About this item 5.5x Telephoto Zoom lens,Filter Thread: 58 mm Nikon VR Image Stabilization; Tripod Detection Mode, Focal Length Range : 55 -300 mm, Minimum Focus Distance : 4.6 ft.( 1.4 m) HRI (High Refractive Index) Lens Element 2 Extra-low Dispersion (ED) Elements.Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) Lens Cap:Snap-on
Product Dimensions 4.84 x 3.03 x 3.03 inches Item Weight 1.28 pounds ASIN B003ZSHNCC Item model number 2197 National Stock Number 6760-01-595-0589 Batteries 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars Best Sellers Rank #64 in
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer No Date First Available August 17, 2010 Manufacturer Nikon
Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please [PDF ]
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Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras
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Product Dimensions 4.84 x 3.03 x 3.03 inches
Item Weight 1.28 pounds
ASIN B003ZSHNCC
Item model number 2197
National Stock Number 6760-01-595-0589
Batteries 1 Lithium Ion batteries required.
Customer Reviews /* * Fix for UDP-1061. Average customer reviews has a small extra line on hover * https://omni-grok.amazon.com/xref/src/appgroup/websiteTemplates/retail/SoftlinesDetailPageAssets/udp-intl-lock/src/legacy.css?indexName=WebsiteTemplates#40 */ .noUnderline a:hover { text-decoration: none; } .cm-cr-review-stars-spacing-big { margin-top: 1px; } 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 5,360 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); }); 4.6 out of 5 stars
Best Sellers Rank #64 in SLR Camera Lenses
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer No
Date First Available August 17, 2010
Manufacturer Nikon
About this item 5.5x Telephoto Zoom lens,Filter Thread: 58 mm Nikon VR Image Stabilization; Tripod Detection Mode, Focal Length Range : 55 -300 mm, Minimum Focus Distance : 4.6 ft.( 1.4 m) HRI (High Refractive Index) Lens Element 2 Extra-low Dispersion (ED) Elements.Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) Lens Cap:Snap-on
Nikon 55-300mm VR.
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| Product Dimensions | 4.84 x 3.03 x 3.03 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 1.28 pounds |
| ASIN | B003ZSHNCC |
| Item model number | 2197 |
| National Stock Number | 6760-01-595-0589 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Customer Reviews | /* .cm-cr-review-stars-spacing-big { 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 5,360 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when('A', 'cf').execute(function(A) { 4.6 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #64 in SLR Camera Lenses |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | August 17, 2010 |
| Manufacturer | Nikon |
Carlton Larsen –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great value
Works well for a starter zoom. It’s not insanely fast or spectacularly sharp but for the price it’s excellent. I’m amazed how well the vibration reduction works.
One person found this helpful
Heaven Bound –
5.0 out of 5 stars
It was shipped very quickly and I’m so happy with the purchase as it came in the original …
Today I received my Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor Lens! It was shipped very quickly and I’m so happy with the purchase as it came in the original box I got through the used-new section. It looks brand new and came with the 5 year warranty it is a heavier than plastic model it is metal and very compact too it came with the original lens covers and the hood plus a 52mm uv lens cover said made in Germany, so I’m very please with that the only thing is it did not come with lens string and a bag for the lens but hey for the money THIS IS WELL WORTH IT!I will review more later after I am able to put it to use and take some shots, but the main thing here is really research what you are looking for because in the used section you can always find a diamond in the ruff and affordable! I’m very thankful I found this lens which has great reviews at this affordable price of 217.00! Until then enjoy and check back in a couple of weeks when I can add pictures and an updated review!
D. ThayerD. Thayer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very nice
I’ve only been using this lens for about 10 days, however I’ve been using Nikon cameras and lens for over 45 years.The pictures are sharp and crisp. The auto-focus is smooth and nearly silent although at times it does seem hunt around a bit. The VR mode is really great if your forced to hand hold the camera and it works beautifully.Two things bother me a little. The manual focus ring too narrow and located at the very front of the lens, this makes things a little difficult when focusing in quirky situations very low light conditions The second thing is the snap on lens hood that requires you to depress two buttons on the side of the hood. These buttons blend in so well with the hood that you can’t see or find them if say your standing in the shade. I think a couple of stick-on dots or maybe a little finger nail polish will do the trick. The attached “test shot” was take at f11 @ 1/250 @ 240mm on a sturdy tripod.
2 people found this helpful
Joseph Hollingsworth –
4.0 out of 5 stars
First experience with TeleZoom
This is a fantastic lens. I would have given it 5 stars but for the hicup when zooming in on the subject (slight loss of smoothness in the process). The pictures are very clear and sharp. Do not be turned off by other reviews regarding the size and weight of this lens. I found both complaints to be insignificant. I have a the Nikon D-80 and prior to purchasing the 55-300, I used my 18-135 as my walking around lens, well,”say hello to my new little friend”. I’m considering upgrading my camera early next year and had considered purchasing the Nikon 70-300 (with Full-Frame Format)at a higher price. since I wasn’t sure if I would upgrade to a Nikon Full-Frame Camera, I thought I would take the less expensive option and see what happens in the future, Hopefully, I will be able to keep my D-80 and its lenses and acquire a new Full-Frame camera and the lenses to go with it. In the mean time i plan on taking great pictures using my 55-300 and hopefully the zooming will smooth out as it gets used more.
4 people found this helpful
K. MarchK. March –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Telephoto with nice Bokeh.
Before you purchase this lens make sure it fits in with what you’re going to be photographing.If you plan on taking sports photos this is not the lens for you. The autofocus is slow and it’s nearly impossible to focus/track a moving subject with AF, also the manual focus is not great because it’s too sensitive at long focal lengths.If you plan to use this indoors/low light and handheld this is not the lens for you.What this lens really excels at is taking stand off distance portraits of people/wildlife without spooking your subjects. if you want to get close in shots of people without getting the “smile for the camera” expression while having a nice creamy DOF this is your lens. It also doubles as a nice Macro lens without having to get the camera super close to the subject (The photo of the baby cake topper in the images is mine) I was able to fill the frame with a 1.5 inch subject @6ft.The bokeh is great at 300mm and remember that with this lens you get the shallowest DOF @ 300mm.if you don’t need the reach and are not too lazy to walk a bit to frame your subject (we all need more exercise anyway) I would go with a 50mm 1.8 prime as that lens has a great bokeh and is fast so you can handhold it in low light/indoor conditions.
17 people found this helpful
Margaret –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Lens EVER!
I purchesed this lens in August 2011 to get closer shots of my children’s sporting events. Looked at several lenses, but thought the 200mm lens wasn’t enough to get those action football shots I needed. There’s such a small price difference anyway. I’ve had the Nikon D70 camera since 2005 (with no issues) and loved it, but needed the practicality of the 55mm and long range of the 300mm, so I chose the 55-300 lens. I bought it for $350.00 plus tax. It’s NOW ONLY $299.00! Ridiculously low price for a great quality lens. I’d forget the 70-300mm lens because you cannot use it for everyday close-ups…this one is perfect for everything and the pictures come out incredibly sharp. I cannot believe I waited 6 years to get this upgrade. What was i thinking? Buy it now because you’ll love it, cherish the pictures created with it, and be grateful you made the purchase at this unbeatable price! Wish I could post the pics I took – awesome! I will always be a Nikon loyal customer, as I’ve owned 3 in the past 20 years. People always ask what camera I used when I hand out the pics as gifts for friends. And, if Amazon reps see this review, please give me the $50 bucks discount you’re offering now (Just Kidding)!!!
3 people found this helpful
Anita Howard –
5.0 out of 5 stars
As good as new
The lens was advertised as used, however the lens looked and worked as if it were brand new.
2 people found this helpful
J. Senna –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good lens, good price, good Amazon service…
This is the first remanufactured lens I’ve ever purchased. It is definately a good value for a Nikon lens. I’m not very technically minded about photography equipment but I absolutely love my new digital Nikon camera and lenses, so far. The Nikon 55-300mm zoom is working out very good for taking sports pix of my grandkids’ Little League games and other outdoors activities. The pix I’ve taken have turned out very good and the only possible flaw I’ve noticed on this lens is that there seems to be a line of light inconsistency up towards the top of the lens and causes a slightly darker area on the digital pix. That being said, it is quite possible that I may not have the new camera settings properly set for it’s automation factors, so I’m giving a benefit of doubt to the lens because of my inexperience with a “good” camera and lens. Overall, I’m holding back a little on 5-stars for lens performance at this time but I’m very happy with the Nikon’s improved performance compared to my old Kodak equipment. Also, I will definately try another remaufactured lens for my next Nikon lens upgrade.
2 people found this helpful
Ralith –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome lens!
I bought the Nikon D-3100 for my wife, and got this lens along with the 18-55mm once. With the 18-55mm lens we were able to take great pictures of scenery or people, and still be able to fit a lot in the picture or zoom up close a bit.But with the 55-300mm lens you can take incredible shots from a huge distance! I was amazed at the distances we could get on this. We were visiting 2 castles in Germany and got some very awesome photos from very long distance that would have not been possible without this lens. We put some of the photos up on our 46′ LCD TV with my family and we were all amazed at the detail even with blown up to fit the full screen.The auto focus and vibration reduction worked extremely well, as well as easily switching between lenses make this one a dream to use. Sturdily built and came with its own cloth bag to keep it in, I was very happy that I got this lens. I have not really been a huge camera fan, but this camera and lens really had me loving it! I would use it to take pictures of the top of a mountain or some scenery that was hardly visible without magnification.Overall a great lens that anyone will be happy with for their camera!
9 people found this helpful
Stephanie Edgerly –
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Entry Level Zoom Lens
I purchased this Nikon lens roughly two years ago. For the money you can’t beat this, it does everything it says it will and does it effectively. It does have its limitations but that is to be expected from a lens that cost $400. Now for a list of pros and cons.PROS:-Relatively inexpensive for a Nikkor zoom lens-Performs extremely well with the proper lighting-Metal mount gives it a very sturdy feel-VR (Vibration Reduction) helps create a crisp image when lens is extended-Allows you to effectively take photos of things you can’t or do not want to be near to-Very durable-Nice warranty-Long focal length for those skittish animalsCONS:-Does not perform very well in low light due to its small aperture, this only gets worse as you reach the lenses longer focal length.-Images tend to not be as crisp in the 250-300mm rangeAll in all I do not regret purchasing this lens. I don’t use it as often as I thought I would when I first bought it but I still think it was a very smart buy.
5 people found this helpful
Sam –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nikon 55-300 lens.
Being just a very novice camera bug I purchased this lens to go with my Nikon 3000 at the advise of my son-in-law. The shipment came on time and in very good condition. I have not had a lot of time since I received the lens to use it. However the few pictures taken with it gave excellant results. This is an excellant buy for the price of the unit. One thing after receiving the lens I was installing it and the hood fell apart in my hand. I returned the hood to 6th avenue camera which I thought they wanted me to do. They called me today after two weeks and indicated the lens needed to be returned in additon to the hood. I turned down the opportunity to return the lens since the hood is minscule in cost. My wife and I are going on a cruise December 8th and there is no way the exchange can be made by then. Otherwise the purchase and service was very good.ThanksSam Shafer.
2 people found this helpful
Reader Pane –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good lens, good price, sharpness could be better
I like this lens but don’t love it.Pros:- Very useful range for sports & animals, 55-300mm (DX)- VR works really well- Light- Metal mount- No zoom creepCons:- Sharpness could be better (I compared it with my Nikon 18-105 VR at 180mm vs. 105mm. Maybe not fair, but the 18-105 was clearly sharper.) Not sure if it’s because of the build quality of my particular one because other reviews rave about its sharpness. But be aware, this lens is made in China, the 18-105 in Thailand. I’m generally biased against Chinese manufacturers. In fact, the first lens I received was broken–super slow focus, very noisy–and I had to exchange it (which Amazon handled fantastically well, by the way).- Manual focus ring is incredibly touchy. You need to have the touch of a safecracker to get it to focus right at 300mm.Neutral:- Autofocus speed ok: not fast, not slowOverall, it’s a good product for the $370 I paid. I’m happy, but I also understand why some people pay $5600 for the Nikon 300mm f2.8.
12 people found this helpful
Richard French –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Lens
I bought this lens along with a Nikon D3100 about 6 weeks ago. Since then I’ve been on several outings to take photos at various parks and nature preserves. When I see wildlife, I switch to this lens for good close-ups. I haven’t been disappointed so far. For a 300mm lens, it’s very compact, and not too heavy.Before buying it, I read someone’s review saying that he found the lens to be sticky when zooming out to near 300mm. I noticed that a bit the very first few times, but it has since worked itself out.I particularly like the VR feature (Vibration Reduction). It allows you to take pictures at less than 1/30 of a second without the blur from hand holding. It’s a great addition.As for focusing, it’s fast and accurate. The manual focus is rather touchy, but it’s been my experience that most autofocus lenses are like that. I have of yet had any need to focus manually, so I don’t consider that to be much of an issue.I do recommend this lens.
15 people found this helpful
reviewer –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very nice lens
I haven’t used this too long but so far it’s performed very well. It focuses easily and the zoom range is excellent. So far the quality has been excellent (everything works very well and the components seem well-made and sturdy). It attaches to the camera very easily and smoothly. My only concern, and I’m not sure if this is a function of the lens or the camera (using Nikon D5200), it seems like I’m not seeing the full picture in the viewfinder at shortest length, though (the actual picture shows more than what I saw in the viewfinder). Not really a bad thing (better than coming out with too little picture!) but just something to note. It’s a little tight to turn to zoom but, on the good side, it doesn’t extend when you dip the camera forward either (several of my other lenses do this).Overall, an excellent lens for the price and perfect for those of us just getting starting in the DSLR world!
3 people found this helpful
Chris and Camille –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely happy with this lens!
I purchased this lens to replace my previous purchase of a Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR Lens that I was unable to get to work with my camera. This lens is fabulous. Everything works as expected. Autofocus seems to work flawlessly and the VR stabilization exceeded my expectations. With the VR on, I was able to take a clear 1 second exposure without using my tripod. Amazing!
One person found this helpful
Les –
5.0 out of 5 stars
I’m quite satisfied with my purchase.
The lens arrived in excellent condition. It looks and functions like new, and as advertised. I am quite pleased with my purchase.
One person found this helpful
Terrier Fan –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great range, crisp pics
The Nikon 55-200 was part of a 2 kit lens set when I bought my D5100 camera. I purchased a Nikon factory refurbished 55-300 soon after because I needed a bit more range. (I live on a large lake). This lens delivers crisp sharp pictures even at 300mm. I’ve read many reviews that criticize this lens for its 200 plus performance. I’m sure there is fall off in lab tests, but in the real world, you’ll be pleased. The problem with this lens is that it needs to hunt to focus as you approach 300, which makes action shots nearly impossible. I recently bought the Nikon 70 300 and it is amazing. It focuses very quickly and solved my problem. Of course I did what newbies do and ended up with three zoom lenses! If you intend to use this lens for landscape pics buy the 55-300. It is inexpensive, light and sharp. If you intend to primarily shoot sports or moving targets, get the 70-300. In the meantime, I’m looking for the best way to sell my extra zooms!
2 people found this helpful
Carrie BossCarrie Boss –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gets The Job Done Really Well
I needed a zoom lens to shoot distant sporting activities and wild life. I have the Nikon D5100 and this lens works perfectly with it. There is only one tiny downside with this lens and that is that even though it is quite good in low light situations {when you have the AF assist on}, I felt that it should have been a tad faster to ensure that you get the exact shot that you are aiming for. It is still quite good though esp. when you combine the right ISO with perhaps a good manual setting or even shutter priority. All in all it is a top of the line lens and does a fantastic job. Oh, did I mention that you cannot beat its daylight shots? Near perfect at times but always great.PS. I was giving this item a 4 1/2 rating but I could not figure out how to get the half in. So know this, this item gets a 4 1/2 rating from me ok.
2 people found this helpful
A. ShresthaA. Shrestha –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good lens for the price
Pros:+ Excellent Image Quality+ Solid build with metal mount+ Significantly better in all ways than the Nikon 55-200mm VRCons:- Slight long (but that’s expected for a telephoto like this)I’ve owned (and subsequently got rid of) the Nikon 55-200mm and Sigma 18-250 OS. This lens beats them both significantly. The Sigma 18-250 OS was pretty nice when I needed to take only one lens with me, but that situation is rare.I hardly shoot telephoto, but when I do, I’m glad I can turn to this new Nikon 55-300mm VRII lens. Low light focus hunts a little bit, but that’s expected – and it’s significantly better than the Sigma at equivalent low light.This lens is much better than the older Nikon 55-200mm VR often sold as part of the kit. That lens feels like a toy with a plastic mount and cheap plastic feel. This lens has a much better build quality. Consequently, it’s also more expensive.If you’re debating about the Nikon 55-200mm vs. this lens, I highly recommend you get this lens. I’ve been very happy with it.
496 people found this helpful
Simon –
5.0 out of 5 stars
High quality and exactly what you would expect
I’m not a photography expert, so don’t take what I say as a conclusive review. My time using this lens proved that it was exactly what I wanted from it. I have a Nikon D5100 and use the 18-55mm kit lens, a 35mm f/1.8 prime lens, and this 55-300mm telephoto. At an equivalent 82.5mm on the wide end, this isn’t a lens you will probably be walking around with, but it isn’t so restrictive that you can’t get a shot quickly if you have it on–you just have to back up a bit and rearrange yourself. The equivalent 450mm zoom, though, is great, and even near dusk I was able to get respectable shots without cranking up the ISO too much. Nothing you would want to blow up, but it looks fine on a standard computer screen. The VR and auto-focus worked well with the latter being respectably quick (though I can’t compare, really, as this is the only DSLR I’ve used). Overall, I like this lens, and am happy with the price-point.One point worth mentioning that I was not aware of and did not see in the description or other reviews. This comes with both a protective bag and a lens hood.
8 people found this helpful
Adrian Gomez –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great quality and a reliable vendor!
Was looking for a much cheaper and used lens and found this vendor offering the same lens for a much better price. When the item arrived, it was in great condition, well packaged, and worked right out of the box! Cannot recommend this vendor enough, they did a fantastic job!
4 people found this helpful
Jim CJim C –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Addition to the DX Line-up
First of all I’ll say that I ordered my lens as soon as Amazon had them available. I upgraded to next day shipping and got it 18 hours later – quick service. Thanks Amazon!But now on to the real review…This lens is fantastic – especially for $399. My first concern was whether it not it had a plastic or metal mount since some DX lenses in this price range have plastic. I even contacted Nikon and they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) tell me. Well, I was really pleased to see that it does have a metal mount. It has a nice solid feel to it. The zoom movement is smooth and I haven’t had any problem with lens creep when I’m aiming it downward. Even when I point the camera downward and shake it, it won’t creep.I’m just beginning to get into testing it but my preliminary pictures are coming out nice – really nice. The sharpness is amazing and the lens produces a very nice bokeh. I posted the image of the dragonfly with the chicken wire background (see the customer uploads) Check out the detail in the wings. That shot says it all. It was HAND HELD and cranked all the way out to 300mm. The original image is great but a lot of the detail was lost with the upload to Amazon. But – none the less – it’s still pretty sharp. The auto focus on this lens is fast, smooth, quiet and very accurate. It locked right in on the subject. It was set on aperture priority at f/8 1/500sec for the shot that I posted here (shot with a D-90).The VR on this lens is great. The detail I get with hand-helds just amazes me. It has Nikon’s VRII image stabilization and it even has a tripod detection mode that reduces any vibration from shutter release when it’s on a tripod.Colors are rendered accurately and the contrast is pretty sharp even at the max aperture. The lens is compact for a 300mm and it’s lighter than my AF-S DX 18-200mm which I use as my regular walk-around. I’m sure the new 55-300 will be used as my walk around pretty frequently also.All in all for an APS-C lens, Nikon did a great job with this one – especially for the price. It’s a welcome addition to the DX line and I’m really glad I have one in my gear bag.
858 people found this helpful
Veteran –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nikon lenses are super!
Works very well with my Nikon camera D90!
One person found this helpful
Odawgg –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent lens for the price!
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.
14 people found this helpful
Miguel LecuonaMiguel Lecuona –
4.0 out of 5 stars
300mm at $250, irresistible price and solid value.
I was not convinced that 300mm would make a difference, but when Nikon put the $150 rebate and Amazon offered free one-day shipping for a $250 delivered price, I couldn’t resist.Yesterday I ordered, today I used it and the very first pic out of the box is posted on the image set above– a back yard bird feeder with a cardinal and she’s coming in hot, full flaps and legs extended for the touch-and-go landing. The shooting distance is about 30ft. I had the D90 on Auto, VR, handheld, and the meter chose 1/640s & f6/3 at 300mm, at ISO-2500 on a grey day. The shallow depth of field is noticeable in that the feeder is sharp but the fence is soft, 2 feet behind. The lens handles well, and the VR is a big difference maker. You can see it operate — press the shutter halfway and the perceptible hand shaking and heart beat movement is gone. The feeder is rock steady and the cardinal’s high-speed movement is also in reasonable sharpness, adding energy to the image.My every day lens is the 18-200mm, and that will not change, as it is great to have a wide-to-zoom option with 10x latitude for field assignments with rapidly evolving situations. And the lens has very nice quality results. But this lens will help for set field work and for pulling wildlife in close. I really underestimated the difference 300mm makes vs 200mm but obviously on DX it is considerable (450mm vs 300mm at 35mm film conversion). The 50% greater reach, with helpful VR and maintaining the f5.6 shows well when you transfer the image to the screen.Image sharpness is fine. The lens mounted on camera feels solid, and works well given that it is all automated and expected to be used that way. Love the VR. I did not find the “slow AF” to be significant, as borne out by the very first image!Keep in mind small details that are not huge issues overall:- The owners manual indicates that “Manual focus can be used regardless of the focus mode selected with the camera”. However, the focus ring clearly feels stiffly locked out when you choose “A”, not a smoothly integrated operation. Switch to M and the focus ring turns without any friction.- the near-silent AF motor will still likely be picked up in movie mode for those who use AF when filming (I can’t on my D90).- There are no Aperture marks, depth of field indicators and of course no manual aperture ring override.- 58mm filters neededAt $250 through the end of the year, you can’t go wrong. Thank you Nikon and Amazon. Great deal.
2 people found this helpful
Neal –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reliable
This Nikon 55mm-300mm lens for a Nikon d3500 camera is light weight and works smoothly and quickly. If accidentally dropped then you can pick it up and go backing to taking photos, thus very reliable.
One person found this helpful
J Harding –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quality at a decent price.
Exactly what I ordered. Works great
One person found this helpful
Linda van de Sande-Buscop –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good lens in mint condition. Very happy!
The lens came very well packaged and was in the original box. The lens was without a scratch or any signs of previous use. It connected beautifully on to the body of the camera. The pictures are amazing and the range is greater than I thought. Autofocus is sometimes somewhat difficult when for example a lot of foliage is in front of your subject. Then it tens to focus on a leaf or branch in front of the bird. But that is probably more due to my inexperience….Shipment was very fast from the USA to my country in Europe. Taxes were paid together with the initial Amazon payment and I had no hassle with any of that when the package crossed the border. Recommend this to anyone. Seller is very reliable.
John –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decent but could have been better
I purchased the 55-300mm VR along with a D5100 body as part of a Nikon promotion. I can say that for the price I paid for it, it is worth the money; however, I would not pay full retail price for it.Pros:-Largest range of telephoto zooms-Lightweight and small for a lens that extends to 300mm-Solid build quality; metal lens mount-Comes with 6-year warranty (US), hood, and soft caseCons:-VR effectiveness is only 2 stops (insufficient for 300mm; see below)-Slow AFOther telephoto lenses I’ve owned before include the Nikon 55-200mm VR, Nikon 70-300mm VR, Tamron 70-300mm VC, and a Canon 55-250mm IS (on a Canon 60D body). I found all to be solid performers in terms of image quality and auto-focus accuracy. The differences are in the trade-offs between size/weight, range, and effectiveness of stabilization (and of course price). Comparing the 5:Nikon 55-200mm VR: the smallest/lightest of the bunch, it wins the prize for the lens that’s least likely to draw attention to your camera. Its VR effectiveness is only 2 stops as well, but at 200mm this is not really a problem (shutter speed around 1/60 is usually sufficient to avoid camera shake).Nikon 70-300mm VR: the most expensive of the bunch, this was the lens to get for faster AF and better VR until the Tamron stole its thunder. I compared the two side by side and don’t find any compelling reason to buy the Nikon over the Tamron, except for slightly better build quality. The Tamron beats it for effectiveness of its VC.Tamron 70-300mm VC: probably the best bang for the buck if you need 300mm. Like the Nikon 70-300, it’s quite a large lens (especially with the hood attached) which makes it less ideal for candid people shots. The VC is awesome – it seems to freeze the frame in place when activated, and gives you about 3 stops. The AF is also quite fast.Canon 55-250mm IS: I’m no Canon fanboy (sold my 60D to go back to Nikon) but I have to give the edge to Canon when it comes to designing telephotos. The 55-250mm is significantly lighter and slimmer than the 55-300mm with only a 50mm loss, is cheaper, and the stabilization works better (about 0.5 stop). It doesn’t have a silent AF motor, but I had no problems tracking moving shots with it. If the 35mm f/1.8G is Nikon’s bang for the buck consumer lens, then I would say the 55-250mm IS is Canon’s.Finally, the Nikon 55-300mm VR. It’s light enough, small enough (barely – probably too big for candids), decently built, with good optics. Its downfall is that its VR is not good enough (2 stops means a minimum of around 1/125 shutter speed at 300mm, which at the max aperture of f/5.6 limits it to daytime outdoor use), and its AF has a little trouble tracking fast moving subjects.If you can get this lens on promotion for less than the Tamron, it’s quite a decent lens all considered. Otherwise, go for the Tamron. I wish Nikon had taken a cue from Canon and made this a 250mm with better VR and AF.
195 people found this helpful
xmnboy –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great price to performance — using it for soccer game shots with a Nikon D7000.
I purchased this lens for use with my Nikon D7000. My primary purpose for this lens is taking high school and club soccer game photos. I waffled between purchasing the Nikon 70-300 DX and this Nikon 55-300 DX lens. My understanding is the 70-300 has a faster focus than this lens, but I haven’t found focus speed to be an issue with this lens for sports events.Prior to this lens I have used the Nikon 55-200 DX, the Tamron 28-300 FX and the Tamron 18-270 DX. I still have the Tamron 18-270, which works great as an all purpose lens when I only want to carry a single lens solution for travel, etc. My wife now uses that Tamron lens on my old D60 to also shoot the games, improving our coverage, but this Nikon 55-300 lens by far gives the best results when shooting the games.The D7000 body definitely also makes a difference, but I have compared the results with the Tamron 18-270 on the D7000 body and the 55-300 definitely wins. The contrast seems more natural and the focus is usually sharper.BTW, when using this lens for shooting sports I will always shoot in totally manual mode and try to use an aperture of f8 to f10 for optimum sharpness and clarity. In low light you will have to push up the ISO (one of the reasons for going with the D7000).Totally manual sports shooting for me means to manually set the f-stop and shutter speed (use M mode and measure your exposure off the green grass of the field), manually set the ISO to get the shutter speed range you want, manually set the white balance with the built-ins or by using a manual preset, set the focus mode to continuous focus mode and enable multiple shutter mode.. Also, because I am shooting with a continuous shutter I choose to shoot direct to JPG rather than RAW to avoid lags due to full buffers — this won’t give you the same quality and post-processing options as you get with RAW, but it also means you’re more likely to get the shots you want (pay particular attention to the white balance, it will minimize the need to post-process your JPG images).These are the shooting conditions I am using for evaluation of this lens.
11 people found this helpful
J. Martinez –
4.0 out of 5 stars
First one was a fail, second has been perfect so far!
The first lens i purchased only but lasted me one week. one day when i was taking photos indoors, the lens made a crackling noise then a slight squeal and AF instantly stopped working! i called Amazon, they instantly sent out a replacement lens next day air at no cost and provided a return shipping label. This is the main reason why i have chose 4 stars instead of 3 considering the excellent customer support.I have owned the replacement lens for about 2 months now. I have done a lot of portraits, wild life and family shots with this lens coupled to my Nikon D3100 with no issues. The shots have been great, received a lot of compliments when taking photos with this lens.the downfall i see with this lens is its weight. If you have the extra cash, i suggest the 70-300mm model if weight is of a concern. it almost makes me want to use my tripod all the time, as it is really hard to hold a steady hand without any support. I have however taken some excellent shots without any support with the help of VR being enabled. Also auto focus seems to take longer than what i would like, however, with its range, it’s not a surprise and does what it was intended to do. Again, if you want a faster AF lens, spend the extra cash for the 70-300mm model lens. Now that i own this lens, i have yet to find the need to purchase the 70-300mm lens, so it’s not a huge deficit, but some small concerns.I bought this lens on sale for 249 dollars. considering the quality and durability, i think it’s a good price considering. It is also nice to know you have a 4 year extended warranty with Nikkor lenses. Overall i would suggest to buy this lens through Amazon, you won’t be disappointed and the quality of pictures i have been taking with this lens has been a great experience so far. If money is not an option, go for glory and spend 600 dollars on the 70-300mm lens. If not, this is an excellent lens for anybody on a budget that wants a nice range with good quality.
3 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great lens. Be aware of warranties
I replaced a Nikon 55 – 200 VR G ED EF-S lens with this one. The advantages of the new lens are the extended zoom range, VR-II stabilization, and a sturdier metal bayonet mount. At 200 mm this lens offers better image quality than a fully zoomed out 55-200. The VR-II really does work better than the original VR stabilization, This can be seen easily by switching the VR off and on while observing the viewfinder handheld at 300 mm zoom. I’m looking forward to using this on my next outing.I originally purchased the Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens on Amazon from one of several external vendors that offer it at a slightly lower price — maybe $30 – $50 less — than retail prices at other online stores. I assumed that the lens would come with the usual Nikon USA warranty and extended coverage certificate. This seemed like a good deal because of the lower price than found on other photo companies’ sites. So-called gray market lenses (imported from Nikon to the US by a third party: not imported directly BY Nikon USA) on some of the other sites have prices in the range that I was paying for this lens from Amazon’s partner retailer.But upon receiving the lens I was surprised to discover not only no extended warranty certificate, but no statement of warranty coverage whatsoever. The gray market lenses from another well-known supplier at least come with a 1-year warranty supported by the seller.I immediately requested and was granted an RMA from the seller of the lens. I repacked it just as received and shipped it back; my money was promptly refunded, and I have no real complaint about the seller. However, the Amazon listing for this lens is somewhat deceiving: it says that lenses from Nikon USA include the extended warranty but it does not say that the lens on the product page is actually from Nikon USA. Shame on you Amazon!So, I ended up buying the lens from a photo supplier I’ve used many times before. It came with the expected warranties, and I’m happily shooting away.
19 people found this helpful
Gadgeteer E –
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Grad Ceremony Special!
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.
76 people found this helpful
bend3r –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nikon 55-300mm lens
I required a lens like this due to the 18-55mm (which came with my Nikon D3100) not being powerful enough for bringing distant objects in close for detail. I also contemplated the 55-200mm lens for less money, but figured that it wouldn’t have the overall magnification I really wanted. I have to say, the 55-300mm is like a godsend. A small howitzer of a telephoto lens that fits the bill for an entry level one, and definitely helps to take some very nice, close-in shots.What I feared somewhat is how well this lens would autofocus. I heard of some users complaining that this one doesn’t at all. In my experience so far, it autofocuses, though not super quickly. It may take just enough time that you could miss a shot of a frightened bird, though I’m thinking it isn’t going to be much of a problem, as there are so many photographic opportunities out there.The weight and size of this lens is less than I expected. However, it is beefy, though certainly manageable. I had no problems lugging this little beast around for my initial tests. When it is fully extended for zoom and focus, the length might prove a little cumbersome if you are taking pictures in a cramped space.Manual focusing this lens is smooth enough. It may feel a little rough when new, though I am sure constant use will smooth it out for more precision. If you have a lot of trouble with determining the focus quality, get a routine vision check.Lastly, I received my lens clean and with no defects. I trust Nikon’s quality and the distributor took care to package the lens with protection well in mind. This unit is cleaner than a barracks with disciplined soldiers.If you want this lens, give it a shot. From what I have seen for it, there are plenty of satisfied customers. Me included. I tried to think of something really bad and star rating negating to say about this lens, but I am at a loss for that. A total loss I could care less about.Happy shooting!
5 people found this helpful
W. Kreutner –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nikon 55-300 lense
It’s a very versatile lense
Rodney –
4.0 out of 5 stars
This has been a good purchase. I have used this a lot for …
This has been a good purchase. I have used this a lot for my nephew and nieces’ soccer games.I wish the f stop was smaller, but at this price, I knew not to expect too much. I did use this in very low light environment with a spot light, and after tweaking the ISO, I was able to get a few really good shots. I think that is really the only time I use this lens, I am still in love with my 35 mm prime. For the price and the functionality of capturing our kid’s little league game, I would recommend this lens. Actually, probably would not recommend it for basketball or other indoor sports.Update: It has been more than a year with this lens. I will still give it four stars and I am still happy with my purchase. The update I want to add to my original review has to do with ISO. When the soccer games go into dusk and evening light, despite the soccer fields having bright lights, the camera and lens bump the ISO setting past the 2,000 mark. I try my best to keep my ISO at 100, so anything over 1,250 I start bugging. This lens has done a pleasantly good job at capturing kids’ high school level soccer and volleyball. And when the photos are seen on digital devices the high ISO is not really noticeable. I think I see it more, because I am looking at those numbers and just fixate on them. I understand that is a hang-up of mine, but wanted to share in hopes this review-update will help.
21 people found this helpful
Jared ManninenJared Manninen –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent lens for the price
Took my new 55-300mm Nikkor lens out for a test spin recently, and I have to say that I love it. Compared to my older Sigma 18-200mm lens, this one produces a much more crisp image (i.e. little to no chromatic aberration) requiring far less processing in Photoshop to clean everything up. I also appreciate the extra reach with this length so that I don’t have to be super close to whatever wildlife I’m photographing. Although, the subject definitely needs to be the (approximately) 5 feet of distance from the lens for it to focus. Another aspect I like about this lens is that although the auto-focus motor may not be the fastest, when the lens focuses it does so in a definite manner. Basically, my Sigma’s motor was fast, but it got confused a lot as to what it was supposed to be focusing on. The Nikkor lens and Nikon body (D3300) communicate much more clearly, so to speak. And the focus holds, whereas my Sigma would constantly be searching (and in the meantime I’d be missing shots). The only drawback to this lens is the fact that it doesn’t feature a locking mechanism to prevent lens creep. I didn’t actually experience any creep when I tested this out so it may be a moot point, but I was concerned about creep when I’d stop to take notes (letting the camera hang). Honestly, though, I seldom let the camera actually hang down anyway. Mostly I just hold it at the ready while hiking around because I don’t like it to swing wildly from my neck and I’m likely to miss a shot if it’s not ready in my hands. Overall, this lens is fantastic for the price.
19 people found this helpful
wmstram –
5.0 out of 5 stars
and a sturdy but plastic barrel (with a mental mounting ring
This is a “For the price” rating. It’s a relatively inexpensive lens: slowish (f4.5-5.6), variable focal length, and a sturdy but plastic barrel (with a mental mounting ring.) It would be nice to have a faster fixed focal length lens, but they are 2x to 3x the price for my camera. So you just have to pay attention a little more, to exposure settings using this. I just received this and tested it for the kinds of shooting that I’ll do with it on my D5500. Mainly outdoor scenery, wildlife, and events. So far, I couldn’t be happier. Images were more than sharp enough for me at all focal lengths, focusing speed and accuracy are quite good. The VRII function is amazing. I shot hand held, fully zoomed at the full moon and got good detail. Excellent detail and sharpness shooting long off details outside. It really works. Even at slower shutters speeds. (I went down to 1/125 at 300mm) A very import feature on a slow lens. Nikon says it can give you an extra 3-4 stops hand held. I believe it. My only real complaint is that the end of the barrel turns as it focuses. This makes using a CPL a bit of a problem. My camera has a focus lock button so once again I just have to work a little harder with this lens. Still well worth the price and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants great results, but has far more patients than money.
2 people found this helpful
rayden75 –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beware–extended warranty
I purchased this lens for my wife as a Christmas present on Nov.16,2012 and after she opened it I decided to register the lens for the extended 4 yr. warranty which was included. I am dismayed and shocked that the paper work explicitly states several times that the warranty is invalid if the product is not registered within 10 days of purchase. This seems like some sort of scam that Nikon is using to weasel out of honoring the offered warranty. It remains to be seen if Nikon will stand behind this offer or not but I am very unhappy that the registration period is so short. So be warned, if the extended warranty is important to you, make sure you register as soon as you receive the lens.UPDATE–to Nikon’s credit, I received a prompt reply to my email questioning whether they would honor the extended warranty–message follows–“Thank you for contacting Nikon. I do apologize for any inconvenience. Our Nikkor lenses comes with an additional 4 year warranty. In order to receive the additional 4 year warranty, you must register the lens as well as maintain the proof of purchase if any issues occur with the lens. Since it was a gift, if any issues occur and you need to send your camera to our service center, we recommend you state that in a brief description.”no mention of the 10 day requirement here so why put it in the official paperwork? I guess we will see in a few years.Later update—ended up returning this lens anyway–my wife was not happy with it’s performance and I was not happy with Nikon’s wishy washy reply to my complaint.
2 people found this helpful
SnowByrd137 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Lens Best Price
Love this lens. I got a 55-200 for christmas from my hubby. It came from best buy and was great until I was surfing around amazon and saw this lens 55-300 for an astounding price. I started looking at it and realized that it was indeed the same f/4.5-5.6 ED VR AF-S DX, just with the extra 100mm.Best part of the lens is that is has metal hardware instead of the plasitc that was on the 55-200 I orig had. The lens is a little “sticky” when you go to roll it out but that doesn’t bother me one bit. I would rather it be a little sticky than when I leave my camera around my neck for the lens to slide “sloppily” (is that a word) out.Anyone starting out this is a great lens. It can do a lot and you won’t regret purchasing it. It is one of the most reasonable lens available and it’s a nikkor and not some off-brand lens maker that produces lens for multiple camera companies.My pictures have been turning out wonderful and I am loving the extra 100mm I get. If you are considering the 55-200 I would really reccommend paying the extra $100 to bump up to this one, you really will thank me.Shipping was a little slow I have to admit. I used free super saver shipping so it said 8-10 days (which is ususally an underpromise and then amazon over delivers and gets it to you in 6-7 days) This however came in 11 days UPS. Not horrible but the first time that amazon has been late on their promise time. And I would rather have it in 11 days and have a unbroken unscathed lens through UPS than something they threw in USPS and got to me trashed in 5 days.
9 people found this helpful
Cat man Ashley –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not good
Lens not in box as described or in bag , just wrapped in bubble wrap. Not happy
One person found this helpful
J. Griffin –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great lens for the money
I purchased this lens (Dec. 2010) specifically for photographing birds in my local area. It’s a transitional lens for me until I can afford fast glass at 500mm.Unsurprisingly but worth noting, the lens performs best at the low range–the 55mm. It focuses faster and the images look sharper in low light at the low end of the zoom range. As with any variable aperture lens, as you zoom out, the effective aperture size decreases. Since I am often shooting at high shutter speeds, the smaller the aperture, the higher I have to boost my ISO to compensate without impacting the shutter speed. All of this boils down to performance that is excellent in strong overhead or side lighting and/or at the lower zoom levels.I am very happy with the lens for the price, and continue to improve my overall photographic skills as I learn to get the best photos possible from this lens.UPDATE: Lens stopped focusing in Dec. 2012. I have the four year extension to the one year warranty, but recent stories from camera club colleagues about what a NIGHTMARE it is to get lenses repaired under warranty by Nikon has left me wondering if it’s worth the fight or if this is a sign to start anew with another camera line.
5 people found this helpful
John Villa –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nikon zoom lens shipped from a source that I was unfamiliar with!
I’d have to say that I was biting my nails at the purchase of a used zoom lens from company that I had not heard of before. I initially put my trust in Amazon.com hoping that their well established name would only mean that they would cross check these micro-businesses to protect their consumers.I was right to trust in Amazon.com. Not only did the package arrived at the earliest of their projected E.T.A. but it was well packaged and protected. I learned also that this business from which I purchased this fantastic item was from nearly on the other side of the planet!!! Which I guess these days isn’t that far after all but this was my first time with a purchase like this and I have to say I was very pleased with the service that Amazon.com as well as the company from which I bought this item. I have to say that I was a little disappointed upon receiving the bill from FedEx for $13.49 but it WAS shipped in two day (rush shipment) so all and all I was very pleased and this experience put my mind at ease with this type of online shopping. Great work Amazon.com!
Michael Steward –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mild upgrade to a kit lens
I bought this lens at the suggestion of another photographer. It’s obviously a lower level lens as evidenced by the price but it does a pretty good job at what it has the capacity to do. It does not have a lot of vignetting and chromatic aberration is really pretty minimal. The one area it suffers is in auto focus. It tends to chase the image around. I’ve tried it on a couple of Nikon bodies and it is the same story. Are used it on the Z 50 with the FTZ adapter and it was even worse. I had to switch the auto focus completely off and go to manual. The manual focus in manual is pretty rough too so you end up bouncing around trying to get focused on your subject.
One person found this helpful
PA Bill L –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Updated – Clarity / Focus acceptable after all
My sincere apologies to Nikon for my previous negative review. After researching the problem further, I determined that the cpl that I keep on the lens (and all my lenses) was the culprit………….I’ve never had a lens filter cause this problem before. So after purchasing the “used, in excellent condition” lens, I immediately blamed the lens and myself for not spending more and buying a new one. The cpl was an Amazon Basics which has an excellent track record from many, many users like me. Amazon has refunded my purchase of the cpl in full even though the return date has expired. How is that for customer service??? The lens is after all a very exceptable zoom lens for the money……………..I’ll keep it and use it a lot, mostly for distance wildlife and people shots. The VR and AF are very good………………….I cannot focus it any better using the Manual setting.
Thomasglide –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Used lens looks like new.
I was skeptical about this used lens from China, but the price was so good that I decided to roll the dice. It arrived early, it was very carefully packed in layer after layer of bubble wrap. It appears to function normally and pics look great. The long zoom is very impressive.
One person found this helpful
Jake J. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glad I bought this.
When I opened the shipping box I saw the lens in what seemed to be an original factory box.. I think it was.. This box was sealed in plastic just like a factory box would be. Upon opening it and unwrapping the lens I could find no evidence that this was a used lens.. This is a totally pristine piece of equipment. I bought this lens for a Nikon D3200. I received this today and snapped off a couple of dozen photos. I can find no problems with this lens. Zoomed in or out it is a fast focus When I shot a few on auto the motor was really quiet.. I had to hold it next to my ear to hear it.. Not the same as with my other lenses. The photos look good on the PC but I have not printed any so far. As others have mentioned this lens has a bit of plastic but that lesser weight (19.8 ounces) is a plus for me. @ almost 73 years old I do NOT want to lug around a heavy lens.. All in all I am extremely happy with this purchase.
3 people found this helpful
Charlie G –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Go Ahead
My style of photography is hobby and personal interest and I bought this lens to give me more reach than I was getting with the 18mm – 105mm kit lens that came with my D90. Up front: A Nikon lens (which looks like a reasonable improvement over the last offering) for this price was all I needed to place the order. I’ve had the chance to get some shots of hawks that have claimed my back yard as part of their territory, and some heavy machinery in action at a job site near my office. The lens worked well on full magnification in good natural light without a tripod or brace. When I added a solar filter and used tree branches to cut designs in the sun, the results were mixed. The adjustment issue would have been easy enough to manage with a manual adjustment ring, but, for this price, you can’t have everything.I don’t know that I’d make it an automatic walking around lens for most of the things I shoot. But, I think it will offer a lot of utility and I’m very happy with it.
2 people found this helpful
Larry Greenwalt –
2.0 out of 5 stars
Didn’t work for us
Unfortunately this lens had difficulty focusing even in broad daylight and it was quite dark looking thru the view finder.
MJH-64 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Lens Does just a little more of what your looking for… Over the 55 – 200 mm.
I picked this lens over the 200 mm for $50.00 more for one reason and that it zooms in just a bit more … That little extra!The reviews that I read, said that this lens wasn’t as clear as the 200 mm . But I see NO difference in my photos. the sharpness and colors are still great even at 300 mm full zoom…….. Even the close ups are great.Any lens you buy, over a 70 mm. being hand held needs the VR switch ON, that’s for sure. But I do love this lens, it does a great job out doors plus I have used this lens indoors with the use of a flash unit, and they both worked out super nice. I put on a 58 mm. UV filter right away to protect the outer lens. Plus it comes with a lens hood, and a cloth case or bag for storage. If your wondering what lens to get, the 55 – 300 mm is a Pretty Nice Lens choice,,, I’d say… It’s All worth it.Thank You, Amazon, for the processing and being prompt with my order… It was shipped safe and sound… good job!
6 people found this helpful
Amanda Richards –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Going the distance
This is my current go-to lens. I wish I could afford one of the more fancy-schmancy professional telephotos, but until then, this one is the one parked on my Nikon D7000.Uses:1. Birds, bugs and other critters from a safe distance or on the fly/run2. Portraits of one or two people (gives excellent bokeh)3. Landscapes and seascapes, especially in vertical/portrait mode.Limitations:1. Buildings from across-the-street distance2. Large groups of people3. Macro shots from thiscloseDepending on the type of photography you enjoy, this may or may not be the lens for you. It works fine for me for the uses above, especially when the subjects are a respectable distance away, but it doesn’t have a wide enough angle for limitations 1 and 2, and if you’re closer than a couple of feet it won’t focus properly.It’s also pretty heavy, but makes up for this by making you look like a pro who knows what they’re about, especially when you use the lens hood (included and highly recommended for use)The auto-focus is not as smooth as it should be, and you can sometimes hear the mechanism moving around trying to do its job, but image stabilization and the tripod detection mode are huge pluses. (It also attaches/detaches from the camera in the opposite direction to my other (Sigma) lens)For the type of photography I’m doing at the moment. even if it’s not on the camera, this lens goes with me wherever I roam.Amanda Richards, March 30, 2012
4 people found this helpful
C.R. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just what I needed!!!
Okay so, this was one of those purchases that I put in my cart and kept it there for about a month; and every other day I’d pop open my cart because “today is the day I’m going to blow $400 on something I don’t really need!” I’m in no way a “professional” photographer (a professional wouldn’t cuss at tourists when they see you are taking a photo and walk in front of you anyway) but I do love getting out, in and around the National Park to take photos. I’ve used the 200mm lens mainly over the last year and it worked great, but just didn’t have enough umph! Last weekend I missed a few photo ops due to the zoom. It was then I came home, popped open my Amazon cart, held my finger on the “checkout” button for 15 minutes and finally said “screw it!” Arrived quickly and I took it out for a test yesterday. What can I say? I love it! It’s not a HUGE difference, but some shots I wouldn’t have normally gotten with the 200mm lens I actually had to zoom out to catch everything in frame. I always read the reviews on here before buying anything and for those who say it’s too long, what did you expect? For those who say it’s too heavy, sure it’s got a little weight to it, but if you’re a dude and are whining about how heavy this is, I suggest you go to Walmart, buy some weights (start out with the pink girly ones) and get some strength built up! Straight up, I’m glad I hit the “purchase” button!
22 people found this helpful
Peter –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Camera lens
Price delivery quality all excellent
LittleFasterLittleFaster –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Upgraded from the 55-200 on a D5200
I shoot a lot of motorsports, and the added length can get you close enough to smell overheated brakes. Seriously, image quality seems as good or better than the 55-200 with added flexibility and superior build quality,. Even after some digging, I’m still not sure if it’s VR or VRII, but it works and should be considered essential at extreme zooms. It’s fast enough with the higher ISOs (up to 6400 before pushing) of a D5200. Yes the 55-200 is lighter and more compact, but the camera and lens together still weigh under 2.5 pounds, so it’s not a beast and remains well balanced.The manual focus is inelegant but still useful for some landscape and astrophotography applications. Autofocus is nearly always spot on, especially if you understand what your viewfinder is showing you about the points it’s looking at. I use all the Program, Shutter/Aperture priority and Manual modes as I usually like to set my own preferences based on the shot. One nifty feature I wasn’t expecting: When in P mode, you can set the body to “read” the current focal length and it automatically adjusts the shutter speed (and consequently aperture) to minimize camera shake. Great if you’re in a rapidly changing situation.With this and the sweet little 18-55 VRII, I’m done. My bag is full, and I am happy.Update 08/09: I’ve added a sample from perhaps 200 feet. Edited in ViewNX2 and compressed for upload.
9 people found this helpful
K.M.M.K –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great lens for sports
I happen to get this lens for x-mas deal, which is hundred buck less than regular price.Other zoom lens I have is 18-105mm, though there is overlap, I happen to get this primarily for sport shots.Pros:long zoom and good colorsWorks best/sharp from f8 to f11Can be used as walk around lens for day time/good lighting conditionsgood value for price.smooth backgroundsCons:bit slow focus compared other nikon zooms, can be compensated with high iso or good lighting conditions.You need to stay few feets from subject to get the lens work. May not be good idea for indoor shots.This is great zoom lens for the price, if you need bit faster focus go for 70-300 VR version.Other than that, it’s great lens, if you already have 18-55, add this lens to complete your zoom.Update 24th Sep 15:I have been using this on Nikon 610 full frame camera for my kids sport photography.Thought it is bit challenging. It does give good photos. Lack of enough speed really show up with teenage kid games.Unless we keep the shutter around 700, it hard to get better picture. But it does impact the image at high zoom, since minimum focal length goes up.If you have elementary school age kids this is good enough for lens for their sports and portraits. Teenagers move faster than them, you need to look for constant focal lens.
8 people found this helpful
Doc Steve –
3.0 out of 5 stars
My 1st copy was a lemon
I purchased this lens from Amazon.com last week. Unfortunately, the copy I received front-focused badly in AF mode, had a severely decentered lens element(s), and unsatisfactory IQ at 300mm, so I returned it for a refund. I had a similar experience with a new 55-200 VR lens about two and a half years ago. Two years later, I purchased a Nikon factory refurbished 55-200 VR lens and found its performance to be exceptional (see my review of the 55-200 VR lens on this site).Based on the above noted experiences, I suspect that mechanical tolerances for Nikon consumer lenses may allow for deviations that discriminating users would find unacceptable. Units can likely be calibrated to proper performance standards at Nikon service centers, so I think I’ll consider purchasing another copy of the 55-300 lens when factory refurbished units become available.On a positive note, the build quality of the 55-300 VR lens is a solid notch above the 55-200 VR lens. Zoom action is a bit stiff, but would likely become smoother with continued use of the lens.UPDATE (July 2011): With the price of this lens dropping to $309 and change in June, I decided to purchase another copy. Long story short, the new lens is a GEM. VERY accurate AF, more than reasonably good IQ at 300mm, and no decentered lens elements. Were I to rate the lens based on the second copy, I would give it 5 stars. However, Nikon QC leaves a lot to be desired, so I’ll raise my initial rating to 3 stars, with a strong message to buyers that they should thoroughly test their new lens and return poor performers to Amazon.com, which covers the cost of return shipping for defective items.
170 people found this helpful
Dan Druff –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!
At one time a friend of mine loaned me his 70-300mm manual focus nikkor lens. This lens is so much better. The first thing I noticed right away was how easy it was to manually focus when needed. The lens my friend loaned me was not so easy to focus and since it only had manual focus that made it very hard to use. 90% of everything I shot that day was blurred. I only managed to get a few good shots with the older manual focus lens. This lens however is so easy to focus manually even at maximum zoom that I have to wonder why you would even need the auto focus feature. But having auto focus is always nice even if you could easily go without it. The construction is nice. I was unaware that the filter size was not 52mm though that is not surprising really. This came with a carrying bag caps and a nice solid hood. Overall I am really happy with this lens. It provides an excellent range that starts where the stock 18-55mm leaves off so you have no gap or overlap and it is also affordable. Seems once you get over 300mm with this type of lens you start paying big prices. I would recommend this if you want a decent range at an affordable price. Again this is super easy to manual focus I feel I should stress that fact since you will need to focus manually at some point. This is easier to focus manually than the stock 18-55 even at full zoom.
5 people found this helpful
Kristen BrighamKristen Brigham –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic lens for Nature photography
This lens really does a fantastic job when I am attempting to get an up close shot of wildlife that otherwise, would be impossible to get close shot of. The stabilization also is a huge help when trying to get a quick photo without a tripod or steady hands handy. For its price and accessibility, I can’t recommend this lens enough. I have not switched back my 50mm lens since I bought this lens 8 months ago, I love it so much!
3 people found this helpful
Rachel –
2.0 out of 5 stars
Defective and poorly packaged
The auto focus didn’t work and it came in a thin, barely padded envelope. I would have expected it to be wrapped in bubble wrap at a minimum. Sadly it was returned.
Winston MoyWinston Moy –
4.0 out of 5 stars
It’s mediocre… but solid.
I purchased this with my D5100 because I needed a telephoto to go with it, and this model comes with a metal lens mount which I appreciate. The VR system in it works great, but it’s almost a necessity beyond 125mm. I keep it on at all times. The zoom action feels good, though the amount of lens travel makes rain a concern. (raindrops will easily get shuttled deep into your lens, so this is consumer-grade, not for professional shooters. Definitely not weather-resistant.)Biggest downside in my book is the focus mechanism. It rotates the entire inner barrel of the lens, so the end of the lens will rotate as you focus. Means you won’t be able to use certain filters on it or a flower-style lens hood. Also, you can’t use snap-on lens hoods, which I like because they don’t rattle around as loosely.It’s a little hard to focus at 300mm, but that’s to be expected. Ultrasonic autofocus mechanism really is near silent which is great (I used to use a DC motor-powered Tamron lens. Wouldn’t dare bring it to a wedding or anything where silence should be preserved). If need a telephoto for under $500, definitely consider this. There’s also a sigma 18-250 for a little more than this and also has ultrasonic focus (probably more useful if you didn’t already have a kit lens).
4 people found this helpful