Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR is a 5.5x telephoto
zoom lens designed to complement the 18-55mm kit zoom that comes bundled
with many cropped-sensor Nikon digital SLR cameras. Offering a 35mm
equivalent focal range of 82.5-450mm, the Nikon 55-300mm VR lens
features a built-in auto-focus motor, Vibration Reduction and an iris
diaphragm with nine rounded blades for a soft rendering of the
out-of-focus areas. The optical formula comprises 17 lens elements
arranged in 11 groups, including 2 ED glass elements and one
high-refractive-index element. The AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED
The Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens mounted on a Nikon D7000 body
Weighing in at approximately 580 grams, the AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm
f4.5-5.6G is fairly lightweight for a 5.5x telezoom lens, and as seen in
the photo above, complements the Nikon D7000 well. It may look a little
out of proportion on the smaller D5100 or D3100, though.
Alongside the D7000
Build quality is pretty decent for a consumer zoom. Most of the outer
parts are plastic – contributing the light weight of the lens –, but the
optical elements are made of high-grade glass. The zoom ring is wide
and ridged, and zoom creep is not an issue. On our test sample, the
zooming action was very smooth, but I've come across a few copies that
had somewhat stiffer zoom rings – this is something to watch out for
when shopping for this lens.
Zoomed out and zoomed in
Zooming is not internal – as you can see, the front extends considerably upon zooming to 300mm.
In terms of features, the Nikon AF-S Nikkor DX 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED
VR is a bit of a mixed bag. One one hand, it has Vibration Reduction on
board – hence the VR abbreviation in the product name –; on the other,
it isn't as sophisticated as on some other Nikon lenses. There's an
on-off switch on the lens barrel, but there's no choice between active
and normal modes. Likewise, the lens has a built-in auto-focus motor
that allows AF operation on every Nikon DX camera body, including
entry-level offerings like the D3100 or D5100, but – unlike with most
other AF-S lenses – focusing is not internal, and manual focusing is not
possible when the focus mode selector is set to the 'A' position, as
shown above. The lens has no distance scale and no focus limiter,
either.
Side of the lens
The AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm lens may have a lot of plastic parts, but the lens mount is, thankfully, made of metal.
Rear of lens, isometric view
The lens is not claimed to be weatherproof but there is a rubber seal
around the lens mount that should provide basic dust protection.
The 55-300mm VR Nikkor ships with a dedicated plastic hood (HB-57) and a soft case (CL-1020).
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR is a 5.5x telephoto
zoom lens designed to complement the 18-55mm kit zoom that comes bundled
with many cropped-sensor Nikon digital SLR cameras. Offering a 35mm
equivalent focal range of 82.5-450mm, the Nikon 55-300mm VR lens
features a built-in auto-focus motor, Vibration Reduction and an iris
diaphragm with nine rounded blades for a soft rendering of the
out-of-focus areas. The optical formula comprises 17 lens elements
arranged in 11 groups, including 2 ED glass elements and one
high-refractive-index element. The AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED
The Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens mounted on a Nikon D7000 body
Weighing in at approximately 580 grams, the AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm
f4.5-5.6G is fairly lightweight for a 5.5x telezoom lens, and as seen in
the photo above, complements the Nikon D7000 well. It may look a little
out of proportion on the smaller D5100 or D3100, though.
Alongside the D7000
Build quality is pretty decent for a consumer zoom. Most of the outer
parts are plastic – contributing the light weight of the lens –, but the
optical elements are made of high-grade glass. The zoom ring is wide
and ridged, and zoom creep is not an issue. On our test sample, the
zooming action was very smooth, but I've come across a few copies that
had somewhat stiffer zoom rings – this is something to watch out for
when shopping for this lens.
Zoomed out and zoomed in
Zooming is not internal – as you can see, the front extends considerably upon zooming to 300mm.
In terms of features, the Nikon AF-S Nikkor DX 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED
VR is a bit of a mixed bag. One one hand, it has Vibration Reduction on
board – hence the VR abbreviation in the product name –; on the other,
it isn't as sophisticated as on some other Nikon lenses. There's an
on-off switch on the lens barrel, but there's no choice between active
and normal modes. Likewise, the lens has a built-in auto-focus motor
that allows AF operation on every Nikon DX camera body, including
entry-level offerings like the D3100 or D5100, but – unlike with most
other AF-S lenses – focusing is not internal, and manual focusing is not
possible when the focus mode selector is set to the 'A' position, as
shown above. The lens has no distance scale and no focus limiter,
either.
Side of the lens
The AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm lens may have a lot of plastic parts, but the lens mount is, thankfully, made of metal.
Rear of lens, isometric view
The lens is not claimed to be weatherproof but there is a rubber seal
around the lens mount that should provide basic dust protection.
The 55-300mm VR Nikkor ships with a dedicated plastic hood (HB-57) and a soft case (CL-1020).
