>>> Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 22:39:41 +0100 From: Filip Hajny <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Nikkor 100-300/5.6 [v04.n135/2] Hi! Anybody has any experience with the Nikkor 100-300/5.6 AIS? I have searched all through the Internet, including the mail list archives and it looks like a really good zoom (to go with my FE). I'd be using it mostly for my travels to distant countries - sometimes it's safer to get pictures from a distance. However, is it possibly to use it at 5.6, or is it necessary to stop down (as usual with most lenses) to get a good performance? Also, is it possibly to use it without a tripod? I've been offered a used one for about $500. Thanks for any help... <<< I have one. It is a good sharp lens. It operates with a single ring which is nice. It has a modest "macro" setting, but this is no replacement for the 105mm f2.8 lens. I seldom use it because I now own the 300mm f4. I found that I usually set the zoom lens at the 300mm focal length. Thus, I gained nothing from the zoom but lost a whole stop. The extra speed of the 300mm f4 makes a lot of difference in the number of shots that I could make. I used the zoom a few times with a 2x converter. The resulting combination is very hard to focus. Jim
