Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras

Really good lens. It’s not very sharp past ~200mm but it really has a look and it renders colors and contrast exceptionally well. This is a fantastic travel Lens as it’s not very heavy and not extremely large either. I’d been looking for a NIKOR lens for my mirrorless that can replace this but haven’t found anything with this range that looks as great as this lens’ pictures when edited in post. It really has a je ne sais qois - something intangible that’s really special.

Let me preface this by saying that I did not expect much from this 10x zoom. I ordered it because the 24-120mm was out of stock and this was in stock (for about an hour) and I was truly intrigued by a do it all zoom. Having used the 24-120mm F/4 before I knew that it would be a step down in sharpness with this lens. The results confirm that fact. I was initially disappointed in the quality when I view pictures at 1:1 on a D800. However, if all lens are judged by sharpness alone, we'd all be carrying 10 primes in our backpacks.I thought, perhaps I should order the 24-120mm and 70-300mm which theoretically would give me better quality at both ends. I ordered the 70-300mm VRII lens for comparison because conventional wisdom tells us that a 5x zoom should beat a 10x zoom in quality, right? Wrong! I've read Mansurov's review and expected the 70-300mm to as good or better than the 28-300 but my findings totally contradicted his. Perhaps the D800 has something to do with it? I could not find pictures as soft as the ones in his review. Here's the kicker, the 28-300 is a BETTER lens beyond 200mm than the 70-300mm. The contrast is superior whereas the the 70-300mm has bluish fringe color cast at the long end. At 70mm, the 70-300mm is ever so slightly sharper but again, the contrast is better on the 28-300mm. At 140-160mm, I found that the 28-300mm slightly edges out the 70-300mm, but again, contrast is superior on the 28-300mm. I have to chalk it up to the ED glasses in this lens.The corners are softer than the center. However, if you need corner to corner sharpness, a prime rather than a zoom is the lens you want.With a little sharpening post process and a resize of the image to 12MP or so, the softness is gone. The D800 is a superb camera in more ways than one. This is what it boils down to. At 1:1 pixel peeping on the D800, the difference in quality lens can be seen. Once downsized and post processed, it is truly difficult to judge the differences. For landscapes and 100% wall pictures that demand critical sharpness, you should look elsewhere. However, for me, I'm satisfied with such a versatile lens.I returned the 70-300mm and will keep the 28-300mm as a utility zoom with very decent 200-300mm range. Did I receive a bad copy of the 70-300mm? I don't know and I don't really want to order another one to find out.One thing to keep in mind is that during my test at 10 feet away from the test chart, the 28-300mm pictures are all farther way than the 70-300. Bear that in mind if you're going to use it for a faux Macro lens. There is definitely focus breathing on this lens.My rating is based on the total package not just on the sharpness alone. A 10x zoom that is equal and in some ways, sharper and better than a 5x zoom? That's a definite 5 stars.Update 6/24/12: I'm returning this lens. The distortion, even when fixed in post is still noticeable. Furthermore, I find that I refrain from shooting this wide open as it's unacceptable so it's a zoom lens that has a sweet spot at 5.6-8.

This lens is a very nice product indeed. I have it paired with a D7000 and the combo is proving very capable. With the range going from 42mm to 450mm on the DX cams it covers an awesome range. At its widest setting the lens is not all that long and when fully zoomed it does double in length but its smooth throughout and seems very sharp.The 28mm lock on the side has also proven handy when pulling this thing out of the bags as they often grip the sides of the lens and will extend the lens in full on the way out when not used. Just hanging around your neck the lens does not move in the slightest though.The A/M focus setting on the side is great, full auto can be overridden anytime whenever you grab the focus ring. I would have liked to see the focus ring position or width changed a bit but it's very usable as is.On the value side of things this lens will save lots of money with all the lenses people will be able to avoid purchasing altogether. In addition you will not have to worry when you're on the way out the door with what lens to bring because you will always have an excellent choice at the tips of your fingers. If you are a fan of wide shooting like me you might consider adding the something like the Nikon 10-24mm which would round out the wide end of things. Toss in a nice prime 35mm or 50mm from Nikon for some low light shots and your all set with a trio of lenses that will be as much as anyone will need outside of the Pro world.Truth be told I have not taken this lens off since it arrived, I have been thrilled with its quality and range. There is nothing like being able to shoot someone or a couple across the table from me and then point the lens over the railing and grab a great telephoto shot the next second. I used to miss shots fumbling around changing lenses but now I am all set no matter what I point at.So if you're looking for a quality lens that is very well rounded and do not mind a little extra weight (actually its extremely comfortable when compared to my 70-300mm as it is a bigger diameter making it fit my paws better) this is the lens for you. I would not be surprised if this lens hit a limited supply status for a while once the public starts the feeding frenzy!Ohhhh I almost forgot... since this lens works on DX and FX you are adding yet another layer of investment protection if you should ever decide to take the jump up to FX.... What's not to like!