Zoom Lens

[terry]

Hi,

Just looking around various camera sites and I came across this lens:

AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G

Its claimed to a be a zoom lens and I reckon for $249 I need it! Id like to zoom further than what my kit lens can.

Can anyone tell me why I shouldnt buy it?

[gstark]

Hi Terry.

Is that price new or pre-loved ?

If it's New, it's a good price. We have a thread on this lens
here.

I think mine is a tad soft, but as an inexpensive way into this sot of focal length, it's not a bad buy.

[terry]

Its brand new price @ Teds in Pitt Street.

I just came back from there and briefly tested it out - Seems ok, first things : noticed were:

- noisy when fucusing
- auto fucusing is not as quick as the DX 18-70
- gonna need a tripod

Anyway, for $250 you cant go wrong (imo)

So, ready to pull out my cash and grab the lens, and they only have it in silver I know I shouldnt care about the color and more about how it works - but it would just doesent suit. Apparently the wait for the lens is 'x' there are 16 ppl who have been waiting for it for a few weeks already.

Im going to scour the burbs, see if anyone has it in stock. Unless anyone here knows?

[Glen]

Terry, I think Teds have a special on it and it is usually about $350. I would let your fingers do the walking rather than finding it for $100 more.

[gstark]

Terry,

Ok, that's the same (Ted's Adelaide) price quoted in the other thread.

Yes, at that price it's probably good value in that it gives you that range, with the Nikon name on the lens, which for some (me included) is important.

Leigh thinks it's fine, btw, for film work, but I've not been satisfied with what it's done for me. Maybe I need to spend more time with it.

There's no real shortage of places to look for the black lens; I wouldn't have the silver one either: may as well have a Drebel. Seeing that you were on Pitt St, on the same block, go into the Picadilly Arcade where you'll find International Camera Store. Continue to Market St, turn left (west) and just before George St you'll find GV Imaging. Cross George St and you'll find George's and Digital World; head down past Wynyard for Paxton's.

Or head off in the other direction from Ted's, cross both Park and Pitt, and you're at Fletcher's.

Across the road from me here on Kent there's Foto Riesel, but IME they're never cheap; but any of these might have the black in stock. I expect that all would price match ...

[terry]

Thanks Gary,

Just came back from International Camera Stora with a black unit

[gstark]

Thanks Gary,

Just came back from International Camera Stora with a black unit

Congrats.

Emmachissit ?

Didtheymatchtheprice4u?

[terry]

Theygaveittomefortwohundredandfortyeightdollarsandzerocents

[gstark]

Wotasavingwelldone

[Geoff]

Haven't had a chance to play with it much as yet, but the few shots that I've taken I've been pretty happy with - want to get out at night with the tripod and take some moon shots..I got mine for $245 - did a price match at Spectrum Camera House Warringah Mall (with digital city in the city)..

[MHD]

HI all, first post for me... Looking to buy a D70 kit from teds some time (thanks to a nice return from the ATO)

Teds is offering a kit that includes the 70-300mm lens described..
So Gstark, why were you not satisfied?

Any noticable optical defects? Cromatic Aberation? Vinetting? etc...

Great forum BTW!

[Onyx]

Chromatic abberation noticeably present from my experience - but that's only because the kit lens is so great at controlling it.
I'd expect the usual slight optical distortions at the wide and tele ends. Alot of users commented on overall softness in the 200-300mm range.

[gstark]

HI all, first post for me... Looking to buy a D70 kit from teds some time (thanks to a nice return from the ATO)

Teds is offering a kit that includes the 70-300mm lens described..
So Gstark, why were you not satisfied?

It's simply not sharp. It's not of the optical quality I expect from a lens that wears the Nikkor badge.

The kit lens has it all over this; likewise the lens on the 5700 is brilliant, and even my 17 year old (or thereabouts) 70-210 leaves this in the gutter.

Great forum BTW!

Thanx, but that's nothing to do with me, really. It's up to all of you to put the content here. I just host it.

[MHD]

Thanks Gary..

Interesting though that some review sites * seem to think that buying the ED version is not a huge step up in quaility...

I wonder how much I will notice it... sigh...

Anyone else used it?


*
http://www.bythom.com/70300lens.htm
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/70300g.htm
Even though he never actually shot with it

[gstark]

Take your D70 and a CF card (and if you have a laptop, that too) into your friendly Ted's store (or, if you're like most normal consumers, your local Ted's store) and mount one and have a play. SHoot some images at various focal lengths and apertures - keep the shutter speeds at the faster end of the spectrum if you can - and then look at the images on your PC.

Play with a simlarly priced Tamron and Sigma at the same time ...

Then you'll have a bit of an idea of what they're all capable of, and you can make a better, more informed decision.

FWIW, Leigh thinks our's is fine for film work.

FWIW2, I think I'm saving up for the 80-400VR.

[Geoff]

and so far I'm not too unhappy with it..today however will be it's first 'true' test...I've made mates with one of the guys at my local camera shop and he's invited me to come down to a local soccer (semi professional) game which he does some freelance stuff for (appears in our local paper)...so yeah..will let you know, but for the price I can't really complain..I got it for $245...

[gstark]

Geoff,

[quote="Geoff"I've made mates with one of the guys at my local camera shop and he's invited me to come down to a local soccer (semi professional) game which he does some freelance stuff for (appears in our local paper)[/quote]

What's he using? Nikon or Canon, and what bodies/lenses?

[MHD]

and so far I'm not too unhappy with it..today however will be it's first 'true' test...I've made mates with one of the guys at my local camera shop and he's invited me to come down to a local soccer (semi professional) game which he does some freelance stuff for (appears in our local paper)...so yeah..will let you know, but for the price I can't really complain..I got it for $245...

Sweet!
I await the result eagerly!

[MHD]

Ok... I went down to Teds... popped my own CF card into thier demo camera... put the Nikkor 70-300mm on there and snapped off a few

Here is a sample at 300mm and 1600 ISO

All images and details (including full size images) at http://potofgrass.ath.cx/gallery/d70test

Many images were discarded due to camera shake (quite dim in the street outside teds in canberra...) these are the best ones...

Seemed to perform alright! Feel free to look at the images and post your thoughts... But remember these images are straight out of the camera! and this is the first time I have ever snapped off images on a DSLR (and only a handfull on a normail SLR!)

I'm Quite happy with it

[Killakoala]

Those pics look quite sharp. There doesn't seem too much 'softness' to see in my opinion. It looks like quite a nice lens (or you take good photos).

[Geoff]

What's he using? Nikon or Canon, and what bodies/lenses?[/quote]

Nikon - D2H and D100