meaning, I bought a used lens. In fact all of my cameras and lenses were bought used/factory refurbished except for my D7100 body. I buy used from reputable sites and make sure the gear comes with a 90-day or 6-month warranty. That way, I’m not taking chances.
My goal in purchasing this new lens was to make it easier to catch wildlife at preserves and get through the cages at the zoo. For such limited use, I didn’t want to spend $1,900. Spending $380. was a much better option.
I haven’t tested the new lens at a wildlife preserve, but I did take it to the Sacramento Zoo. It performed well mounted on my monopod. As long as the animal was not right up front, it was easy to focus beyond the cage and onto the animal.
So far, I’m happy. The only problem with a fixed lens of 300 mm is that you’re stuck with the focal length unless you keep switching lenses or carry two cameras. I didn’t want to do either, so you’ll see many close ups! This next week, I’ll try to test it at the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area. If it performs well, then I’ll be totally happy.
Another day brought Marlene and I back to the zoo after one of our Tuesday outings. This time I only had my 18 – 140 mm lens–the opposite problem of carrying a prime telephoto! I’ll show you images from both visits in this post.
And yes, I bought the 18 – 140 mm as a factory refurbished lens and have been totally happy with this versatile walk around lens.
Slow Shutter Speed 