Description:

300mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S Nikkor


Suitable For:

Low light telephoto work.


Camera Formats:

FX and DX


Specs:

Focal length: 300mm
Maximum aperture: 2.8
Minimum aperture: 22
Angle of View: 8°10'
Focus Throw: unknown
Maximum reproduction ratio: 1:7 (1:6.4 version II)
Lens Elements: 11
Lens Groups: 8
Diaphragm Blades: 9
ED Glass Elements: 3
Autofocus: silent wave motor type
Minimum Focus Distance: 2.5m
Filter Size: 52mm
Filter Type: drop in (normal 52mm filters can be screwed into the drop in fitting
Dimensions: 269mmØ by 3100mm (269mmØ by 2560mm version II)
Weight: 3.1kg (2.56kg version II)
Accessories: HK-22 hood (HK-26 version II)


Bjørn's Rørslett's Overview:

Short, fat and extremely sharp with phenomenal colour saturation and image contrast. I shoot briefly with this lens wide open on my F5 and was really impressed with the optical quality. The optics now comprise 11 elements in 8 groups.

When I later on did a lens upgrade for my D1X camera, the AFS 300 was added to my stable lens arsenal. I continue to be amazed by its extremely sharp and contrasty images. Compared to my MF 300, images are sharper all the way into the extreme corners of the frame. However, if you are into this "Bokeh" approach, be warned that stopping down beyond f/5.6 is rewarded with very poor bokeh under high-contrast conditions. Otherwise (or if you are not a 'bokeh' believer) the lens behaves exemplary. I'd wish the tripod support was a little less skimpy, though.

The above refers to Mk.I. Nikon upgraded this to Mk.II, which shares the 11/8 optical formula, but the front lens coating now shimmers in green instead of bluish hues, and the weight is reduced by a carbon-fibre lens barrel as well. Unfortunately, the skimpy tripod mount of Mk.I is further degraded by weight paring, thus the support for the lens on a tripod is now quite shaky. This shows unequivocally by an increased incidence of blurry images. I'll probably never understand why Nikon does such things.


Bjørn's Rating:

5 (DX, Mk.I)
4.5 (DX, Mk.II)
3-4 (Mk.II, in the critical 1/2-1/30 sec range on a tripod)
IR: 4-5 (DX: D1, D70, S3Pro UVIR)


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