Lens not focusing right?

Insp Gadget

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I am currently using a D300 and a Nikon 70-300 4-5.6G lens among a ton of other equipment. I don't have a lot of use for a strong zoom like this but when I do use it, it seems the focus is off. I use only one focus point and when I look at the photos later on it seems the focus is a couple of feet closer to the camera than where I chose the focus spot.

2 questions.

I realize this is a very cheap lens and wonder if someone can suggest a better one in the same (or close to) zoom range at a decent price?

Also, I understand the D300 can adjust the focus for certain lenses. Can someone explain this to me?

Thanks!
 
You can send the lens to Nikon under warranty and have them fix it. I had to do this with the exact same lens for a different reason and they were VERY good with the customer service. I shipped it through a local Nikon dealer.

Are you seeing this issue at all of the focal lengths or just at a specific point(s) in the lens' range?

As for a comparable lens, the gold standard is the f/2.8 80-200mm, but it's mucho deniro. I have the Promaster POS 70-300mm Macro and I actually like it better than the Nikon. It has a slower and noisier focusing servo, though.
 
Can I assume POS does not stand for what I think it stands for? LOL

I actually never thought of sending it away. It's only 2 years old and I think warrantied for 5 right? How can I know for certain if it's the lens?
 
How can I know for certain if it's the lens?
If you have a camera store nearby, you could take your camera & lens in there...try your camera with a different lens and try your lens with a different camera. That should help you determine where the fault is.

When it comes to focus adjustment...there is an acceptable tolerance on both the camera and the lens.

Sometimes, you might have a situation where both tolerances are compounded and can result in poor focusing. For example, lets say the tolerance is plus or minus 5. The lens might be -5 (still OK according to the specs)...but if the camera is also at -5, your net result is -10, which may be enough to give you problems.

Also, it's not unheard of for a lens to be much farther out of adjustment...especially a cheap lens like this one.
As mentioned, having it sent in will likely fix your issues.
 
Can I assume POS does not stand for what I think it stands for? LOL

I actually never thought of sending it away. It's only 2 years old and I think warrantied for 5 right? How can I know for certain if it's the lens?
Heh... actually POS stands for exactly what you think it stands for...

Promaster is considered by many to be the equivalent of a Wal-Mart store brand... or worse...

Personally, I've gotten some fantastic images from it. I do recognize that it has serious limitations but the adage that it's the photographer and not the gear strokes my ego just enough for me to believe that I can get away with not dropping $1k plus at this point in my development as a photographer.

And I REALLY want to be able throw that kind of money and more at lenses and other accessories!
 
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The D300 has a lens adjustment for a single focal length built in to the camera. It allows you to correct for front or back focusing. The 70-300 4.5-5.6 VR lens by Nikon is around $580 and one of the best value lenses you can buy. Mine is tack sharp at f8 and the VR works well. Murray
 
There was an earlier non-VR version of the 70-300 lens that did not have the optical quality todays VR version has.

I agree with Murray, the current offering is one hell of a lot of value for the $$$. In 2 years, I've grossed nearly $40,000 selling images made with my $580 70-300 lens.

The D300 fine focus adjustment is covered in the users manual. Page 327 or so, or you can find the page number in the index with the A's listed as [AF fine tune].
 

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