re: telephoto lens

[Bob Keefer]

Hi:   I've had the FA* 300/4.5 about five months. It's very, very sharp, even wide open. I enjoy using it handheld, as it's quite light.   On the down side, it doesn't have a tripod collar and that is a definite problem, especially using it with a teleconverter. I would look for the F* version (which has one) instead if I were shopping for the lens right now. As it is, I use a ($50) Bogen long-lens support on the tripod. Works, but ungainly.   Bob