Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras

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Received this lens 2 days ago and took it around town and to a baseball game to try it out on my D700. Overall I am very pleased with it. The zoom range allows for great flexibility, the autofocus is fast, VR II superb as on other Nikon lenses. While the zoom is not as loose as the early 18-200mm lenses, you do need the included lock for it not to creep if you carry the lens pointed down on your camera. The weight of the lens as other reviewers say is quite comfortable - mine with clear protective filter comes in at 860g, just a touch heavier than the 70-300mm but not something youd noticed without a scale. Build quality is very solid. I tested this lens against my 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 VR and the 16-35mm f4 VR and overall I was pleasantly surprised how well the new lens did. Three things potential buyers should be aware of: 1) while the lens is listed as 28-300mm it seems to be neither quite 28mm (the angle of view is slightly narrower than the 16-35mm set to 28mm), nor does it quite extend to 300mm (the 70-300mm gets a bit more enlargement). This is not a big issue in normal use since youd never know the difference without a side by side comparison, but if youre buying the lens specifically for either extreme of the range be aware of this. I dont have equipment to test so youll have to wait for professional reviews to tell you exactly what the actual range is in mm. 2) while overall Im very pleased with the quality - no ghosting during shots I took at the ballgame despite not having Nanocoating - when you compare side by side it is not as sharp as either of the other lenses and has, as is to be expected given the zoom range, more distortion. Again nothing that would jump out at you if you just saw a photograph, but side by side especially at 300mm you do notice that fine details (textures, text) are more crisp when taken with the 70-300mm. 3) The lens very quickly goes to f5.6 - by the time youre at 70mm youre at f5.0, and by 105mm youre at f5.3. Before buying I had wondered how this lens compares to the new 24-120mm f4, and I suspect that lens is slightly sharper and if you shoot a lot at portrait length you will fine the full extra stop (f4 vs 5.6) to be quite useful. Note I have NOT actually tested the 24-120 since it not available yet. And of course that lens is about 25% more expensive. Overall Im very pleased with this lens, and despite the difference in sharpness this lens will be replacing my 70-300mm in my bag for most purposes - pretty much the only time Id take the 70-300mm would be to specifically shoot wildlife or objects I know will be far away and Im trying to keep the weight down (and obviously if youre really into wildlife you should get yourself a faster longer range lens than the 70-300mm). Basically with this lens and the 16-35mm you cover an amazing range in two lenses and both of them are excellent lenses with AFS, VR II, etc.

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I got this one as a travelling lens, I am tired of carrying 6 or 7 lens that weight so much. So this one is prefect and I leave the others at home during long travel. The opening of 5.6 is not as much as I would have like at 300mm and the picture quality is not one of a prime lens. But hey! I knew that before getting it, I made a choice.

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Well, What can I say, its Nikon and supposed to be good. Read review on Ken Rockwell website and decided to go for this one. He said its a must have lens replacing your whole bag almost. And "sharp at every aperture". Well, I did get a sharp one after 3 tries ! 2 out of three other copies were very soft on 1/4 of the outer parts of the frame at 28 mm. This did get better as aperture went toward f6.3 - f8 but really !!!!! ,, really !!! I did also read other post on the net saying they had similar experiences having to try multiple lenses before getting a perfect one . Which I now have.... YAAAAYYY So finally I did get a good copy and am VERY happy with it. Very, Very sharp, at pretty much all apertures and MMs but of course there is a tiniest softness when shooting 28mm and wide open however with my copy this can only be seen on my 16 mp camera blown up to more than 50%. All in all I am pleased to finally get what I expected in the first place. Personally I would make sure you buy from reputable companies that have a good exchange policy like amazon. There customer service is perhaps one of the best I have ever encountered but ultimately I dont trust Nikons quality control anymore. I would give a five star rating for this lens, however I will take into account that it took me 3 copies to get a great one, for this reason I will score THIS lens a 4 star . If I could also score the other lenses I tried first before getting this copy, I would give those a mere 3. UPDATE JUNE 2017 Still use it as my walk around / vacation lens. Works great ! Still love it . Also have the 14-24mm and 24-70MM 2.8 and now the 70-200 VR2 FL These lenses I use when I know what I am going to shoot.

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I bought this lens for my Nikon Z6 since my Tamron 16-300mm did not function correctly (known issue - to be fixed in a firmware update). This lens does it all and very well. Very durable AND heavy. My Z6 and this lens and FTZ Adapter weighs in at 3lbs 10ozs. Ouch. Fast focus and extremely sharp. The lens can be used in a pinch for macro photography as well. Yes, you can use lens on a crop sensor to get a maximum reach of 450mm. You can also shoot in DX mode on a full frame body but you lose a lot of resolution shooting in DX mode. Not really worth it to me as I enjoy the full resolution that my camera and lens provide. Bottom line: Yes a great lens for the money.

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I have waited for a year and hundreds of shots to post a review about this lens. Overall this is a very solid lens - but it is very much a compromise and despite the quality I really regret buying it. Some things to know - - The lens is sharp throughout most of the range as long as you are at around F5.6 and above (which is where it sits for most of the range anyway). Below that it has issues. Especially at the extremes of the focal ranges. If you treat it as a straight F5.6 max aperture lens you will not be disappointed. - It isnt a true 300mm as near as I can tell. I have an old manual focus 300mm prime and side by side images suggest this is more like a 275mm. My Sigma 150-600 also suggests it falls short. I shoot with it on FX bodies so this may be irrelevant if you use an APS-C and want reach. - It is a quality lens. The focus is quiet and the rings are smooth as glass. Given the price compared to Nikons golden zooms I expected some corner cutting, but there is none to be found. - This weighs a ton. Even with the VR I get more jitter than expected and I blame it on the weight. Hooked to my D810 I feel like I am toting a dumbell around. I mentioned quality - but I attribute that to the electronics and smoothness of operation. Heft is just heft. My biggest regret with this lens is not holding out and getting separate 24-70 and 70-200 F2.8s (which I have subsequently done - a Nikon and a Tamron respectively). I have numerous primes throughout the focal range of this lens plus the new zooms I just mentioned and due to the weight and aperture trade-offs this really never seems to be the right choice. Carrying the two zooms is simply preferable these days and if I am shooting at 85 or below I carry my 4 primes (24 1.8, 35 1.4, 50 1.4 and 85 1.8) which I swear seem to weight in total about what this lens weighs. If you are looking for one lens that does it all and wont give you kit lens quality pictures you will probably like this. But for someone that is an avid amateur (many hours per week behind the camera) I would say seriously consider spending around twice as much and get Tamron or Sigma 24-70 and 70-200 F2.8s.

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Im an avid amateur but not a detail techie. I have an FX format D610 and have several Nikon lenses. I got the 28-300mm to avoid having to change lenses at various events where I like to take photos. Before I used a 70-300mm for long shots and a 24-85mm for closer work. I tested the 28-300mm against the other two lenses. I used 300mm for the long range test and 28mm for the short. For my purposes the results were virtually identical. I could not tell the difference on the 300mm test. There was a very slight difference with the 24-85mm doing a bit better job. That was offset by the convenience of not having to switch lenses. Ill continue to use the 24-85mm when taking portrait type work. At this point I dont think I need my 70-300mm anymore. I used the 28-300mm to take pictures of my grandchildren playing in a band concert indoors. I was near the back of the auditorium and they were in the back of the stage in less than ideal lighting. With a little photo editing I obtained very satisfactory images of each in a waist to head crop. The VR capabilities and FX format worked very well. The total weight of the camera and 28-300mm is noticeably heavier but not a deal breaker by any means.

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This is a great all around lens. Not the best in sharpness, a little soft; however gets the job done for most photographic jobs. Ive used it for weddings, concerts and portrait sessions. I think it is a bit overpriced as you will not often have the advantage of the 3.5 f stop. Usually shooting at the 5.6. I do wish Nikon would produce a similar lens with a better light situation and sharpness. That said, Im glad I have it, just wish it were better so that I didnt have to lug around my 85mm 1.4, and other fixed lenses for portraiture. I use it at concerts, but wish I had the extra light a 70 - 200 would provide. It is good to have the 28mm when you have a group to take pictures of and works well with landscapes if you are not particular. I spend a lot of time with a loop at portrait sessions to be certain I have my subject in perfect focus, dont trust the lens.

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This lens is great! It’s lighter than what I expected based on the reviews. It focuses great with my D750. I would have to agree with the others that have also reviewed it about it being more along the lines of 275mm but it’s still phenominal even with a subject at close range.

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This WAS my go to lens, I loved it, then the telescope mechanism jammed, no fault of mine, I sent it in for repair to get a bill for $411.00...I was a Nikon person for 45 years, hello Cannon

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I love this lens! The versatility and range allows so much flexibility. My D-800 is with me 24/7 and this lens allows me to shoot 85% of my images with one lens. I have many primes for wider and Longer shots, but with a 36 mp sensor with great dynamic range and 300 mm with VR, I can crop in tighter instead of using the 500 mm. For wider I can sometimes shoot panoramas and merge in photoshop.

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