I keep an eye open for DA 300's, a few trickle on to the auction site every year. They typically bid up to 500-and-some (£). I had one in my watch list, starting bid 399, 3 weeks or so ago. There were no bids with a day to go but sniping at the last second is normal. But then the next day, I saw that the auction had ended with
no bids. leaving me with a dawning sense that something good had just slipped by... When it was relisted the bidding followed a more typical path, it sold for a bit over 500 IIRC.
The DA300 that got away was certainly in my mind when I saw the DFA 150-450mm. Way above my usual price range but hey it's christmas...
I was the only bidder with a snipe a few ££ over the start bid. At ~ 2/3 best retail price I could find on line, I have got to be happy.
Lens proved to LNIB, and with a pricy top-of-the-range sigma protective filter.
First impressions: one immediate small gripe, no strap attachment point. I am going to emulate
reviewer BirdDude007 and add an eyebolt to the tripod foot (if anyone would also like to do this but doesn't have the tools PM me). For my visit to Burton Mere RSPB I used a cheap strap that attaches to the tripod foot thread. First pics: this lens makes the vintage ones I play with look positively anaemic with its punchy contrast and detail. Check out this pic of a blackbird that perched near me - 330mm f5.6.
1:1 pixel peep crop.
Pics like this basically don't need pp (I bumped exposure a bit in LR but that was it). Some more: the power station in the dawn light.
Passing
jet airbus transporter.
"I'm not getting out of bed till the ice has melted!"
I took some very distant pics of a marsh harrier, but even this lens can't do miracles.
Monopod worked well for me.
Now when is that credit card bill coming in... ouch.