Nikkor 70-300mm Lens Test

My new cheap Nikkor lens just arrived. I took it out in my back yard to photograph a goose and set the lens for 300mm. The review on the lens states soft focus at that longest focal length so I set the camera to F/11 at 1/350" at ISO 400. I mounted my camera on a monopod and did my best to hold the rig steady and fired of this shot. I can actually say I'm pleased and certainly learned how difficult it is to hold that lens steady without Vibration Reduction. I'll be sure to use a tripod in the future so valuable lessons were learned. I did not crop this image and must admit the lighting conditions were horrid. With all that said, what do you think?

Edited by OP.

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Test shot May 2011 of European Goldfinch, 1/250s, f7.1, ISO 500, Hand-held. VR On. Heavy crop.


I got this lens so I could have a light(ish) walk-a-bout combo with my D3. This image was the first test image I took in my backyard. The lens is really excellent and have found no evidence of it softening the image at the outer-limits.
The previous 70-300mm AFD non-VR however was terrible at the outer-limits.

G.

The Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G that I bought for $138 has no VR. Still, when braced or on a tripod, I feel it will perform well. I've only taken this one photo so I have a lot of experimenting to do. I take a lot of big cat photos at the zoo so a tripod is cumbersome but not a deal breaker. I'm really excited about the possibilities. The game will change with the arrival of my pre-ordered Nikon D800, hopefully soon. I put the order in February 17. Thanks for the great samples guys.

bobmielke said:

The Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G that I bought for $138 has no VR. Still, when braced or on a tripod, I feel it will perform well. I've only taken this one photo so I have a lot of experimenting to do. I take a lot of big cat photos at the zoo so a tripod is cumbersome but not a deal breaker. I'm really excited about the possibilities. The game will change with the arrival of my pre-ordered Nikon D800, hopefully soon. I put the order in February 17. Thanks for the great samples guys.

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I thought you were talking about the AF-S version which does have VR. and so did Doug b if I'm reading his comments correctly.

MacGandalf said:

I thought you were talking about the AF-S version which does have VR. and so did Doug b if I'm reading his comments correctly.

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It's no big deal.

Yep, I sure did think so. But given that it's the non VR version, I'd say it's looking pretty good. Be careful with that D800 though, it's not very forgiving in terms of detail! If there's a hint of movement or misfocus, it will tell all!

Doug

Doug b said:

Yep, I sure did think so. But given that it's the non VR version, I'd say it's looking pretty good. Be careful with that D800 though, it's not very forgiving in terms of detail! If there's a hint of movement or misfocus, it will tell all!

Doug

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Here's my second test of the new lens, again on the D7000. I stressed the ISO at 3200 using overcast lighting for better results. Again, the shot was handheld at 1/350" F/11. I am starting to fall in love with this lens. I'm at a 300mm focal length.

That looks great, definitely got a good sample of that lens. Maybe pull out a little bit of the shadows and perfecto. Good detail in the plumage.

Doug