Customer Reviews

Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Received this lens 2 days ago and took it around town and to a baseball game to try it out on my D700. Overall I am very pleased with it. The zoom range allows for great flexibility, the autofocus is fast, VR II superb as on other Nikon lenses. While the zoom is not as loose as the early 18-200mm lenses, you do need the included lock for it not to creep if you carry the lens pointed down on your camera. The weight of the lens as other reviewers say is quite comfortable - mine with clear protective filter comes in at 860g, just a touch heavier than the 70-300mm but not something you'd noticed without a scale. Build quality is very solid.

I tested this lens against my 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 VR and the 16-35mm f4 VR and overall I was pleasantly surprised how well the new lens did. Three things potential buyers should be aware of:
1) while the lens is listed as 28-300mm it seems to be neither quite 28mm (the angle of view is slightly narrower than the 16-35mm set to 28mm), nor does it quite extend to 300mm (the 70-300mm gets a bit more enlargement). This is not a big issue in normal use since you'd never know the difference without a side by side comparison, but if you're buying the lens specifically for either extreme of the range be aware of this. I don't have equipment to test so you'll have to wait for professional reviews to tell you exactly what the actual range is in mm.

2) while overall I'm very pleased with the quality - no ghosting during shots I took at the ballgame despite not having Nanocoating - when you compare side by side it is not as sharp as either of the other lenses and has, as is to be expected given the zoom range, more distortion. Again nothing that would jump out at you if you just saw a photograph, but side by side especially at 300mm you do notice that fine details (textures, text) are more crisp when taken with the 70-300mm.

3) The lens very quickly goes to f5.6 - by the time you're at 70mm you're at f5.0, and by 105mm you're at f5.3. Before buying I had wondered how this lens compares to the new 24-120mm f4, and I suspect that lens is slightly sharper and if you shoot a lot at portrait length you will fine the full extra stop (f4 vs 5.6) to be quite useful. Note I have NOT actually tested the 24-120 since it' not available yet. And of course that lens is about 25% more expensive.

Overall I'm very pleased with this lens, and despite the difference in sharpness this lens will be replacing my 70-300mm in my bag for most purposes - pretty much the only time I'd take the 70-300mm would be to specifically shoot wildlife or objects I know will be far away and I'm trying to keep the weight down (and obviously if you're really into wildlife you should get yourself a faster longer range lens than the 70-300mm).

Basically with this lens and the 16-35mm you cover an amazing range in two lenses and both of them are excellent lenses with AFS, VR II, etc.

I am a seasoned hobbyist, who is a frequent visitor to national parks. I have recently gotten myself a copy of this lens.

1.) Basis of this lens review

I use Nikon D300S and D90 so my review will be based on DX format of Nikon's camera.

I do not intend to provide review on the technical aspect of this lens as I am not a professional reviewer. I am sure you will get plenty of technical reviews from many other websites.

This review will be based on my day-to-day photography experience.


2.) Compare it to: -

Nikkor 70-300mm VR and Nikkor 18-200mm VRII, both of which I also own.

I acknowledge that the 28-300mm is not directly comparable to 70-300mm and 18-200mm, but due to the overlaps of the focal range, many people will try to draw a comparison among them and decide whether they should keep the existing ones they have or sell them to get this one, instead.

2.1 Size and build

The 28-300mm is relatively compact considered the focal range it covers. It is shorter than the 70-300mm when "folded". They are about the same length when fully extended. The 28-300mm is a bit heavier. The 28-300mm uses a 77mm filter size, which is common for most pro-grade lenses. It is about the same size as the 18-200mm but heavier.

2.2 Image quality

I tested the 28-300mm against the 70-300mm and 18-200mm at three different focal lengths: 70mm, 200mm, and 300mm. I set my ISO to 200, aperture at f8 and f11, all on a tripod with VR turned off. Some of my subjects were 15 m/50 ft or more from where I stand, some were 5 m/16.7 ft, some were 1.5 - 3 m/5 - 10ft, and some were as close of 0.5 m/1.67 ft.

Based on these settings and conditions, I found the image quality (especially, the sharpness) of 28-300mm and 70-300mm being indistinguishable. Hence, from my perspective, the IQ of this lens is at least as good as the 70-300mm, if not slightly better. It is definitely better than the 18-200mm. The 28-300mm, however, produces better colour and contrast then the other two.

2.3 Lens breathing

In my side by side comparison with the other two lenses, I did experience "lens breathing" issue. The 28-300mm is a heavier "breather" than the 70-300mm, even the 18-200mm.

At a closer distant (e.g., 1.5 - 3 m/5 - 10 ft), and focal length set at 70mm, 200mm, and 300mm, images from 28-300mm are much "smaller" than those of 70-300mm, and 18-200mm.

Based on my test, at 15m/50 ft, 300mm in a 28-300mm is equivalent to 260mm in a 70-300mm. At 1.5m/5 ft, 300mm in a 28-300mm is equivalent to about 170mm in a 70-300mm. However, unlike the 70-300mm, the 28-300mm shouldn't be used with a TC. Hence, it does have limitation to extend the focal length beyond the 300mm.

People who also own a copy of 70-300 may not be too happy with this especially when you can draw a side-by-side comparison of the images produced by these two lenses.

2.4 Bokeh

Tested it against subjects (flowers and birds) placed in front of trees/plants with their leaves reflected with sunlight (the subjects are normally 1 - 3 m/3.33 - 10 ft in front of me, and 5 - 10m/16.7 - 33.33 ft in front of the trees/plants). While, his lens is capable of creating nice bokeh but nothing outstanding. Compare it to the 70-300mm, I like the effect of the 70-300mm better, but then, this is the subjective part and you may have a different preference/taste.


3.) Who is this lens for

This lens is perfect for people: -

- Who needs a large focal range to shoot a wide variety of subjects;
- Who wants to travel light;

This lens is in particular useful for people who frequently use a focal range of below 70mm and more than 200mm.

As a frequent visitor to national parks, I often ditch the heavier Nikkor 17-55mm and 70-200mm combo, and brought the 70-300mm and 18-200mm with me instead. Even then, I often found myself in a situation where I need to shoot a wider angle for certain landscape shots, but suddenly, certain wildlife/birds appeared and I need to zoom all the way in to take close up shots of those subjects. I often missed crucial wildlife shots while changing lenses. I solved that problem by carrying two cameras with me!

However, with the introduction of this lens, the day of me having to carry two cameras should be behind me now.

I think the zoom range of this lens is wide enough for certain landscape shots and is long enough to zoom in to birds on the tree or deer in the forest. If you can bring only one lens to any national parks and that it could cover most of the ground, I think this is the one.

I have posted a few birds photos for your reference.

Although this is a very made consumer grade lens, it is not meant to be compared to professional grade lenses, such as the Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8; 24-70mm f2.8; Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8, just to name a few. If you need that level of sharpness, weather seal, then this lens is not for you.


4.) Others

The autofocus is accurate and quiet. VRII works smoothly as any other VRII lenses I own (e.g., Nikkor 18-200mm VRII, Nikkor 70-200mm VRII). I didn't encounter strange noise as reported.

This lens is capable of taking very close up images. Even at 300mm, the shutter can trigger at about 0.5m/1.65ft. However, you will have the breather issue as mentioned above.

Below is the change of aperture relative to the focal length (it's on an approximately basis): -

- 28mm f3.5
- 40mm f4
- 50mm f4.5
- 70mm f5
- 105mm f5.3
- 106mm and above f5.6


5.) Conclusion

This is a very well made consumer grade lens. If you need a good travel lens (e.g., if you are a frequent visitor of national parks), then this lens should be on top of your list, as long as you bear in mind of its limitation: if you need to either shoot wider than 28mm or longer than 300mm. For the former, you still need to pair it with a wide angle lens; for the latter, this lens won't replace the 70-300mm, as it is not suitable to pair up with a TC.

I'm an advanced amateur photographer shooting landscapes, nature, animals, fast cars and faster jets. I've owned Nikon DSLR's and lenses for the past five years, always upgrading as I make new purchases. I use a Nikon D300 camera body. I bought this lens to replace the Nikon 18-200mm, even though I gave up some range on the low end. As soon as I opened the box I could tell by the weight and feel of it that it is a high quality lens. I started taking a variety of shots of my dogs, inside, outside, and in a park. I was very happy with the results - even my wife complimented me on the pictures which is hard to come by. I used it last night, in the dark, zoomed all the way out to take a few shots at an outdoor symphony concert, with the ISO set at 3200. I didn't use a tripod since there wasn't room; I handheld it so I didn't expect good results. I'm amazed at the sharpness of the images. The VR II works as advertised too. Today I took it out to run it through a few comparison shots to see how well it works under nature/landscape settings on a tripod and handheld. I also took some images to merge into HDR images. The results were crystal clear and exceptionally fast set at ISO 200, even zoomed out to the max. Although it weights more than the Nikon 18-200mm lens, it's a fair exchange for the speed, reach, and clarity that result. I'm planning out my weekends around using this lens at a NASCAR race, air show, and fall foliage in the Shenandoah Valley. This lens is well worth the price; I highly recommend it.

I have a number of camera bodies and a lot of lenses. I shoot mostly professional glass and bought this because of the close focus ability. It is not a 24-70, 70-200 nor a 200-400 but for a thousand bucks it's one of the best deals going. On a DX sensor it can do near macro at 1:1.5 and quite sharp. In fact at 300 it looks nearly as sharp as my 300 F4 costing 50% more and close to my 70-200 with 1.4 TC costing nearly three times as much.

I have shot a few hundred pictures on both FX and DX. I did a nighttime shot on FX of a lighted builing at F5.6, ISO 6400 and 1/4 second exposure (hand held) with acceptable results.

Normally when I go on vacation I take a large backpack with over 20 pounds of gear. I suspect this lens will change all that.

I pre-ordered this lens when it was first announced and received my copy about a week ago. On receipt I did a quick test against other lenses. Since then, I've been using the lens on my Nikon D700 (FX format) body to make images for publication. I am really liking the lens; it fits right in with my intended use. Following is the review that "fits" here; There is a lot more including comparison images posted on my blog at [...].

I am a working professional who shoots primarily destination and travel photographs while on the move. I shoot a lot in foreign destinations and on a budget, where I need to travel light and don't want to make myself a lucrative target (festooned with lots of camera gear). I also don't have the weight allowance, enough hands, or the desire to carry extra camera bodies or swap lenses for each and every shot (that is, if I can possibly avoid it). When traveling, I am usually out exploring and must carry all my gear for the whole day, "sun-up to sundown" (along with water, map, guidebook, jacket, etc., etc., and etc.). In the field I often carry a few lenses to cover the situations I expect through a whole day of touring, but I normally have one "walking around" lens on my camera when I go exploring. This new 28-300mm zoom lens is shaping up to be my go-to travel and "walking around" lens. For me, this lens effectively replaces the 18-200mm DX lens that was once my favorite before I upgraded from DX to FX.

My copy of this lens produces images that are contrasty and sharp to the eye at just about every focal length; Overall image quality is quite good across the entire zoom range. There is very little light fall-off from center to edges at all focal lengths. My copy turns out clear, consistent results with very little effort and no more than my usual semi-automatic adjustments and tweaks in photo management software. So far, I have not noticed much flare (though of course there is some, especially when shooting with the lens pointed upwards and toward the sun). I haven't yet calibrated for a lens profile, but at first blush it looks to me like any correction needed will be easily managed in Adobe (or other software). I would be comfortable submitting results from this lens for publication at almost all focal lengths -- in fact, it is better than other lenses I have used in the past for images that have recently ended up on mass-market magazine covers. Based on my testing and experience to date, I expect this lens will become a favorite.

In short: Recommended. For the price (right about $1,000), there is really no competition. If you're looking for an all-in-one zoom in this range, just get it. (However, note: If you are using a DX-format camera, you might better consider the excellent DX equivalent, the Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DX-Format Digital SLR Cameras. The DX 18-200mm lens provides the same effective zoom range in DX format as this 28-300mm does for FX cameras, and it is really very sharp and highly considered. I'd still have mine if I hadn't gone up to an FX-format body.)

If you would like to read more about the new 28-300mm (including side-by-side comparison with other Nikon lenses in a semi-controlled test), you are welcome to read the whole review posted on my blog at thePhotoTourist.com. (There's really way too much detail -- including comparison images -- to stick it all into an Amazon review.) If you're interested, my hands-on review post is at [...].

I can't tell you how excited I am for this lens. Let me start by saying that I shoot FX only with my D700 and I love shooting with mainly primes only...my currents are 24mm 2.8D, Voigtlander 40mm f/2, 55mm 2.8D AF Micro, 50mm 1.8D, 105mm 2.8 VR Micro. But, I've been waiting for Nikon to release some new FX zooms with longer focal range for when taking one lens is more ideal than taking all my primes. I wanted a good lens to shoot events and take when traveling or just taking my kids to the zoo, park, etc. I was torn between this one and the 24-120mm f/4 when it was announced and actually pre-ordered the 24-120mm. When I started seeing the samples on this one and was able to test it out in the local camera shop...I was sold. I was having a hard time justifing paying $1300 for a fixed f/4 that only reached 120mm (although 24mm on the wide end would be nice, but I'd rather have my 24mm prime that doesn't take up any weight/space).

This is a beautiful zoom. It creates great rich colors, great contrast and really great sharpness. The build quality is exceptional and the zoom ring is tight and there is a zoom lock switch for when it loosens. The close focus ability (1:3 Macro) on this lens is a major plus for me...and the images are sharp when zoomed to 300mm. The VR really works. I used to have the 16-85mm on my D300 before I switch to FX. The 16-85mm is an awesome lens for sharpness/quality/colors/etc and this lens reminds me of it for FX. There are distortions (it's a 10x zoom lens!) but I feel like they are well controlled considering. So, as a prime shooter, I needed a zoom-do-everything lens for FX and this one has not dissappointed at all...a very nice lens that I highly recommend!

This is an all in one lens and for one that goes from 28mm all the way to 300mm the quality of the images is very good. At almost all focal lengths it is a f5.6 lens so it takes 4x the light of a f2.8 zoom like the Nikon 70-200mm or a 17-55mm lens but is the same speed as the Nikon 70-300 while being a lot wider at the short zoom end.

At a focal length zoom of more than 70mm the inner barrel of the lens starts to extend out the front and my 300mm the lens has doubled in length. Not a subtle lens to use for street photography if that is your interest.

VR is excellent and I get sharp images at 300mm at 1/125 second which is quite good. The old rule of thumb was a reciprocal exposure of 1/focal length but in actual practice with long lenses I find that I need twice that speed so to guarantee a sharp picture every time with a 300mm lens I need 1/600. To get this with a shutter speed four times as long demonstrates the benefits of VR for a slow lens like this one.

Autofocus is very fast and I never felt I had to wait for the lens to lock on before pressing the shutter. I detected no tendency to front or back focus with this lens on my D700.

Lens comes with a pouch but I see no benefit to using one either for storage where the lens goes into a plastic drawer or in my camera bag where I want to get to it quickly. The lens hood snaps off for storing the lens but it stays on for the most part when in use though not anywhere nearly as securely as a screw on lens hood.

The lens works best on a camera like the D700 where ISO 1600 is not a problem in getting pictures with minimal noise. It is not a good lens for cameras like the D2h or D2x which struggle at ISO 640 and are worthless at ISO 800.

Whenever I travel, I always take 2 or 3 lenses to experiment and take shots with. Cumbersome as it is, I don't mind because the end results are worth it. I hate being in a situation in which I wished I had a lens to take a unique photograph. However, I did not have a zoom lens with such a range. I love photographing people but not all cultures/people are comfortable with having their photos taken up close (something I would do with a portrait lens here at home). I researched and was going to buy a much cheaper Nikon lens (Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR Zoom), but then a few days ago Nikon released this one. I looked for user reviews but didn't find any. I decided to take an expensive gamble and bought the lens. I put it on my camera and went shooting the same day I received it. I was very happy with the range, the weight felt right and the lens was extremely responsive when changing subjects. I was utterly pleased with the results when I got home. I got some beautiful shots of people working in an open market whether in the sun or under shade. I never expected such crisp photos from such a long range. Overall, I highly recommend the lens for anyone who is willing to make the sacrifice to purchase such an expensive lens during these difficult times. However, it is definitely worth it. Not only will it end up being the only lens you will carry but you will also be wowed by the results.

With my D300s I'd been shooting a lot with the 18-200 VRI for about a year. As a travel/all purpose "go to" lens it was great and practical to have. However, once I started using primes, I think I got spoiled for the speed and sharpness, leaving me wanting more than what the 18-200 could give me. So I sold it to help fund a replacement lens. After researching heavily, I still had trouble making a choice. I think it may be true that there isn't one perfect lens that 'does it all".

I tried out a 70-200 2.8 VR and although it is as phenomenal as I heard, I found it a tad intimidating in size and price - especially since it would leave me needing a second lens to make up for the wide end. Then I considered the new 24-120 f/4, thinking it would be sort of a happy medium but I ruled it out because I wanted to zoom to 200 or better. I considered the 80-200 for the lower price, but no VR. I just wanted something sharper and faster than the 18-200 I'd been using. After getting flabbergasted over which choice to make, I stumbled upon news of the brand new Nikkor 28-300 VR. Although it isn't the f/2.8 and pro lenses I was looking at, I decided It seemed like a safe choice so I ordered it to give it a whirl.

After shooting some shots, I already see that it is miles ahead of my copy of the 18-200 VRI in sharpness and contrast. It seems a bit faster in autofocus but still is pokier in dim lighting than I'd like. I put the camera's ISO setting on auto for the sake of learning the lens and it wasn't a big issue in the late afternoon shade nor with the images coming out 'too' soft at lower apertures -even with a full out 300mm focal range. I think for low light conditions, I'd be better off with this lens on the D700, which has higher ISO capabilities and with less noise than my D300s. Knowing the limitations of this combo, it will force me to learn how to work more creatively with flash or natural light with reflectors.

Post processing the shots from this lens hasn't been the hassle I was accustomed to with the distortions and CA's I was getting from the old lens. I think that the colors are nicer and that there seemed to be less noise, as well. These improvements, along with the extra reach, make it well worth the extra cost over the old lens. It is a lot less cost and weight than the 2 pro (70-200 & 24-70 2.8's) lenses combined, plus you get a little more reach.

My only concern is the obvious fact that this lens will not come close to the speed I enjoy with the 1.8 primes that I use. But at least while traveling -it takes away the burden of weight and cost of the (more than one pro lens) alternative and the inconvenience of having to change lenses -especially while on a family trip. Some say this is not for a DX camera because it wouldn't be wide enough at the short end, but I think it is just fine for me...I rarely used the widest part of my 18-200 lens - I was mostly wishing I could zoom closer.

I'm still planning to get a fast telephoto specifically for birding one day. I'll use this one in the meantime, while I buy a bit of time to gain more money and knowledge before taking that plunge.

Sample photos at flickr: [...]

I've been using the new Nikkor 28-300 for a while on my D700 for almost 90% of my work, and am very happy with it. This lens produces very sharp and contrasty pictures with lots but easily corrected distortions; is solid build, reliable and especially useful for walk around and travel photography without changing lenses. Doing this last in the middle of a trip means dust spots in your fragile sensor and waste of valuable time. I have read mixed posts in the web about how excellent or how awful this lens is. Ken Rockwell says "This 28-300mm VR is Nikon's next gotta-have-it lens. It does everything, and it does most of it very, very well. The 28-300mm VR is much better than I expected". Other "specialists" categorize it as a lesser lens. So, what's going on here? I have compared my results (not scientifically, of course) against those of the very high ranked Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8, and, guess what? I get more keepers with the former. Why? With this I have a wider range of focal lengths, and its VRII image stabilizer allows me to hand hold the camera at quite low shutter speeds, neither of what the later can do. The 24-70 is a remarkable lens, no doubt, and at 70mm f/2.8, vs. f/5.0 at the same 70mm in the 28-300, there is a 1+2/3 EV's loss, but the VR stabilization compensates for some 3 to 4 EV's, and with the amazing low light performance of the D700, I can gladly exchange the f/2.8 luminosity for the 300mm usefulness. I only miss the f/2.8's "bokeh". I love photography; I've been behind a viewfinder for almost 50 years, and have used lots of cameras and lenses. My interest is in good photography, not technical oddities; even so, I like to use the best equipment I can get. The tests made by expert technicians are usually done in ideal lab conditions, with sturdy tripods, perfectly controlled illumination and still subjects. They are strictly correct and I can't argue with their results. But, if you are like me, listen to my advice: use the camera/lens combination that's useful and practical for you, and allows you to capture the very best photos, and this lens fulfills almost all of my needs and expectations. And remember that the lens and the camera are mere instruments; is your brain that creates the image.