The Nikon 300mm f4 lens is probably the most affordable Nikon professional telephoto prime lens. It is not as expensive as the Nikon 200mm f2 lens and will give you a longer focal length. The penalty here is the limited maximum aperture of f/4.
This is a lens that is targeted for wildlife photography, portraiture photography or sports photography under good lighting condition.
You can get this lens from Amazon (best price + FREE shipping)
When used with a cropped sensor (DX) DSLR camera, this lens will be even longer, giving you an equivalent of 450mm focal length in terms of the 35mm equivalent. You can use the available Nikon teleconverters to extend the reach of this lens.
Most people will ask whether the optical quality of this lens is up to par with other Nikon telephoto prime lenses out there.
And below I will be discussing in great details how this Nikon 300mm f4 performs when compared to the other lenses.
Read on to see the full review.
Specs • Performance • Sample Image • Conclusion • Where to Buy
Nikon 300mm f4 Specs
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Official Name:
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4D IF-ED
Focal Length Markings:
300mm
Features:
AF-S – Autofocus compatible with all Nikon DSLR camera, including the entry level ones.
D – Distance information will be transferred to the camera body for metering purpose.
IF – Internal Focusing – Lens physical dimension does not change during focusing.
ED – Extra Low Dispersion Glass – Nikon’s technology to make the image sharper by correcting the light wavelength that travels through the lens.
FX – Compatible with both Nikon cropped sensor, film and full frame DSLR camera.
Full Technical Specs (from Nikon’s website):
| Technical Specifications | |
| Groups / Elements | 6 / 10 |
| Angle of View | 5 20′ (DX) – 8 10′ (FX) |
| Number of Blade Diaphragm | 9 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/32 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 4.8ft. (1.45m) |
| Filter Thread | 77mm |
| Weight | 50.8oz. (1440g) |
| Dimension (Diameter x Length) | 3.5 x 8.8in. (90 x 222.5mm) |
| Macro Magnification Ratio | 0.24X |
| Available at | Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama |
Optical Performance
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Nikon 300mm f4 Sharpness
This lens is very sharp on the center straight from the f/4 aperture. On the border, this lens is very sharp as well, complementing the center sharpness nicely.
The point of maximum sharpness is at f/5.6, one stop above the maximum aperture.
Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4D IF-ED Center Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 300mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4D IF-ED Border Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 300mm | Great | Great | Great | Great |
Distortion
Distortion is negligible on this lens. You can safely ignore it in any shooting conditions.
See the distortion test result below to see the test result.
Nikon 300mm f4 Distortion
Vignetting
Vignetting is visible at the maximum aperture of f/2. Stop down to f/2.8 and it will be reduced greatly.
You can see the test result here.
Nikon 300 f4 Vignetting
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration is negligible on this lens at any aperture. You can simply ignore it in any shooting conditions.
See the full chromatic aberration test result below.
Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4D IF-ED Chromatic Aberration
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 300mm | Negligible | Very Low | Very Low | Very Low |
Build Quality
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Materials
Build quality on this lens is extremely high. It is made out of solid metal with great finish.
There is a built-in telescope lens hood on this lens. You should use a sturdy tripod or monopod to keep this lens steady.
Focusing
The focusing ring operates very smoothly on this lens. There is an IF (Internal Focusing) design on this lens so the length of the lens will remain constant during autofocusing.
In addition, the front element does not rotate during autofocusing. You can use a polarizing filter with ease here.
The AF-S autofocus motor makes the autofocusing fast, silent and accurate.
Because this lens features an AF-S motor, this lens will be able to autofocus with Nikon D40, D40x, D60, D5000, D5100, D3000 and D3100 DSLR camera.
You can use the available Nikon teleconverters with this lens.
Image Stabilization
There is no VR or Vibration Reduction on this lens which is quite unfortunate. I am sure most people will benefit from the VR mechanism here.
Compatibility
Being an FX lens, it is compatible with both Nikon cropped sensor DSLR and full frame DSLR camera. Also compatible with Nikon film camera.
Sample Image
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Below are some sample images that I took with this Nikon 300mm f4 lens. Click on any thumbnail to enlarge the images.
Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon
Conclusion
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Below are my conclusion for this Nikon 300mm f4 lens.
Drawbacks
- A bit heavy
- Expensive
- No VR mechanism
Positives
- Excellent sharpness both on the center and borders
- Superb distortion control
- Excellent chromatic aberration control
- Great vignetting control
- Fast, silent and accurate autofocusing mechanism
- Stellar build quality
Good For
- Portrait photography
- Sports photography under good lighting condition
- Wildlife photography
Not So Good For
- Shooting any fast moving objects under dim lighting condition due to the limited f/4 aperture
- Walk around prime lens due to its size and weight
What Others Are Saying…
by “”
I’m surprised that there are so few reviews for this lens. I wanted a telephoto for years so I bought an old used manual focus Nikon 300mm f4 lens. I was able to get good sharp photographs when shooting outdoors in bright sunshine with the aperture closed down a few stops. But…
Click here to see the full review
by “Lemmy Shoyu”
Nikon’s 300mm f/4 ED-IF AF-S telephoto lens is a excellent value and an excellent choice for shooting Sports, wildlife and portraits. At 3.17 lbs., it is very mobile and easy to hand hold. With extra low dispersion “ED” glass and fast…
Click here to see the full review
Where to Buy
Support this site, buy the Nikon 300mm f4 lens from these sites (best price online):
Amazon (best price + FREE shipping)
See the following related lens reviews to see more options.
Thanks for reading my Nikon 300mm f4 review and I will catch you in the next one!
| Lens Score | |
|---|---|
| Optical Quality | |
| Build Quality | |
| Value for Money | |
| Overall | |
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