Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II Review

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II ($5,499.95) is one of those lenses that hobbyists lust after and certain professionals absolutely need to get their jobs done. Its long focal length and bright aperture make it a solid choice for shooting sports, especially in the difficult lighting you find in many venues, and wildlife photographers will appreciate the ability to pair with a teleconverter and still focus and track moving subjects at full speed. Its image quality, focus performance, and build quality earn our Editors' Choice. Design: No Corners Cut The 300mm f/2.8G ($5,496.95 at Amazon) is huge. It measures 10.5 by 4.9 inches (HD) and weighs 6.4 pounds. But despite its bulk, I found it comfortable to handhold for short periods of time, though I'd recommend pairing with a monopod for extended use. There's an integrated tripod collar; it rotates so you can switch from landscape to portrait orientation and has a thumbscrew to lock it in place. The front element is huge, so...

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II is a big, expensive telephoto lens with a bright aperture and the superb build that working professionals demand.

Wide aperture; Quite sharp; Minimal distortion; Rear filter support; Pro-grade build; Rotating tripod collar; Focus hold and memory functions; Teleconverter compatibility

Heavy; Pricey; Vignette at f/2.8

Truly Great Lens

This is a true high-class lens, and its versatility is amazing. It is so sharp, with such great bokeh, that you can crop butterfly images and they look better than if taken by a macro lens. You can also safely slap a 2x TC III on it, double your reach, and yet still get *outstanding*image quality.

Fast, precise and optically superb.

I got mine from WE. Pity Amazon does not stock these because they are the business. If you want a perfect image mount one of these on a sturdy tripod with a gimbal head (you'll need it because it's 2 kilos) put it on timer and use a remote.