Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Nikon Dx’

Nikon 70 300mm f 4 5 5 6G ED IF AF S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

High-power 4.3x Telephoto Zoom-Nikkor lens (Approximates the picture angle performance of a 105-450mm lens on 35mm SLR) / Uses 67mm Filters Non-Rotating front element provides for convenient use of circular polarizing filters and the Nikon Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System A Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables fast and quiet autofocusing, along with quick switching between autofocus and manual operation (M/A and M) A nine-blade rounded diaphragm opening, out-of-focus elements appear more natural Accepts 67mm filter attachment size Focal length – 70-300mm (Approximates the picture angle performance of a 105-450mm 35mm SLR) Maximum aperture – f/4.5-5.6 Lens construction – 17 elements in 12 groups (with 2 ED glass elements) Picture angle – 34 degrees 20 feet- 8 degrees 10 feet (22 degrees 50 feet – 5 degrees 20 feet with Nikon DX format digital SLR cameras) Focal length – scale 70, 100, 135, 200, 300mm Unit Dimensions – (approx.) 3.1 x 5.6 in. (80 x 143.5mm); Weight – (approx.) 26.3 oz (745g) Included accessories – LC-67 67mm snap-on front lens cap, LF-1 rear lens cap, HB-36 bayonet hood, CL-1022 flexible lens pouch

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Fantastic with Nikon D40
After owning a Nikon D40 with a 55-200mm lens, a larger lens was the next step.

This lens is much larger and heavier than the 55-200mm Nikkor. I had read the

reviews on the lens and was aware of the near 300mm difficulties. By compensating

for these issues the lens can be a remarkable instrument. Once in focus,

photos taken at 300mm can show excellent resolution and color. I’ve found best

results with the autofocus when the focus is close to the optimum setting before using

autofocus. The magnification is astounding, as much as I would want. The vibration

reduction is very effective. A tripod hasn’t been needed for daylight photos. When carrying

the pair, I cradle the lens instead of holding by the camera. The lens was a demo from

Cameta Camera for $379 with free shipping. It was indistinguishable from new and has

given no problems. A great bargain for its capability. Always get a UV filter!

It’s cheap insurance.

4 Stars Good compromise between performances, weight and costs
I had to do a long travel and I didn’t want to bring my Nikkor 80-200 AF-s 2.8 because of too heavy and too big size.

From Italy I ordered the 70-300 AF-s VR, asking the delivery to the hotel where I stayed in San Francisco. Perfect delivery and delivery time, so I have been able to enjoy the object.

Light tool, with good performances, above all if compared to his big brother 80-200 AF-s 2.8

The stabilizer, combined to the high Iso of my Nikon D700, helped me in a lot of critical situations so I have been able to catch good pictures.

5 Stars Glad I went for the 300
This is for my new D700. I will spare the technical jargon. Was thinking of the 70-200 f/2.8 but that thing is very huge and heavy. This seems like the perfect lens for the beach. Went there for a couple of hours with the dog and snapped about 200 pictures. Even though this is the first day using it, the 300mm really came in handy. I took many shots at 300mm and they came out great! It’s plastic but still feels substantial in your hand. Quality feels better that I expected. Focus is almost instant. I was concerned about the max 4.5 aperture but had no problems, had to turn down the ISO down to 400 as I had the aperture wide open most of the shots. I made full use of the 70-300 range as the dogs come and go very quickly. Took some pics of a friends dogs as well and they are tiny dogs. At 300mm I was able to get some good distance from the small dog, get an interesting perspective and background, shallow depth of field and sharp focus and filling the frame. Also got some good pics at 70mm for close ups. Point is that the 70-300 seems the perfect range when your going for casual wildlife photos.

This lens fits perfect in the Tamrac MX5378 lens case as long as you don’t have the hood on the lens. I shot many pictures into the sun had no flare at all. I guess the coatings really work so I don’t think I will carry the lens hood as I like to travel light. On the other hand…I just tried putting the lens in the case with the lens hood attached (reversed) and it still fits but is tight. Tamrac recommends the Pro100 lens case for this lens and that will be better if you like a loose fit. Problem is those cases are a lot larger and if you are using the Tamrac modular belt, then smaller is better I think.

My opinion, if you have an FX format camera you can’t go wrong with this lens. My three lenses I will most often use are:

70-300 (this lens) Hiking, beach, etc.

24-70 f/2.8 Walk around, candid, indoors without flash.

50 f/1.4G Indoors low light with no flash.

5 Stars Great lens; Great price.
Some of the reviews I’ve read about this lens say it doesn’t autofocus well, but I have not found that is a problem at all. This lens has worked great for me so far. The vibration reduction is definitely worth it. On my 18-105mm I couldn’t see the difference, but on this lens the difference is very obvious. It is definitely worth the extra money.

5 Stars Pro quality for bargain price…
This lens is tack sharp on my D90 all the way out to the corners at all aperature settings and focal lengths. On the D700 it’s a little soft zoomed all the way out to 300mm and @ f/5.6 but stop it down one stop and sharp all the way out to the corners. This lens isn’t meant to be a low light lens anyway so stopping it down shouldn’t be a problem. For the price this is one incredible lens. If you want pro performance and sharpness in low light situations pay the big bucks and get either the (now old) 70-200 f/2.8 or wait a couple months and get the brand new 70-200 f/2.8 with VRII. I will tell you in decent light or tripod situations this lens is just as sharp as the 70-200 f/2.8 (stopped down one stop from wide open) on my D700 and just as sharp at all aperatures on my D90. Pro quality for a bargain price for sure!

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Nikon 35mm f 1 8G AF S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

At 35mm focal length, this Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G DSLR Lens might be defined as a wide-angle lens. But, when placed on a Nikon DX-compatible lens mount on a Nikon DSLR camera, it delivers a normal perspective. This is an all-around lens for your Nikon digital SLR camera. Rounded 7-blade diaphragm Fast f/1.8 prime NIKKOR lens – Perfect for low-light conditions, travel, environmental portrait and general photography Accepts optional screw-on 52mm filters Includes HB-46 Bayonet Lens Hood; LC-52 Snap-On Front Lens Cap; LF-1 Rear Lens Cap; CL-0913 Soft Case

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Fill a big hole for D40/40x/60/3000/5000 users
I want to say thank you very much, Amazon team. Your service is so fast. Ordered the lens on Sept 16, delivered on Sept. 18!

For this lens:

Pros:

1) Sharp at wide open, very useful for indoor shooting.

2) Colorful and hight contrast image.

3) Focus fast (not that fast, but enough for me).

4) Light and convenient setup with Nikon entry level DSLRs.

5) Many reviews mentioned purple fringe, but I do not see much. It may depend on what you are shooting.

6) Fill a big hole for AF-S prime lens selection for Nikon D40/40x/60/3000/5000

Cons:

1) A little front focus at wide open on my D60. It is also mentioned by other reviews.

2) The focus ring is a little wiggling which makes me a little nervous about the building quality.

3) I feel the image color is over saturated, like a fake one. But many people like it. I have to set Saturation -1 on my D60.

4) High constrast sometimes make details in shadow lost

I like the image from my 50mm f1.8D more, though I have to manual focus. Finally I decided to return it. Thank Amazon again. Return is so easy with free UPS shipping.

I would like to recommend it to Nikon entry level users, especially those who take more indoor photos (like baby, restaurant food, performance …) where speedlight is not allowed or not suitable.

5 Stars Great lens to compliment my new D3000
I bought a new D3000 with the 18-55mm lens, but my photos were coming out dark or the camera was selecting a high ISO (with lots of noise) or a slow shutter speed (with lots of blur). This lens was the easy answer. At a 1.8, it lets in tons of light so I can shoot indoors without flash at 400 ISO and a reasonable shutter speed. The lack of a zoom really doesn’t effect anything because the camera’s image sensor is detailed enough that I can always zoom and crop on the computer without losing any quality.

The quality of the lens is A+ in my book, although I am a novice. It comes with a hood, a case and real front/back caps.

When I was a photography student back in the film days, we always started with a 50mm lens. On a digital camera, that translates to a 35mm lens.

If you only own one lens in addition to the 18-55 one that came on your camera, this is the one you should own. The f/1.8 makes all the difference in the world.

4 Stars jersey boy
just got this lens a few weeks ago mainly to get sharp pictures of my grand-children and of scenery.So far I can tell this is a very sharp lens and is very light weight and has a fast focus.This was the only reason I bought this lens and so far it is doing the job I wanted.Hopefully it will come in useful for other pictures.I have aNikon d80 camera.

5 Stars Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
I’ve had this lens for a couple of months and would highly recommend this for anyone looking for a general purpose prime lens.

5 Stars Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
Easy to use, light, good for both in door & out door. consider SB-400 for even better quality for indoor.

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Nikon 10 24mm f 3 5 4 5G ED AF S DX Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Accepts 77mm Filters / 35mm Equivalent 15 to 36mm / 2.4x ultra wide-angle zoom / Ideal for landscapes, cityscapes, interiors, architecture and more Close focusing to 0.8 feet for creative perspectives and shooting versatility M/A focus mode switch – Enables quick response to changing situations between manual and autofocus operation Internal Focus (IF) Design allows faster, smoother autofocusing and eliminates changes in lens barrel length for consistent handling Rounded 7-blade diaphragm renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image elements Accepts 77mm filters Comes with HB-23 Hood, CL-1118 Soft Lens Case, 77mm lens cap, rear cap For Nikon DX or FX type cameras / DX DSLR optimized

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars GREAT Lens
I did my research on this lens from the day it was in talk of coming out. When it came out, daily I would look for reviews because I was planning to get the 12-24mm f/4. Manjority of the reviews were my amatuers or hobbyist (spell check).

In summary, they didnt know how to use a wide lens (that is the many problem for anyone that can’t use anything from 8mm-35mm). Other say the construction of the lens differ. Well that is true but for people that take care of their lens and not looking to drop it, you would be fine but still that reeason this dumb.

Here is my professional summary from a professional photographer. I brought this lens to complete my “all purpose travel kit”…lol. I have the 10-24, 24-70, and 70-300. What else do you need. besides for Nikon to come out with a lens that shoot 10-24 at 2.8 and lower.

For now with that, you can just invest in the 12-24mm f/2.8 if you can. I dont have that lens yet but soon I will but I dont really need it now with this 10-24.

People would say “what about low light?” I would say use a flash. Others would say “what about situations in which you can’t use a flash?” I would say use primes because with primes you can get f 2.8 to 1.4 autofocus and the results are great. I have a few primes and I am not selling them.

Anyways, 10-24mm….great investment. I shoot models with it, landscape, and soon other things. Great investment and it’s SHARP.

In final, If you know how to use a wide angle…..using this super wide lens will be a walk in the park. If you don’t, learn or ask a real professional the main reasons for wide etc.

5 Stars Pay the extra $ and get the Nikon over the Tokina
Why would I sacrifice the quality, accuracy and reliability and get an off brand? If you plan on keeping your camera for several years stay with Nikon. This is a great lens and the Tokina won’t be as sharp, reliable or accurate. My philosophy is to get the best I can and after some bad experiences with non Nikon brands I am just going to try my best to stick with Nikon since I have a Nikon camera. It will pay for itself after a year or two.

5 Stars This one is the best.
I read everything I could about wide zooms FX and DX. For DX, this one is the best. I bought it for a photo safari to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada, and another to Big Bend National Park.

The Tokina may be a good lens, but the zoom range is very limited. At 11mm by 16mm the Nikon is at least as good plus you still have range to use. That makes the Nikkor a no brainer.

10mm (15mm equivalent) is very, very wide.

Yahooooo!

5 Stars Sharp wide angle
I find the lense very usable. It’s a very fun lense at the 10mm length.

5 Stars Good WA range, nice weight, sharp
My husband purchased this lens from Amazon because of good service I received in the past. It is available from other online sources for slightly less. He reports that the lens arrived a day earlier than expected (thank you) and has been used for interior and exterior shots. On a d90, the built-in flash works from about 19 to 24 mm without lens shading. It focuses fast, balances well with the d90, and the pictures are sharp and have good contrast. At the 10 mm end, it gives great angle of view, with expected barrel distortion. Got sharper stopped down to f8. Distortion fades up to 15 mm and from there to 24 mm, it is a sharp lens for family and outdoor shots. This will be his main d90 lens. He was considering the Nikkor 12-24, but wanted the extra WA, considered the Tokina 11-16, but again wanted the extra WA and had concerns about availability and QC issues. Wishes there was more technical test data, but he needed a good WA lens now for upcoming vacations and is happy with this choice. Says Nikon has never failed him and Amazon was solid.

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Nikon SB 400 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

The SB-400 gives photographers the opportunity to enjoy brighter and more natural lighting for images taken using a flash. It is designed to suit entry-level digital SLR users while also suitable for more experienced users. Those who have a camera within the D2 series will also benefit from the convenient portable flash unit. The SB-400 offers a guide number of 30 (ISO 200, m), and effortless bounce flash function and is controlled in i-TTL and the D40’s M (manual) mode. Flash shooting distance range from 2 and up to 66 feet Electronic construction – Automatic Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and series circuitry Guide number – (at 18mm zoom-head position, 20 degrees C/68 degrees F) 30m per 98.4 feet Angle of coverage – Light distribution covers an 18mm lens when mounted on a Nikon DX format digital SLR camera (27mm lens when mounted on an F6 35mm SLR) Flash shooting distance range – 2 to 66 feet (Varies depending on the ISO sensitivity, zoom-head position, and lens aperture in use) Flash mode – i-TTL, M (manual with the D40 only) Flash exposure control set on the camera – Slow-sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction in slow sync, rear-curtain sync flash, FV lock flash, manual flash (with Nikon Creative Lighting System digital and 35mm SLR cameras) Bounce capability – Flash head tilts up to 90 degrees with click-stops at 0, 60, 75, 90 degrees Power Source – Two AA batteries (1.5V or lower) Flashes/Recycling time at full output – Alkaline-manganese (1.5V) 140/3.9 sec, Lithium (1.5V) 250/4.2 sec, Oxyride (1.5V) 150/3.1 sec, Ni-MH rechargeable (1.5V, 2600 mAh) 210/2.5 sec Lights up when the SB-400 is recharged and ready to fire. Blinks to indicate insufficient light, insufficient battery power and incompatibility of camera with SB-400 Flash duration – Approximately 1/1300th second at full output Mounting foot lever lock – Provides secure attachment to the camera accessory

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Flash
I dont think it is much stronger than the original flash on my camera but I am sure it helps. I still have some low light problems. It makes it easier to do rapid shots though.

5 Stars Excellent For Its Size
I’ve always avoided using a flash on my digital cameras because the built-in flashes were so tiny that they were virtually useless and the shoe-mounted flashes were heavy and bulky to pack around. I was always uncomfortable mounting them on my camera’s hot shoe because I felt as if they put a lot of strain on the shoe. I recently bought a Nikon D90 and wanted to take indoor photos of my grandkids. I looked around and found the Nikon SB-400. I was hesitant to buy it because it was spendy and I didn’t know if I’d use it enough. I’m glad that I did and am finding that I now use a flash quite frequently.

This unit is small and streamlined and it doesn’t feel as if it’s going to rip the hot shoe off the camera. It has an amazing amount of power for such a small unit and battery life is excellent. It’s extremely easy to use with the D90 – take it out of its pouch, mount it, and turn it on. The D90’s TTL metering system does the rest. If you want to modify the output of the flash just use the D90’s built-in flash exposure compensation adjustment.

I also purchased the Flip-it! 400 bounce card produced by Demb Flash Products. This small and compact bounce card is designed to work well with the SB-400. It mounts and can be removed easily with an elastic strap that has a Velcro tab. It looks very small but it works great.

3 Stars Limited flash capabilities.
I own the SB-400 and SB-600 and used them frequently for my D80 for 3 years now. Both have performed very well and have not failed. Using rechargeable AA batteries saves me a lot of money. The CONS that I do not like about the SB400 are:

- It displays a shadow when using a longer lens. I purchased a Tonika 12-24mm lens with my D80 and I have to tilt the flash upwards in order to eliminate the shadow that it creates from the barrel when using a direct flash. Using the SB600 or better eliminates this issue.

- When using indoors such as your living room, it may not provide the best illumination. It can only cover smaller space or closer range and you will have to adjust your camera settings to get a better lighting.

Buy this flash if money and weight are an issue. It works well if you are using a prime lens such as the Nikon 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, or 50mm; My recommendation is to get the SB600 instead for better range and illumination. Get the SB800 or 900 for better flash photography or if you intend to use multiple flashes as a remote flash commander when taking creative photography indoors. You will be much happier if you get any of the full flash from Nikon.

5 Stars Perfect flash for Nikon DSLR
Even though this is a smaller flash, the pictures taken with it are great. I have the Nikon SB600, a larger flash. For most situation the result from this flash and the SB600 is the same. This flash is lighter and more portable so I will be using this more often then the SB600. This flash is so light that I leave the flash on the camera. So I get great pictures more often with this smaller unit than the bigger SB600. I learned that a flash that you can use more often is more important than the size/power of the flash. The best thing about this flash is the bounce feature. You can use flip the flash head 60 to 90 degree. This give you a nice picture with natural light instead of the bright flash. This feature is going to make your picture much nicer than without an external flash. You can never get this kind of picture with the built in flash.

5 Stars Just what I needed for my camera system!
Before I got this flash I hesitated to take pictures at night, especially on social occasions. Now I have all the flash power I need with my little camera (Nikon p5100) and night pictures come out sharp and well exposed. Now I can also use my wide angle lens for night pictures, as this flash does not cast a shadow like the built in flash does. What’s more this flash is light and a perfect complement to the p5100.

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Nikon 18 200mm f 3 5 5 6G AF S ED VR II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DX Format Digital SLR Cameras

The 11x AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II boasts a picture angle equivalent to a 27-300mm lens in the 35mm format, and offers VR II image stabilization, giving photographers the ability to shoot in challenging conditions at as many as 4 shutter speeds slower than would normally be necessary for striking image sharpness. Also new to its design is a zoom lock, allowing users to apply specific resistance to the zoom mechanism to avoid unwanted changes in focal length. The tremendously versatile AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II is an ideal, high-performance one-lens solution. Rounded 9-blade diaphragm Takes 72mm filters

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars The only lens you need
I owned the original 18-200 VR lens and adored it. It was the only lens I ever really needed to take with me on my photo shoots and personal travel. My only real issue with the lens related to lens-creep. As an active person who is accustom to slinging the camera around my neck and taking off – the original model lens would extend itself (a minor annoyance). The 18-200 VR II has a cam lock to prevent such.

This is a phenomenal lens that takes great photographs throughout the zoom range and it has VR so there’s no need for a tripod – just buy it and never worry about carrying around 2 or 3 lenses.

Check out Ken Rockwell’s review – he knows his stuff and has been reviewing equipment for years! Help support his site too! You’ll have to google his namd as Amazon seems to remove the link when I attach it.

4 Stars A very good lens at a reasonable price
I believe it was Thom Hogan who described this lens as not perfect but really good at everything. That’s the review in a nutshell.

This is what I would term a prosumer lens. It certainly is not cheap yet it does not have the build quality of Nikon’s top-of-the-line. The barrel, for example, is plastic rather than metal. I fear that a drop would be catastrophic and even a hard bang on the edge of a table might do serious damage if the lens was fully extended. On the other hand, this lens is a lot less expensive than those in the Nikon pro line. In addition, the lens is much lighter and easier to carry than it would be were it made entirely of metal.

It is my understanding that the only meaningful difference between this lens (the VR II) and its immediate predecessor is the addition of a cam lock to prevent lens creep. My own sample doesn’t creep at all, even with the cam unlocked but apparently that has been a significant irritant for a number of buyers.

The use of “VR II” in the name is potentially misleading because it may lead shoppers to believe that the VR system has been improved over the original model. This is not the case. Both the original 18-200 and the new version contain Nikon’s second generation VR system. Some have suggested that Nikon’s marketing is a bit shady on this point while others counter that the “II” simply designates a new model.

Sharpness is less than absolute across the entire range but more than adequate for anything that an amateur, or even most professionals, is likely to need. There is mild to moderate distortion, more marked at the focal length extremes but scarcely visible in the vast majority of images and readily correctable in Photoshop, DxO, or other post-processing software. Contrast is crisp and I find the lens surprisingly free of flaring and ghosting.

No one should buy this lens thinking that it will make him/her a better photographer. Good photography is in the mind and the eye, not in camera. What the 18-200 will do, though, is provide a one-lens solution to the great majority of focal length needs, minimizing the need to tote a hefty bag full of lenses. It happens that, as a long time Nikon user, I have such a bag. Despite all the choices at my disposal, my 18-200 probably stays on my camera 85-90% of the time.

Folks who are obsessed with numbers, charts, and MTF curves will probably fret over the 18-200, taking delight in pointing out every little defect. For the rest of us, the only significant downside that I see is that the lens is not ideally suited for extended service in rough environments or adverse weather situations. Since most of us seldom shoot in such circumstances, this should not be much of a problem.

I heartily recommend the Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G AF-S ED VR II (whew! what a mouthful) to any advanced amateur or professional seeking a highly usable wide range zoom.

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