Autofocus Speed and Accuracy
One of the main reasons why I love my 300mm f/4D AF-S is its fast and accurate autofocus motor. With the new 300mm f/4E VR getting the latest generation silent wave motor, I wondered if the lens would be any faster or more accurate than its predecessor. So I put both lenses side by side and did my AF speed measurements. After a number of comparisons, I came to the conclusion that the 300mm f/4E VR has a slightly faster focus motor than the older model. How much faster? Considering that the new lens focuses a little bit closer at 1.4 meters versus 1.45 meters (which translates to overall more focusing distance), the difference is pretty small – most people won’t notice any difference in focus speed between the two. If you have never used the 300mm f/4D, keep in mind that the motor is not as fast as the focus motor found on the 300mm f/2.8G VR or 70-200mm f/2.8G VR lenses – it feels noticeably slower. But that’s a given, as Nikon would not want a small compact lens to compete with its pro-level line.
When using just the lens without teleconverters, going from infinity to close focus and back is about the same on both 300mm f/4D and f/4E lenses, whether shooting at the full range or limiting the focus to 3 meters and longer range. A quick tip: make sure to set the focus delimiter switch to “∞-3m” instead of “FULL” when photographing wildlife. This will speed autofocus up considerably. Only switch back to “FULL” when the subject is closer than 3 meters.
![Nikon 300mm f4E FL VR Sample Images (2)](https://photographylife.com/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/GrQZt6ZFhE4jsKqjDEtqRA/photographylife.com/2015/03/Nikon-300mm-f4E-FL-VR-Sample-Images-2.jpg/w=960)
When mounting the TC-14E II or TC-14E III, the 300mm f/4E VR focuses a little bit faster. I tried both combinations of TCs and the two 300mm f/4 lenses showed the same result – the 300mm f/4E VR was a bit faster. Performance with the TC-17E II is a bit disappointing in terms of AF speed, but if you have been happy with the TC-17E II on the 300mm f/4D in AF speed, you will not be more disappointed with the 300mm f/4E VR. To go from infinity to close focus and back, it takes about a total of 3.5-4 seconds. You can cut that significantly by moving the focus limiter switch to 3 meters, which is what I would certainly advise doing when photographing distant subjects and when using teleconverters. Performance with the TC-20E III is even slower. When going from infinity to close focus and back, it will take on average about 5 seconds. I tried to time this on both lenses and they were about the same in speed. The 300mm f/4E VR might be a tiny bit faster, but it is close enough to be the same that I would argue there is no difference.
![Partial Lunar Eclipse](https://photographylife.com/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/GrQZt6ZFhE4jsKqjDEtqRA/photographylife.com/2015/03/Partial-Lunar-Eclipse.jpg/w=960)
If you are wondering about the sharpness when using teleconverters, that information is provided further down in this review.
What about focus accuracy? That’s where the 300mm f/4E VR clearly wins, without a doubt. I have been using the lens on my D750 and D810 cameras and the hit rate is noticeably better when compared to what I normally get with my 300mm f/4D AF-S. The lens seems to snap into focus better and tends to keep focus grabbed when the subject moves, reacting to sudden movements faster and better than its predecessor. My 300mm f/4D AF-S sometimes gets stuck when focusing and refuses to do anything, until I move the focus ring. The 300mm f/4E VR is free from this issue and acquires focus without hesitation every time. The focus motor on my 300mm f/4D AF-S also feels much louder and produces a squeaking sound when focus moves back and forth – the 300mm f/4E is very silent in comparison.
![Nikon 300mm f4E FL VR Sample Images (4)](https://photographylife.com/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/GrQZt6ZFhE4jsKqjDEtqRA/photographylife.com/2015/03/Nikon-300mm-f4E-FL-VR-Sample-Images-4.jpg/w=960)
Overall, the Nikon 300mm f/4E VR seems to be slightly faster in AF speed, but noticeably more accurate than its predecessor, which is great news.
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