Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR Zoom

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About Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR Zoom

I received this lens for testing, and since there is a great interest regarding its performance, this test took priority over other tests waiting their turn.
Currently Nikon has a line of three lenses that are identical with respect to their focal length – 70-300, with the same aperture range.
I used to own one of them – the 70-300 ED. Generally, it was a good lens, but it was too light to be used at it’s maximal focal length for hand held shooting and the maximal aperture had to be closed by one stop to achieve good quality sharpness.
The second one, the cheap AFD G version, confirms the saying that “you get what you've paid for”.
This is a very mediocre lens, which is better suited for use in its wide range (70-100) than in the tele edge, where it can be quite disappointing.
Lately, Nikon issued a series of lenses with AFS + VRII and this lens that is being tested here is the latest in the series for now.
The two previous lenses in the series – the 105mm/2.8 AFS VR and the 18-200mm AFS VR were well accepted in the market, especially due to their high quality.
When I took the new 70-300 AFS VR in my hand – my first impression was – wow, it’s huge! It is also rather heavy, much heavier than its older sisters! It is built in accordance with Nikon’s fine tradition – having a strong solid structure.
Since this lens is also designated for FF (it is not a DX lens for APS sensors) – one can comprehend its size.
Nevertheless, since Nikon has only digital cameras in the APS format, and due to the crop factor, this lens appears to the camera as if it were a 105-450mm lens, I find it surprising that Nikon did not equip this lens with a tripod collar.
When shooting from a tripod, its weight on a light-weight Nikon cameras (such as the D40, D50, D80) will exert quite heavy pressure on the bayonet – surely, it is not hazardous for the camera – but there was definitely place for installing a collar for a tripod on this lens.
I wonder if Nikon designed this lens for hand held shooting only.
In contrast to the initial tests that were published on the Internet, which pointed out exaggerated CA and smears at the corners – my findings do not confirm this.
Maybe the testers had pre-production lenses or they had low quality filters attached.
This lens is equipped with a sun shade (as is usually provided by Nikon) but as indicated in my initial tests, it is quite unnecessary – maybe it is just to be used to protect the lens.
While zooming, the lens elongates considerably (focusing is internal) and when the sun shade is attached it looks like a small shoulder-held missile.
As mentioned before, this lens is quite heavy and stabilizes remarkably well in the hand with the D200 and the D2X. When using the D80, one has to alter the way the camera is held, it is certainly possible to use.
It is lighter than the 70-200 AFS VR and even lighter than the 80-400, both are most similar to it in terms of focal length and performance.
The lens has three switches – manual focusing or M/A; VR, activated or disconnected, and VR state - normal or active (for shooting from a moving car).
The minimal focusing range is about one and a half meters – this is why it’s not fit for macro shots or close-up shots such as the corresponding Sigma lens for example, which is a pity.
The optical structure is very complicated – much more than its older sisters – and is similar to the optical structure of the Nikon 80-400 VR lens. The lens is designed meticulously – and the aperture has nine curved leaves meaning that it is expected to have a good bokeh. The MTF graph also shows this tendency.
The lens has two ED elements, as compared to the one element in the simple ED version or without any such element in the AFD G version. This is well recognized in the tests – and the lens is practically free of any color aberration.
The lens is fast to focus, in comparison with its sisters of the same line. It is certainly not as quick as the 70-200 but quite close. It is much, much faster than the Nikon 80-400 lens.
The VR mechanism works wonderfully (it is a bit louder than the 18-200) and when shooting carefully, it lets one use all four of the speed stops it offers.
This is how the lens looks:

http://www.kramery.com/en/DUarticles/detail.asp?iArt=580