Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black) USA

  • Price: $159.95
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  • B&H # NI7030045GAF
  • Mfr# 1928

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For anyone seeking a high quality telephoto zoom lens for portraits and action photography at a very affordable price, the Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens is a great solution.

This very compact telephoto zoom lens is fully compatible with the Nikon N65 as well as Nikon's Professional D-series Digital SLR, 35mm Professional F5, F100, N80, N75 and Advanced Photo System Pronea cameras. Compact and lightweight, with a comfortable, well-balanced feel, the 4.3x zoom lens is ideal for candid shots, portraits, travel and sports photography.

A key design element considered that the newest Nikon SLR models have built-in aperture control (via the Command Dial), and therefore do not require that the lens have an aperture control ring. With this point in mind, the G lenses omit the aperture ring, resulting a lighter and more compact lens.

NOTE: G-type Nikkor lenses are fully compatible with the F5, F100, N80, N65, N60, N50, N4004-series, PRONEA 6i, PRONEA S, D100 and D-series (or any newer model, except D40/D40X & D60) cameras. They are not compatible with other Nikon cameras. For the F4, N90-series, N70, N8008-series and N6006 cameras, only programmed auto or shutter-priority auto exposure mode can be used.

Note! AF not supported by D40,D40X, D60, D3000 & D5000 cameras.

Compact and lightweight 4.3x zoom lens ideal for candids, portraits, travel and sports photography.
Nine-blade rounded diaphragm.
Lightweight 4.3X Telephoto zoom lens for SLR cameras that set aperture from command dial on camera body.
New G-design enables apertures to be selected from select Nikon AF SLR camera bodies.
D-type design provides precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure process.
Performance
Focal Length 70 - 300 mm
Aperture Maximum: f/4
Minimum: f/32
Camera Mount Type Nikon F
Format Compatibility Nikon FX/35mm Film
Nikon DX
Angle of View 34° - 8°
DX Picture Angle: 22° - 5°
Minimum Focus Distance 4.92' (1.5 m)
Magnification 0.26x
Maximum Reproduction Ratio 1:3.8
Groups/Elements 9/13
Diaphragm Blades 9
Features
Image Stabilization No
Autofocus Yes
Tripod Collar No
Physical
Filter Thread 62 mm
Dimensions (DxL) Approx. 2.9 x 4.6" (7.37 x 11.68 cm)
Weight 15 oz (425 g)

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black)
 
4.2

(based on 209 reviews)

Ratings Distribution

  • 5 Stars

     

    (74)

  • 4 Stars

     

    (109)

  • 3 Stars

     

    (20)

  • 2 Stars

     

    (5)

  • 1 Stars

     

    (1)

95%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Lightweight (123)
  • Easily interchangeable (119)
  • Fast / accurate auto-focus (89)
  • Consistent output (76)
  • Durable (62)

Cons

  • Slow focus (42)
  • Poor in low light (31)
  • Blurry focus (15)
  • Weak casing (15)
  • Heavy (8)

Best Uses

  • Sports/action (87)
  • Wildlife photos (77)
  • Landscape/scenery (71)
  • General purpose (43)
  • Wildlife (34)
    • Reviewer Profile:
    • Photo enthusiast (50), Enthusiast (38), Casual photographer (33), Semi-pro photographer (32), Semi-professional (13)
    • Was this a gift?:
    • No (76), Yes (10)

Most Liked Positive Review

 

"The Thing"

This will be a VERY unusual kind of review...unusual for me, anyway!I call this lens, with both affection and some precision, "The Thing". To put that in ...Read complete review

This will be a VERY unusual kind of review...unusual for me, anyway!I call this lens, with both affection and some precision, "The Thing". To put that in some kind of context, I refer you to the following "memorable quote" from indy movie producer Quentin Tarantino's 2007 film "Death Proof", specifically the scene where the three hot girls, Arlene, Shanna, and Radio DJ "Jungle Julia", are discussing Arlenes recent date:Jungle Julia: Okay, we're pretty clear on what it is you didn't do. How bout' enlightening us on what it is you did do?Arlene: Nothing to write home about. We just made out on the couch for about twenty minutes.Shanna: Dressed, half dressed, or naked?Arlene: Dressed! I said we made out. We didn't do "the thing".Jungle Julia: Excuse me for living, but what is "the thing"?Arlene: You know, it's everything but.Shanna: They call that "the thing"?Arlene: I call it "the thing".Shanna: Do guys like "the thing"?Arlene: They like it better than no thing.Witty dialog, you say, but what relevance to a Nikon Zoom lens?Ok...it's an FX (full frame) 70-300mm F4/5.6 Nikon Autofocus zoom lens from the '35mm film camera' days and therefore will only autofocus on Nikon DSLRs that have their own built in auto-focus drive motor. Although it is of fairly sophisticated and complex design, none of its THIRTEEN multi-coated elements are ED glass, and therefore no 'shiny gold on black' badge anywhere in evidence; just flat, matte' light gray print, instead. In fact, it is one of the least flashy products ever to wear the Nikon name! And while it has a focus distance scale, it has NO focus point mark or DOF scales; it's symmetry is not even broken by an auto/manual focus switch on the side! When the variator (zoom control) is turned, the front element does not rotate...however, when the lens is focused, the front element DOES turn!Color and clarity are frankly amazing and it's quite sharp throughout its range; surprisingly so for it's [$] price. In fact, it's almost as sharp as the present day AF-S 70-300 VR. ALMOST, but not quite, and then only on a DX body, but it's bokeh is actually better! And unlike the $600 AF-S 70-300mm VR, it doesn't rattle when you shake it!It has no VR mechanism and as I mentioned, no internal focus motor, but then, it's pretty light weight and quite well balanced on a D90 body, so it is very easy to hand-hold at lower shutter speeds. It may not get many covetous stares from other shooters...but it probably won't attract any of the 'wrong kind of attention', either. To be perfectly honest, with its lens shade attached, it doesn't look at all out-of-place on a D80, D90, or a D7000, but it just might on a D3.In the right hands, this lens will produce simply stunning images; sharp and clear with very good color and contrast...but you have to know what you're doing. I dare say that the 'point and shoot' crowd would be very disappointed, but 'Gray Barrel Nikkor Lens' aficionados will probably be more than a little bit irritated to learn this lens costs only [$]! I call this lens "The Thing"...because I like it better than no thing...about A MILLION TIMES better than no thing!The Thing...get it now?Did I mention it's also half a 'stop' FASTER at the wide end of the zoom than the $600 VR lens!! Yep, that's right...F4 at 70mm! HA!

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

 

It IS good value for the money...

This is an excellent paperweight and I would definitely recommend it to my enemies...

Jokes aside, this is a good lens for the money. I have used mine for photographing wildl...Read complete review

This is an excellent paperweight and I would definitely recommend it to my enemies...

Jokes aside, this is a good lens for the money. I have used mine for photographing wildlife, birds, including birds in flight, surfers in action, the moon, flowers, street life, and even portraits with quite acceptable, at times good, results. I just don't think many of the shots I have made with this lens are great, and the blame for that does not always lie with the photographer.
I have found both soft focus and chromatic aberration to be fairly constant problems with this lens. Shots just are not as sharp as I want them to be, and at times I can see the magenta/cyan edges of particularly backlit subjects without even enlarging the image.
It performs acceptably in bright light, but as light drops off, so does image quality and it can take it a very long time to focus.
Since sharpness is very important to me and I find I use the 300mm a lot, I will probably get a 300mm prime instead.
However, for those who do not require great sharpness, or are on a very tight budget this is an excellent lens for the money. It is relatively lightweight, the zoom range is convenient, and in bright light the image quality is most often quite good.
I might not recommend this lens to a friend without a warning about its limitations, but it is a good value for the money.

Reviewed by 209 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-20

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4.0

Takes a little more effort

By just_bret

from Kettering Ohio

About Me Semi-pro Photographer

Verified Buyer

Pros

  • Durable

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Weddings/Events
    • Wildlife Photos

    Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

    No VR...No AF....no problem...you just have to work with it.

    • Was this a gift?:
    • No

    Share this review

     
    5.0

    Beautiful Pictures

    By Nessa

    from Utah

    About Me Photography Student

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Consistent Output
    • Durable
    • Easily Interchangeable
    • Lightweight
    • Rugged
    • Strong Construction

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Landscape/Scenery
      • Wildlife Photos

      Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

      Takes very crisp pictures and very light weight!

      • Was this a gift?:
      • No

      Share this review

      (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

       
      4.0

      AF Zoom 70-300 Review - Australian Buyer

      By Shane from Sydney

      from Sydney Australia

      About Me Photo Enthusiast

      Verified Buyer

      Pros

      • Fast / accurate auto-focus
      • Lightweight

      Cons

        Best Uses

        • Sports/Action

        Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

        Great lens, light and sharp. I purchased this lens to take photos of my nephew playing cricket. I wanted to capture his and his team mates facial expressions while they were out on the field. The extra 100mm above my 80-200 Lens was exactly what I needed.

        If your an Australian purchaser I compared the delivery price from B&H against another internet competitor. While the lens was the same price, the delivery cost from B&H was $30 US cheaper.

        • Was this a gift?:
        • No

        Share this review

         
        4.0

        It is NO VR lens.

        By 2012TI

        from Mount Pleasant MI

        About Me Photography Student

        Verified Buyer

        Pros

        • Lightweight

        Cons

        • Blurry Focus

        Best Uses

        • Landscape/Scenery
        • Wildlife Photos

        Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

        All and all it did ok, but unless you are using a trypod and are over 200MM on a DX body wiht out VR it is very hard to get a clear shot. The VR lens is way better. I sent this lens back to B&H and got the VR one and all I can say is WOW.

        • Was this a gift?:
        • No

        Share this review

         
        5.0

        Great Lens

        By Cyberspew

        from Lancaster, PA

        About Me Casual Photographer

        Verified Buyer

        Pros

        • Durable
        • Easily Interchangeable
        • Fast / accurate auto-focus

        Cons

        • Poor in Low Light

        Best Uses

        • Landscape/Scenery
        • Macro Photography

        Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

        I am very happy with the performance of this lens he works great. it takes very detailed pictures from a far distance away!

        • Was this a gift?:
        • Yes

        Share this review

         
        5.0

        perfect light lens

        By It Geek

        from Canada

        About Me Semi-pro Photographer

        Verified Buyer

        Pros

        • Consistent Output
        • Fast / accurate auto-focus
        • Lightweight

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Sports/Action

          Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

          Was needing a cheap light zoom lens for ugly weather

          • Was this a gift?:
          • No

          Share this review

           
          5.0

          Thanks

          By sadeq

          from bahrain

          About Me Photography Student

          Verified Buyer

          Pros

          • Durable

          Cons

          • Slow Focus

          Best Uses

          • Macro Photography

          Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

          Thanks a lot for fast shipping and nice covering
          It is a very good comminicuation between me and the seller.

          • Was this a gift?:
          • No

          Share this review

           
          4.0

          excellent product

          By Charlie

          from miami, fl

          About Me Photo Enthusiast

          Verified Buyer

          Pros

          • Consistent Output
          • Fast / accurate auto-focus
          • Lightweight

          Cons

          • Weak Casing

          Best Uses

          • Landscape/Scenery
          • Sports/Action

          Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

          Great product. The price is right, the quality of Nikon lenses never disappoint me and the best of all, the service experience, dealing with B&H. The product was delivered on the specified time, accordinly with their promise.

          • Was this a gift?:
          • No

          Share this review

          (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

           
          4.0

          Great for static shooting

          By cris

          from Santiago Chile

          About Me Semi-pro Photographer

          Verified Buyer

          Pros

          • Durable
          • Easily Interchangeable
          • Lightweight
          • Strong Construction

          Cons

          • Poor in Low Light
          • Slow Focus

          Best Uses

          • Landscape/Scenery
          • Night Photography
          • Wildlife Photos

          Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

          Worked great for outdoor shooting with tripod. Not recommended for poor lightning or situations where the shooter is in motion or unstable position.

          It is an excelent option for landscapes, wild life, flowers, animals, portraits in light,the details and resilution are incredible when using a triopod.

          • Was this a gift?:
          • No

          Share this review

           
          5.0

          Good value for beginners

          By tekkie

          from NY, NY

          About Me Photo Enthusiast

          See all my reviews

          Verified Buyer

          Pros

          • Easily Interchangeable
          • Lightweight

          Cons

          • Poor in Low Light

          Best Uses

          • Landscape/Scenery
          • Wildlife Photos

          Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

          I've rated this item 5 stars. Here's why:
          - Of course I want a 70-200 f2.8. This is not that lens. However, it gets the job done.
          - I am not a professional, but I've taken great shot with this lens. As long as you understand the limitations of the lens, i.e. f4-5.6 and slow AF and no VR, you will be happy.
          - The price basically makes this a must-have. On my recent vacation, I shot 90% of the time with my 50 1.8D (another 5 star lens). 5% of the time with my 17-70, and 5% of the time with this lens. Considering that a fast 50 or a 35 gets the job done for my shots (street photography, candid shots indoor, portraits) I only needed this lens when I had the luxury of walking around and taking my time for day-time landscape/scenery. And I got great shots. I can't justify spending more on a lens I will not shoot with very often. A 70-200 f2.8 is on my list, but very far off... much after I get a 24 f1.4, and an 85 f1.4, and the 136 f2 DC. Then I'll consider an upgraded tele.

          Unless you have a specific use case that exceeds this lens' limitations, this is a great value.

          • Was this a gift?:
          • No

          Share this review

           
          3.0

          A Great Lense for the Money

          By Jerry

          from North Caldwell, NJ

          About Me Photo Enthusiast

          Verified Buyer

          Pros

          • Durable
          • Easily Interchangeable
          • Lightweight

          Cons

          • Poor in Low Light

          Best Uses

          • Sports/Action

          Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

          I use this lense to shoot my daughter's high school soccer team. It doesn't have VR or any other bells and whistles, but for the money it cannot be beat. Focus is a little slow in low light, but takes great shots in daylight.

          • Was this a gift?:
          • No

          Share this review

          (0 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

           
          5.0

          AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens

          By Sam

          from Texas

          About Me Photo Enthusiast

          Verified Buyer

          Pros

          • Clear lens

          Cons

            Best Uses

            • Landscape/Scenery
            • Portraits

            Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

            Great Lens,It is versatile, high quality, well priced.I usually do my best to only buy BH Photo when I can. There are two vendors I deal with B&H Photo and [@]. These are the two vendors I trust, they are reliable, have good quality products and have good customer service.

            • Was this a gift?:
            • No

            Share this review

            (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

             
            3.0

            Great lens for the price

            By Travis

            from Boston, MA

            About Me Pro Photographer

            Verified Buyer

            Pros

            • Consistent Output
            • Fast / accurate auto-focus
            • Lightweight
            • Nice Bokeh

            Cons

            • Poor in Low Light

            Best Uses

            • Sports/Action
            • Wildlife Photos

            Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

            I'm on the fence about giving it 3 stars. Are we categorizing these things? If so, 5 stars all the way. Pitting it against a 70-200 2.8? No way.

            I needed a lens with a decent range on it for a casual thing I shot one weekend, and didn't want to take a chance with an expensive lens (and I usually stick with primes), so I saw this, figured it couldn't be bad for what I was going to be using it for.

            I was super happy with the results. Shot with a D7000, and it had no issue focusing it. Zoom ring isn't the smoothest in the world, but that's fine with me. I'm not doing any smooth video zooms.

            I only shot on small jpeg, but image quality looked pretty sharp.
            However, when I shot on full 14-bit RAW a few days after, you can definitely notice a little softness on it, and some pretty wonky chromatic stuff going on.

            But, really, if you can stand having a variable aperture across the range and don't need anything crazy fast, for the money, you can't beat this.

            • Was this a gift?:
            • No

            Share this review

            (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

             
            5.0

            My First Zoom Lens

            By BK

            from Yonkers, N.Y.

            About Me Photo Enthusiast

            Verified Buyer

            Pros

            • Consistent Output
            • Durable
            • Easily Interchangeable
            • Fast / accurate auto-focus
            • Lightweight
            • Rugged
            • Strong Construction

            Cons

              Best Uses

              • Landscape/Scenery
              • Night Photography
              • Sports/Action
              • Video

              Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

              Being a first time Nikon user I needed a lens when I purchased the D7000 body. Being a film shooter with a collection of Minolta Rokkor prime lenses, I didn't know what to expect from a zoom lens. While this Nikkor 70mm-300mm Zoom lens is not equipped with Vibration Reduction, I find it to be a great lens for tripod mounted shooting. Trying to shoot freehand with it really magnifies the "shake" when it's set at the higher magnifications. At the lower magnification this lens is wonderful without any of the distortions caused by "shake." The autofocus is a wonderful feature of this lens, considering all of my older Minolta lenses are manual focus.

              I will be adding the Nikon 70mm-300mm with VR for more handheld shooting, as well as, other Nikon lenses to my collection of glass.

              • Was this a gift?:
              • No

              Share this review

               
              5.0

              Love my Nikkor

              By wcrites

              from New Bremen, Ohio

              About Me Photo Enthusiast

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

              • Consistent Output
              • Durable
              • Easily Interchangeable
              • Rugged
              • Strong Construction

              Cons

              • Heavy

              Best Uses

              • Landscape/Scenery
              • Night Photography
              • Sports/Action
              • Wildlife Photos

              Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

              I have used this lens to take about 200 photos of different lake scenes which most were at quite A distance and they turned out perfect.

              • Was this a gift?:
              • No

              Share this review

               
              4.0

              Well satisfied

              By Overlord

              from Ocean CIty, MD

              About Me Photo Enthusiast

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

              • Easily Interchangeable
              • Lightweight

              Cons

              • Poor in Low Light

              Best Uses

              • Sports/Action
              • Video
              • Weddings/Events

              Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

              Preaty good lens for this price ... the wight works in your disadvantage in this case ... witout VR in low light conditions betwin 200 and 300mm you need a tripod ... `if you want sharp pictures .. try to set the aperture at minimul F/8 ... in conclusion if you are on a buget .. this is the perfect lens!

              • Was this a gift?:
              • No

              Share this review

               
              5.0

              Great Lens

              By Slybele

              from Colorado

              About Me Photo Enthusiast

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

              • Consistent Output
              • Easily Interchangeable
              • Fast / accurate auto-focus
              • Lightweight

              Cons

                Best Uses

                • Landscape/Scenery
                • Wildlife Photos

                Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

                I love this lens! From the moment I mounted it on my Nikon 3100... very nice. Luckily it's begun to snow early this year for some great pics.

                If you still have any hesitation buying it.. trust me, you will be glad if you do.

                • Was this a gift?:
                • No

                Share this review

                 
                5.0

                I would buy this product again....

                By smarincin

                from Tacoma, WA

                About Me Casual Photographer

                Verified Buyer

                Pros

                • Easily Interchangeable
                • Fast / accurate auto-focus

                Cons

                  Best Uses

                  • Landscape/Scenery
                  • Wildlife Photos

                  Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

                  I love this lens; it gives me the capabilities I wanted. I am a novice at taking pictures, but this lens opens up a whole new chapter.

                  • Was this a gift?:
                  • No

                  Share this review

                  (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

                   
                  5.0

                  Excellent lens

                  By kruzer

                  from san francisco

                  About Me Pro Photographer

                  Verified Buyer

                  Pros

                  • Consistent Output
                  • Durable
                  • Easily Interchangeable
                  • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                  • Lightweight
                  • Nice Bokeh
                  • Rugged
                  • Strong Construction

                  Cons

                    Best Uses

                    • Landscape/Scenery
                    • Weddings/Events
                    • Wildlife Photos

                    Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

                    I know people will complain about this and that about any lens. All I can tell you that this lens is excellent for anyone who is not looking to photograph a needle three miles away :)
                    Well, you know what I mean.

                    Great 'walk-around' lens during your shoot in the nature walk to get close to those critters. The best lens would be from 19-300 mm but, hey... who can afford that kind of lens.

                    If you're a novice and not a pro, buy this lens and you'll like it. Am a pro, but I don't care about razor sharp corners, look at my SUBJECT in the center is my motto here :)

                    • Was this a gift?:
                    • No

                    Share this review

                    (2 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

                     
                    4.0

                    good lens

                    By W

                    from CA

                    About Me Photo Enthusiast

                    Verified Buyer

                    Pros

                    • Lightweight

                    Cons

                    • Poor in Low Light

                    Best Uses

                    • Wildlife Photos

                    Comments about Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black):

                    it's a good quality lens for a beginner who wants to practice

                    • Was this a gift?:
                    • No

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                    What's in the Box

                    Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens (Black)
                    • Front & Rear Lens Caps
                    • HB-26 Lens Hood
                    • 5-Year Warranty (1-Year International + 4-Year USA Extension)
                     
                     
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