WTB Nikon 70-300mm AF-S VR lens!!!

obscure.individual · Sep 21, 2012

i'm looking to buy a Nikon 70-300mm f/3.5-5.6 IF-ED AF-S VR lens to use on my D5100. i was planning on saving up and waiting longer to get it, but now that soccer has started my dad wants to use my camera to take photos of my games and the 18-55mm kit lens i have isn't cutting it. so offer up!

jhodges10 · Sep 22, 2012

Had to upload the pics to the thread. For some reason I couldn't attach them to my message.

Derrel · Sep 22, 2012

I've been using this lens for my son's soccer games, the 70-300 AF-S VR...in decent light, it's relatively good.Even though I own bigger, "better" and "more-professional" zooms and primes. I LIKE the way it keeps me kind of low-profile at the games. Plus, it doesn't require a monopod. Where it excels is small size and light weight and ease of carrying. Optically, at the shorter ranges from 70 to 200,210mm, it's really QUITE decent. I end up shooting it "wide open", at f/5.6 most of the time. This is actually a very easy lens to carry and shoot!

obscure.individual · Sep 22, 2012

jhodges10 said:
Had to upload the pics to the thread. For some reason I couldn't attach them to my message.

its perfectly alright. the lens looks like its in fantastic shape. can you upload clear photos of the front element, the back element, and one or two photos taken with the lens? i want to see if there are any scratches or irregularities in the glass.

Derrel said:
I've been using this lens for my son's soccer games, the 70-300 AF-S VR...in decent light, it's relatively good.Even though I own bigger, "better" and "more-professional" zooms and primes. I LIKE the way it keeps me kind of low-profile at the games. Plus, it doesn't require a monopod. Where it excels is small size and light weight and ease of carrying. Optically, at the shorter ranges from 70 to 200,210mm, it's really QUITE decent. I end up shooting it "wide open", at f/5.6 most of the time. This is actually a very easy lens to carry and shoot!

i wanted this lens for that purpose. my dad tried using my D5100 and the 18-55mm kit lens to photograph my first soccer fame of the season, and he didn't have enough zoom to get any good action shots. he also was shooting on aperture priority and didn't know it, but that's not the point.

you love this lens for sports photography, but how is it for nature photography?

Derrel · Sep 22, 2012

It's only f/5.6 at the long end, and the long end is the weaker end of the lens,optically. I don't shoot "nature" photos really, and if I did, it would be with a 300mm f/4 AF-S prime, or 300/2.8, and TC 1.4x if needed. "Nature" also encompasses macro and close-up work to many people...I don't really have an informed opinion on the 70-300 VR as a pseudo macro or close-range lens...my experience with it has been for portraiture, soccer in GOOD-wether daylight, and some travel/landscape shooting all on the D2x and D3x bodies. ANd a few frames on the D70. On the lower MP cameras, 12MP and UNDER, the lens is a solid performer. The D3x shows some of its weaknesses at the longer FL ranges. I have shot only a handful of floral close-ups with it, not enough to really give an opinion. This lens fills the portability/convenience/price/optical performance needs of its price and size range VERY admirably, for the kinds of things I use it for.

obscure.individual · Sep 22, 2012

Derrel said:
It's only f/5.6 at the long end, and the long end is the weaker end of the lens,optically. I don't shoot "nature" photos really, and if I did, it would be with a 300mm f/4 AF-S prime, or 300/2.8, and TC 1.4x if needed. "Nature" also encompasses macro and close-up work to many people...I don't really have an informed opinion on the 70-300 VR as a pseudo macro or close-range lens...my experience with it has been for portraiture, soccer in GOOD-wether daylight, and some travel/landscape shooting all on the D2x and D3x bodies. ANd a few frames on the D70. On the lower MP cameras, 12MP and UNDER, the lens is a solid performer. The D3x shows some of its weaknesses at the longer FL ranges. I have shot only a handful of floral close-ups with it, not enough to really give an opinion. This lens fills the portability/convenience/price/optical performance needs of its price and size range VERY admirably, for the kinds of things I use it for.

aha, well thanks for the information!

jhodges10 · Sep 22, 2012

What sort of nature photography are you talking about? If its for birding it might not be long enough even with the crop factor. I've used it for monkeys and sloths in Costa Rica and a lot of shots at the zoo. Here are a couple from the zoo that should give a decent idea of its capabilities. All of these were shot with the D60 and I'm pretty sure all of them were shot using scene modes. I originally bought the lens to use at Formula 1 races and it worked pretty well for that. I'll fire off a couple shots in a bit and upload those so you can see how it looks now, should be the same as there are no scratches or issues that I am aware of.

obscure.individual · Sep 22, 2012

jhodges10 said:
What sort of nature photography are you talking about? If its for birding it might not be long enough even with the crop factor. I've used it for monkeys and sloths in Costa Rica and a lot of shots at the zoo. Here are a couple from the zoo that should give a decent idea of its capabilities. All of these were shot with the D60 and I'm pretty sure all of them were shot using scene modes. I originally bought the lens to use at Formula 1 races and it worked pretty well for that. I'll fire off a couple shots in a bit and upload those so you can see how it looks now, should be the same as there are no scratches or issues that I am aware of.

when i say nature photography i'm referring to the photography of animals. have you used it for taking photos of birds? the birds where you live may just be a bit more skitish, around where i am you can get closer to birds than you'd think you'd be able to.

those photos look very nice, i'm loving the bokeh in the shots of the dog.

jhodges10 · Sep 22, 2012

Here are pics of front & rear element and a few shots I took today. They're all SOOC on the D60.

jhodges10 · Sep 22, 2012

Here's a sampling of shots on a tripod from about 35 feet with the VR turned off.

D60 @ 70mm.

135mm

. 300mm.

D800. 70mm.

. 135mm.

. 300mm.

obscure.individual · Sep 22, 2012

jhodges10 said:
Here are pics of front & rear element and a few shots I took today. They're all SOOC on the D60.

jhodges10 said:
Here's a sampling of shots on a tripod from about 35 feet with the VR turned off.

D60 @ 70mm. <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20975"/> 135mm <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20979"/>. 300mm. <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20980"/>

D800. 70mm. <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20982"/>. 135mm. <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20983"/>. 300mm. <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20984"/>

the elements look fine, and those test shots are good. how far away would you say you were from that flower pot?