Customer Reviews

Nikon AF-S VR 70-300 f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have traded in my D version 70-300 for the new VR and so far I don't regret it. The optical quality is very good, probably slightly sharper and higher contrast than its predecessor. The VR capability is extraordinary. It becomes possible to take handheld telephoto shots that previously could only work on a tripod. For instance, today I shot waves breaking on rocks at 300mm (450mm equivalent) at 1/30 second, with amazingly sharp rocks and lots of water movement.

The build quality of this lens is similar to the 18-70mm DX Nikon, which it complements beautifully. The major differences with the older 70-300mm Nikon lens are in size and weight. It's much bulkier and about 40% heavier, which becomes very noticable with one of the lighter budget Nikon DSLRs. Also the zoom ring is much tighter; Nikon have possibly responded to earlier complaints about zoom creep on the old D lens (but have maybe slightly overcompensated).

After owning the G and DX 70 300 lenses I have found this one to be very slightly sharper. The fringing is less on this lens than the other two. The 70 - 300 G lens is incredible value and mine was just as good image quality as the DX version. The focusing on this VR version is faster and quieter than the previous versions. VR works great but noticed a strange anomaly with the VR. If you sit down or rest against any fixed object then this reduces the effectiveness of the VR system. Also a useful tip is if you take many consecutive shots standing up you may find one of them very sharp. In fact using this technique I have taken a 300mm shot at 1/4 sec shutter speed tack sharp. I have proved that you must switch off VR when taking pictures (and the 18-200mm) at normal to high shutter speeds as VR takes the edge off of the picture when it is not needed. This lens is great. Stop it down one stop and the whole 70 - 300 is very sharp. I have taken a hand held shot of the moon with VR enabled and got a very nice picture showing the craters and scars across the moons surface. Very pleased with it.

I'm very impressed with this lens. Before I bought it, I read reviews on various websites, some saying it was brilliant, some saying it wasn't very sharp, too big, too heavy etc.I took the plunge and bought one and haven't regretted it. I've used this on d40 and d300 bodies and it works superbly on both.

The autofocus is very fast, quiet and accurate. The VRII system is also very impressive allowing very slow shutter speeds - I've had sharp, handheld images at 1/30 sec at 300mm which would be completely impossible without it. As for the size and weight, for a lens with a maximum focal length of 300mm with a built in focusing motor and an optical stabilisation system it's not really a problem (the canon equivalent is the same size but 100g lighter). The build is also fairly solid with smooth zoom and focus rings. Mine has had it's share of knocks and bumps as well as being caught in rain and has carried on unaffected (note that the lens mount has a seal round it, helping to stop rain from seeping between camera and lens). I can't really complain about sharpness either, the only times I think the image is a bit soft is at the longer focal lengths which could as easily be due to bad panning technique, relying on the autofocus too much in poor light etc....

For a 300 mm lens at this price, it's got genuinely useful features, it's compact, not too heavy and impressively sharp - Fantastic value!

I have owned this lens for over a year now, and have used it in a wide variety of different situations: sports photography, wildlife, candid photographs of people, etc. Paired with my D80, results have generally been superb - very sharp, even at 300mm, and with the aperture wide open. The quality of the images, both in terms of sharpness and contrast, is notably better than those from the 18-135mm kit lens which came with the camera. The VR works a treat - I hand-held some shots of a christening service in a church (albeit at the bottom end of the focal length range) at 1/8 second, and the results were fine. The only occasional minor problem I have noticed is the lens hunting for the correct focus - but usually this sorts itself out fairly quickly. Overall, I have been very happy, and if you can afford it I recommend spending the extra money on this Nikon lens, rather than on one of the lower-cost alternatives.

I'll be upfront, unlike at least one other reviewer of this lens, I do have the heavyweight, expensive f2.8 version, and I wouldn't swap that lens for this one. However, it is difficult to take a heavy lens on an airplane. Even if you can find the baggage allowance for a heavy lens, you still have to lug the thing around with you when you get to your destination. I therefore bought this relatively lightlens for a recent holiday, when I knew that I would be out on foot for 5-6 hours at a time. Did I miss the two extra f-stops at the top end? Frankly yes, I did, but having said that the lens performed beautifully and did everything I could reasonably (and unreasonably!) ask of it. The colour balance is great, the lens is sharp (except possibly in the corners), the VR works fine, and, most importantly when travelling, the weight is light. All in all a great lens for an active holiday.

Downsides are that the focusing ring can be difficult to find when the camera is up to your eye, the maximum aperture is too small to use an extender with it (I shoot mainly wildlife at 300mm-600mm), and the lens coating comes off a little too easily in the jungle - be sure to buy a UV filter to go with it. That last one is not a weakness of this particular lens, it applies to any lens you buy.

Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, every time.

This is a brilliant 70mm-300mm lens.

When used with Nikon DX format digital SLRs - such as the D5000 - this is equivalent to a 105mm-450mm. This is a long zoom for the price.

This lens has VR, which is just brilliant, allowing you to capture far more pictures without the need for a tripod.

This lens produces great quality pictures too, certainly more than good enough for most amateurs.

f4.5 (at 70mm) to f5.6 (at 300mm) is not the best, but at this price it is more than acceptable.

The zoom ring has a nice feel to it, and doesn't seem to suffer from any zoom creep. The focus ring also feels good, and has immediate manual overide capability when set to Auto Focus which is easier than having to switch between Auto and Manual Focus.

It even comes with a lens hood as well as a lens bag in the box, which is handy.

I would recommend this lens to everyone looking for a long zoom at a reasonable price.

I have the Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens but while it produces top notch images its very big and very heavy. I've tended to find it gets left at home when I go hiking unless I know for sure I'll be using it.

So I decided to invest in the Nikon 70-300mm lens because its half the weight of the 70-200 and significantly shorter in length. Its also 300mm - the 100mm extra being handy now I've swapped to a Nikon D700 from a D60 and lost the 1.5 crop magnification.

I didn't have high expectations of the lens. I'd assumed that beyond 200mm it'd be a bit soft and unusable. However stopped down to f8 its actually fairly sharp in the centre - better than the Nikon 18-200mm VR lens I used on the Nikon D60.

I've not had a lot of use yet but initial shots are looking very promising - hopefully this lens will get carried along more often than my back bracking 70-200mm!

I took the plunge finally and bought this lens to get into wildlife images.

A pricey item but got the best deal through Amazon when used in conjunction with vouchers
given by my family.

Agonized over spending such a large sum but you cannot take it with you.

At present on SKI holiday which translates to 'spend your kids inheritance'!

Have tried it with my D90 and with the sensitivity range of this camera and the VR on the
lens have had some initial pleasing results even when shooting in JPG mode.

The lens is heavy but balances well with the body.

Have yet to query with Nikon if using monopod should the VR be switched off as when using tripod,
monopod can still be a bit shakey.

The optical quality is fantastic, as you would expect from a genuine Nikon lens. An excellent compromise between magnification and weight, no tripod needed.

I'd been using an old AF Nikkor 70-210 for several years and fancied treating myself to a newer, slightly longer lens, and after reading several reviews I decided to get the 70-300 VR.
I have not been disappointed.

I was concerned about the overall length, as my favourite camera bag is quite dinky, but the 70-300 is really quite compact and pretty lightweight too.
The autofocus is fast and exceedingly quiet, and the VR is very effective, if a little spooky.
This is a night-time shot taken handheld at 1/2 a second - []

This is a very reasonably priced lens, and one that performs very well.