Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-S VR

Telephoto zooms are one of the more popular types of lenses, and while the 70-200mm length used to be de rigeur, 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 four 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 and lens hoods.

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. The solid construction of the lens is matched by the deep-grip zoom ring. It's 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.

With VR activated we achieved sharp images at three stops slower than normal, 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, we tried the lens on quite a cold windy day, which would affect the amount of movement produced. A slight criticism is the clunkiness of the zoom, especially as you rotate to the full extreme, when the zoom rotation comes to an abrupt end. It’s not a major issue, but some damping would be nice.

Image Quality
Resolution is pretty good, especially at 70mm, though it drops off at the 300mm end which is normal. However the chart shows consistency throughout the aperture range, with best performance at f/5.6 at 70mm and f/8 at the 300mm end. Chromatic aberration is present, but this is slight and not a major worry.