binary visions Offline Upload & Sell: Off
|
The size and weight are not to be undersold, though.
This lens is seriously amazing for the size and weight. I would pay the price premium for every single lens in my kit if I had the option. Suddenly, I have a 420mm (+1.4x TC, which is almost glued to the lens at this point) that's as portable as the old 70-300mm I used to go hiking with, yet with image quality in spades, as good as my 80-400mm @ 400mm (which is outstanding). The VR upgrade also means the lens is more flexible - I can shoot with it in situations where I wouldn't be able to use my AF-S lens.
The image quality IS better. Far less purple fringing, and it takes the teleconverters better than my AF-S version - I actually never even think about whether or not I have the TC on, I just shoot the focal length I want. With the AF-S version, I'd remove the TC if I was looking for the best IQ. I haven't seen a lot of the problems others have reported with the PF elements in backlit situations, maybe I just haven't hit the right situations (though I have a whole lot of frames with it now, so maybe I'm just not as sensitive to it).
Is it the right lens for everyone? Nope, as with any lens, there are penalties and this penalty is cost. For similar sharpness, you can get the AF-S version at half or less than half of the cost. You won't find anything that's this good, at this focal length, for this size though. And that, to me, is worth a hefty premium. Taking pounds and inches out of my hiking pack, while upgrading to VR, with no other compromises? Sign me up.
|