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The Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5,6G AF-S VR ED-IF has been the logical evolution, required by the actual times, of the old 70-300mm AF-D. In a world where the standards in the photography market are the VR or IS systems, in cameras or lenses, Nikon felt in the necessity of making this lens, because many users looked toward Canon for similar characteristic zooms with reasonably low prices. It is a full frame lens, and it could be used in the Nikon D3, format FX, and in the other hand, a long zoom that can be used in the Nikon D40, thanks to the AF-S. It has not manual aperture ring. The construction is made of quality plastic in the exterior and the mount is metallic. It is not built as the Nikon professional lens, but the quality, handling and operation is absolutely correct, without jumps or strange looseness. The zoom ring is a rubber band that are near to the extreme of the lens, while the focus ring is the shorter rubber band and it is located near the camera body, both rings are very comfortable to use. The optical architecture is absolutely different from its predecessor, improving the optic quality notably compared to old 70-300 ED, and it is a world of difference from the 70-300G. Structurally, it is formed by 17 elements in 12 groups, with 2 ED lens that help to improve the image quality. The filter diameter is 67mm. It has a 9 rounded leaves diaphragm that provides a pleasant blur. Because it uses internal focus the front element doesn’t turn with focus, so you can use polarizer filters without problem. It is a zoom with a 4,3x multiplication factor and with the DX format, the covering angle goes from 34º 20' to 8º 10’. The equivalence in 35mm as if it were a 105-450mm. The minimum focus distance is 1,5m. The dimensions are 80 x 143mm and it weighs about 745 gr. The focus can be Automatic or Manual, with an override for Automatic, that is to say, although it is in Automatic, you can readjust the focus by hand. The focus speed is very high and silent thanks to the SWM motor and it is very precise. In the 300mm position the lens expands a third of its total length and we miss a tripod collar that would be very welcomed. Among the major features of this lens, the more important are that has special mechanisms as the Vibrations Reduction (VR), the Internal high-speed Focus (IF) and Silent Autofocus (AF-S). The AF-S and the VR are energized by the camera battery. With VR activated you can take pictures at shutter speeds three steps slower than you could make using a non VR lens, and this expanses the lens possibilities and the use without necessity of a tripod. The VR modes are:: 1) NORMAL, to reduce the camera shake. Can be used in normal situations or when you take a panoramic, since the lens distinguishes the panoramic movement from the camera properly vibration. 2) ACTIVE, when taking pictures from a moving vehicle. The distortion is very well controlled and it only presents a slight barrel distortion in the 70mm position and a slight cushion distortion according it comes closer to 300mm. The corrections in Photoshop CS has been the following:
Since it is a lens full frame, the vigneting it is very soft when it is used in a APS-C format camera and it has excellent values. The data are following:
The chromatic aberrations are controlled correctly, and spite of there is some comments that has declared the opposite, the best is to show an image to bear out the statement: Shoot data: Nikon D200 + 70-300 VR @ f5,6 y 1/800 speed, VR ON, 300mm handheld. Original:
Crop 100% no refocus.
If you really want to see what lens CA is, click here
To measure the resolution I have used Quick MTF and the appropriate charts for it. I warn that the results don't have the precision and accuracy of tests made in laboratory, and I thought that it is necessary to say it, but in fact, I would assure that the data would be very close those obtained in the reality in a fieldwork.
Nikon 70-300mm f:4,5-5,6 VR Tabla MTF50
To see the 30 lines MTF chart, the real resolution lens, Nikon Japan has the charts here
Some images, D200 camera, tripod, VR OFF, MC-30 Nikon cable. No sharpened crops and only saved for web:
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