Nikon AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 ED VR

PB_PM

As expect a long awaited replacement for the old AF-S 70-300mm VR. New optics, newer VR, and hopefuly faster AF. We'll just have to wait and see what the price is.

https://nikonrumors.com/2017/07/11/nikon-af-p-nikkor-70-300mm-f4-5-5-6-ed-vr-lens-officially-announced.aspx/#more-113628

heartyfisher

looking good

BVS

Hopefully this will finally be the lens that solves the 300mm riddle/conundrum - good sharp images at 300mm, portable, and doesn't cost and arm and a leg.

Size/weight looks good.
Price looks good.
MTF looks good.

Here's hoping!

DaveyJ

Hopefully really good at 300mm!

PB_PM

$1029 (Cdn), $749 (USD), (cannot find UK/Europe prices at this time).

US price looks ok. The old version has a list price of $499 (USD), so they increased the list price $260. Not too bad, as long as the optics are better.

For Cdn, it's a $340 increase (list price for the AF-S was $689). Retailers seem to be listing at a more reasonable $999. At that kind of list price, or even sale price, it's just way too much for what it is. I'll be skipping it for sure, and likely get the 200-500mm VR.

BVS

PB_PM said:

$1029 (Cdn), $749 (USD), (cannot find UK/Europe prices at this time).

US price is $696.95, unless you're including tax or something.

heartyfisher

DaveyJ said:

Hopefully really good at 300mm!

Seems a really nice lense.. the only issue i have with it is at 300 the bokeh is a bit weak.. but if thats all.. it may be replacing my 70-200 F4 !!! :-) maybe ... LOL

I may have both :-)

will be waiting for the reviews

PB_PM

BVS said:

PB_PM said:

$1029 (Cdn), $749 (USD), (cannot find UK/Europe prices at this time).

US price is $696.95, unless you're including tax or something.

I took those number directly from Nikon Canada and USA's websites, thus I posted MSRP. What retailers list it for, I cannot be bothered to hunt them all down.

spraynpray

heartyfisher said:

DaveyJ said:

Hopefully really good at 300mm!

Seems a really nice lense.. the only issue i have with it is at 300 the bokeh is a bit weak.. but if thats all.. it may be replacing my 70-200 F4 !!! :-) maybe ... LOL

I may have both :-)

will be waiting for the reviews

Think carefully hearty. You know what a peach the 70-200 f4 is.

heartyfisher

spraynpray said:

heartyfisher said:

DaveyJ said:

Hopefully really good at 300mm!

Seems a really nice lense.. the only issue i have with it is at 300 the bokeh is a bit weak.. but if thats all.. it may be replacing my 70-200 F4 !!! :-) maybe ... LOL

I may have both :-)

will be waiting for the reviews

Think carefully hearty. You know what a peach the 70-200 f4 is.

its a beaut...

pictureted

The better VR and close minimum focus are attractive, if the optics excel, this could be worth buying at this price. It's a good focal length for both FX and DX, 70-200 feels limited by comparison.

BabaGanoush

I have been waiting quite a while for an update to the older version 70-300mm FX lens that I own. The Nikon web page notes the new lens is not fully compatible with the D7200. So far, however, I haven't been able to figure out what the specific technical issue is and how it limits the performance of the lens on the D7200. If, as I am guessing, the compatibility problem mainly affects the use of trap focus, then I'm not especially worried about that.

spraynpray

pictureted said:

70-200 feels limited by comparison.

I can see that, but if you are used to an 18-300, so would the 70-300. If you want limitied, try the 11-16 Tokina or the 24-35 f2 Sigma. The 70-200 is great after them!

KnockKnock

BabaGanoush said:

I have been waiting quite a while for an update to the older version 70-300mm FX lens that I own. The Nikon web page notes the new lens is not fully compatible with the D7200. So far, however, I haven't been able to figure out what the specific technical issue is and how it limits the performance of the lens on the D7200. If, as I am guessing, the compatibility problem mainly affects the use of trap focus, then I'm not especially worried about that.

From what Ken Rockwell researched, it looks like a minimal issue. Upon power cycle the lens will return to infinite focus point.

heartyfisher

Nice comparison of the old FX afs vs the new FX afp lense on the main blog...

the new lense MTF looks really good !! however, the MTF of the 70-200 f4 is still better.. :-) I am still considering the 70-300 FX afp cos its cheaper, smaller, lighter, more reach than the 70-200 f4. but I already have the F4 + tc17... probably not worth switching....

cant wait for the serious reviewers !! curious about the actual results ...
1) the charts show possible weak bokeh at the tele end.
2) the lense formula may indicate weak CA at the edges.
3) the charts may indicate weak coma.

spraynpray

@heartyfisher: I tried some insect shots with my 70-200 F4 the other day with a +4 diopter close-up lens on it because I couldn't get close enough with the 60mm and was horrified with the poor quality of the images. I know you have a close-up attachment thingie that I like the look of, does it produce sharp images on your 70-200 f4?

heartyfisher

Not as sharp as a dedicated macro of course.. but its nice ...

standard closeup filters are really a waste of time... Mine is a 3 element one which corrects for CA and distortion.

There are a few new multi-element closeup filters out there but i have not tried them cos i have been happy with mine.

Nikon used to make them the 3T 4T 5T filters i think thats what they were called, you may be able to find them secondhand.
Canon also makes them I think its called the D500 (LOL !!) or was it the 500D :-)
Most are 2 element.. ( Mine is 3 element so must be better ;-) )

70-200f4 with raynox dcr250


PS found some nice links

http://extreme-macro.co.uk/extreme-macro-closeup-lenses/
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11532

spraynpray

That's what I'm talking about hearty - thanks. Raynox DCR250.

DaveyJ

Recently I took about 24 Ruby Throated Hummingbird photos with the D7100 and the 70-300 AF-P DX VR, everyone was in sharp focus! As good as any 70-300 lens photos for sharpness and clarity I have seen. The new lens is way better than I thought! As I am using strictly DX Nikon's now, the newly announced FX AF-P 70-300 won't be one I buy unless I get a D850 in the future. These hummingbirds are fast. Based on what I have seen though the new FX Nikkor 70-300 would be one of my first FX lens!

NSXTypeR

Bump, I don't know where the other thread is, but I just bought this lens from Best Buy.

$600 is pretty low for the price, with gift cards from rewards points it drops to $190.

Should ship to my house by the end of December or so. I'm not rushing the shipping to avoid the Christmas rush of packages even though 2 day shipping was free.

mhedges

Enjoy! It's an excellent lens. Very sharp, great color, and super fast AF.

ggbutcher

My bird-on-a-mission picture in this month's Photo a Day was shot with the Z 6 and AF-P 70-300mm. It works really well with the Z 6 IBIS...

mhedges

Yep. I expect I will replace it with the 100-400 when it comes out but for the $$ you can't beat the 70-300 (the FX version, I wasn't impressed with the DX version).

ggbutcher

My son just got the DX version, part of the D5600 two-lens kit. It's really small...

mhedges

Hmm. We are kind of getting into the weeds here but honestly I did not think the DX lens was all that small. Its almost as long as the FX but it does have a smaller diameter.

If you want a small DX tele zoom get the latest 55-200 VRII. Only drawback is the AF is kinda slow but it is very sharp and ridiculously compact when collapsed. And pretty darn cheap last I checked.

ggbutcher

The kid's leaving for Antarctica in a little more than a week for 10 months with no prospect of getting mail, so he's stuck with what he's got. He's just starting anyway; I anticipate a slew of emailed questions shortly after he gets there...