Customer Reviews

Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR Digital SLR Zoom Lens with HB-36 Hood & Pouch Case + UV Filter + Accessory Kit for D3000, D3100, D5000, D7000, D90, D300s & D300S DSLR

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read and watched many-many reviews before ordering this lens. I bought my Nikon D60 with in kit with the 18-105 VR lens, so this 70-300 is the logical extension of its zoom range.

Having so much advance information I was well prepared for the cons: soft pictures at >200mm and occational focusing problems. Based on those reviews I actually expected them to be much more a problem: I probably wouldn't have noticed them if I didn't know about them up front.

I took a few test pictures in the overlapping zoom ranges: at 70mm and at 105mm, in both cases pictures taken with the 70-300vr turn out to be noticably sharper and more colorful than the pictures taken with the 18-105mm.

VR works unbelievably well, but you have to get used to the clicking sounds when VR turns on and off. VR makes up for the not so low F values of this lens. But any zoom lens with similar zoom range and lower aperture settings seems to come at triple prices or more, so for me they were out of the question.

After taking only a few hundred pictures so far I can join all the other reviewers who were praising this lens.

Nice zoom lens giving you the added reach for tight close ups on subjects that are far away. The optics of this lens is much better than the cheaper versions that this lens replaces. In particular, the 70-300 G and the metal mount 70-300 ED versions are not as sharp as this lens. The VR function really works and significantly improves the picture image eliminating most blurs due to camera vibration and hand movement.

Folks using this lens on a DX sensor camera need to know that the crop factor means you are shooting with a much longer lens effectively. For example, at a focal length of 300mm the equivalent full frame is 450mm. The rule of thumb is to use 1 over the focal length as a minimum shutter speed to get a blur free shot. At the full 300mm zoom focal length this means you need 1/300 on a full frame and 1/450 of a second on a DX to get blur free shots. The VR function helps to provide a 3 to 4 stop advantage. This means in practical terms that you can take a photo hand held as slow as 1/60 of a second and have great results. The VR function works well but is not 100%. Trial and error and practice will help to determine what your individual capabilities are.

Absent VR, handheld at 1/60 of a second exposure at 300mm focal length with a DX sensor camera you can be certain that your shot will be blurred. You can easily test this by turning the VR function on the lens off and trying to hand hold the shot.

Some consider the price to be high when compared to the 70-300 G lens (which is a bargain at under $175) but is a great price when compared to the professional 70-200 VR lens at $1899 or more.

If you use this lens with a tripod, make sure your tripod is sturdy and that you remember to turn the VR function off.

There is no doubt that the 70-300mm VR is one of the best telephoto zoom lens made by Nikon for an affordable price. So I am not going to bother writing about the lens since other reviewers have written a lot about it.

This review is about the other options of buying on Amazon. I bought it from Cameta camera via Amazon. The lens cost offered by Amazon was $540 just for lens which is still less as compared to other vendors. But I got the lens with hood + UV filter + lens cleaning kit + shipping for $539

It took 6 days to ship as mentioned but everything is just as expected. So i would give full point to Cameta camera for excellent price offer and fast service.

People please look for the bundled offer since sometimes you might end up getting more for lower price

I Like the lens, its as described and have no problems with it. As expected the zoom seams to be a bit tight, but overall I would give it 4 out of 5

I bought this lens after reading a lot of review comments as I already had a 55-200 VR from Nikon. I was looking for some extra range and was in a dilemma whether to buy this one. Finally, I went ahead and bought this 70-300 VR II from Nikon and I am happy. It took a couple of days for me to get accustomed to this huge (compared to 55-200) lens, but once I got used to it, it's no big deal for me. It is still on the bulky/heavier side. And, now my 55-200 seems like an 18-55 to me. I read a lot about the motor noise or the tightness in adjusting the focus. I don't see that as a big issue. In fact, I am able to alter the focus pretty easily and when I take pictures outside, I don't get any distracting noise.

The 55-200 sometimes was easier to do continuous clicking, while it's a bit tougher on the 70-300 VR II. Coming to VR, it's really good. I was very apprehensive on whether I will be able to hand hold this bulky lens. Now, I don't have that worry. Carrying this for a prolonged time or shooting it continuosly will be a bit tiring as the other bigger lenses.

My husband is the photographer in the family and when he purchased the Nikon 5000, it came with two lenses; however, he wanted more. I purchased the 70-300 lense and he started his shoots. The definition with this lense is absolutely unbelieveable. He took pictures of ducks and you could actually see and want to touch the feathers from the pictures. The service and response to my purchase of the lense was met with professional speed to send and receive. I would not hesitate contacting Amazon.com again and again. Thanks for one of the best gifts to my husband.

I sold my kit lens even though it produced good photos and purchased the Nikon 70-300VR and 16-85VR. Both of these lenses are solidly built, more so than the kit lens and cover the entire range from wide angle to long telephoto. Check lens reviews around the web and you will find that both of these lenses are high quality.
These are not f2.8 lenses but those lenses are much, much larger and a lot more expensive. These lenses are f3.5-5.6 which is all that I (and most people) need. I'll trade one stop of light for portability, a lot less weight and a lot less $$$$$$.

I purchased this as a gift and the recipient was very excited
It is excellent for action filming at a distance such as racing on NASA events
Close-ups provide a new opportunity for some interesting art photos