Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G: Does anyone have any hands-on experience with the Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G lens? It will be used on a D7000 camera. The reviews sound pretty decent, but a $119...

DavidT Loc: Maryland

Does anyone have any hands-on experience with the Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G lens? It will be used on a D7000 camera. The reviews sound pretty decent, but a $119 for a new, grey-market lens at Adorama sounds awfully inexpensive.

ebaribeault Loc: Baltimore

I have the nikor 70 to 300 lens and have good results the only con that I experienced is that it is a little slow focusing. I know prices for this lens have gone down but even grey market at 119 brings to mind the old saying if it is to good to be true it is!!! Now I am not one to be adventurous to buy a grey market product you might be better off to look at used on B&H. I paid about $600 for mine about 2007

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

DavidT wrote:

Does anyone have any hands-on experience with the Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G lens? It will be used on a D7000 camera. The reviews sound pretty decent, but a $119 for a new, grey-market lens at Adorama sounds awfully inexpensive.

Does it have VR? This older model does not:
http://www.adorama.com/NK70300AFG.html

The new ones have VR and cost a lot more. http://www.adorama.com/NK70300AFVRU.html?gclid=CO2c9q2wzLACFYTsKgod3S5lWA

I've used Adorama a lot and trust them like I trust B&H.

DavidT Loc: Maryland

No, this one does not have VR. I saw the same lens at B&H refurbished for about the same price ($119). I know both stores are reputable. I'm a long-time, satisfied customer of both.

treadwl Loc: South Florida

I have the 70-300 VR model and liked it until I up graded (to the 200-400 vr). I found the lens sharp, but a tad slow on focus, especially when the light was low. I also noticed that the zoom would tend to slip a bit when the camera was pointed down. I did shoot some daylight football games and used it for birds in flight with good results as long as there was good light.
I was not real pleased with the bokeh.

Larry

home brewer Loc: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Nikon just came out with a 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6g ed vr for DX cameras
It will focus at 1.48 ft at 300mm. B&H has it for $999.95. That is a whole lot more $$$ than the lens you are looking at; but seems like a great idea.

Any comments?
tom

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

home brewer wrote:

Nikon just came out with a 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6g ed vr for DX cameras
It will focus at 1.48 ft at 300mm. B&H has it for $999.95. That is a whole lot more $$$ than the lens you are looking at; but seems like a great idea.

Any comments?
tom

Dang!

loguey Loc: Osteen FL

I have one with VR i bought a refurbished one for someone on line it wasn't very expensive under $300, i really like the range of the lense but it is slow focusing and i personally don't feel i get sharp images when i'm using it at 300mm it seem to give me a slight halo of softness.. that can almost be sharpened in unsharp... but i really want the lense to be sharp on its own....

DavidT wrote:

Does anyone have any hands-on experience with the Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G lens? It will be used on a D7000 camera. The reviews sound pretty decent, but a $119 for a new, grey-market lens at Adorama sounds awfully inexpensive.

profpb Loc: Venice, Florida

You get what you paid for. You live with what you can accept. You move up to what you can afford.

I sold my 70-300.

I now have the 70-200.

I am happy and I am wealthy--err.. I used to be wealthy.

But I am still happy.

When my D800e gets shipped, I'll be both.

But I am healthy.

Dennis

I own the 70 - 300 with vr and am completely happy with it. I bought it new and it's a Nikkor lens. If I remember correctly it was about $800.00 a couple of years ago. Great lens.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I have it without VR. I also have to manually focus it, but I'm very happy with the lens. It's sharp and consistent throughout the zoom range. I find that shooting anything at 1/125 and above is fast enough to take care of any "camera shake"--yes, I blame my shaking hands on the camera! I also have the Tamron equivalent to this lens (with built in motor and the Tamron VR equivalent) and am also happy with it. I have no problem recommending either lens.

DavidT Loc: Maryland

Thank you all for your feedback. Sounds like for a tad over $100, there isn't much to lose. The lens will be used on an African safari and hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro, so the lightness is especially welcome. Also, no need to worry about damaging it. I would probably be overly cautious if I were carrying a $1000+ lens.

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

DavidT wrote:

Does anyone have any hands-on experience with the Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G lens? It will be used on a D7000 camera. The reviews sound pretty decent, but a $119 for a new, grey-market lens at Adorama sounds awfully inexpensive.

I have that lens and keep it on my old D60 Nikon. Not the best but for the money its ok.

Herers one I took this afternoon.

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

My 70 300 has VR

Arki Loc: Vancouver, B.C.

DavidT wrote:

Does anyone have any hands-on experience with the Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G lens? It will be used on a D7000 camera. The reviews sound pretty decent, but a $119 for a new, grey-market lens at Adorama sounds awfully inexpensive.

Yes, I have one with D90, not too much sharp but quality is allowable.

As the moon, it was cropped around 1/4: