Hello all you big glass experts,
what do you think would be a fair price for such a lens?
I've seen the SMC-A version for 1.800 EUR and the newer SMC-FA for about 2.700 EUR.
I purchased my SMC-A 300mm F2.8 along with my A2X-L
teleconverter for a little less than $2000 US about 3 years
ago. I do miss autofocus, but I don't know if it's worth
$900 to me.
I've done some terrific shots with my F*300 f/4.5 this year- but these
shots were only possible with ISO 400 or ISO 800 film.
If I could have used the f/2.8 and ISO 100 film, well...
You should realize that the plane of focus at f2.8 is quite thin, so accurate focus is really essential if you want high-quality images.
Another question is: Can shots be done handheld with the f/2.8 ? Any chance? I'm always trying to go for the 1/4000s (fast moving objects) or even faster, but the weight could be an issue, what do you think?
Handheld? Maybe. Several companies make shoulder stocks that allow you aim your camera/lens system like a rifle and brace it against your shoulder. I don't own one, but would probably get one if I used my 300mm lens more than I do. Another accessory to consider is the Wimberly long lens support, especially if you want to use the lens with a teleconverter.
I'd love to check out such a lens, but I've never seen one "live".
Or I should wait for digital, where ISO is not an issue...
I'm going to go ahead say that if you are otherwise happy with your F* 300mm F4.5 lens, you might be better off spending 1.800 EUR on a *ist-D body rather than on a 300mm F2.8 lens. From what I've seen, the *ist-D image samples at ISO 200, 400, and 800 look pretty darn good.
Thanks in advance for your appreciated advise,
Thomas
