70-300 lens

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gaschalk

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Nikon has 3 lens that are 70 to 300 mm. D, G, and E. I know they are kit lens but they run in the mm range that I plan to start with. Background I am retired and come from a wedding, landscape film camera background in my early days (70 - 80s). What I am looking at present is a Nikon D500 or jumping into a Z7ii. Question ' Is there a reall difference between these lenses as in sharpness, speed (AF), and quality? I am interested in street, land, and nature photograghy. I know the prices (here in Canada) range between 200 to 800 dollars for these lens. I just do not know if there is any real difference between then other than the motors.
 
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I think the best of the bunch at this point is the 70-300 AF-P f4.5-5.6E FX version. (At this point, there is no 70-300 on the Z mount lens roadmap.) I have used it on a D500, D850, Z7 and Z6. It is light weight and focuses very quickly on either a DSLR or a Z body (with the FTZ adapter). Its optical quality is quite good, especially given its relatively moderate price. It allows you to shoot on either a DX or FX body, so would start nicely on a D500, but work just as well if you shift to a Z7II, which is full frame.

I had the earlier AF-S G version for FX. It was a nice lens, but the newer AF-P version is sharper and focuses faster, in my experience -- although I sold the AF-S G when I got the AF-P version, so I did not do a direct comparison.

The AF-P 4.5-6.3 DX version is also nice and less expensive than the AF-P FX version, but less flexible if you may want to use it on an FX body. The AF-P FX version also has a VR switch, which is useful. I believe the AF-P DX version requires you to control VR from the camera's menu.

You might check Thom Hogan's reviews of these lenses for a more professional view. I believe he also likes the AF-P FX version.
 
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Thank you for the advice and the information. I have been looking for this info for a year and you are the first to give me any idea as to what the difference between lens besides price were. thank you again and much appreciated.
 
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gaschalk said:
Nikon has 3 lens that are 70 to 300 mm. D, G, and E. I know they are kit lens but they run in the mm range that I plan to start with. Background I am retired and come from a wedding, landscape film camera background in my early days (70 - 80s). What I am looking at present is a Nikon D500 or jumping into a Z7ii. Question ' Is there a reall difference between these lenses as in sharpness, speed (AF), and quality? I am interested in street, land, and nature photograghy. I know the prices (here in Canada) range between 200 to 800 dollars for these lens. I just do not know if there is any real difference between then other than the motors.
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Like Bill said, the P FX is the best of the bunch, on top of this I’d ad the P has a Puls driven steppermotor which means it’s very silent (if you ever would like to do video) but most of all it’s faster, more consistent and accurate regarding AF.

Out of curiosity, hope you don’t mind..
The D500 and Z7II are two completely different animals and not least because the first is an action oriented crop camera and the second an everything_but_action oriented full frame camera (with large size files)
So why these two cameras?
 
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I am a " what I see and like shooter with a foot into several fields. Some of my best shots run with street children and adults to abstract out of focus shots. I loved taking photos of what I call flighty birds. The idea is to get as close as possible. I ended my career with a medium format film camera. So I am looking for a camera that will give me a good degree of cropping. I am looking at the d500 because that is as close to what my old DX camera; but; I think I should look instead into the mirrorless cameras instead. So the AF-P E Lens is compatible with both systems thou it is for a full frame system.
 
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I also have a fixed budget in CA dollars so my choice is to go with a cheaper body and good lens or a more expensive body with a decent lens and the look at more pricy lens down the line. I found that I love telephoto lens when I was younger and still do.
 
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Ok clear, nothing wrong with a budget.
Some things to consider.
The F-mount (DSLR) lenses are compatible with the Z-mount via the FTZ adapter but the lens doesn’t benefit from the advantages of the Z-mount. (Each and every Z-mount lens up till now beats its F-mount equivalent)
For versatility but fast action I’d choose the Z7(II) over the D500.
The latter is absolutely a wonderfull camera but it’s engineered for speed in the first place.
IF you’re however a ‘cropper’ and you foresee to crop the D500 files I’d choose the D500. (Why would you want to tinker with those large resources demanding files of the Z7 then?)
Nonetheless, you’re a seasoned photog so I guess you know it’s always the better choice to prioritize the better lens not the camera.

Btw if you can live with the somewhat weaker props of the first gen Z7 I’d look into that one too.
With the upcoming release of the second gen Z’s I see prices already drop overhere and also more Z’s on the used market.
 
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just some food for thought! buying used can save you a bunch, and get you what you can't afford new sometimes.. I've purchased a lot of used equipment and never had an issue.
 
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A couple more thoughts. If you have a budget to consider, the 70-300 AF-P FX lens is a very good choice in my view. It has a high quality to price ratio. I have a number of telephoto primes and zooms. I happily choose the 70-300 AF-P FX lens for my DSLR or Z bodies when I want a zoom that is light weight (at least if 300 mm is long enough).

As to a D500 or a Z7II (or maybe Z7) — I agree with Roger that the Z7II/Z7 is more versatile than the D500, albeit with much larger files. At this point, the D500 has better autofocus for birds in flight and other fast action, as compared to a Z7. The Z7II is supposed to have improved autofocus, so it is possible that that this advantage of the D500 will be smaller or even eliminated (we hope!).

The Z7 autofocus is better (more consistently accurate) in my experience for stationary and slowly moving subjects than my DSLRs. In part, I think, because there are focus points across the entire frame and because there is much less need, if any, to focus tune lenses.

I am fortunate enough to have both DSLRs and Z bodies, as I kept my D500 and D850 when I got my Z7 and later Z6. Right now, if I expect a lot of birds in flight, I choose the D500 or D850. For everything else, I choose the Z7 or Z6. That said, the Z7 is decent for birds in flight. I have used it a fair amount on BIF as a test — the Z7 autofocus also got better over time, as Nikon released firmware updates and as I got better through practice. For someone used to a DSLR, there is a learning curve for the Z autofocus system. Steve’s book on Nikon autofocus, mirrorless edition, is very helpful here (although it may need to be updated to cover the Z7II/Z6II). Thom Hogan’s books on the Z7/Z6 cameras is also helpful (and will also need to be updated for the Z7II/Z6II).

It will be interesting to see how much autofocus is improved on the Z7II. We won’t know for sure until production models are out and people like Steve try them out.
 
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BillW said:
I am fortunate enough to have both DSLRs and Z bodies, as I kept my D500 and D850 when I got my Z7 and later Z6. Right now, if I expect a lot of birds in flight, I choose the D500 or D850. For everything else, I choose the Z7 or Z6. That said, the Z7 is decent for birds in flight. I have used it a fair amount on BIF as a test — the Z7 autofocus also got better over time, as Nikon released firmware updates and as I got better through practice. For someone used to a DSLR, there is a learning curve for the Z autofocus system. Steve’s book on Nikon autofocus, mirrorless edition, is very helpful here (although it may need to be updated to cover the Z7II/Z6II). Thom Hogan’s books on the Z7/Z6 cameras is also helpful (and will also need to be updated for the Z7II/Z6II).

It will be interesting to see how much autofocus is improved on the Z7II. We won’t know for sure until production models are out and people like Steve try them out.
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Out of interest, when do you pick up the Z6 over the Z7 and vice versa? I just recently bought a D500 to use with both PF lenses and love it.

I am tempted to sell my Fuji gear and get either a Z6 or Z7 (either mk1 or mk2) for general photography and also as an additional body for wildlife photography but am struggling to decide which I would go for (keeping the D500).

On the one hand, the Z7 is high res so offers plenty of scope for cropping, however, I already have the D500 for times when I can’t get close enough and it has similar pixel density and noise characteristics at high ISO when compared to the Z7 in DX mode (from what I’ve read).

Part of me is more interested in the Z6, as this presumably offers better high ISO performance for dawn/dusk shooting.

As someone who owns both Z’s and the D500/D850 combo, I’d be interested in your thoughts @BillW.
 
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euanmax said:
Out of interest, when do you pick up the Z6 over the Z7 and vice versa? I just recently bought a D500 to use with both PF lenses and love it.

I am tempted to sell my Fuji gear and get either a Z6 or Z7 (either mk1 or mk2) for general photography and also as an additional body for wildlife photography but am struggling to decide which I would go for (keeping the D500).

On the one hand, the Z7 is high res so offers plenty of scope for cropping, however, I already have the D500 for times when I can’t get close enough and it has similar pixel density and noise characteristics at high ISO when compared to the Z7 in DX mode (from what I’ve read).

Part of me is more interested in the Z6, as this presumably offers better high ISO performance for dawn/dusk shooting.

As someone who owns both Z’s and the D500/D850 combo, I’d be interested in your thoughts @BillW.
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I generally use the Z7 for wildlife and landscape work. For wildlife, the extra pixels can allow more cropping when needed. Sometimes I can't get as close as I would like, even with my 500 mm PF plus 1.4x TCIII. I like the extra resolution for landscapes, although I have not printed larger than 17x22 at this point.

I tend to use the Z6 for more general shooting -- family events, our new puppy, travel and the like. 45 mp can be overkill here. I also use it when I expect low-light shooting. I think its autofocus is a bit better there and there is less noise (although with the same output size, there isn't an enormous amount of difference at ISOs 6400 and lower). I generally try to keep my Z7 to ISO 6400 or lower (and at base ISO 64 for landscape work from a tripod) but let my Z6 go to 12,800.

And I often take both the Z7 and Z6, in which case I tend to use a longer lens (e.g., 500 mm PF) on the Z7 and a shorter lens on the Z6 (e.g., 70-200E in F mount or 24-70 f2.8 in Z mount). In Antarctica earlier this year, before Covid shut down travel, I used the 500 mm PF on a D850, the 70-200E on my Z7 and the 24-70 f2.8 in Z mount on my Z6. It was wildlife, and landscape shooting.

Last year, on a trip to Gwaii Hanaas (also wildlife and landscape shooting), I shot the D500 with the 500 mm PF, the 70-200E on the Z7 and the 24-70 f4 in Z mount on the Z6. There were times that I wished I had brought the D850 instead of the D500 (or had put the 500 mm PF on the Z7), as I was sometimes too close to birds and other wildlife (even shooting from a zodiac). With the D850 or Z7 I could have decided not to crop and had a wider field of view when desirable, rather than the forced DX crop on the D500. That said, I like my D500 a lot and it is my first pick for birds in fight.

One more thought. F mount lenses work on both DSLRs and Z bodies (with the FTZ adapter). But Z mount lenses work only on Z bodies. So as you get Z mount lenses, you may want second Z body as a backup, at least in more remote locations.
 
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The D500 is the best of the DX cameras, while the Z7ii seems to be (on paper) the best of the mirrorless cameras Nikon has. Why would you consider the Z7ii not being action oriented? It's speed is up to 1/8000th and continuous speed is at 10fps. What leads you to believe it would not be good for wildlife or action?
 
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gaschalk said:
The D500 is the best of the DX cameras, while the Z7ii seems to be (on paper) the best of the mirrorless cameras Nikon has. Why would you consider the Z7ii not being action oriented? It's speed is up to 1/8000th and continuous speed is at 10fps. What leads you to believe it would not be good for wildlife or action?
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The AF system is still in question if its good enough... the original Z camera the AF system is not good enough for BIF.
 
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gaschalk said:
Nikon has 3 lens that are 70 to 300 mm. D, G, and E. I know they are kit lens but they run in the mm range that I plan to start with. Background I am retired and come from a wedding, landscape film camera background in my early days (70 - 80s). What I am looking at present is a Nikon D500 or jumping into a Z7ii. Question ' Is there a reall difference between these lenses as in sharpness, speed (AF), and quality? I am interested in street, land, and nature photograghy. I know the prices (here in Canada) range between 200 to 800 dollars for these lens. I just do not know if there is any real difference between then other than the motors.
Click to expand...

If I have misunderstood your direction, I apologise in advance,

I think before you worry about which lens, you need to really carefully consider the body your using or intend using, your choices in the Z7 II and the D500 and Kit or Fx lenses are polarising, the Z7II will absolutely highlight the flaws in any lens even more so a kit lens or a Fx lens even, the lenses your referring to are a waste on the Z7 II. With a Z7 II for best results you really should only use Z lenses or stay with a FX system, the new Nikon Z lens technology on Z series bodies has so much better performance in colour and clarity that harmonises, the Z series Nikon lenses are the best IQ lenses Nikon have ever made to date, combined with the Z series sensor- algorithms whatever..... is the reason why Nikon Files are considered by so many to be the best in the industry.

A suggestion only, Choose what you want to do in photography overall first, secondly choose the body that fits the need best overall, then, build the glass around that body slowly, remember "the clothes does not make the man, Nor does the camera make the photo”.
Don't believe everything you read on the web, the Z series 6 II and 7 II can be used for wild life, I use a 2 x D850 with a power packs, have no regrets what so ever in selling my D4s D5...so much happier




Only an Opinion
 
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Etching House said:
If I have misunderstood your direction, I apologise in advance,

I think before you worry about which lens, you need to really carefully consider the body your using or intend using, your choices in the Z7 II and the D500 and Kit or Fx lenses are polarising, the Z7II will absolutely highlight the flaws in any lens even more so a kit lens or a Fx lens even, the lenses your referring to are a waste on the Z7 II. With a Z7 II for best results you really should only use Z lenses or stay with a FX system, the new Nikon Z lens technology on Z series bodies has so much better performance in colour and clarity that harmonises, the Z series Nikon lenses are the best IQ lenses Nikon have ever made to date, combined with the Z series sensor- algorithms whatever..... is the reason why Nikon Files are considered by so many to be the best in the industry.

A suggestion only, Choose what you want to do in photography overall first, secondly choose the body that fits the need best overall, then, build the glass around that body slowly, remember "the clothes does not make the man, Nor does the camera make the photo”.
Don't believe everything you read on the web, the Z series 6 II and 7 II can be used for wild life, I use a 2 x D850 with a power packs, have no regrets what so ever in selling my D4s D5...so much happier




Only an Opinion
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I agree completely. It seems odd to buy a 3k Z mount body to put a $500 F mount lens on. It seems kind of backward. Glass is where you should focus a good chunk of your budget. You mentioned that you like the 70-300mm FL but it will be different (obviously) on a DX camera. So do you want a true 70-300 or the DX equivalent 105-450? That's where I would start my decision process.

If you want the crop factor but like the idea of mirrorless you could look at the Z50. A lot of people love it and it is fairly speedy if you need high FR. You would have 2k of your budget left to get a 200-500 or maybe a wider angle, 24-70s? It would leave options in your budget. Also, don't forget Nikon isn't the only game in town.
 
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I agree that one wants to pick a body carefully, depending on many factors, including what one shoots. I also agree that lenses are very important and a tool that you will likely keep longer than most bodies. That said, I disagree about the 70-300 AF-P FX lens (and I mean the AF-P FX version, not the AF-P DX version). Yes, it's a $500 something lens, but it's quite good and not a waste to shoot on a D850 or Z7. I have shot mine on a D500, D850, Z7 and Z6. If you want a light weight telephoto, it's quite competent on a D850 or Z7 (which should have the same resolution as the Z7II). Of course, there are better lenses in this range -- if I want a faster lens or one that is better optically, I might choose the heavier and more expensive 70-200 f2.8E FL (or the 70-200 f2.8 in Z mount, which I have not tried yet, but hope will be even better) or the 300 mm PF prime. The 120-300 f2.8 is certainly better (although I have not shot one), and even heavier and more expensive.

I'm not a lens tester or a professional, so you may take my comments with a grain of salt. But it's a nice light weight telephoto if you want a light kit, need zoom flexibility and 300 mm is long enough. And it works well on a D500, but would also work on FX bodies, including the D850 or Z7. I have used mine when hiking, traveling and shooting from a canoe/kayak/zodiac. It is a nice compliment to my 500 mm PF.

The OP might find Thom Hogan's various comments on this lens helpful, as he is certainly more experienced than me in evaluating lenses.
 
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I believe the 70-300 AF-P E ED VR is the best of the bunch. All I know is that shooting with it on my Z6 is a pleasure and I like the results.
 
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