Nikon 70-300mm ED
- Thread starter cazarty
- Start date
Stangman98
Senior Member
I love it. When I need anything longer that my 70-200 won't handle I use that lens. Superior zoom lens.
I'm pretty sure there's not a DX version of this lens, well, I should say there's not a DX version in the Nikkor line, so I'm guessing there's a DX version of a 70-300mm in the third party sand box?
Beware. With a telephoto lens like the one you have, unless you are using a sturdy tripod, you have to select a shutter speed that is at least as fast as the focal length x1.5. I looked at you exif (file infos) and found that you were using a shutter speed of 1/160s with a focal length of 155mm. 155 x 1.5= 230 so you should have used a shutter speed faster than 1/230s. You could have achieved this by bumping your iso up to maybe 600 and your shot probably would have been a little sharper. I know it's tempting to challenge ourselves with slow shutter speeds thinking that VR will do it's magic, but when it comes to results, some rules bring better results. Nice goose/swan or ??? picture though. The poor thing looks like a prisonner.
thank you for your comment, i am still learning all of this and its good to have this pointed out to me. There is just so much to take in with photography. At the moment i just keep snapping and then get home and realise what i am doing wrong, still lots of fun. I will test this out again tomorrow and hopefully show some better results. rest assured the baby swan was safely behind bars in the enclosed lake, he had not been sent to jail for pecking anyone 
Stangman98
Senior Member
Even if it's not the VR version, it's still a good lens. I was shooting with a Tokina 100-300 MF with no VR. You don't have to have VR to have great photos.
I also have a copy of the old non-VR version of this lens and it served me very well when my son was in La Crosse. That lens and my trusty D70s captured some Sport Illustrated-worthy shots, if I do say so myself. Kids flying over each other and the ball frozen in mid-air, etc. On an FX (or 35mm) the edges at 300 are a bit soft and it does have a solid pincushion issue, but on a DX all that is minimal and for the going price these lenses fetch on the market, it's a solid purchase for someone w/o a longer zoom and doesn't want to spend $500 for the VRII version.
I was using the Nikon 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6 AF lens from around 1990 until recently. I inherited it some years ago.I was quite happy with it and just kept the shutter at around 1/300, although a I got good results much lower.
Unfortunately my wife got a 70-300vr and I soon started to realise she was getting a much better hit rate and the over IQ was just much better. Rather than double up on the 70-300, I convinced her I should get a 70-200vr along with a teleconvertor at some point. I have not got the teleconvertor yet.
I will probably keep the 75-300 as it was my dads. It's also good for knocking nails in as it is metal bodied.
Unfortunately my wife got a 70-300vr and I soon started to realise she was getting a much better hit rate and the over IQ was just much better. Rather than double up on the 70-300, I convinced her I should get a 70-200vr along with a teleconvertor at some point. I have not got the teleconvertor yet.
I will probably keep the 75-300 as it was my dads. It's also good for knocking nails in as it is metal bodied.
"With a telephoto lens like the one you have, unless you are using a sturdy tripod, you have to select a shutter speed that is at least as fast as the focal length x1.5. I looked at you exif (file infos) and found that you were using a shutter speed of 1/160s with a focal length of 155mm. 155 x 1.5= 230 so you should have used a shutter speed faster than 1/230s. You could have achieved this by bumping your iso up to maybe 600 and your shot probably would have been a little sharper. "If I am uing the 70-300 at 200 mm then I should be using 1/320s as shutter speed? Or.....since I have the D7000 should I figure my 1.5 x from 300 mm taking the adjusted focal length into play. Hopefully you know what I'm trying to figure out.....still just a new user trying to learn the nuances....thanks in advance.
If I use the 70-300 At 155 mm on a D7000 do I use the same equation or do I use 230 mm as a starting point since I read that the D7000 increases the focal length by 1.5x ? Thanks in advance....hope I am making some sense, still trying to figure out a LOT of things about my new camera.