Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E VR AF-P Review
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The question is how does it compare to the 70-200mm F/4? I think that lens is the most obvious alternative if you don’t want to carry a 2.8 “monster”.
It would compare pretty well, especially at 200-300mm.
Cees, I will be providing comparisons shortly – will update the review with the results.
great!
I’d second that request. I expect the optics, AF-speed and VR to be very similar since we’re practically at the limits for the price point. As the AF-P loses a stop at the long end, there is a clear advantage to the 70-200/4 for sports. But for wildlife the AF-P seems great and is surely better than the 70-200/4 with TCe1.4 (?).
The other critical feature I didn’t notice in the review yet is focus breathing. It would be very interesting to see at what focus distance the AF-P is an actual 300mm lens. I believe the 70-200/4 is 200mm down to very near focus.
nikon sometimes makes nosense upgrades.
reading your article it says it is fully compatible after fw upgrade with a d610, d600, d750 and another models.
but what was nikon thinking forgetting to fw upgrade for d800 and d810.
I understand, and I do not pretend a fw for a D1 (as an example) but d800 is a relatively and healthy camera.
I think d800, d810 deserves same consideration as d610 and d750
D4, D4s, Df, D800, D800E, D810, D810A, D7100 and D7200 all received firmware updates back on 2/27 to fix the timeout defocus issue.
Mike, thank you for pointing this out – I updated the review with the latest info. Looks like Nikon has not updated the 70-300mm AF-P page yet with the firmware update info.
Nestor, as Mike pointed out, looks like Nikon released firmware updates to take care of the mentioned issues. I wrote most of this review back in January and when I checked the lens page on NikonUSA, it still indicated that the lens was not compatible with cameras like the D810. I didn’t know that firmware updates were pushed to most Nikon DSLRs.
I revised the review and updated it with the most recent information.
Hi Nasim,
With the FW update, is the D800 truly “Fully Compatible” with this lens, or are there any issues if used on the D800? When you tested the lens in your lab using the D810, you mentioned on page one of the review that “I did have some hiccups with focusing, especially when pre-focusing and letting the metering timer expire.” Was that before or after the FW update was applied to your D810, and if so, did the FW update fix those issues? I have a D800 and have no plans on updating to a D850 mainly due to financial constraints at this time, so if I was to purchase this lens, I do want to be certain that it truly is “Fully Compatible” as Nikon says it is with the FW update.
Thanks Nasim,
Vinnie
Hi Nestor,
I’ll reply to your point just to reiterate what others have mentioned below at the top of this thread, so people can get the answer quickly: the ‘non-compatibility’ statement needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. All functions (Aperture control, AF speed, VR) worked fine on a 10-year old D300 I used last year before any FWs were even available. The only non-compatibility issue if you have the exposure timer set to a short period, the AF will also reset. This is easily overcome by setting the exposure timer to something like 30 minutes or ‘never off’; and I have tested a few bodies with that setting and found it does not affect the battery life greatly. So happily there are no serious non-compatibility issues with this lens.
I’ve been using this lens on a D750 and have been nothing but pleased. The combination of high sharpness*, plus relatively low weight, compactness, excellent VR, and easy handling on the D750, gives this lens a lot of utility and a high value for the price. Even if I had the (much heavier) pro 70-200mm, I would still keep this lens. I hope that Capture One puts out a lens profile for this lens soon, although the optical panel still works nicely with this lens with the generic profile.
*I haven’t even been tempted to fine tune AF on this lens.
Thank you for your feedback Richard!
I own the old version that in my humble opinion is pretty sharp for me. It is kind of difficult to understand, at least for me it is, why Nikon did not make this lens available to all of their previous camera bodies. In my case I have to do updates to the firmware of my cameras (D7000 and D610) if I want to use the lens with them.
From your images, considering the size, the pictures are sharp and show plenty of details.
Thank you for this interesting review.
William, you are most welcome! This is a pretty darn good lens for its price – I was surprised by its overall performance.
Hi William,
As Nasim mentioned, the old version of this lens was fine between 70-200mm, with good AF and VR for its era. However, between 200 and 300mm, not only did it suffer from the sharpness decline that Nasim illustrated, but other optical (aberrations) and performance (AF-speed) issues arose, at least in the copy I owned for three years. The new lens corrects those problems, is better in handling (smoother AF and lighter), the AF-P lightening fast focusing and VRiii are major advances.
It’s a funny thing that after you have used this new 70-300 for a bit, then go back to a 70-200/2.8 VRii and find it is slow to focus and has worse VR!
Good day, William, don’t forget, Nikon is in business to make money (i.e., to turn a profit). Nikon wants you to update your camera bodies as often as possible. Any questions?
Not sure why comments about D810 not having FW update to support this lens. Recent FW and Distortion Control upgrades indicated that this lens is supported.
Distortion Control Data Ver.2.017 2018/03/01 View download page
D810 Firmware C:Ver.1.13 2018/02/27 View download page
Jon, I wrote most of this review back in January when I tested the lens and I didn’t do my homework – I only checked the lens page (which still has outdated info), but not the recent firmware updates. You are right, the lens is now supported by most cameras, including the D810. I updated the review with the latest info – sorry for the confusion!
I got this lens us and it has been a very pleasant surprise from what It has expected even though some reviews have already drawn a positive review of this zoom. I had intended it as a replacement for a Nikkor 70-200mm f4G VR which in turn was a replacement for the 70-200mm f2.8G VR II whenever I travel. I have used this lens with the D850.and D500 and have nothing but praises for it. Your review confirms my experience and those of the other reviews I have read of this lens. Thank you for the review and congratulations to Nikon.
You are most welcome Larry and thank you for your feedback!
Nikon does dumb stuff – for example, why not simply make all AF-P lenses compatible with all potentially relevant bodies? Just dumb. However, because my current body (D750) is compatible and my future body (D850) is, this lens is almost certainly my next lens purchase (after I get the D850 for the handling improvements over my D750). I have the old G VR 70-300 and I really liked it in Colorado for its small size and light weight. Now, even though I have a Tamron 70-200 G2, I know that this smaller lens will have a well deserved place in my bag.
Good lens. Dumb compatibility issues. Stop doing dumb stuff Nikon!
Sean, looks like I goofed up – I checked out the lens page (which still has outdated info), but I should have checked the firmware pages for cameras. It looks like Nikon pushed firmware updates about a month ago, so most cameras are now compatible – only the really old ones are not. I updated the review with this info.
Thank you Nasim, I appreciate the update. While I’m glad Nikon has finally done that, it looks bad that older cameras are still incompatible now. Particularly for the DX versions – all D3XXX and D5XXX should have been made compatible. I can’t imagine that such anti-customer behavior netted Nikon much revenue to warrant annoying Nikon users when Nikon continues to hemorrhage market share of a shrinking market.
What other lenses would you carry for a several week trip? Also, how does the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E VR AF-P compare to the
28-300 travel lens?
Sam, I am not a big fan of the 28-300mm, but it has its uses. For me personally, the Nikon 20mm f/1.8G, 24-120mm f/4G VR + 70-300mm AF-P would do very nicely for most trips. All great value glass and super lightweight.
Exactly the combination of lenses I use with my D850 for travel. I have other faster/sharper lenses for studio or special situations, but this trio of lenses is great for hiking and travel!
Stephen, great lenses for sure! So lightweight and capable…
The Camera Store in their Best & Worst of 2017 YouTube video @ 18:10 gave the Nikon FX 70-300mm AF-P the Worst Lens of the Year Award.
I bought one when it first came out and returned it. It just didn’t wow me like the DX version did and didn’t seem to fit in anywhere. Even if all you have is one 24MP FX body the $100 gray market DX version on even say a $500 D5500+, for me, made more weight and size saving sense and bought together are cheaper than just buying the FX version of this lens. It seemed to me that if I wanted D8xx resolution I just had to bite the bullet and pack a pro lens. Of course saying that I’d of loved to seen some comparisons of an FX setup verses the outstanding DX version on a 20/24mp DX body.
I should have said a $200 VR version of the DX 70-300mm AF-P instead of the $100 non-VR . As the non-VR version seems to like even faster shutter speeds than usual to counter shake than normal and could be hard to use in many situations.
Both worked great on my D500 but I chose the FX model to also use on my Df body. It’s bigger and heavier than the DX but is better built with the metal mount and has on-lens switches. Trade offs. As Nasim wrote, it’s a great travel lens to use with my Df and 24-85, or D500 and 16-80. And, of course, a prime or two.
Bill, there are plenty of people out there who review gear without ever properly testing it. I am not saying that’s what the folks at the Camera Store did, but you have to be careful when you read or watch any reviews that do not back up their claims with real data and image samples. Looks like their biggest complaint was incompatibility with older cameras, which Nikon took care of for the most part, except for some camera bodies that are 5+ years old.
As I have pointed out in my review, the 70-300mm VR AF-P is not a stellar lens optically – there are certainly some compromises one has to live with. However, I would still recommend it as a great travel lens on any camera body, but ideally on 16-24 MP FX camera like the Nikon D750.
I can understand that the new FX AF-P 70-300 seems a little overpriced, but I think it is worth it given the weather sealing, AF speed, excellent VR, fairly light weight, and great image quality. The next logical step up is the 70-200 f4, which is heavier, more expensive, and less versatile with respect to focal length. I sold my 70-200 f4. I also owned the previous generation AF-S 70-300 VR and this version is clearly better in every aspect except backwards compatibility, which Nikon has fixed for most modern DSLRs. That’s one area where Canon has done a much better job. Canon EOS lenses have been very compatible throughout the years of new camera body releases. I’m sure there’s a few older folks who are still bitter about the break from the FD mount years ago, but at least they made a clean break and have been good about it since then. The upcoming FF mirrorless cameras from Nikon and Canon will be interesting with respect to lens compatibility.
As Jon also noted below, the 1.13 firmware update released on 2/27 makes the D810 fully compatible with this lens. A bunch of other cameras also received firmware updates on the same day to fix the defocus issue with AF-P lenses.
The cameras that were updated on 2/27 were D4, D4s, Df, D800, D800E, D810, D810A, D7100 and D7200.
Thank you Mike! I wrote most of this review back in January and before publishing the review yesterday, I checked NikonUSA’s page for the lens, which still had old information. I updated the review with the latest firmware info – I apologize for the mess.
Sorry for a dumb question but what exactly “limited functions” mean and what happens if I use this lens on d7200? Autofocus won´t work?
Thank you!
There aren’t any limited functions on D7200 if you upgrade to the latest firmware, which it seems the author wasn’t aware of. If you’re using older firmware then the only limitation is that the lens will defocus when the camera meter times out/goes to sleep, which can be worked around by increasing the timeout duration in your camera setup.
Kateryna, as Michael already pointed out, if you update your camera’s firmware to the latest version, you should not have any issues with the compatibility.
Did you have firmware version 1.13 installed on your D810?
Alan, I wrote most of this review back in January, when the firmware was not released yet. I apologize for not looking into it before publishing the review – I relied on the 70-300mm VR AF-P page on NikonUSA, which still had old info. I have already updated the review with the latest info, so thank you for your feedback!
I see the review is updated mentioning that new firmware is available, but I don’t see in the review anything about if the new firmware actually works. I think that’s pretty important. We already knew before reading your review that the older firmware had problems with the partially-compatible bodies, we also know there is new firmware that is supposed to fix the AF-P problem. That’s all readily available on the Nikon (and many other) websites. What we don’t know is if the new firmware does what it purports to do. So, how about some words about how well the new firmware works with this lens?
If I use Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E VR AF-P in D5200 body instead of Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E VR (previous version), will I get better pictures?
Amitabha, please note that the previous version was a “G” type lens, so it is 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR. In regards to your concern, you should get better sharpness, especially in the 300mm range. However, sharpness is not what makes better pictures – subject, light, emotion, composition, framing, technique, etc – are far more important. If you cannot get good images with the old version, you will have the same problem with the new one.
Nadia,
Excellent review. I am looking to pair this lens with a D7500 for an upcoming safari to Botswana. My other candidate is the Tamron 100-400mm for more reach but giving up some aperture at the long end. Any thoughts on this choice are appreciated.
Thanks,
John P
John, the Tamron 100-400mm is a different class lens, similar to Nikon’s 80-400mm. It is much heavier and larger in comparison, something you need to keep in mind. I haven’t had a chance to test the Tamron 100-400mm, but before you make your decision, I would recommend to test out both and see which one you like better. 100mm extra reach is a pretty big deal for wildlife…
I use a D7100 and I swapped my old 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G with a Tamron 100-400mm, and I could not be happier. It’s substantially longer (my bag cannot fit this s when attached to the body), and the barrel is a bit thicker, but the weight is surprisingly light. The sharpness difference at 300mm is as clear as day and night. The only minus I’ve experienced to date is autofocus hunting, but only when I’m trying to shoot a small bird through foliage–I don’t remember the old 70-300mm having this much trouble. Otherwise, I’ve been quite happy with it.
Also, Nasim, while you are entirely correct in stating that the 100-400mm and 70-300mm are in different classes, the Nikkor 70-300 and Tamron/Sigma 100-400mm prices are close enough in many markets that many will probably chosing between these lenses. Just my 2¢. :)
I use a D7100 and I swapped my old 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G with a Tamron 100-400mm, and I could not be happier. It’s substantially longer (my bag cannot fit this lens when attached to the body), and the barrel is a bit thicker (still 67mm filters), but the weight is surprisingly light. The sharpness difference at 300mm is as clear as day and night, and 400mm is a clear bonus (and more than sharp enough for me; I wouldn’t care to use the old 70-300mm past 200mm). The only minus I’ve experienced to date is autofocus hunting, but only when I’m trying to shoot a small bird through foliage–I don’t remember the old 70-300mm having this much trouble. Otherwise, I’ve been quite happy with it. Some samples: www.flickr.com/photo…res/25Gad0
Also, Nasim, while you are entirely correct in stating that the 100-400mm and 70-300mm are in different classes, the Nikkor 70-300 and Tamron/Sigma 100-400mm prices are close enough in many markets that many will probably chosing between these lenses. Just my 2¢. :)
Hello Nasim and thanks for a very interesting review. I’ll be getting one to use on my D7500. I prefer this one to the DX version for the reasons outlined in the review.
One other thing which has nothing to do with the quality of the review, could you and other authors please give a detailed indication of where the photos were taken. It would really add (in my opinion) to enjoyment of this site.
Richard, thank you for your feedback! I thought I pointed out in the review that I used the lens heavily when traveling in Jordan and Turkey – that’s where most of the pictures were captured.
Have you done anything to make a comparison between the performance of this lens on a DX camera, versus the performance of the AF-P DX version on such a camera? For that matter can you compare the performance of this FX lens on an FX camera such as a D750, with the performance of the DX version of the lens on a DX camera? For me that is critical as I already own the DX version and both DX and FX cameras. I’m reluctant to buy the FX version ONLY for use on my FX 24Mp camera.
Phil, cross-camera comparisons are simply impossible. In fact, even to test DX lenses, I always mount on them on the Nikon D810 and use the DX mode – this eliminates any other variables that might come into play, including resolution. So to answer your question, no, that’s not the test I performed, or would be interested in performing. If you are happy with the DX version, just keep on using it – it is a great bargain and is much lighter in comparison to this one. I would only recommend to buy the FX version if you got rid of the DX version and wanted to use one lens on both FX and DX cameras.
Great review!
I love this lens. For sometime I have steadfastly refused to purchase heavy hard to handle lenses. I am still very happy with the Nikon 80-400 VRII even though it is not long enough for some situations and performance at 400mm is only good. It’s handling is fantastic and it’s very precise on a D500. Despite having that lens, and the old version of the 70-300, I purchased this one almost as soon as it came out. I love it. It’s actually sharper (IMO, no data, just looking at the photos) at 300mm than the 80-400. I use it all the time on photo walks as a wildlife lens, realizing I have to work hard to get very close (something I absolutely love!) or as just a great walk around lens paired with the Nikon 16-80.
I haven’t tried to use it for professional pet photography (usually use Nikon 70-200 if I need a longer lens for action or some portraits) but I imagine I could get decent results.
As you say, not bad for a $750 lens!
I would get the 100-400mm for that use. I’ve been on multiple safaris, and 400mm on a DX camera would be the shortest lens I would take….and I love this 70-300. I wish I had the Tamron to give you some comparison, so don’t know how good it is…but as Nasim said “100mm extra reach is a pretty big deal for wildlife…”
Thanks,
This is valuable advice.
Is this lens compatible with tc-14e III teleconverter?
No, none of the basic zoom lenses are…
I use a D7100 and I swapped my old 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G with a Tamron 100-400mm, and I could not be happier. It’s substantially longer (my bag cannot fit this s when attached to the body), and the barrel is a bit thicker, but the weight is surprisingly light. The sharpness difference at 300mm is as clear as day and night. The only minus I’ve experienced to date is autofocus hunting, but only when I’m trying to shoot a small bird through foliage–I don’t remember the old 70-300mm having this much trouble. Otherwise, I’ve been quite happy with it.
Also, Nasim, while you are entirely correct in stating that the 100-400mm and 70-300mm are in different classes, the Nikkor 70-300 and Tamron/Sigma 100-400mm prices are close enough in many markets that many will probably chosing between these lenses. Just my 2¢. :)
Nasim, I am not interested in this lens, but I always read your reviews because the images are always stunning to look at! Thank you for your wonderful reviews.
Count me as one of those impressed. I replaced an old “G” version with the new FX AF-P about 2 months ago. I was prepared to do some pretty structured testing to determine extent of IQ differences. No need – IQ past 225mm or so is immediately better on the new lens than the old. Used on a D7200 w/ updated firmware – no issues. Upon first use, I thought light transmission was a bit less – was looking for T stop measurements to see what if any difference existed. After 2 months of use, either I don’t see any difference in “brightness” between the two or it simply didn’t exist (I suspect the latter). Anyway, agree with the review and very happy with results.
Have you done anything to make a comparison between the performance of this lens versus the performance of the 70-200mm f/4G VR with a 1.4 teleconverter? The 70-200 f/4 has a half star better performance in your review, but I assume this half star disappears when using a teleconverter?
Greetings Nasim from Toronto. Excellent review I must say. I was awaiting this lens to be reviewed at Photographylife as you guys always do a great job, and must Congratulate you all for having provided the most comprehensive data set for the gear being reviewed.
I’m a recent upgrader to FX D810 with 24-120 F/4, moving up from D7100. As I’m also looking into acquiring a short telephoto, this lens competes with Tamron/Sigma 100-400 versions, as they are priced very similar. Appreciate if your team can cover those two as well as 70-200 F/4, to add complete objectivity for this range/price point.
And lastly, I’m a daily visitor to photographylife.com as it serves as my daily brain fodder though I’m only a Hobbyist. Great work guys, keep it up!!!
I own this lens and all I can say, that this is by far the very best 70-300 lens ever made, both for nikon, or canon, I have used several copies of the older 70-300 VR, both on FX and DX bodies and was very disappointed by the sharpness on almost every range, but mostly from 200-300mm, this lens is excellent on my D750 with instant and very precise AF, I simply love it !!! I agree 99% with this excellent review, maybe on the features I would consider 4,5 * :)
Hi Nasim
Thanks for this review.
I just found out that this lens is more sensitive to mirror slap then the Nikkor 200-500 or 70-200 f4 on a D750 in the range of around 1/250 – 1/60 on the longer focal range. I did not find the same problem with the D850 and a bit less with a D750 where the shutter was not replaced. Of course, the low weight of the lens supports this issue and my handholding technic is maybe also not perfect.…
For traveling I prefer to combine this lens with a DX body. With my D7200 there are no corner issues and no vignette and this with a lightweight lens with a focal range from 105 to 450mm.
Hi Nasim,
I’m planning to buy a Nikon D7200 (plus a an Nikkor 18.200mm lens) mainly for Street Photography and shows and I’m in between adding a 55.300 VR or a 70.300 AF P to my set up.
I want to work mainly on these two areas, and want to know what would be the best lenses (55.300 or 70.300?) for low light situations such as music shows and shooting at night.
It looks like the 70.300 would be the most appropriate, but I would like to confirm this with you.
Your opinion is more than welcome.
Regards
JF
For that kind of shooting,none will work if you tend to get paid for professional job.By professional,I mean you have a $$ project/contract for someone/a company to work with.For that dim light indoor shooting,even my 70-200 f/4 is lagging behind.But,and there is a big but here,if you are intending to shoot for yourself,70-300 is your best bet.Of course,choice is yours!
Thanks for your quick reply and knowledge Amir.
I’m not a professional photographer, but only a guy that likes to take pictures of show and that is not planning to spend tons of $ for one single lens.
I will follow you advice and stick with the 70.300 lens.
Best regards
JF
Hello, Nasim.
I am going to an African safari and would like to take this opportunity to upgrade from my old Sony NEX-5T and stick to the new kit for a few years. I am a hobbyist without professional needs and mainly shoot portraits of my wife and the two of us as well as a little landscape and wildlife during travel. I prefer traveling light and compact if possible and have a limited budget of around $3000. After a few research I’m starting with the following three options:
A. Sony A7III ($2000, 650g) + Sony FE 28-70 mm F3.5-5.6 OSS ($200 as kit lens, 300g) + Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS ($1200, 850g)
The total price is $3400 and the weight is around 1.8kg. The pros include that the A7III is Sony’s latest full frame body with enhanced focus capability and tons of up-to-date features including a longer-lasting battery. With the FE 70-300mm and Sony’s clear image zoom technology, which, different from traditional digital zoom, can intelligently add pixels into the photo without too much loss of image quality, the equivalent field of view can be extended to 600mm. It also enjoys high fps and dynamic range, which is helpful for shooting animals in low light (although f/5.6 may not be always fast enough). The major con is the kit lens. Some may suggests that its aperture and image quality are just average.
B. Sony A6500 ($1300, 450g) + Sony E PZ 18-105 mm F4 G OSS ($600, 430g) + Sony FE 70-200 mm F4 G OSS ($1500, 840g)
The total price is $3400 and the weight is around 1.7kg. This package has constant f/4 aperture but a little overlapped focal length. The A6500 claims to have a strong focusing system among APS-C cameras. The FE 70-200 mm is one stop faster on the 200mm end and seems to receive a lot of good reviews. With crop factor and clear image zoom, it can reach 600mm too. But I’m not sure if the smaller sensor can handle more crammed pixels well (maybe I should change it to the 70-300mm?). Another thing I can’t decide is whether it is necessary to go for the 5-axis image stabilization of the A6500. The A6300 has all the other features and is $400 cheaper at present.
C. Nikon D7500 ($1250, 720g) + AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR ($600 as kit lens, 480g) + AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR ($750, 680g)
The total price is $3400 and the weight is around 1.9kg. I only rented a Nikon D500 once and based on my hands-on at Bestbuy, I feel that the D7500 has downgraded but same comfortable OVF and touch screen as the D500. From my personal perspective I like using OVF since it’s like seeing the subject with my own eyes and DSLR images seem a little bit more natural to me than Sony’s mirrorless without me knowing the reason. And I do hope Sony can come up with a larger touch screen with full functionality and comfort, just like Nikon and Canon have done. On the other hand, the D7500 does have a lower resolution and fps. I’m not sure how is the focusing compared with the above two and the focal length is 450mm at most, unless I use the 1.3x crop mode and lose a lot of pixels. I still have some budget space for D500. Do you think that would be a better choice for wildlife photography?
So that’s where I am at right now. Thank you for taking the time to go through my thoughts. I’d like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to you and everyone at photographylife for your dedicated articles and videos from which I’ve definitely learned a lot and will continue to learn. It would be very helpful if you could share with me your insights on the above-mentioned bodies and lenses. Any suggestion about other options, including third-party lenses, is also welcome.
Wade, since you are already a Sony user, why change systems? I would personally go for the option #1 if I were you.
Hello Nasim,
Thank you for this test. At page 3 there is a mistake with the comparison charts between the 70-200 and the 70-300. At 100m and 200mm you can see the graphics of the older version “G”.
Best regards.
Frank
Thanks for pointing it out Frank, it was clearly a mistake on my end – I updated the page with the right graphs.
Hi Nasim,
Comparing your separate reviews it would appear the Nikon 80-400 is sharper at 300mm than the 70-300. Do you agree and what about autofocus speed and repeatability between them on the D7500? Of course you pay extra for another 100mm of zoom.
Thanks,
John P
Nasim,
I’ll be using this lens as a travel lens on my D850, but would also like to see it compared to the 80-400 VRII for landscapes & wildlife on the D850. Would it be worth the weight penalty in your backpack?
Thanks for another great review.
Mike
Hi Nasim,
I was ready to order the 70-200mm F/4 when I read your review of the 70-300mm af-p. When I called Nikon tech support to ask about compatibility with my D800, the rep said that it was incompatible, and that it would not focus. After I read the comments here, it looks like that rep is doing Nikon a disservice but giving me the wrong information. It would be a loss sale for Nikon if I take her word for it.
Noe
I may have missed it, but what body were the tests done with?
Hi Nasim,
I am hobbyist and have a D7200 with 55-300mm telephoto zoom lens which came with the kit. I was planning to replace that 70-200mm f4. But after looking at your review for this lens, i think i should get this one and save some money. My purpose is just travel and family photography. When travelling, i want to carry just 2 good lens, 1 standard zoom (i have 24-120mm f4) and 1 telephoto zoom. Will this lens satisfy that need.
Thank you
Hello, Nasim!
I am considering buying this lens to use on a D750. I read your review (which was great) and I have a question – how does the autofocus perform in low light conditions?
Thanks in advance, and thanks for the review. You write great ones, it is always a pleasure reading them :)
Excellent on my D750 !!!
I have nikon D500. I like to buy 70 300 lens for birding. Please suggest me which lens I should buy ? Please suggest.
Great review!
But what about “dust and moisture-resistant”? Do you refer to the rubber ring at the mount or there is something more?
I can’t find any info on that anywhere else, seems that only you are mentioned that.
Thanks!
I have a question how is it some of the images
have a f/8.0 aperture if the lens max aperture is 5.6 Can someone answer this? I am totally confuse….
NIKON D850 + 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 82mm, ISO 64, 13/10, f/8.0
Hello,
I am doing professional architecture photography,
i already have 14-24 ; 24-70 ; and i need a zoom for architecture details.
I can’t choose between this lens and the 70-200 f4.
I really wonder about the difference of sharpness around 200mm.
It is not a matter of price but more a matter of sharpness vs 200-300mm range and 100g lighter.
Any advice on this ?
I use D800 + D750
Thank you in advance
I have a Nikon D800, my principal lens is a 24-70mm f/2.8, but the core kit I regularly carry includes APS-C lenses to keep down weight. My telephoto is the Nikon AF-S DX VR 55-200 4-5.6G IF-ED, but I would like a longer reach and better image quality, and recently testing has convinced me that my hand-held results at 200mm are degraded by mirror slap. (Ironically for a telephoto, the 55-200mm is my lightest lens, as well as the cheapest. My other, heavier lenses also have shorter focal lengths, except the massive Sigma 150-500mm, which combined with their larger moments of inertia seem to avoid problems with mirror slap.) But no alternative lenses seemed suitable until Nikon launched both FX and DX AF-P 70-300mm lenses. I’ve updated the firmware on my D800. The DX lens is lighter; great for carrying, but probably less resistant to mirror slap when I come to use it. Its smaller image circle is a drawback, but relatively minor for a telephoto, when my subjects are often birds or butterflies that don’t fill the frame anyway. It lacks a VR switch (not important for me) and also has a ⅓ stop smaller telephoto aperture and a plastic mount, but it’s much cheaper. Reviews praise both lenses, but I can’t find matching reviews that show their measured optical performances in the same terms. Browsing reviews of the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S (only daydreaming at present), I found Photography Life’s, and was extremely impressed by its thoroughness, and testing four copies to address variation. I then found and read this Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E VR AF-P review, but was so disappointed to find Photography Life’s Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G DX VR AF-P review doesn’t include measurements of resolution, etc.
Are you able to comment on the relative optical quality of these two lenses?
With thanks,
Chris
As I commented under your Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G DX VR AF-P review, I have been looking, unsuccessfully, for measurements of resolution, etc, on the same basis, to allow me to compare the image quality of the 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G DX VR AF-P and 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E VR AF-P. This is the first site I’ve found that that covers both of these telephotos and publishes measurements. (I was particularly impressed by the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S review, with four copies tested to address variation.) I was then very disappointed to find that the 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G DX VR AF-P review doesn’t include measured data.
Are you able to comment on the relative optical quality of these two lenses?
With thanks,
Chris
Shooting the AF-P 70-300mm with both my D810 and D850 I have to say I’m just continuously amazed. As far as I can tell the IQ is just as good as my three favorite Nikon zooms, the 24-70mm f/2.8 G, The 70-200mm f/4 G VR, and the lowly but ultra sharp 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5. I bought the 70-300 to have a lighter lens with a little more reach for those times when I don’t want to lug a tripod down on the beach or into the woods. Hand-held at 300mm it continues to provide sharp, beautiful photos. One of these days I’ll put it on a tripod and see what it really can do.