Review of the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-S VR zoom

www.nikon.co.uk RRP: £399 Telephoto zooms are one of the more popular types of lenses with greater variety than the London Palladium on a Saturday night. The 70-200mm length used to be de rigeur, but now the 70-300mm length has become the must-have in your kit bag. This Nikon model looks great on paper; a chunky bit of glass weighing 745g, a respectable f/4.5 maximum aperture and Vibration Reduction – all for a reasonable £400. This model is packed full of technology, not least the VR II system. This is claimed to offer up to 4 stops slower shutter speeds, so at 300mm, a steady shooter should be able to take sharp pictures at about 1/20 sec. The VR system has two modes – normal for counteracting camera shake and active for reducing mechanical vibrations when the shutter and mirror cause movement during long exposures. The lens is also equipped with a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) and internal focusing (IF), ensuring quiet and fast focusing. The IF system also prevents the need for the front element to rotate during focusing, allowing the use of circular polarising filters. The lens is made from 17 individual elements in 12 groups, including two ED lenses to reduce chromatic aberrations. Notice also the lack of the DX suffix, indicating that the lens can also be used with 35mm film cameras; though the G suffix tells us that the aperture is controlled on the camera body, so the lens can’t be used with older Nikon cameras. Handling The solid construction of the lens is matched by the deep-grip zoom ring. The lens is nicely balanced when shooting, with easy access to the manual focus ring when needed. A group of buttons control AF/MF as well as the VR system and all are easily reached should you need to make changes in a hurry. My personal handling of the VR allowed three stops slower than I’d normally dare risk, rather than Nikon’s stated four stops. But it’s important to bear in mind that your own ability and the prevailing conditions may affect this. For example, I tried the lens on quite a cold windy day, which would affect the amount of movement I produced. A slight criticism is the clunkiness of the zoom, especially as you rotate to full extreme, when the zoom rotation comes to an abrupt end. It’s not a major issue, but some damping would be nice. Verdict For the sum of £400, and incorporating SWM and VR, the 70-300mm is a good buy with many more pros than cons. Optical performance is good, but slips as you head up the zoom. With the additional benefit of 35mm compatibility, the 70-300mm Nikkor lens is an excellent all-rounder – WDC recommends it. What Digital Camera Score 87%