Overall, the lens sharpness performance is pretty good, with a slightly worse performance at larger apertures when shooting at long ranges above 105mm.

As of October 2010, Nikon's 70-300mm VR isn't much more expensive, and is a far superior lens which focuses almost instantly, and offers almost instant manual focus override. Products correspond to one of the following cosmetic conditions: Excellent condition - no signs of cosmetic damage when held 30 centimeters away. You won't usually care, but the design of the 55-300 VR is such that air, and thus dirt, are pumped in and out all the time into both your lens and your camera. As with other DX format lenses, the smaller image circle makes it compatible only with APS-C-sized image sensors. Delivering sharp photos and video, VR II allows you to use shutter speeds that are up to 4 stops slower than would otherwise be possible.To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. It also has two lens elements made of Nikon's Extra-Low Dispersion Glass (ED) (which denotes the "ED" on the lens body) to remove any chromatic aberrations that occur. Leave your tripod at home and shoot with confidence, safe in the knowledge that the AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.

It is an ideal lens to be used for family events and vacations to capture distant subjects, and the use of Vibration Reduction (VR) technology makes it easier to get sharp photographs at slower shutter speeds, especially when shooting at 300mm. The number of tests depends on the individual product but we are confident in this product having tested all the major functions. This DX-format super-telephoto zoom lens covers the 55mm to 300mm range of focal lengths and is equipped with Nikon's latest vibration reduction mechanism, VR II, for simple and enjoyable super-telephoto photography. This value is achieved when: DX-format lenses are attached to a DX-format digital SLR camera and zoom lenses are set at the maximum telephoto position. If you want to shoot action, pay a little more for the larger and more expensive semi-professional FX 70-300mm VR instead.When shooting against other light sources in dim environments, I did not notice any considerable amount of ghosting/flare. Nikon’s exclusive second generation Vibration Reduction system (VR II) enables steady hand-held shooting at all focal lengths.

While autofocus motor speed (a lens characteristic) can affect whether or not moving object tracking is lost, the body's AF tracking is the overwhelming controlling factor. The lens uses Nikon's second-generation Vibration Reduction (VR II) technology for image stabilization (which denotes the "VR" on the lens body). After focus is achieved I found I would have to wait at least a second before the stabiliser had caught up with my movements, which means a slow and methodical approach will pay dividends when you are forced to rely on the stabiliser. 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 in-lens AF is super quiet compared with their old lens, and it gives their photography an extra edge.Just like the 55-200mm VR, it is designed to be used with the Nikon 18-55mm DX VR kit lens to provide expanded focal range for telephoto shots.