Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR Lens

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As the lens is zoomed to 135mm, the resolution drops off a little, but is still very good across the frame from wide open, reaching its peak at f/5. The same barrel layout with the zoom ring in front of the lens, same focus mode switches, lens markings, etc.

Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor Specifications Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor Specifications

The Nikon 18-300mm DX should be able to withstand cold and hot temperatures, but I would not leave it under rain, extreme moisture and dusty environments. A quick tip: make sure to set the focus delimiter switch to “∞-3m” instead of “FULL” when photographing wildlife. I would not be concerned about that though, as it is clear that Nikon’s intention was to make the lens as lightweight as possible. Because the lens is so light, you don’t have to lay it on your left hand entirely when hand-holding, so you can completely avoid touching the focus ring. Results when used wide open at 200mm and below are decently sharp if uneven, at around 2 blur units; at 300mm, it's not as uneven, but corner softness moves up to 3 blur units.

Not only will the hood protect the lens, but it will also do what it is supposed to – which is block sun rays from reaching the front element. When the lens cannot autofocus and starts to hunt, the autofocus performance gets to a crawling speed. Weighing 830 grams, it is a whopping 270 grams heavier than the 18-200mm – almost as heavy as the Nikon 24-70mm f/2. Switching between automatic and manual focusing, and activation of the vibration reduction (VR) system are both carried out using a pair of sliders at the rear of the lens on the left-hand side (seen from behind the camera). But first, back to the field of view difference and focus breathing– at a distance of approximately 2.

55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G ED VR Lens - Photo Review AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G ED VR Lens - Photo Review

As you can see from the above tests, both perform equally well, with the 55-300mm performing just a little better than the 55-200mm towards the longer range at 200mm. Nikon was able to achieve this by using a Phase Fresnel (PF) lens element, which can effectively reduce the need to use complex lens elements for correcting chromatic aberrations and ghosting.zoom range for enthusiasts that need a single, “all-in-one” lens for everyday and travel photography. It's worth noting that there's some slight lens extension during autofocus, with the lens barrel protruding an additional 3/4 inch at 300mm. Autofocus is a bit slow, as it is with a lot of these "older" lenses, like the 70-300 and even the 18-140. The lens sports the second generation VR II (vibration reduction) technology, offering camera shake compensation equivalent to a shutter speed increase of approximately four stops, allowing to shoot at slower shutter speeds without introducing camera shake.

Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR Review - Optical Features Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR Review - Optical Features

Under the skin, the Nikon 55-300mm VR is based on 17 elements in 11 groups, including two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and one HRI (High Refractive Index) element to boost image quality. When it comes to corners, the Nikon 55-300mm performs a little better at 70mm than the 28-300mm though. The only thing I noticed about the VR is that it takes a half-second or so to stabilize, so you have to be a bit patient before you press the shutter. Ghosting and flare is reasonably well controlled, with strong point sources of light in the frame creating a little flare and loss of contrast in extreme circumstances. I have been using the Nikon 300mm f/4D lens for over 6 years now and have been very pleased with the results.It is an ideal lens to be used for family events and vacations to capture distant subjects, and the use of Vibration Reduction (VR) technology makes it easier to get sharp photographs at slower shutter speeds, especially when shooting at 300mm. Once I got used to how the lens autofocuses and learned how to operate it under various conditions, it certainly got easier to work with.