Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR

[motleypixel]

This thread is dedicated to comments, experiences, tips, and sample photos for the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR lens.  If you would like to have your photo or photos show-cased under the photo light-box stream here:  http://www.motleypixel.com/reviews/index.htm?openfolder=Nikon%20Zooms/Nikon%2070-300mm%20f4.5-5.6G%20VR/ then post them here!

If I select your photo(s), then I will contact you to request your permission to display it and to ask for the proper copyright and name to place on the reviewed photo(s).  This can include your website or business information.

-Roy

[jjordaans]

Is this the place to post my photo of this Red Deer, taken with the 70-300 AF-S VR lens at 180mm, 1/60 sec. f8, ISO 250?
Cheers,

Paul Jordaans
The Netherlands

[motleypixel]

Paul,

Yes, this is the place...that's a nice shot and I have to say I've never seen a red deer like this.  Do you have more sample shots?  If you can provide a few more at this resolution and a short list of the pros/cons (things you like and dislike) about the lens I can add your photos here:  http://www.motleypixel.com/reviews/index.htm?openfolder=Nikon%20Zooms/Nikon%2070-300mm%20f4.5-5.6G%20VR/

Also, if you have a website (flickr, smugmug, etc.) then I can add that too.

Thanks,
Roy

[jjordaans]

Sure I can, here are a few.

The best qualities of the lens are:
1. it's extremely sharp up until 200, and even to 300 it's center sharpness at f8 is very good (more than you would ever want);
2. it's very portable and a joy to work with, smooth and precize zooming in and out and no zoom-creep; I use it on my relatively small D40 and it's perfectly balanced;
3. it's not expensive, in fact it's the cheapest way to own a Nikon 300 mm VR lens at all.
4. considering it's a plastic lens and the low price, it's relatively well build;
5. VR is sublime, I can easily shoot this lens at 1/60 in the 200-300 range without blurring the picture. For subjects that are not moving fast, this compensates for the only weak point of the lens:

which could be, depending on what you want to use it for, the relative small largest aperture of 4.5/5.6. So I would not recommend it for sports/action pictures but for most nature and portretshots it's great.
Of course this disadvantage is directly related to the pro's I listed. If you want a faster lens, get a 70-200/2.8 VR, pay the bill and carry the load.

Cheers,
Paul

[jjordaans]

And some more here:

[motleypixel]

wow those are some nice shots...the detail is very good; in fact, I feel that it's better than the canon version.

I'll post these up alone with your lens review on the photo review site in the next week.

Thanks,
Roy

[motleypixel]

Okay,

Paul, here's your photo review.

The images your attached here didn't have any exif data so that data doesn't display.  If you decide to post more in the future, try to add a litter larger versions with exif data.

Thanks,
Roy

[cricketer4]

And some more here:

I agree with the opinions of the responders to this post regarding the Nikon 70-300 VR lens.  To my knowledge, it has no competition as far as features, flexibility and performance in this price range.  Mine has been in use on my D200 for two years as a general purpose walk-around lens with a Nikon 50mm f1.8 D lens as back-up.  My faster non VR primes stay in my backpack unless needed for low light tripod-mounted bird photography.

[motleypixel]

Thanks cricketer4 for the info and post.  I take it you must have received our news letter email?  Please post some samples or kick off a thread somewhere in the forum.   This is a great opportunity to get started at the ground level of this new photography community.

Cheers,
Roy

[cricketer4]

Thanks cricketer4 for the info and post.  I take it you must have received our news letter email?  Please post some samples or kick off a thread somewhere in the forum.   This is a great opportunity to get started at the ground level of this new photography community.

Cheers,
Roy

Yes. Your newsletter email reminded me that I had registered with this site earlier this year.  Will see what photos I can find using this lens that are worth posting

[hackmann]

This is a very affordable lens. The image quality its outstanding for its price.
Until 200mm, its a monster. Very good IQ.
Impressive image at 70mm.
VR is very good.
I found a very good use to photograph birds, animals and guess... portrait shots.

This is a 100% crop of a full moon shot at 300mm. You can see a lot of detail, including the lunar craters on the darker side of the moon:




Check some other nice shots i have with this at my personal webpage:

Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3
Sample 4
Sample 5
Sample 6
Sample 7
Sample 8