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You can't beat the convenience of this lens. It goes from 28mm all the way to 300mm and is respectably sharp at f/8 at the long end and f/5.6 at shorter focal lengths. It's not as sharp as my pro glass, and the contrast isn't quite as good, but it's a miracle that it is as good as it is given that super zooms are always optical compromises. VR is good enough that I can get sharp photos most of the time at 1/30 of a second, and maybe 50% of the time at 1/15-1/20. My copy had a slight front focus that needed +1 AF Fine tune to correct. I will say that if you are a hard core pixel peeper who uses professional glass, you might not be happy with this lens. But if you aren't the kind of person who looks at their photos under a magnifying glass, you will love the versatility and convenience it brings. I have included a handful of pictures I snapped with it tonight. All handheld, the VR is pretty good and when combined with the high ISO capabilities of modern cameras lets you shoot in fairly low light levels, as long as your subject is still.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I have a number of lenses and each one is best for its specific intended use, but for general walk-around shots I find it impossible to lug all my gear with me and get quick shots. This lens was the answer. It is a hefty piece of glass, and it does have its own set of peculiarities, but it offered the best compromise and results at a decent price range. It will never replace the tack sharp results I get with my 300mm prime, but its much easier and quicker to use then fumbling with a tripod and having to switch lenses when going from wideangle to zoom shots in situations like sightseeing, public events, and other congested places where hauling all your gear with you would be crazy. I always carry a camera with me when I am out driving around, and this is just the lens to have when you suddenly come across those situations where you find yourself saying "I wish I had brought my big zoom" or "darn, I wish I had rememberd to bring a widerangle lens". This lens has all that, and its quality Nikon glass in a "jack-of-all-trades" package. It is just my opinion, but I believe you use a specific lens for a reason and the range of this lens allows for it to be used for a larger variety of situations. So when you hear somebody say "Wow! There was a 10 point buck standing right off the edge of the road yesterday, but I couldn't get a close enough shot of it because I had a 50mm on the camera". Well guess what. I got a great shot of it because......Read full review
I received this lens a few weeks ago. I briefly read the instructions and put it on my Nikon DF. There is a small lake just west of my house. There were a couple of families of geese that were spending their time swimming in the Lake and walking along the shore. I turned on the Vibration reduction and extended the lens to its 300mm. I am a victim of familial tremors. The VR system worked so well that the image was very clear hand held!!! I tried several other shots and they were all great. I have used the lens in other situations, and, considering its extreme zoom range, the results are extraordinary. At the extreme short focal lengths there is noticible barrel distortion, but it is not severe. The price of this lens is very reasonable when one considers its complexity, and overall quality. It looks like an extremely good lens externally, and its function seems to confirm that. It is rather heavy, but there really is no way to make a lens like this come out light. Optical diagrams and specifications make it plain that it is extremely complex, so really is amazing that it is as light as it is. It weighs around 800 grams, similar to the Nikon DF. Because of its extreme focal length variation it is somewhat like having a whole case of lenses at the fingertips. The lens mounts on the camera properly. The zoom collar is neither too stiff nor too weak. It is easy to hold. It extends a lot as the focal length is zoomed to 300mm, but that is the result of optical principles. It does not have a tripod socket, but it woud be difficult for the manufacturers to find a place to put one! It seems to be an unusual value with a lot of quality for the money.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I really like this lens. In most cases it is very sharp and any delay in focusing quickly is relative. In my case, manually focusing is often ncessary. I can see some photographers wanting a faster lens and my take on that is this: if I was shooting a specific kind of image and subject that demanded quick auto focus, I would recognize the need for such and rent or purchase a fast prime of the focal length required. I like this lens mostly because it is as good as it is with the wide range of focal length and very compact. The weight doesn't bother me because Im not a sissy photographer that whines about how heavy his tools are. I use a tripod most of the time and often at night, so the weight of the lens isn't an issue for me. The vibration reduction helps tremendously when shooting handheld, especially with the lens boomed out at 300mm. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to minimize the amount of lenses they carry with them and is looking for this focal range. There are better set ups that can be achieved with better lens combos of course, but for the weight and the money I'm happy with this lensRead full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I bought this as a do-everything lens for nature photography and I am quite pleased with it. What I like is its range of focal lengths and its very fast and accurate autofocus. I also like its macro capability. It has no macro setting as such but at full zoom it still gets good close ups of most insects. It can easily focus on a hovering dragonfly. What I like less is its weight - it is quite heavy - and its all- plastic construction. I worry that if I drop it, it will break, whereas my old reflex-Nikkor 500 survived being run over by a truck. Also, I find the zoom mechanism very tight. It takes both hands to work the zoom. This may just be specific to the used model that I bought, but other reviewers also mention this.. For 'scenic' pictures, 28mm is not always wide enough for me, so I need to carry a wide angle lens too. For handheld telephoto I tend to get better results with this lens than with my manual reflex 500, because although it magnifies less, the focus is more reliable and the depth of focus better.Read full review
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