Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR

Unbeatable convenience and acceptable image quality You can't beat the convenience of this lens. It goes from 28mm all the way to 300mm and is respectably sharp at f/8 at the long end and f/5.6 at shorter focal lengths. It's not as sharp as my pro glass, and the contrast isn't quite as good, but it's a miracle that it is as good as it is given that super zooms are always optical compromises. VR is good enough that I can get sharp photos most of the time at 1/30 of a second, and maybe 50% of the time at 1/15-1/20. My copy had a slight front focus that needed +1 AF Fine tune to correct. I will say that if you are a hard core pixel peeper who uses professional glass, you might not be happy with this lens. But if you aren't the kind of person who looks at their photos under a magnifying glass, you will love the versatility and convenience it brings. I have included a handful of pictures I snapped with it tonight. All handheld, the VR is pretty good and when combined with the high ISO capabilities of modern cameras lets you shoot in fairly low light levels, as long as your subject is still.Read full review

Good overall, walk-around lens but not good in low-light. I'm satisfied overall with this lens, it's sharp, the images are clear for the most part but when zoomed in all the way to 300mm it's not perfectly sharp. It's not good in low-light because of the 3.5 maximum aperture but you have to know what you are getting. If you shoot with ISO 600-800 you'll be fine with the low-light but the image quality suffers just a bit. Not happy with the focus noise of the lens when making a video in continual auto-focus. That's just obnoxious.

A great all purpose walk-around lens with the quality you expect from Nikon I have a number of lenses and each one is best for its specific intended use, but for general walk-around shots I find it impossible to lug all my gear with me and get quick shots. This lens was the answer. It is a hefty piece of glass, and it does have its own set of peculiarities, but it offered the best compromise and results at a decent price range. It will never replace the tack sharp results I get with my 300mm prime, but its much easier and quicker to use then fumbling with a tripod and having to switch lenses when going from wideangle to zoom shots in situations like sightseeing, public events, and other congested places where hauling all your gear with you would be crazy. I always carry a camera with me when I am out driving around, and this is just the lens to have when you suddenly come across those situations where you find yourself saying "I wish I had brought my big zoom" or "darn, I wish I had rememberd to bring a widerangle lens". This lens has all that, and its quality Nikon glass in a "jack-of-all-trades" package. It is just my opinion, but I believe you use a specific lens for a reason and the range of this lens allows for it to be used for a larger variety of situations. So when you hear somebody say "Wow! There was a 10 point buck standing right off the edge of the road yesterday, but I couldn't get a close enough shot of it because I had a 50mm on the camera". Well guess what. I got a great shot of it because......Read full review