Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

Excellent! As another former newspaper who routinely pushed the limits of my film and developers, getting the shot was most important. I liked this gentleman’s comment regarding getting a shot today regardless of the noise because we have no idea if in five years a better noise canceling software might be developed. Oh how I wish with today’s scanners and software I had been allowed to keep my negatives!

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

Sorry Cat, I have to strongly disagree. If they worked for me that is part of their job description. Helping the customer understand the product and their options is a large part of what makes for a happy customer. Your statement is valid if we're talking about a large box store but not for a "Mom and Pop" operation.

Meganephron Loc: Fort Worth, TX

It's not lying. Customer service and sales people have no control over release dates. Yes, Nikon wanted to move as much of the D80's as possible. As an example, Apple announced the iPhone 8 and X at the same time. Sales of the 8 are way below expectations because pre-orders for the X are off the charts. Not a smart move by Apple.

leftj Loc: Texas

Apple's not as dumb as you think. They're making a lot more money on the X and the 8 will be a staple in their product line. Also, you don't know what their expectations were.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Jerry on page one, hit the hammer right on the nail on this topic. It is a package deal for a low price. It was also offered as a package deal on the D5300. I would agree that on a DX version 70-300mm, a VR is needed. I gladly would pay the extra $50+ to have a VR 70-300mm lens. Rather than one without it.

Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

Amen!

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

What were you before you were a newspaper?

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Could be no subterfuge on either the store or Nikon. It could have been an honest omission. Or maybe the store employee was new-- or unknowledgeable. Maybe it was the only one in stock? A lot of speculation-- but I wouldn't automatically assume the worst. If you noticed it in time, most reputable stores would likely offer you a swap if you paid the difference. If I was to try to purchase a 70-300 in my local store, I'm fairly certain they would ask: "which one?"

Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

Well, duhhh...a newsletter.

alfeng Loc: Out where the West commences ...

Geez ...

While I understand your frustration at ONE level, I don't at another ...

If you only had a blurred image "once" due to circumstances which you had control over whose results would probably have been replicated when you were using a film camea, then I'm not sure what your complaint actually is ...

While Vibration Reduction OR Image Stabilization OR whatever the manufacturer wants to call it is generally a good thing, while it may seem difficult to believe, I am sure that there are some people who would prefer a lens which doesn't have VR ...

Vibration Reduction isn't a miracle function which will ensure a perfect image ...

For that matter, Auto-Focus isn't necessarily a miracle function, either ...

AND, when there are more-moving-parts there are more things which can eventually fail ...

I am not alone in possessing lenses which are more than 60 years old which are still fully functional ... my guess is that the VR/IS in most of the current Nikon/Canon/etc. lenses will need servicing before 60 years have elapsed OR the lens may (in the worst case scenario) become a paperweight ...

Regardless, your isolated-for-you experience which you cite suggests that if you were to have given the matter EVEN MORE serious consideration than what you currently perceive to be a caveat emptor situation then you might have opted for the lens without VR because the $50 premium might have ultimately been deemed to have been unnecessary (for you) ...

Maybe, you would have opted for a 300mm (or, some other single focal length) PRIME lens instead of the 70mm-300mm ZOOM lens!!!

Maybe, if you had thought about it, you would have excluded the 18mm-55mm Zoom lens from your purchase, too!

Regardless, I have to believe that it's inevitable that at some (¿distant?) point in time in the future that we/you will see THAT series of Nikon digital camera bodies with VR incorporated in the body BECAUSE (IMO) the market will demand it because in-body image stabilization is already available in competing camera lines ...

And, at that point in time you will probably be ready for a new camera body & then you can stop fretting about the lack of VR in your 70mm-300mm lens!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Did you inspect the equipment when you purchased it. I bought the 3300 when they first came out. I got no box full of it all. I got individual boxes. And I asked for the VR on the longer lens. I'm sure I paid for it, but do not remember how much.....I don't think Nikon packages it all as a unit...I think that is done at the vendor....or at it was then. I even negotiated for some other stuff that was not included. I guess it depends on the vendor, and their customer service.

Anyway, you got a great kit. You might go back to the vendor and ask them why. Maybe they will offer you the VR version. I think most vendors think that when someone drops that much money, they know what they are getting (usually)?

rocket111

They should have told him. Im surprised Nikon even makes a 70-300mm without VR. But they do. I think the store should have at least explained it had no VR. But after the fact cut your losses. I think as cheap as that lens is I would trade it in for the VR. I might even be tempted to go grey market. And you can deffently understand why Nikon would push this non VR lens. I don't think there are a lot of folks wanting a 70-300 without VR.

pego99

It's entirely 110% your fault.
Know what you are buying.
Nikon did not mislead you in any way.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Not sure why you are quoting me with your comment unless you didn't understand what I am saying here Cat...

Best,
Todd Ferguson

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I don't know about other brands, but Pentax is famously secretive - in fact, one guy suggested that the U.S. government should out-source secret-keeping to Pentax. A week or two before release a rumor might start circulating, but nobody knows what it really means, if anything, and there is usually some kind of leak the day before the official announcement. A few weeks later, the products will start to ship, so there are a few weeks in which someone who is paying attention "has an advantage", but other than that, most of us are uninformed.