Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens with Built In Motor for Nikon Digital SLR (Model A17NII)

by Tamron

• The popular Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 Di LD Macro features a built in motor to ensure fast accurate focusing
• This telephoto zoom will crop in tight or bring distant subjects in close
• There is also an incredible macro mode for photographing small objects up close giving a magnification ratio of 1:2
• This phenomenal lens comes with a 6 year warranty
• Also a flower shaped lens hood for maximum glare protection with no vignetting

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 3 x 4.6 inches ; 15.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0012UUP02
• Item model number: AF017NII-700
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (393 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #90 in Camera & Photo > Lenses > Camera Lenses
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 23, 2008

Product Description

Style: Nikon

From the Manufacturer

Designed for optimum handling ease and portability (it weighs only 458g <16.2oz.> ), it’s ideal for handheld shooting with full-frame and APS-C format SLRs. Its unsurpassed close-focusing ability (down to 0.95m (3.1 feet ) or 1:2 in macro mode) makes it perfect for nature and portrait photography.

Zoom in to 300mm from a distance

AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens Features

Low Dispersion (LD) Glass for Greater Lens Sharpness
Low dispersion (LD) glass elements in a lens help reduce chromatic aberration; the tendency of light of different colors to come to different points of focus at the image plane. Chromatic aberration reduces the sharpness of an image, but glass with an extremely low dispersion index, has less of a tendency to separate (defract) a ray of light into a rainbow of colors. This characteristic allows the lens designer to effectively compensate for chromatic aberration at the center of the field (on axis), a particular problem at long focal lengths (the telephoto end of the zoom range), and for lateral chromatic aberration (towards the edges of the field) that often occurs at short focal lengths (the wide-angle end of the zoom range.)"

Product Description

Compactness, light weight and affordability are brought together in the Tamron 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di, giving emerging photographers an alternative to the highly lauded SP 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD. Picture takers eager to bring distant sports or wildlife subjects closer, as well as bringing tiny, close range subjects into clear focus will appreciate the standout macro function, available at focal lengths between 180 and 300mm. Capable of a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2 (one half life-size) close-up detail fills the viewfinder. Also, because the macro function is available at the lens' longer telephoto settings, an extended subject-to-lens working distance is maintained.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

138 of 141 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good lens with some nice extras July 23, 2006

By Hiram Grant

Style Name:Canon

The new Di lenses from Tamron are designed to work well with digital cameras, although those with the Di will work for 35mm as well (Di-II only work with smaller, APS-C chip size digital cameras). This is an improvement on the fine 70-300 LD (Low Dispersion glass) design. The major improvements in this lens are in the coatings, to help reduce any color bias, and minimize reflections. Additionally, lens manufacturers are doing more inside the barrels to reduce reflections.

Like the older LD design, the new lens has a close-up mode (not strictly "macro") position that allows images 1/2 lifesize on the negative. That's about twice the size of most 300mm zooms lacking this feature.

Compared to the Canon lenses, it includes a lens hood ($$ from Canon) and a six year USA warranty (vs. 1 year). It's a bit noiser than the Canon lenses in autofocusing. Additionally, the Canon 75-300 III is a considerably older design, which came out well before the needs of digital cameras were known. One slight drawback is that the Tamron uses 62mm filters vs. 58mm for the Canon (which is the same size as the popular 18-55 kit lens).

176 of 184 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good lens for just over a $100 March 3, 2009

By D. Brodsky

Style Name:Nikon

I own both Canon gear (Canon 40D) and Nikon gear (D40). Since Nikon is my cheaper lighter gear, I am not to invest a lot of $$$ into it. While D40 is light and cheap, it is an excellent camera which I use all the time for many reasons. I needed a tele lens to compliment my kit 18-55 lens (which is excellent in itself and gets great reviews). I was between Tamron 70-300 and Sigma 70-300 APO since Nikon's 70-300 is 4 times more expensive than Tamron and Sigma. After reading tons of reviews and playing with both Tamron and Sigma, I chose Tamron and I am very happy I did. There are several versions of Tamron's 70-300, however this one is the latest, 2008 version, which autofocuses on D40, 40X and 60. This lens is remarkable for the amount it is sold for. I've taken many great photos with it on vacation and around town. It is also very compact and light. While it is not an ideal lens to shoot Birds in Flight (neither is D40 with its 2.5 fps) due to its slow autofocusing mechanism, it is great for general photos and portraits. As you can see from samples I even took some bee shots with it. I took a star because of slow autofocusing, but hey, you are paying $130 for it, realize it. I recommend this lens over Sigma for budget shooters who want 300 tele, but don't want to pay $450 Nikon wants for its version. I am happy with it

90 of 94 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome lens at a bargain price December 11, 2007

By L. Smith

Style Name:Konica Minolta & Sony|Amazon Verified Purchase

When my old Sigma 70-300mm lens died this summer, I wondered if I'd be able to replace it with anything I liked as well. I'd used it with my Minolta SLR camera for years, and then for a couple of months with my new Sony DSLR, and it had performed beautifully. But this Tamron lens far exceeded my expectations. It is relatively lightweight, yet feels sturdy enough to stand up to hard use. The focus is sharp and quick, and it works very well with Sony's Super Steady Shot feature (essential for me since I don't use a tripod). Pictures shot in macro mode are gorgeous, once I got used to the minimum focal distance. And the price of the Tamron lens is a real bargain when compared to other lenses that work with Sony DSLRs. I'm a pretty good amateur photographer, and I'm picky about the quality of my equipment, but I don't want to spend more than I need to. This lens is just what I needed.