My passion is wildlife photography and in particular birds and birds in flight. I was looking for a setup that was light and nimble for walking long distance and times when I just wanted a smaller profile. The Nikon 300 f/4E PF pared with the Nikon D7200 does that and more.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR ($,1999.95) is noticeably smaller and lighter than other prime lenses of this focal length that cover a full-frame sensor. A Phase Fresnel lens element-the PF in the the product name-makes this possible, without sacrificing sharpness, close focus capability,...

Lightweight design; Sharp from edge to edge; Optically stabilized; 1:4 magnification

Pricey; Not compatible with some older cameras

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR ($,1999.95) is noticeably smaller and lighter than other prime lenses of this focal length that cover a full-frame sensor. A Phase Fresnel lens element—the PF in the the product name—makes this possible, without sacrificing sharpness, close focus capability, or image stabilization. If you're a Nikon shooter in want of a telephoto prime it's certainly a good one to get, but you pay a premium when compared with larger, heavier 300mm f/4 lenses, like the $1,500 Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4D IF-ED and the $1,350 Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM. We think that the compact design and the stabilization system justify the cost, and image quality more than makes the lens worthy of Editors' Choice honors. If you prefer a zoom, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary ($898.99 at Amazon) is still our top choice, but it's much larger and heavier than the Nikkor, and it doesn't capture as much light at any point in its focal range. Design and Featu...

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR is a light and compact telephoto prime lens, but you pay a premium for its size.

Lightweight design; Sharp from edge to edge; Optically stabilized; 1:4 magnification

Pricey; Not compatible with some older cameras

This lens is always in my bag with the TC-14EIII teleconverter.

Extremely sharp Fast and accurate auto focus Very portable Feels professional (except for lens hood) VR works great on D750 and D7200

Could have better color / contrast Some ghosting when shooting into bright lights Some aberrations when paired with teleconverters

This telephoto lens sports a reasonably fast maximum aperture of f/4 and all the usual features you might expect on a top of the range Nikon telephoto lens, such as Vibration Reduction, fast, silent focusing with full time manual override and Nikon's Nano Crystal optical coatings to suppress...

Chances are if you take a poll of what photographers picked for their first telephoto lens, it would be the 300mm. For one thing, it's a good choice for those starting out in wildlife or sports photography and, given the nature of millimeters, it's relatively inexpensive as compared to the big guns...

The compact Nikkor 300mm f/4 VR is ideal for sports and wildlife. Let's take a look at the pro lens that breaks all the rules. Pro spec primes are large, heavy and expensive – aren't they? In many cases they are all of the above, and then some.

Introducing a thrilling new 300mm f/4 prime lens capable of changing the way pro and serious enthusiasts shoot. At just 147.5mm long and 755g-over 30% shorter and 1.5lbs lighter than its predecessor-the AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR is the world's lightest 300mm full-frame AF lens.

It's nice to see innovation hard at work, and the resulting reduction in size and weight is welcome for users who were tired of lugging around the 3+ lbs. 300mm ƒ/4 AF-S. If there are any shortcomings with the new PF version, it is that it is not capable of the tack-sharp results we've seen in other...