Home Donate New Search Gallery Reviews How-To Books Links Workshops About Contact Nikon 300mm f/4.5 Intro Specs Performance Compared Usage Recommendations More Nikon 300mm f/4.5 AI-s (FX, DX and 35mm coverage, metal 72mm filter thread, 40.9 oz./1,158g, 12'/3.5 m close focus, about $250 used). enlarge. I got this beauty at this link directly to them at eBay (see How to Win at eBay). This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Buy only from the approved sources I use myself for the best prices, service, return policies and selection. Thanks for your support! Ken.
January 2015 Nikon Reviews Nikon Lenses All Reviews Nikon 300mm f/4 Lenses Compared Why Fixed Lenses Take Better Pictures
Introduction top Intro Specs Performance Compared Usage Recommendations This is a popular lens. It works extremely well on the newest full-frame DSLRs.
Compatibility Nikon 300mm f/4.5 AI-s. enlarge It won't couple well to the cheaper digital (D80 and below) and cheaper film cameras (N80 and below). It works perfectly every professional film camera (F, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6), with Matrix metering on the FA, F4 and F6. See Nikon Lens Compatibility for details on your camera. Read down the "AI, AI-s"column for this lens.
Green Motel, Barstow, California. Nikon D3, 300mm f/4.5 AI-s at f/11, 8 sec. at ISO 200, tripod, WB set on a preset I use indoors in my home (recalled from memory). Exactly as shot. Let's see: great color, great contrast, no flare, no ghosts, no distortion, no color fringes and super-sharp. Any questions?
Production History The 6-element optics have been unchanged, except for coatings, since 1969. This AI-s version is the most recent. Here are the mechanical variations of this 6-element optical design:
1969-1974: NIKKOR-H. Scalloped metal focus ring, two fixed tripod holes, chrome mid-barrel.
1975-1977 Modern all-black barrel, rubber focus ring, rotating tripod collar, non-AI.
1977-1981 AI version.
1981-1998 This AI-s version.
Specification Variation All versions stop down to f/22, except this AI-s version, which stops down to f/32. All versions have a nasty six-bladed diaphragm, except for this newest AI-s version which has 7 blades. (The ED-IF and AF versions have 9 blades.) All versions focus to 13 feet (4 meters), except this AI-s version, which focuses to 12 feet (3.5 meters).
Production Quantities Nikon made about 15,000 of the nasty P versions from 1964 - 1969. Nikon made about 80,000 of the pre-AI six element versions from 1969 - 1977. Nikon made about 35,000 of the AI versions from 1977 - 1981. Nikon made about 125,000 of this nicest and newest AI-s version since 1981.
Specifications top Intro Specs Performance Compared Usage Recommendations Name Nikon calls this the Nikon AI Nikkor 300mm f/4.5s.
Focal Length 300mm. Used on a DX camera it gives angles of view similar to what a 450mm lens would give on an FX or 35mm film camera. See also Crop Factor.
Optics 6 elements in 5 groups. Nikon Integrated Multicoated (NIC). Traditional design: entire optical assembly moves in and out to focus.
Diaphragm Nikon 300mm f/4.5 AI-s at f/5.6, front view. 7 blades. Stops down to f/32.
Close Focus 13.3 feet (3.5 meters).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio 1:9. Nikon 300mm f/4.5 AI-s focus scale. Depth-of Field Scale? Yes.
Infra-Red Focus Index? Yes.
Filter Thread 72mm. Solid alloy.
Tripod Collar Rotating, locking, and removable (and therefore losable).
Size 7.66" extension from flange (focused at infinity) x 3.094" diameter (194.5 x 78.59 mm), measured. The widest thing is the the hood. Nikon specifies 194mm extension from flange, 202mm overall and 78.5mm diameter.
Weight 40.865 oz. (2.554 pounds or 1,158.5g), measured. Nikon specifies 1,200g.
Case CL-20A.
Hood Built-in; also try the HN-20.
Nikon 300mm f/4.5 AI-s aperture ring.
Performance top Intro Specs Performance Compared Usage Recommendations
Overall I'm surprised at how well this ancient design 300mm f/4.5 works on my D3. It's sharp, devoid of color fringes, and just works great. A benefit of this lens over newer ED and AF lenses are its more precise manual focus. It has no ghosts, making it ideal for pointing into sources of light. It has a hard infinity stop, making it ideal for astronomical use. (Newer ED lenses have no infinity stop.) It has no significant distortion of straight lines.
Distortion Distortion is invisible unless you deliberately put a ruler on a greatly magnified image on a 30" monitor. Plug this figure (more coming) into Photoshop CS2's lens distortion filter to correct the distortion. These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
© 2008 KenRockwell.com Falloff (dark corners) The 300mm f/4.5 has very mild falloff at full aperture. It is rarely visible unless you're looking for it. If you are, stop it down a stop or two and it vanishes. This is better than the 300mm f/4.5 ED-IF, which has a weird falloff characteristic with a brighter dot in the middle which doesn't go away until stopped down much further. |
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Focus Manual focus has the classic Nikon feel, which is duplicated nowhere.
Ghosts Deliberately Overexposed Sunrise, Barstow, Calif. D3, f/8 at 1/125, ISO 200, no filter. It has no ghosts when pointed into the sun. It's much better than newer zooms like the AFS 70-200mm f/2.8 VR.
Mechanics and Construction The Nikkor 300mm f/4.5 AI-s is made like they used to. It is built to the highest mechanical standards, period.
Filter Threads Metal.
Retraceable Hood Metal. Internally flocked.
Barrel Metal.
Focus Ring Metal, rubber covered.
Aperture Ring Metal.
Finish Black enamel over black anodization.
Mount Chromed brass.
Internals Metal.
Markings All engraved and filled with paint.
Noises when Shaken Clicking from the diaphragm blades.
Sharpness It's sharp edge-to-edge on the D3, even wide-open. If it's this sharp on the D3, it will be even better on less picky Fuji Velvia 50 film.
Nikon 300mm f/4.5 AI-s. enlarge.
Compared top Intro Specs Performance Compared Usage Recommendations See Nikon 300mm f/4 Lenses Compared.
Usage top Intro Specs Performance Compared Usage Recommendations On most DSLRs and the F6, use the "Non-CPU Lens Data" menu option to input 300mm and f/4.5. This gives full matrix metering and EXIF data, and finder read-out of set aperture. It works great in aperture-preferred as well as manual modes on these cameras.
Recommendations top Intro Specs Performance Compared Usage Recommendations Want one? Get one; it works great. Also look at the 300mm f/4.5 ED-IF, which weighs less, is slightly smaller and is a newer design that used to sell for far more than this non-ED lens did. Be sure to get the tripod mount with this lens. It is removable, so stupider people lose them and try to sell these lenses without them.
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Mr. & Mrs. Ken Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
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January 2008