GeorgeBo Once you work out the conjugates the 300 is quite nice to work with, and leaves the subject open for illumination. I was pleased with the results. The 300 f/4.5 I used above is a pedestrian AI-S.
I compared this to an ED-IF AI-S of the 1st series and found that the non ED-IF provided more magnification for a given extension and seemed sharper in this application.
James I agree with the dual benefits of cats, as long as you use a sturdy tripod.
Here's one with my AI'd version of the 55mm f/3.5 on the D800.
