In article <4b1cap$ce2@leol.net-link.net>, corky@serv01.net-link.net says... (most deleted)
>I'm a photojournalist at a medium sized daily in the midwest. i have a >Nikon 300mm/f4 and it's soft at f4. Dissipointing for a $900. lens.

You have either a defective (it happens, even to the best :-), or
a damaged lens. The 300mm f4 EDAF is normally a sharp lens center-to-
corner wide-open. If you are spending real money on equipment, it
pays to check it out when it is purchased, so that defective samples
can be exchanged (finding easily noticed defective samples is
relatively rare with Nikon, but it does happen). Nikon is very good
about making defectives right, BTW (they replaced two of mine, and
worked hard to correct a third [before anyone thinks this is a large
number, consider that that is in a period of over 25 years, and with
one heck of a lot of Nikkor lenses!]). As part of a new "SUBJECTIVE
Lens Evaluations (mostly Nikkors)", I hope to include a description
of an easy, practical, and quick way to check lenses for gross
defects.
Hope this helps.