Nikkor AF-S ED 300 mm f/4 D (IF)

Introduction

Nikon introduced the AF-S 300/4 lens in 2001, thus replacing the glorious AF ED 300/4 IF. The new lens has some interesting features, which allow to consider it, at least in my opinion, as a real improvement on the previous model. Such features are:

- the silent-wave AF motor (AF-S), which works also with F4-Series cameras;

- the use of 77 mm filters (finally!);

- a quite useful 1.45 m minimum focusing distance.

Performance

Color rendition is awesome and distorsion is comparable to my 50/1.8 E, i.e. nil. A state-of-the-art performance!

At the widest aperture an almost imperceptible corner light fall-off is visible, which disappears at f/5.6. Therefore, the light fall-off is better corrected than the previous non-D AF model. I guess the maximum aperture is around 1/3 stop less than f/4. In fact, slides taken at 1/500" f/4 are slightly darker than images at 1/250" f/5.6 or 1/125" f/8. To get similar densities at different apertures I have to compensate for +1/3 EV @ f/4. 

The lens exhibits a very good sharpness at f/4, even in the corners. At f/5.6 sharpness increases and image quality is excellent. W/open & with my TC-14B the sharpness is very good, but contrast decreases. However, the overall performance is preferable to the AF Tokina ATX 400 mm f/5.6, a telephoto lens I used in the past with satisfaction.

If you trust MTF tests, I summarize in the following a ranking I have determined by comparing MTF tests of the following lenses: AFS 300/4, AF ED 300/4 (non-D model), AFS 300/2.8 and the Canon EF 300 mm lenses. The data I used to rank the lenses in order of MTF quality were published by Tutti Fotografi magazine (Milan - Italy) and can be viewed here. 

The parameter I selected to rank the lenses was the average quality across the frame at the maximum aperture:

AFS 300/2.8 = EF 300/2.8 IS = EF 300/4 L > EF 300/4 IS > AFS 300/4 > AF 300/4.

Therefore, according to MTF tests, Nikon did not succeed - like Canon - in manufacturing a f/4 lens as good as the pro-calibre 300/2.8. As a matter of fact, the "slightly" lower quality of the AFS 300/4 with respect to the AFS 300/2.8 is implicitly admitted by Nikon Co. itself in their Jap web site. The blue  curve (30 lines per mm) in the MTF plot of the AFS 300/4 is not as "high" as the blue curve of the AFS 300/2.8 (whose MTF values are always larger than 0.9 up to 15 mm from the centre of the frame). Both the curves refer to the max. aperture (f/4 and f/2.8 respectively).

Anyway, I consider the AFS 300/4 a tool preferable to the f/2.8 brother because:

- it is unobtrusive & much lighter (a real travel lens, supplied with a nice semi-soft case);

- it focuses closer (see below);

- it can produce high quality images even w/open;

- yes, it's slower, but it costs 4000 € less ...

About tripod collar ...

Several good reviews in the web have addressed the improvements over the previous (non-D) model and I prefer to invite you to read them rather than to repeat here the same things. In particular, Thom Hogan's review discussed in detail the AF-S performance and other issues as the one related to the new tripod collar, which drew several critical comments when it appeared. It could be interesting to check out Bjørn Rørslett web site, where he pointed out that the lens "vibrates" at critical shutter speeds, even on a first class tripod like the one he used to test the lens. John Shaw, in the "product reviews" page of his web site suggests to use a lens locking knob by Really Right Stuff to solve the problem that, according to him, "lies with the collar not being sufficiently tightened down".

According to my experience in the field, I consider the quality of the tripod collar of my sample (serial number: 210xxx) "satisfactory".  

Close-up performance

It is rather surprising that very few comments in the Web, and in magazines as well, have addressed the close-up performance of the AFS 300/4.

Without accessories, this lens focuses down to 1.45 m, thus achieving a 0.27 X magnification (1:3.7). As usual, the close focus performance has been attained by shortening the focal length (FL). Therefore, the actual FL at 1.45 m is about 240 mm.

This performance is slightly lower than that of the AF Sigma 300/4 Apo Macro, which allows to get 0.33 X at 1.2 m. However, with a 1.4 X (both the TC-14 B and TC-14 E can be employed) the resulting 420/5.6 lens allows to get a 1/2.6 reproduction ratio at 1.45 m, thus equalling the macro capabilities of the AF Sigma 400/5.6 Apo Macro (1:3 at 1.6 m).

Moreover, the close-up performance of the AF-S 300/4 can be enhanced by using a PK extension tube, according to the data reported in the Table below.

¹ with the TC attached to the camera

² PK-11/PK-11A rings cannot be attached directly to the lens

³ WD: working distance, i.e. distance between front element and subject

⁴ to be used with a 77 mm (male) - 62 mm (female) step ring (don't worry! no vignetting occurs)

⁵ when the lens is stopped down @ f/8 or f/11, and at the minimum focused distance

In order to understand what the above mentioned reproduction ratios mean, the pictures below show an African pawn photographed with the AFS 300/4 using different accessories. The actual diameter of the blue buckler is 23 mm and the as-scanned pictures were not cropped.

Image taken at 1:2.7 with TC-14B

Image taken at 1:1.6 with 5T close-up filter

Image taken at 1:1.7 with PK-13 and TC-14B.

The image exhibits a much better quality than

the previous one, taken with a 5T filter

...

Thanks to its 1.45 m minimum focusing distance, the AFS 300/4 is a great tool for flower/plants photography.

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Text, table, figure & images © Copyright 2002 Riccardo Polini