Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras

I was on the fence about buying this lens or saving up a little more for the 70-300 Nikon lens for my D5100. I decided to go with this one as it was about $125 cheaper at the time (comparing refurbished models of both), and read that the main difference between the two was the faster AF mechanism in the 70-300, the fx compatibility, and the Manual/Auto switch of the 70-300 which allows manual focus without having to switch the autofocus off. The image quality of both seemed to be relatively equal according to many reviews, so I took the plunge. I was mostly concerned about the focus speed, but it was much better than I anticipated. The only time the focus took a long time was if it tried to focus in the 'wrong' direction and then had to move all the way back the other direction. This often happened in low light or if the lens was zoomed in all the way while trying to focus. This is easily fixable if you zoom out first, focus quickly, and then zoom in and focus again. Other than that, I didn't notice much difference in focusing speed than the 18-55 kit lens. I'm sure the 70-300 is faster, but for my needs this was acceptable. Don't expect fast AF-C focusing on fast moving subjects, though. The VR on this lens is fantastic. I'm glad I didn't go for one of the cheaper Tamron or Sigma zoom lenses that did not have any kind of vibration reduction. I never noticed how it worked with the kit lens, but when you are zoomed in at 300, it is clearly evident. If you are fully zoomed in without VR, you can try to keep the camera steady as possible, but it will still be shaky. With VR kicked in, pushing the shutter button halfway will magically steady your image in the viewfinder. It's similar to those FPS games that let you hold your breath when looking through a sniper rifle. I don't know how it works, but it's amazing, and lets you take sharp handheld shots zoomed all the way in. This lens is mainly for outdoor shooting with lots of light. Low light is difficult, but nothing a flash can't solve. However, using a flash will limit your max shutter speed to 1/200's of a second, and if you are zoomed all the way in handheld it is best to try to keep a shutter speed of 1/400 or faster. As a result, you'll have to be extra steady when using the flash if you are zoomed all the way in. All in all, I'm extremely satisfied with this lens. Pictures are extremely sharp at all zoom levels, Bokeh is great, and it's very easy to isolate your subject from the background. If faster AF is important to you and you don't mind the extra cost, go for the 70-300. If you are on a budget and want a good quality zoom lens, this is the perfect option.

This lens is awesome! I want to preface with saying I am a beginner so I do not know much about photography. But I do have eyes so I know the crispness is very good, especially for the price! I’ve had this Nikon D60 camera (it was a gift) since 2019, but never used it much. I got into birding this past year and really wanted to get better photos of the birds. Before, I was just taking photos with my iPhone through my binoculars. But I wanted something better. I love that the range is large and that it goes up all the way to 300 mm. Great for a novice/hobbyist such as myself. I feel like I am taking professional-looking photos despite not being very skilled. I added unedited photos to give an idea of what you might get out of this lens!

Got the lens from Amazon, and was a bit surprised how much bigger it was compared to the 55-200mm. The newer lens is about 3.5" diameter, and 6" in length, zoom retracted. The box itself was 9.5 x 4.5 x 5", or about the size of the 18-200mm VR's carton. That said, the 55-300mm has a nice, solid feel to it. Not plasticky at all. It feels 'right' in the hand, and weighs 'just right'(about 1 lb) so that it balances well with a small DX body, like the D40/D60/D3000. The switches click nicely and the zoom is nice and tight - initially sticky at the 300mm end, but got better with use and some elbow grease. The auto focus speed is about the same as the 55-200mm, and tends to hunt in low contrast and low light situations, but no biggie. I just switch to 'M' and look at the camera's green dot focus indicator. The extra 100mm comes in handy for those Graduation Ceremony snaps coming from the bleachers kind of situation. On a DX camera, 300mm translates to a whopping 450mm in FX terms, so that's pretty much out-there. The big plus, is that you can zoom back to a normal 55mm without needing to change lenses. Cool if you want to swing back and shoot the crowd reaction or something a little over arms length (it won't focus any closer than an arms-length, though). So in the graduation scenario, you can zoom down to 55mm, and hand the camera over to a hapless bystander to take your mug with the graduate. Is it sharp? I don't have test targets or scientific proof, but it's certainly sharper than my older AF-D consumer zooms from 15 years ago (24-50mm AF-D)using the eyeball method. It's not as tack sharp as an 80-200mm/70-200mm f/2.8 - but it's nowhere near the weight & price of these two either. If you're miffed about the f/5.6 widest opening, consider using it with the newer DX cameras (especially the upcoming D7000) where you can crank up the ISO to ridiculous, and still keep the noise at bay. Or a really strong Speedlight. Overall, a pretty good package for a reasonable price. If you're clear on what you want to do with it and know it's limitations - it won't disappoint.

ottimo rapporto qualità/prezzo (qui su amazon... nei negozi a 400 euro è un pò caruccia...) ovviamente è valida solo per il formato dx.. non è particolarmente luminosa (da non usare di notte) ma fa il suo sporco lavoro e con la luce lo fa anche bene... stabilizzatore molto buono (ho fatto foto sportive in uno stadio di calcio e, limitando un pò le vibrazioni della mano, ho fatto foto molto ferme anche con tempi non eccezionalmente corti a 300mm... se vi trema la mano però il vr non può più di tanto...) è un'ottica pesantuccia e ingombrante, non è da portare in giro per fare le foto della domenica o di un viaggetto spensierato fastidioso è che quando lo spegnete rimane la lente del focus un pò aperta (per chiuderla dovete mettere in manuale e richiuderla... ad oggi non credo ci siano altre soluzioni)... capita praticamente sempre per queste piccole scomodità, oltre al 35mm 1.8 che ho già, penso che le affiancherò il tamron 18-200 per fare le foto "spensierate" di situazioni normali, utilizzando questo 55-300 per le foto più ragionate (e nelle quali mi porterei appresso tutta l'attrezzatura, treppiedi compreso)

Unexpectedly new lens with nice pictures

Buen tele zoom para aficionados con magnifica relación calidad-precio. Opticamente cumple bien dentro de su gama. Precio muy bueno. El estabilizador funciona perfectamente y te permite disparar a pulso con velocidades bajas. No es un objetivo para profesionales pero resulta ideal para aficionados. Opino que es una buena compra por su precio.

Ordered this at a great price well below others on Amazon and so was expecting the price to reflect the condition. But received the lens and genuinely thought i had received a brand new one. Excellent quality, no dust under the glass, no cosmetic marks or damage and came with cleaning pack, cap and lens pouch. Tested yesterday and everything seems to work as it should. Very happy customer, thank you.

what else can I say, despite the low price, it is pure Nikon Optics, very sharp, the VR works superbly, and when put on a high end Nikon DX camera they work EXTREMELY well together. This is NOT a professional lens but for the price it is incredible, you would have to go well over $1000 to beat it(on a DX). great for animal and bird photography under normal lighting conditions, and you won't cry all night if you fall out of a canoe while shooting.......