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

Pros: Faster, ED glass, lighter, cheaper
Cons: No rotating tripod collar

The recently introduced Nikkor 70-300 f4.0-5.6 ED AF-D lens replaces one of Nikon's most popular consumer zooms, the 75-300 f4.5-5.6. The old model 75-300 was much loved by backpackers, hikers, cyclists, and travelers because of the wide range of focal...

Pros: extreme optical quality, excellent construction, includes case and integrated lens hood
Cons: excellent price point vs its bigger brother the F/2.8...but still expensive. Lens collar

The second you start looking at telephoto lenses longer than about 200mm you will start to see a HUGE upward spiral in price. Your jaw will drop when you see the $5000 price tag on an F/2.8 Nikkor 300mm or the $10,000 F/2.8 400mm. You might ...

Pros: Light, inexpensive, relatively small
Cons: Very poor AF (constantly hunts), lots of chromatic aberration

I read a ton of reviews before I picked up this lens and one thing is clear. Nobody agrees about how good or bad this lens is. Some seem to love it, while others really don't like it at all. I finally came to the conclusion that those who didn't ...

Pros: Better built than other 70-300 models at the moment.
Cons: Silly price for what you get. NO macro mode.

Okay....there are now three Nikon lenses that are 70-300. The least expensive version is the G type, followed by the D with ED glass and now, about to be released VR version. The G version is a relative bargain except that Sigma makes a version that ...

Pros: Price is low for a lens that covers this range.
Cons: It has ED glass but it doesn't pay off

I just shot a roll of fuji reala through my F-5 using this lens. I have to say I'm VERY unhappy. I looked forward to the ED glass giving me sharp contrasty photos. It failed in both categories. Not only was it not sharp (I used a heavy tripod) but the...

Pros: Inexpensive, wide range of focal lengths, good performance for the money.
Cons: Not very rugged, no direct manual control on older Nikons.

Say you've purchased a Nikon D70 or D50 DSLR, and you're looking for a good lens to extend your telephoto range. You'd like to buy a really good Nikkor ED lens, but spending $1400 seems a bit much for your $800 camera. If so, this might be the perfect choice.

It's not as rugged as the higher-end Nikkor zooms- I certainly wouldn't rely on it as my only lens on a pro shoot- and without the lens shade in place it's prone to flare. It lacks the resolution of the more expensive ED-Nikkors. But for a 6-Mpixel camera in average use, it's close to ideal. I've used it on my D70 for my own nature photography, for portrait work, and for candid shots at social gatherings, and I'm very pleased with it. Certainly for on-line photos it's more than adequate for any resolution you'll ever display on a web page.

There are a few drawbacks. For instance, you can't set aperture manually with olders Nikons (including many auto-focus models). It won't hold up to professional use. But for 99.9% of the D50 and D70 buyers out there, it's an ideal choice.

Pros: Excellent resolution and contrast. Robust design but with a relatively light construction.
Cons: Tough enough for hobby use, but probably not robust enough for professional use.

Having recently bought a Nikon D2X camera I became aware that my 70 - 300mm G lense was not producing crisp, contrasty pictures, particularly at 300mm and in relatively poor light, using a tripod. Well the 70 - 300mm ED zoom lense arrived to-day and I've tested it against the G version for several hours. No question, the ED zoom is in a different league. Pics are now clear, with much more contrast and resolution. When comparing pics from the two lenses it was obvious that the G lense was producing quite an unpleasant purple cast.
Many people seem to believe that there is little or no difference between the two, well I beg to disagree. In my view the ED is worth every penny of the premium against the G lense. As far as the ED zoom only having 1 ED glass element, this is clearly all it needs to improve resolution and sharpness. No doubt Nikon people have been making lenses long enough to understand this.

Hawk

Pros: Fast, light, portable!
Cons: Not extremely heavy duty, be careful in transport

This lens certainly has a lot going for it. Aside from the obvious, Nikon made, it is light and easily fits into the portable gadget bag. It is easy to focus and maintain sharp images even without a tripod at the 300mm setting in any daylight condition.

It is perfect for the family trip to the zoo, monuments, or outdoor concert.

With an 4.5 starting f-stop it is not for low light indoor use, but what zoom really is?

I have found it to be excellent for high end slide film with my Nikon body and have many excellent outdoor bird and animal pictures. The quick zoom, D glass, and sharp auto-focus have proven very reliable for more than the casual snapshot.