Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Love the product - just what I wanted. I didn't realize that a tripod or monopod was ESSENTIAL, though. Gives me the close-ups I need for distances at horse shows and volleyball games.

I read a lot of data; I looked at the products; I swayed back and forth from one theory to the other. You know the drill - you have both pluses and minuses. You weigh it out; you hold it to the light; you weigh it some more... Finally, I decided that lens switching is not the biggest deal some people make it out to be - I don't think I'll miss much. Usually you're doing some shots of the same thing, or subject. This put lens switching concerns low down on the list of consideration.

Then there are the other reviewers. Like brown shoes, some hate 'em, some love 'em. Because of the inherent design of digital SLR's, good light and sharpness requires less lens than yesteryear. I finally came to the conclusion that the Nikkor 18-200 VR was a huge, expensive thing I just could not lug around full time.

So I got the Nikkor 18-70 ED and this 70-300 VR. Actually a bit more than the 18-200 VR alone, but more versatile and in my opinion, sharper overall. The 18-200 tries to do a lot and succeeds somewhat well across it's broad range. The 18-70 and 70-300 lenses do it better and sharper, albeit heavier and less convenient. This is especially prevalent at the low end, where distortion is readily noticeable in all of them. The 70-300 is certainly better on the higher end, and it gets you all the way out to 300.

In my testing I found this lens very response, quick focusing, and sharp as a tack. The VR system was a welcome addition as well. Well made, relative to most of the less expensive Nikkors, and with ED IF and VR, all I wanted in a medium to long telephoto. I don't feel the VR is necessary in the wide to normal range, but mandatory for serious low light work at 120mm or so, and up.

Look for a used 18-70 lens to go with this 700-300. Get a mint condition (newer version) one for a fraction of the price, and you'll have a near perfect combination. This 70-300 works fine on all the latest Nikons including the D40. You will love your 70-300 when you need it!

I take a lot of motorsport and wildlife photos. Whilst this lens has its limitations, it is pretty impressive for amateur usage. I've used it with a D40 body and frankly you'd need to spend thousands of dollars more to improve on the imagery.

This lens is very good, and very powerful. The VR is really efficient: with good light, you can take picture without tripod at 300mm without any trouble.
The only cons I have is when the light is not strong enough: this lens needs a lot of light.. or a tripod. Otherwise your pictures will be blurry.
But for this price and this great quality, I don't really care and I am enjoying it!!

I've found the optical performance of this VR lens to be flawless. It is easy to manipulate, especially with the focus ring being close to the camera body (instead of the other end of the lens). My only suggested improvement would be to have a tripod mount on the lens itself. The package becomes rather unbalanced when your only choice is to use the camera's tripod mount.