[AI]

4.5
(D1)

4.5-5
(D1X)

5
(D2X)

3.5
(FX:D3)

This venerable old-timer zoom lens continues to have surprises up its optical sleeves. Thus, it gives outstandingly sharp images when a D1X or D2X is hooked up to it. Gone is the slight greyish cast that characterises images captured with it on F5, and the increase in recorded sharpness is very evident when film is replaced by the high-resolution CMOS of D2X. It deservedly gets a top '5' (Excellent) rating for use on the D2X, but be aware that you might occasionally need to clean the image for CA vestiges when the lens is shot around 300 mm. The image contrast is slightly lower than found on more modern zoom designs and this may be an advantage for some areas of image-making. And still I find it one of the best-handling lenses ever for tripod work. Come to think of it, there simply isn't any better.

For those of you planning to put a 50-300 ED lens to good use on a D1/D1X camera, do consider having the lens upgraded with a CPU chip. This is because the digital camera needs using colour matrix metering to achieve near-perfect exposures. On D2H/D2X, you can dial in the lens data so getting a CPU isn't equally important here.

This old-timer is a remarkable performer on the D2X, and with this camera you in fact get surprisingly sharp images even at f/22 - f/32. Conventional theory would have it results should be destroyed by diffraction (and the small pixel pitch of D2X), but since D2X and the 50-300 ED are jolly mates and not too keen on theory, they don't care about such wisdom at all. Perhaps this observation indicates there is a need for an update of the current way of thinking based on film heritage.

However, on the D3, the performance of the 50-300ED no longer is top notch. Muddiness creeps in and the corner perfomance suffers. A pity but such is real life.

3.5
(D2X)

This is a plain consumer-oriented item, evidenced by its plasticy build even down to having a plastic lens mount, plus a thin and hard-to-reach collar for manual focusing to the front of the assembly. AF action is not very fast, so the "S" of the "AFS" designation applies to Silence, not Speed like the professional AFS designs. Please don't drop the lens as it is likely to disintegrate upon impact!

Such a light-feathered lens does not balance well on a D2x, but would fit a D40/40x or D50 perfectly. If you bite the bullet and apply AF focusing and VR operation, the lens in fact can deliver quite nice images. Colour rendition is clearly more muted than with ordinary ED glass and image contrast lacks the sparkle of more expensive lenses. Flare can also be an issue, in particular towards the long end so leave the lens shade on. You can spot some CA issues too, but I've seen much worse.

However, given that you swallow your pride and put the lens to its intended use (a vehicle for acquiring photographic pictures), you might be surprised by the quite sharp images delivered by this modest zoom lens. Putting the lens to around f/8 seems to work best at all focal settings. You can get decent close-ups as well, but in this case f/11 or so would add better "bite" to the picture.

A final warning is that being a DX design, this lens won't work that well on FX cameras.

5
(DX:D1X, D2H, D2X)

4
(FX: D3, see text)

Compared to the others, it is surprisingly small and neat in its outward appearance. It shows excellent workmanship and handles impeccably, thanks to a nice balance with a D1-series camera, and controls which are well laid-out. The VR function works splendidly, and AF speed is up among the very best. Even the tripod collar is sufficient, and the scalloped, flower-shaped lens hood has a nice locking button. These are small but significant details, which indicate Nikon has listened to user feed-back re the earlier medium-range zoom lenses.

Images are rendered with the enhanced colour saturation and high contrast typical for ED optics. On a D1-series camera there is virtually no light fall-off across the frame even at f/2.8 (probably would show up on a F5), and sharpness wide-open is very good, improving further at f/4-f/11. Bokeh is superb, the out-of-focus areas being rended with that exquisite creaminess so often missing from lesser lenses.

Chromatic aberrations (CA) were scarcely detectable at any aperture setting; a remarkable achievement for this complex optical design. At the short end there is some barrel geometric distortion, which predictably changes to pincushion when the lens is zoomed towards 200 mm. At around 105 mm distortion is virtually absent. Flare is a potential problem with all those elements inside the lens barrel and ghosting can be be quite nasty as well.

Vibration Reduction (VR) functions very well, being highly responsive, and allows me to take adequately sharp images (at 200 mm) at speeds as low as 1/10 sec hand-held (I'm notorious for my shaking hands). When switched to "Active" mode, VR constantly tracks lens movements, and the viewfinder image may jitter quite visibly, thus easily causing some nausea if you are susceptible to sea-sickness (like me). The lens handles panning with ease and there is no setting to this end. (VR feasibility on a tripod is covered in the pending full review).

The 70-200 VR excels in producing some of the most pleasing and beautiful bokeh I've ever seen with a Nikkor lens. Thus, the out-of-focus areas are depicted as ‘silky smooth’, and without any trace of harshness. Test shooting indicates that the VR setting may influence bokeh so to achieve the very best results, be sure to turn VR off.

A full review is found here. Note this applies to DX cameras only.

On the D3, however, issues occur with this lens. A certain amount of vignetting when the lens is set wide open is both to be expected and indeed readily visible. But stopping down one or two clicks resolves that issue nicely. The centre sharpness is excellent even on the D3, but the tendency for the corners lacking critical sharpness when the lens is focused towards infinity at its longer end is unexpected and troublesome. For landscapes at 200 mm, you need to stop down way too far to get the corners just barely acceptable, even to f/22 in some cases. I think the covering power of this slim design simply is not adequate for a good performance across the entire FX frame, at least towards the 200 mm setting. For PJ-style work or for studio and portraiture, this flaw is tolerable, but not for landscapes. Nikon really needs to come up with a Mk.II model of this general-purpose zoom lens.

2.5
(D1X)

3-3.5 *
(D2X)

*not same sample as with D1x

Compared to the contemporary offerings of this kind, this oldtimer is much better built, but unfortunately its optical performance is nothing to write home about. Images are markedly soft at wide apertures and only get acceptable at f/8-f/11 or so. Colours are rendered in muted hues and lack the sparkle of the better lenses. Some colour fringing occurs all over the zooming range to become more troublesome for close-ups.

Another sample, this time deployed on the D2X, showed a better performance, in particular towards the wide end or with distant subjects. Sharpness in fact for landscape work was quite good at 70mm. However, for close subjects, in "macro" settings, and with the lens set to the longer focal lengths, chromatic aberration entered in force and image contrast declined.

So, sample variation is evidently in play with this lens. Both copies I've used looked almost pristine, so quality cannot be gleaned from the external looks - another manifestation of that ubiquitous truth.

3-3.5 (D1X)

Optically speaking, the 70-300 isn't really that bad and given you avoid shooting distant subjects with the lens set to the longer focal lengths, quite decent image quality can be obtained. You need to stop down a bit, to f/8 or so, to get the best quality. Colour fringing is not a big problem despite the lack of ED glass, but colour saturation won't reach up to ED lenses.

4-
(DX: D2X, D200)

4-
(FX: D3)

IR:

4-

(DX: D200 modified)

My main gripe is the presence of chromatic aberrations that creep in towards the telephoto end and since they comprise both the red-cyan and the blue-yellow type, removing them in post-processing takes a little patience and might demand more efforts than the average user is prepared to apply to his or her image files.

Otherwise, the lens handles quite nicely even on the D3, and the dedicated long lens hood reduced flare too. Set the lens to f/5.6-f/8 at the short end and around f/8-f/11 at the long end to extract maximum image quality from it.

IR: the 70-300 VR does work quite well for IR photography. No hot spots occur and the amount of focus shift is not immense either. Since its IR transmission seems to drop quickly towards longer wavelengths, using it with a weak 89B-type filter (Hoya R72 or similar) is recommended.

4.5-5
(FX: D3X)

3-3.5

5
(D2H, D2X)

The geometric distortion is unusually modest going from a trace of barrel at 80 mm to just detectable pincushion at 200 mm. The image rendition is vividly saturated and crisp at all aperture settings although the smallest f/22-f/32 do soften the image a little by diffraction. Flare and ghosting are remarkably well under control considered the state-of-art optics comprising 15 elements in 11 groups, but if you are intent on getting your share of flare and ghosts, then you assuredly can fulfil your need just by pointing the lens into the sun.

(various models)

(refer to text)

Some vignetting darkens the corners at f/2.8 and this needs stopping a bit to improve, f/5.6 settles the score in this respect. Corner fall-off is most evident at the short focal setting, but some vestiges still occur at 200 mm. Geometric distortion is as expected a mild barrel type at 80 mm going to slight pincushion at the other end. Avoid the very extremes of the zoom range if architecture is your preferred line of work, otherwise distortion shouldn't be an issue at all.

Image quality is excellent even at f/2.8 to improve further at f/5.6-f/8. Usefully sharp images were obtained at f/16, too. Colour saturation is superb thanks to no less than 5 ED elements in the optical design and this zoom is virtually devoid of colour fringing.

AFS makes the lens focus quite fast and noise during focusing is low. There are 4 AF focus locking buttons around the front of the lens, but I for one fail to see their usefulness (other people's mileage may vary, though). Focus hunting was minimal on my D1 and F5 cameras. Lens flare and ghosting are evils that the huge scalloped hood, with some success, tries to cure. I found the lens hood kept snow away from the front while shooting under rough winter conditions, so keep the hood on at all times.

Were this zoom to be shipped with a decent tripod collar, it would get a top "5" rating - for now, a "4.5" rating is all I can give. Still an excellent optical performer, though.

[AIS]

3.5-4
(D2X)

This lens performs poorer on the D2X than with a silver-halide based camera. Colour fringing is very evident, so is veiling flare at wide apertures. Using the 80-200 in combination with a close-up lens isn't recommended on the D2X because colour fringing is unacceptable.

[non-AI; AI]

3

(D1X)

Optically, quite decent results are obtained if you are not nitpicking too much. There are traces of chromatic aberration across the entire frame which the targeted users likely won't notice at all, and sharpness should cater adequately for their needs as well. At f/8 or thereabouts, the best image quality is found. Image contrast is lower than I'm used to see in my professional lenses and colour saturation is slightly muted (neither trait hardly surprising). There is very slight barrel distortion at the short end of the zoom range and more evident pincushion on the long end.

4

(on D1)

One wouldn't normally get too excited about another slowish zoom, its ED glass notwithstanding. But the claims about VR benefits sounded too good to be true. I'm happy to report they evidently hold in practice. Thus, I obtained sharp images with the lens hand-held at 1/15 sec and racked all the way to the 400 mm setting. And my hands are not among the steady ones, either. Thus, VR technology can alleviate camera shake to a unprecedented degree and works well in panning mode, too. However, VR unfortunately is not compatible with tripod operation of the lens. Use on a monopod evidently is preferable.

The 80-400 VR delivered crisp and sharp images with high contrast over the entire zoom range. There is slight barrel distortion at the short end, accompanied with the inevitable pincushion distortion at the long end, but distortion levels were all over surprisingly low. There are just vestiges of colour fringing to be detected in the out-of-focus areas. Peak performance occurred at f/11 for either short or long zoom settings.

A full review of the 80-400 VR is found here.

3.5
(D2X, general use, hand-held)

3
(D2X, on tripod)

4
(D2X, for close-ups with a reversed 6T lens)

The real surprise of the 100-300, however, comes when you put a close-up lens onto its front threads. I employed my standard Nikon 6T (reverse-mounted) and was absolutely floored by the high quality close-ups produced by this combination. High image sharpness and contrast, perfectly flat field, and virtually no CA are features you associate with an expensive Micro-Nikkor, not a makeshift combination of a achromatic attachment and a consumer zoom lens. Food for some real thoughts.

Recent field test show that the missing tripod collar in conjunction with the long build of the 100-300 can introduced some vibrations when the lens is used with a tripod-mounted camera. This is plainly visible for close-ups, so consider using a flash to cut exposure times to ensure better sharpness. I have adjusted the ratings of this lens according to these findings.

4.5
(DX:D2X)

4.5
(FX: D3X)

As common with other expensive lenses from this era, workmanship is first class. That extends even to its cantilevered tripod foot, that for once is really sturdy due to its dimension in conjunction with a generously size of the rotating collar hold the lens barrel. Nothing here reminds me of the disasters introduced by the AFS 300/4 and AF 80-400 VR decaders later. Food for thought.

The lens is long and quite heavy, weighing approx. 3.2 kg without a lens hood. Focusing and zooming is by a combined huge one-ring collar which can be locked for a given focal setting. Compared to modern lenses it can't come up to their speed of handling, but that doesn't prevent it from delivering very sharp images with excellent colour saturation and contrast. There is the merest vestiges of CA found along high-contrast transitions, and all over the images peak in quality when the 180-600 is stopped down to f/11-f/16. At f/22, some softening of the details is noticeable and the diffraction cuts even more of fine detail at f/32.

My sample is the very scarce pre-AI model without external meter coupling. Adding a customised CPU to the lens changes it into a peculiar "G" model so you can set the aperture you want on the lens, dial in that value with the command wheel on the camera, and then go on shooting without any further considerations.

A total of some 650 units, all versions, were produced between 1975 and 2000. Most samples are AIS so will couple to the metering system.

5
(D2X)

4.5
(D200)

4.5-5
(FX:D3, D3X)

IR:

4.5-5
(S3Pro UVIR)

Image quality is really impressive and I understand well why this lens became an insider's tip for nature photographers during the late 1980's. In fact, the lens sold second-hand for several times its initial price, and was keenly sought after by wildlife photographers. Production was limited and not that many of them have been available, a fact not exactly driving the price level down.

The results at f/4 are very good and get even better by stopping down a little. Compared to its newer AF counterpart, the manual lens has much fewer elements, 15 vs 24, and this ensures a high image contrast and with all the ED glass inside, colours are rendered with vivid saturation. I purchased this lens with an aim of using it for landscapes, since non-IF lenses often have less out-of-focus colour fringing. So far, my results substantiate this assumption.

On D200, I obtained slightly less convincing results than with my D2X. I never found out why before my D200 was converted to be a UV-only body. Also on the new FX-format D3, the images acquired lack some of the sparkle and magic seen on the D2X. However, the high-resolution D3X brought back the snap and punch I missed from the D3.

IR performance: Very crisp and sharp IR images are obtained with the Fuji S3 Pro UVIR camera. Not the slightest vestiges of a hot spot can be seen. You do need to use an IR gel since the rear filter drawer won't permit filters with ordinary thickness, or be insane enough to purchase a 122mm filter for the front threads.

5
(DX:D2H,
D70)

4.5-5
(FX: D3, D3X)

The 200-400 balances nicely on its tripod mount. Thanks to the IF feature, the length is constant at all settings. The tripod mount is barely adequate, and I'd like to see it improved further since this lens is quite pliable due to its overall length and weak foot

Environmental sealing is provided by a rubber gasket in the rear. There is a generously sized zooming collar to the rear of the lens and the focusing collar is moved in front of that, and set off by a wider diameter. There are a plethora of control buttons for AF lock (in front of the lens), memory reset (sic!), sound warning on/off, AF range, VR mode (normal, active, as on the 70-200 VR lens), and so on.

AFS operation is blindingly fast on the D2H, not equally responsive but nevertheless fast on D70.  With the TC14-E added, focusing speed slows a trifle on D2H and become sluggish on D70. VR action is smooth and positive, and might even be used on a tripod if the tripod head is given some slack.

Images are vividly saturated, have high contrast, and tremendous detail. There is hardly any trace of chromatic aberrations anywhere across the zooming or focusing range, a remarkable feat indeed.  Sharpness is exquisite even wide open, improves slightly when the lens is stopped a little more down, and holds up well to at least f/16. I obtained acceptable images at f/32 as well, although going this far isn't something I'd recommend. Bokeh is superb.

Despite a tremendous number of lens elements (24 elements of which no less than 4 are ED, in 17 groups), flare is very well controlled. However, you may get significant ghosting when shooting strongly backlit subjects, so wait for that big sun disc until the sun nearly sets and you'll be OK.

The only drawbacks of this lens are the price and weak tripod mount (not everyone will agree to the latter). Otherwise it already is slated to become a legend in its own time. Compared to the manual version the newcomer is selling like the proverbial hotcakes.

With the FX cameras, the 200-400 delivers crisply defined images, but one should watch out for corner vignetting in particular towards the short enbd of the zooming range.

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Last Update 15 January, 2009