[Stavri]

Vagabond, click on Driline's pictures to see his album, he has close to 100 pics.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/92395202@N07/sets/72157644756450522


Here's some of mine only level adjustments, no other post-processing down: This are taken with the copy that's currently on the marketplace:
K3 + F* 300/f4.5 shot @ f8.0 1/1250 ISO 640


crop:

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Last edited by Stavri; 05-07-2015 at 03:01 PM.

[Driline]

Would you mind sharing where you got it and how much it cost? Reading pretty much nothing but good things about the F* and FA* 300mm.

Everyone knows the F* and FA* lenses are waaayyy better than the DA*300. No one who owns the DA*300 wants to admit it but deep down they know I'm right

And the F*300 has that cool off white color. You can't get that with the boring black DA*300.

I paid $975 for my lens last year. Bought it off of Ebay. It's my best lens. = or better than my FA 31. I'll be taking more air show pics this weekend so I'll post some then.

[hcc]

One thing no one has really discussed is that the DA* is WR, which I did not realize. That could be pretty handy.

True. But I can share my experience with the FA*300mm f4.5. I used it in rainy conditions and bad weather. No major issue, although I have extensive experience of shooting in poor weather and I take care of my equipment. The FA*300mm lens is really robust and it just needs some TLC.

[Stavri]

Everyone knows the F* and FA* lenses are waaayyy better than the DA*300. No one who owns the DA*300 wants to admit it but deep down they know I'm right

And the F*300 has that cool off white color. You can't get that with the boring black DA*300.

I paid $975 for my lens last year. Bought it off of Ebay. It's my best lens. = or better than my FA 31. I'll be taking more air show pics this weekend so I'll post some then.

Like Driline i'm a fan of the F* 300/f4.5 (the FA is identical but has not tripod support): The Da* 300/f4 has better coating (micro-contrast. CA resistance) and is weather-sealed. The F*/Fa* 300 has similar sharpness (vintage colors, look) faster auto-focus and a tripod.

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Last edited by Stavri; 05-07-2015 at 04:21 PM.

[brelip]

Few things to consider-
For air shows, it's usually day light and you don't really need a really fast aperture.
100-300 is a nice option, however it lacks optical stabilization in lens, so you still get shaky image in viewfinder. Also 300mm is a bit short at times.
170-500mm has in lens stabilization, but very heavy and large. Optically not as good as 120-400mm. You also lose 120-170mm range.
120-400mm has in lens stabilization as well, not as large and heavy as 170-500, and sharper than 170-500. Also focuses slightly faster due to faster aperture.

the 400-500mm range is negligibal in my opinion. Try it and you'll see.

[WPRESTO]

For purposes stated I would go with the Sigma 150-500.

[Sandy Hancock]

DA*300 all the way. Although it is almost universally considered to cover full frame, it makes far more sense to use any telephoto on a crop sensor.

[pathdoc]

My limited experience of attending air shows is that the weather ALWAYS turns drizzly. ALWAYS. The more priceless and once-in-a-lifetime the star attraction is, the more likely it is the show will be afflicted or even rained-out.

I accept the photo evidence of others to the contrary, but they are evidently the fortunate ones who have robbed me of my sunny days, LOLOL.

If you have been cursed as I have, then that WR may count for more than you think.

[vagabond79]

DA*300 all the way. Although it is almost universally considered to cover full frame, it makes far more sense to use any telephoto on a crop sensor.

That's a good point. Really most of this lens's value is on a crop sensor so I should weigh that accordingly when thinking about use on a FF (which I have no plans to even get right now).

---------- Post added 05-08-15 at 09:48 AM ----------

If you have been cursed as I have, then that WR may count for more than you think.

I must be one of those "good weather guys" when it comes to air shows because I've never experienced rain (yet!). It would be neat for it to start raining and see all the other amateur photographers scrambling to cover their gear up and I just keep shooting away!

[Driline]

Could I see some more of your air show photography taken with that lens?

Here you go..All taken with the F*300. It was a cloudy day with little sun, so not as nice as I would like.

[vagabond79]

Here you go..All taken with the F*300. It was a cloudy day with little sun, so not as nice as I would like.

Thank you. Those shots look great!

Question: What do you do when you are shooting with a long prime like the F*300 and a plane comes so close that it completely fills the frame? I know this is a stupid question but I worry that I am missing out on those shots when I could be using a zoom and still get them. Is this just a tradeoff with a long prime?

[Driline]

Thank you. Those shots look great!

Question: What do you do when you are shooting with a long prime like the F*300 and a plane comes so close that it completely fills the frame? I know this is a stupid question but I worry that I am missing out on those shots when I could be using a zoom and still get them. Is this just a tradeoff with a long prime?

You'd have a tough time getting that in focus with a zoom anyway. You position yourself so where you can see the plane coming in and just shoot away until he fills the frame. No big deal...

[jatrax]

Question: What do you do when you are shooting with a long prime like the F*300 and a plane comes so close that it completely fills the frame?

Duck?

[vagabond79]

Duck?

You mean like this?

[jatrax]

You mean like this?

Exactly. Time to chew dirt.