This is an very nice and compact telephoto lens, especially on DX bodies like the D300; nice and sharp even wide open and by f/4, performance is approaching world class. This lens produces sharp, high-contrast images on the D300 and bokeh is excellent, with a soft and pleasing out of focus area rendition.
The lens starts to show it's age on full frame cameras however, including the D700 and especially with the D800. Pixel level acuity is marginal on the 36MP sensor of the D800 and while downsampled images look great, the 180mm f/2.8D just can't keep up with the demands of the newer high resolution camera. Purple fringing is on an extreme level with high contrast subjects and extends out from the edges of transition areas for 5-8 or more pixels. I found this to be unacceptable and very distracting and therefore will no longer attempt to use the lens on the D800. On the D700, the situation is better, though still not perfect as there is softness that never quite goes away outside the central image area, even when stopped down.
Others have complained about the M/A focus mode switch, but in my opinion, the lens is a mechanical marvel considering the older design and lack of a built in focus motor. The lens is very solid and has a wonderful manual focus action - the best manual focus of any autofocus lens I own, with a very precise and positive action. Build quality is exceptionally high. Autofocus is slower than a modern AF-S or shorter focal length AF-D lens, but totally acceptable for most shooting situations. Internal focus keeps the length consistent.
Another great `feature' of this lens is its relatively small size and light weight. It is much less obtrusive (and sharper IMHO) than the 80-200 f/2.8 AF-D, making it a great high-quality carry-around telephoto. For perspective, it's about as long as the 18-200 DX VR (with hood attached) and so fits nicely in a medium sized bag.
On the down side, it's a little expensive, but if you want to own a classic, and especially if you shoot a higher end DX Body (with the required built-in autofocus motor), this is it.