Quote Originally Posted by moldovamark
How poorly would the otherwise affordable 70-300 serve me for something like that?

I think it would be great. On a crop body, 300mm will fill the frame with Mt. Hood. Here's the shot taken 10 minutes from Portland airport on a $100 70-300 Sigma APO Macro:





If you really want to go light weight, consider the 70-300 DO. It has poorer image quality than the non-DO (and of course twice the price), but it's the most hiking-friendly tele there is.


Quote Originally Posted by moldovamark
I've often considered it as an affordable option to any of the 70-200 lenses, but the mixed reviews of image quality have scared me off.

The 70-300 IS non-DO is like the 18-55 IS: a very good value, even if the quality is not best in class. It's an excellent lens for the money.