Product description

Nikon AF-S VR 70-300 f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED

Price: £313.18 This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Average customer rating: 4.5

Binding : Electronics
EAN : 0182080216110
Label : Nikon
Manufacturer : Nikon
Publisher : Nikon
Release date : 2008-02-07
Title : Nikon AF-S VR 70-300 f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
Studio : Nikon
Brand : Nikon
Model : 2161
MPN : 2161
Package quantity : 1

Editorial reviews

Product Description
The AF-S VR 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens from Nikon is a high-performance tele-lens zoom designed to satisfy both digital and traditional 24 x 36 camera users' needs. Offering a 4.3 x amplitude and a focus range of 70 - 300 mm (or 105 - 450 mm on a digital camera from the DX Nikon series), this built-in lens, as well as 2 auxiliary ED glass lenses, guarantee high optical performances with reduced dispersion. In addition, the AF-S VR 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED uses Nikon's new generation vibration reduction system (VR II) to allow you to take handheld photos thanks to its shutter speed that is 4 times slower than that of traditional cameras, for great results (according to performance tests by Nikon). The SWM (Silent Wave Motor) and internal focus (IF) assure a quick and silent operation. Furthermore, the circular diaphragm with 9 glass slides gives natural and harmonious results for unfocused elements in the background. With the AF-S VR 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED, you have a state-of-the-art lens that will enable you to take many splendid long distance photos, with spectacular and realistic visual results.

Customer reviews

review by: Katie Boundary date: 2009-01-04 rating:

Look at the photos not the reviews
Nikon AF-S VR 70-300 f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED

I've been an amateur photographer since 1958. My first serious camera was a Hasselblad 500C (How serious do you want to get?) which cost me £150. It had a f2,8 Planar 80mm standard lens and that lens set the standard for the others. My usual print size was whole plate (8.5 x 6.5inches) and the results were magnificent. Times have changed. I took a series of photos on the first day this lens arrived and, just to test its quality, I cropped so that a print on to an A4 was equivalent to an A2. All the negative reviews were set aside. If this lens gives me this quality I am more than happy.
I was very pleased with the VR. Something undreamed of back in the '60s. One question though. someone should know the answer. In the instructions it reads "Do not turn the camera power OFF or remove the lens from the camera while the VR is in operation etc" What does 'in operation' mean? Does it mean 'during the time the VR lenses are adjusting or does it simply mean 'when the VR is ON?' Should I switch off the VR after every VR use?
To repeat: just try this lens. Does it satisfy you? It certainly satisfies me.

review by: date: 2008-08-17 rating:

Nikon 70-300 AF-S VR - Cracker of a lens
I'm very impressed with this lens. Before I bought it, I read reviews on various websites, some saying it was brilliant, some saying it wasn't very sharp, too big, too heavy etc.I took the plunge and bought one and haven't regretted it. I've used this on d40 and d300 bodies and it works superbly on both.

The autofocus is very fast, quiet and accurate. The VRII system is also very impressive allowing very slow shutter speeds - I've had sharp, handheld images at 1/30 sec at 300mm which would be completely impossible without it. As for the size and weight, for a lens with a maximum focal length of 300mm with a built in focusing motor and an optical stabilisation system it's not really a problem (the canon equivalent is the same size but 100g lighter). The build is also fairly solid with smooth zoom and focus rings. Mine has had it's share of knocks and bumps as well as being caught in rain and has carried on unaffected (note that the lens mount has a seal round it, helping to stop rain from seeping between camera and lens). I can't really complain about sharpness either, the only times I think the image is a bit soft is at the longer focal lengths which could as easily be due to bad panning technique, relying on the autofocus too much in poor light etc....

For a 300 mm lens at this price, it's got genuinely useful features, it's compact, not too heavy and impressively sharp - Fantastic value!

review by: date: 2008-06-29 rating:

The VR does the trick!
Having already owned a Tamron 70-300 I discovered that that range was my most popular shot. I love the sniping shots. This Nikon lens is amazing and the VR makes all the difference! Hold down the shutter button and you can feel it cut in and notice suddenly the image through the viewfinder is very still!
I have no problems with the quality of the results. I have heard that its at its sharpest between 170 and 270mm though but I have yet to try that.
Its a little heavy for me as I do a lot of walking and its rather longer that the Tamron so I had to get a new camera bag but Im more than pleased with it.

review by: date: 2008-06-17 rating:

Beware of the seller if you want cashback
This review is more about Simply Electronics than the lens itself. I ordered this lens at the same time as a Nikon D80 and another lens (which was delivered by a different seller). Nikon are currently running a cashback offer of £50 if you buy a D80 and one lens, or £75 if you buy a D80 and two lenses.

When this lens turned up it turned out to be sourced from the US, so is not included in the cashback offer. When I complained to Simply Electronics about this they just said that most of their items are sourced from the UK but in this case it came from the US, so unlucky. They said it was my fault for not checking with them first!

So if you are buying this lens from Simply Electronics be aware that it may cost you an extra £25!

Oh, by the way, the lens is excellent!

review by: Matt James date: 2008-03-12 rating:

I love this lens but it does have flaws
I bought this lens and took it straight on safari, pairing it with a D80. I took about 2,000 shots with it over two weeks and some of the results are great. Most of the time of course I was shooting at 300mm with VR on in very bright light and it performed pretty well. It is particularly good at close focus (but it's not a macro) and generally good for fast-moving wildlife. It's sharp right through to 300mm but not razors (but hey, if I could afford £6,000 for a Nikon prime telephoto I would have bought one). Just two complaints - the autofocus sometimes gets a bit lost and hunts, and the manual focus ring slips so that it sometimes can't be focussed at all (clearly this is a fault and I'll get it fixed when I have a chance). Overall I'm very happy with this lens, but I will upgrade when I can.

Similar products

Hoya 67mm Pro1 Digital UV Filter
Nikon ML-L3 Remote Control
SanDisk Extreme III SDHC 4GB Card
Nikon EN-EL3e Genuine Battery for D300 D200 D80 D100 D70s D70 D50
Hoya 67mm SHMC PRO1 UV Filter

Similar categories