A few more photographs from my day at Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing, CA. The day was overcast, but once in a while the sun would peek out from behind a cloud, and when it did there were humans and animals alike out to soak up its warmth. Like this Harbor Seal.
This Harbor Seal below has very pretty blue eyes, but I must admit I didn’t see that at first. What caught my attention first were those huge fingers!
Don’t you like way he’s surrounded by the other seals? I feel like he’s loved and protected here.
This white seal pup was so cute! He watched the boat for sometime. A very curious seal with a wise looking face.
I rented the Nikkor 300mm f4 for this trip. It doesn’t have VR Nikon’s verbage for Vibration Reduction so I kept the shutter speed up all day.
I am very impressed with the performance of this lens. For being on a moving boat, trying to catch the scenes and wildlife as we sailed by it did very well. I like the isolation and colors it gave me, and I didn’t find that it hunted or had trouble locking onto the subject. I didn’t find it too heavy. Well,it is weighty, but not that much heavier than my 80-200mm f2.8, and the tripod collar worked very well on my tripod/ball-head combo. I purchased a universal plate that worked perfectly on the foot.
Renting this lens was a wonderful way for me to try the lens, and get some pretty neat photographs of this trip that I might not have been able to get otherwise. I will rent this lens again, and have started saving for it. I like it that much, and I have birding season coming up! I think this would a fabulous lens to have while at the Snow Goose festival this winter, and in my gear bag.
Circadianreflections Blog 
Like that top shot. Have seen cats do that.
Re-reading your description of the 300/4, I was wondering if there is a difference between that, w/o VR, against the 70-300@5.6 w/VR? One stop, although that could be a difference, DoF-wise.
Like reading about your trials; have to consider some of these options. We have a nice place down here to rent gear from, now (Hawaii Photo Rental @ http://www.hawaiicamera.com), so I really should “try.”
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@ Todd,
Thank you! There are noticeable differences between this and the VR 70-300mm. The 300mm f4 didn’t hunt and locked on the target fast, the speed was wonderful, and at 300mm it’s sharp! Getting my subject isolated was effortless.
The 70-300mmVR hunts and isn’t always this sharp at 300mm it’s better lower 280mm range and lower. Isolating my subject is more work with this lens. Also this can’t take a TC.
The Prime can and in good light with a 1.4 it makes it an f8 which will still isolate my subject, and is in the sweet zone. I can’t say if it hunts in with the TC I didn’t try it.
I’m planning to rent it again and will use my extender on it. I have read good reviews for using a 1.4x extender with this lens.
Honestly this prime is better than the 70-300mm VR- I wish it weren’t so I already have the 70-300mmVR. “)
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