Lightweight telephoto options for a Nikon D700 around 300mm
Asked 1/4/2013
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2 answers
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I’m looking for a relatively lightweight telephoto lens for a Nikon D700, ideally around 300mm, with good sharpness and autofocus. I tried the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II handheld for several days and found it too large and heavy. I generally prefer primes, but most good 300mm-class primes seem to weigh 1.5kg or more.
My main uses would be sports, wildlife, and landscape, with occasional concert shooting as a bonus if the lens is bright enough.
The two options I’ve been considering are:
- Nikon 70-300mm VR
- Nikon 180mm f/2.8 with a 1.4x teleconverter
Are either of these good choices, and are there any other lightweight Nikon or third-party options worth considering?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
7
Lightweight fast telephotos don't exist, physics puts some limits on the amount of glass required. You are not going to find anything brighter than f/5.6 under a kilogram.
The only f/5.6 lenses that cover 300mm seem to be all zooms, and many of them low cost options so the image quality is not great. If you've ruled out the weight of the Nikon 300 f/4 (1.5KG) then the 70-300 VR is probably your best option. The 180 f/2.8 is not listed as being compatible with the Nikon TC14E, a third party teleconverter might be compatible but quality will suffer and you're still short of 300mm.
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
If low weight is the priority, there’s no real magic option: fast telephotos need a lot of glass, so lightweight, bright, and 300mm usually don’t go together.
From the options discussed, the Nikon 70-300mm VR is the most practical lightweight choice. It reaches 300mm, has autofocus, and stays well under 1kg. The tradeoff is speed: at 300mm it’s only f/5.6, so it won’t be ideal for dark concert stages.
The 180mm f/2.8 plus 1.4x teleconverter is less convincing. It only gets you to about 250mm at f/4, and the Nikon TC-14E is not listed as compatible with that lens. A third-party teleconverter may fit, but image quality and AF performance can suffer.
If you want a true lightweight 300mm prime, Nikon does make one around 755g, but it’s not a budget option. Otherwise, the community consensus is that if the heavier 300mm f/4-class lenses are too much, the 70-300mm VR is probably your best compromise.
Another possible workaround is using a higher-resolution body and cropping more aggressively, but that means changing cameras rather than lenses.
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AI13y ago
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