Nikon Telephoto Zoom Lens ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor

Impressive optics in a reasonable package

Posted Mar 15, 2007 - I would honesly give the lens more of a 4.5 rating. I use this lens on my Nikon D50. After a recent trip left me wanting something in the telephoto range, I started looking hard at this lens. I also considered the 80-200 2.8 D 2-ring and the high 70-200mm 2.8 VR AFS. Factors that pushed me toward this lens over the others (and perhaps help you in deciding as well) are: - size and weight - after feeling all 3 at a camera store (B&H), this lens weighs around half of the others and is more compact when stored at its smallest focal length (the other two are obviously bigger due to them being 2.8 constant apertures with a constant length and metal body) - price - 1/3 the cost of the 70-200, though only a few hundred less than the 80-200 - technology - wanted VR in a telephoto to help with distance and AFS for faster, quieter focusing (and not rely on the weaker D50 motor) - what I'm using it for - wanted something to travel with and handhold outdoors. If I shot more sports, I probably would have chose the 80-200. If more indoor events (like shows or concerts), possibly the 70-200. Altogether, I opted for a lens that is half the weight and 1/3 the price of the more "pro" glass. And given that I shoot more on the wide end, I'd rather save my money for a 17-55 2.8 that would see more use. Onto the lens. Sharpness (as with most Nikon consumer lenses these days) is superb. Focus is usually quick and accurate and VR works extremely well. One of the things that sold me was how the sales person at B&H was able to snap a tack sharp picture of a customer on the other side of the store at 300mm and 1/4" using a D200 (handheld). The few shots I've taken since receiving this lens confirms this ability. The lens comes with a nice large, deep hood, which I'll probably use all the time and save the cost of buying a protective filter. The bokeh is very good. The only real thing that I'm not so crazy about is the way the zoom ring feels (at least on my sample). It isn't as smooth as the other two lenses mentioned, giving the lens a somewhat "cheap" feel (some believe the zoom was tightened up due to complaints of lens creep on the 18-200). Fortunately, the focus ring is much better. Overall image quality is very good, but not to the level of the higher end glass (obviously need to justify the price). The lens is great as long as you shoot within its limits, thus making it a great value. Overall, it's a fantastic lens in terms of image quality and price. Some may be more interested in the recently announced 55-200 VR, which will be smaller, lighter, and cheaper. But those who are like me (starting from the 18-70mm kit lens and already have 67mm filters) will probably appreciate things like a metal lens mount, the ability to have full-time manual focus over-ride, and the overall feel of the lens more. Final note for anyone new to these lenses, VR will only compensate for your movements, not the movements of what you're shooting. Given the small variable aperture of this lens, if you're planning to shoot anything indoors or fast moving, you'd be better off getting one of the 2.8 aperture zooms.. or better yet, buy a prime (which sacrifices flexibility for low light ability, quality, and size - small price to pay to get a shot you can use).

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Excellent buy!

Posted Oct 27, 2007 - I am using this on my D80. It was bought refurbished, as was my camera, from Adorama. Although is was refurbished, I swear it looks and operates like a brand-new lens. Awesome. The VR is spectacular. I have taken shots of the moon, hand-held, at 300mm (450mm on a digital SLR), with sharp-as-a-tack results. Granted I have to use the camera's menu to increase sharpness a little, it still gives great results. At 300mm it is as sharp as the 18-200mm at 200mm, and at 200mm it is way sharper than the 18-200. Your best bet for sharp pictures with great contract and color, with minimal distortion, is get an 18-70mm and a 70-300mm VR. At close to the same price as the 18-200mm, these 2 lenses together will give you better pictures, guaranteed. Plus, the extra 100mm does go a long way. Do NOT compare this lens to the old 70-300mm. This one is built better and gives far better image results.

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Love My New Nikon 70-300mm Lens

Posted Mar 14, 2007 - I've only had this lens a couple of days and I'm already loving it !! Great for birds, landscapes, portraits, and sports. Vibration Reduction works like a charm !! This lens gives me all the length I need right now, since I've got about 5 other Nikon lenses. The feel of the lens is also very sturdy and well made. Mine is USA, so I also got the Nikon 5 year warranty. For the price, it can't be beat !!

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Nikor VR zoom

Posted Apr 24, 2007 - As with all Nikon lenses this is built well. It is a bit on the heavy end compared to my non VR 100-300 but that is to be expected with more glass and the VR component. The focus is fast and accurate. A tripod collar would be nice but more importantly I wish Nikon would begin making their lens hood with access for adjusting polarizing filters as Tokina has done. Because of this I find myself often foregoing the benefit and safety added by utilizing a lens hood.

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Best Choice 70-300 for Nikon

Posted Feb 2, 2007 - Right now, this is the best 70-300 lens available for Nikon. The VR works very well and as advertised by Nikon. Focusing is fast, accurate, and quiet, but can hunt in low light. The image quality is very good. At 300mm, it's best to go down a stop or two for the best results. IMO, it's priced more reasonably than the 18-200VR. If you already have the 18-70 or 18-135 kit lens, this is a great addition as long as you don't mind the small inconvenience of changing lenses on occasion. The best thing about this lens is that you can leave the monopod behind and get great photos hand held that would otherwise not be possible. Just keep in mind the VR won't help for moving subjects, and the f/5.6 maximum aperture can cause some limitation on an otherwise versatile lens.

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Best lens in my collection

Posted Feb 3, 2007 - This lens is amazing. I love it. After reading a lot about it online, I decided it would be my next big purchase, and I haven't regretted it for a second. The zoom is longer than I expected, and the vibration reduction seriously helps sharpen up my hand held shots. While it does come with the hood, and a carrying case, I wish it came with a UV haze filter to protect the lens. Plan on dropping another $20-$40 for the filter. When combined with my SB-800 Flash, simply zooming in will automatically make the flash zoom as well, which is a really cool feature. Another plus, I can tweak the autofocus after it has "locked" into focus by simply turning the manual focus, which helps if I wanted to focus on something other than the main subject. Overall, I'm really satisfied with my decision. Nice job Nikon!

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Amazing Telezoom Lens

Posted Dec 27, 2006 - Nikon 70-300mm VR is an amazing lens. Its VR works very well, even gives you a decent picture under dim light. The Bokeh is very nice and I try to use whenever I can. I think it is a little expensive, but over time it will pay for itself. The most annoying problem that I have seem with this lens is that if you shooting something against a blank or mono color background, it will take forever to focus and sometime it wont be able to focus. When this happen, I just switch to manual focus. Overall, I am very happy with this lens. If you can wait and have some extra cash, I suggest go for Nikon 18-200mm VR instead. B/c with it you wont need to switch lens most of the time. Overall, I am very satisfied with it.

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Great lens for hiking and birding

Posted Feb 12, 2007 - This is a terrific lens for the outdoors. Vibration reduction makes handheld shooting a pleasure. It's a lot lighter than its bigger brothers, easier to carry. Image quality is much better than the other Nikon 70-300's. It also has a smaller price tag than other Nikon VR zooms, and, unlike the Nikon 18-200, is widely available.

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Awesome zoom for Nikon DSLRs

Posted Apr 17, 2007 - This is my third Nikkkor lens, and it is easily the best one I have. It is amazingly sharp and contrasty, and the overall quality of the photos I have taken with it have really impressed me. On a D-SLR, the 1.5 multiplication factor means this lens will behave like a 105-450mm lens. Having that zoom available has allowed me to take a couple of shots that would have been underwhelming with a shorter focal length. The VR system on this lens is also really great. I am able to shoot at the 300mm zoom at relatively slow shutter speeds (i.e. well below the 1/300 normally recommended) with terrific results. My favorite shot, though it was probably a fluke, was taken indoors at 300mm and a shutter speed of 1/1.1 yet showed almost no camera shake! I wouldn't expect that from all shots, but I have had no problem hand holding at 1/10 at any focal length. My only complaint about the lens is its size. Though it is reasonable small for a 70-300mm zoom, I was disappointed that it didn't fit in my camera bag. Of course, I should have measured, so that's my fault.

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Versatile Lens

Posted Mar 28, 2007 - A very good lens, and not too heavy. I bought this lens to replace my old pre-A1 50 - 300 mm zoom. So far, really enjoy the flexibility and the vibration reduction functions.

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awesome lens

Posted Apr 18, 2007 - Once I put this lens on my Nikon D80, I didn't want to take it off. The VRII system allowed me to shoot up to 1/15second without any blurriness. All images where extremely crisp and clear. The 70-300 range allowed for a very useful telephoto range. My only wish is that the wide angle allowed for focus lengths wider than 70mm so that I didn't have to switch lenses.

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and on to lens #2 for my D300

Posted Feb 18, 2008 - ...and today I said "F it" and picked up a Nikon 70-300 VR from Ritz Camera for $550. I just got through shooting my a700 and SAL18-250 at the Baltimore Inner Harbor and fighting DxO pro 5 standard for a week, which they *still* have not gotten to be stable, in my opinion. It would crash every 200 or so images that I tried to process...and it got worse and worse and worse until yesterday it just would not run at all without crashing. I've been trying to use DxO5 to process 3500 raw and jpeg files from the D300 and the Nikon 18-200 VRII for almost 2 months now. I finally just removed it and downloaded it and reinstalled it, for like the 3rd time, which is what you have to do now since the "update checker" is broken, now I have v 5.04 which is supposed to be stable and truly it has only crashed on me once. Plus I've deleted the old app database. So so far it seems to be ok. But I have the new lens on my d300 right now anyway. Slrgear says that it is sooo sharp...I am not 100% sure that I need it (oh, no doubt I don't "need" it) but it's just a damm shame to have a good camera with a lens that is only good for subjects of medium complexity. But don't get me wrong. Having 18-200mm of range is great. Just not for precision photographs of long-range subjects. So, let me see how much I swap them around. By the way, don't waste time with Quanteray UV filters.

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Nikon 70-300 VR

Posted May 6, 2007 - This lens is the perfect "mate" for Nikon's 18-70 non-VR lens, with which it shares filters. I've taken some truly long distance shots and the image quality is terrific. The lens was a bit hard to come by and I did better, both time and dollar amount, by ordering it via the Internet.

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Nikon Telephoto Zoom Lens ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor (70-300mm, F/4.5-5.6)

Posted Apr 28, 2007 - An excellent value. VR works well, no help on moving objects. I think its more usefull than the 18-200. A fun lens,sumwhat limited by its aperture (F4.5). A F/2.8 lens is great, but wow what a price jump.

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