Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR Lens Review

Nikon NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR Handling and Features

The weight of 755g may not seem incredibly lightweight, but having owned Nikon’s first-generation 300mm f/4 AF lens myself, it is actually very noticeably lighter. This will really benefit those who have to be mobile with their equipment, having to lug it around all day. In fact, it's not that much bigger than Nikon’s 24-70mm f/2.8, which makes it a well-balanced combination with the Nikon D600 body used for testing. In fact, Nikon seem so confident you’ll be happy hand-holding it all day, that there is no tripod collar supplied with the lens.

Autofocus is powered by a silent wave motor, and autofocus speeds are very fast indeed. Manual adjustments can be applied at any time via the wide rubberised focusing ring, which only takes a light touch to operate, but is smooth and well damped, making applying fine adjustments a pleasure. 

Closest focus distance is 1.4m, and focusing is performed internally. The front element is a filter-friendly 77mm in diameter and as it does not rotate, or extend.

The Vibration Reduction system this lens is equipped with, promises sharp hand-held shooting at shutter speeds up to four and a half times slower than would be possible without the technology. Even though the system steadies the viewfinder image almost instantly, care still needs to be exercised. Hand-held shots at 1/20sec are possible around two-thirds of the time, which is around four stops slower than the usual rule of thumb would normally recommend. 

Add your message