Learn & Explore Tip of the Day

May 22, 2013

Planning to take a vacation by the beach? Look for a compact digital camera that’s waterproof, such as the Nikon COOLPIX AW100, AW110, S30, S31 or get an underwater housing for your camera. You’ll be able to take your camera under water and capture what goes on below the surface.

May 21, 2013

When shooting nighttime landscapes, use a low ISO (400 or below if possible) while working from a tripod. Open your aperture to F/4 or F/5.6. This will allow you to have a shot full of detail and of good quality. Remember that night shots need a subject, just like day shots.

May 20, 2013

Don’t forget to bring your camera to holiday barbeques so you can capture all of the fun. Take pictures of the food being grilled, games being played, as well as groupings of friends and family.

May 19, 2013

Wait until the camera has finished writing the photo(s) to the memory card (green light is off) before turning off the camera or removing the card. You can lose pictures if you do either before the camera has had time to download the file(s) from its internal memory to the card.

May 18, 2013

You should format the memory card in your camera on a regular basis. By using the camera’s built-in “Format” function, found in the menus, you lessen the chance of having card problems in the future. Doing so is better than just deleting the images using the camera or the computer.

May 17, 2013

When you’re at a parade take photos of the parade goers, especially your children and the looks on their faces. You’ll see a lot of smiles and excitement.

May 16, 2013

Take a self-portrait each day for a week or month (or a year). It’s harder than you think to take an attractive photo of yourself, and if you do it for long enough you’ll have an interesting series that shows how you’ve changed over time.

May 15, 2013

Everyone loves a parade. For more interesting photos, look for details like the band’s uniforms, a cheerleader’s colorful pom-poms or a bright red fire engine.

May 14, 2013

When shooting groups of five or more people, make sure you stagger them. Put tall folks in the back and the shortest ones in front. It may seem simple, but blocking out just one face can ruin a group portrait. Always tell them, “If you don’t have a clear view of me, the camera can’t see you.”

May 13, 2013

Posing a bride and groom for photos is sometimes difficult. Concentrate on close shots of just the two of them, with clean backgrounds. Then create a fun group shot having them in the center, with others gathered around them. Just make sure no one gets in front of them. After all, it’s their day.

May 12, 2013

Take plenty of photos during your Mother’s Day celebrations. Remember to print multiple copies, so everyone can have their own photographs of mom to cherish.

May 11, 2013

Use a polarizing filter to lessen or eliminate reflections from glass. This works really well on windows of stores or cars. But the trade-off is that your exposure will be a bit longer, as the light is cut down by almost two stops.

May 10, 2013

Capture the hustle and bustle of the city at night. Place your camera on a tripod and use a long exposure (slow shutter speed) to blur the movement of cars and people. Try shooting for about 10 seconds first, and then adjust creatively to catch the motion of the lights and the feel of the city.

May 9, 2013

Make a great team picture. Get the team together in front of a nice background—maybe the goal, the net or the team logo on the field or floor. Shoot the ordinary, and then let the kids have some fun, making faces or funny poses. That’s the one they will always remember.

May 8, 2013

Try shooting panoramas if you’re at a sport stadium, beach or park, for more interesting images. Some Nikon Digital Cameras have an Easy Panorama mode or a Panorama Assist mode, which make these photos easy to shoot.

May 7, 2013

When photographing animals of any kind—pets, birds in flight, animals at the zoo—try to zoom in as close as you can or use a longer lens to isolate the animal from its background. By getting a close-up view you have a greater chance of capturing a wonderful expression on the face of the animal, which will give you a more interesting photograph.

May 6, 2013

Want a unique video of sports action? Use the slow-motion mode that many Nikon digital cameras offer. By shooting the action faster than normal and played back at normal speed, your subject’s movements are slowed down and look more deliberate.

May 5, 2013

When celebrating Cinco de Mayo, take plenty of photos of the colorful decorations in addition to candid photos of everyone having a great time.

May 4, 2013

Change your white balance during a sunrise or sunset. Take your camera off auto white balance and switch to Cloudy or Shady white balance. This will add more strength to the reds, oranges and yellows. Auto White Balance tries to keep colors neutral.

May 3, 2013

To get a shot of someone at sunset, turn on your flash and place the person with the beautiful sunset behind them. With the flash on, they will be illuminated. With the flash off, they will be silhouetted.

May 2, 2013

Spend a day capturing images only in black and white. You have to look at the world differently to take a good-looking photo in black and white, and that will help sharpen your artistic skills.

May 1, 2013

May is National Photo Month! Celebrate by taking photos every day. Give yourself an assignment such as taking a self-portrait each day of the month, or photographing an object every day.

April 30, 2013

If your camera can capture images in both RAW and JPEG format, do so even if you don’t work with RAW images now. These RAW files have the highest image quality possible, so you can edit them years from now and be sure you’re getting the best looking image possible.

April 29, 2013

Set your Speedlight to Rear Curtain Sync. This fires the flash at the end of the exposure, not the beginning, and can create interesting streaks and effects in moving subjects. Experiment with the different flash modes your camera and Speedlight offers.

April 28, 2013

Pick a day and use a fixed focal length lens instead of a zoom (or only one focal length on your zoom, like 35mm). By practicing moving you and the camera to re-frame your images you’ll become more engaged with your subject.

April 27, 2013

If you are photographing out of the window of a plane be sure to keep from touching the window, walls, armrests or other parts of the plane. The vibrations caused by the engines are transmitted through the fuselage and can make your photos blurry. Instead, sit up in the seat and hold the camera as still as you can, close to the window.

April 26, 2013

Arbor Day, which celebrates the planting and caring for trees is celebrated across the USA at different times of the year. Some states celebrate in February while others celebrate the holiday in April, so we decided to celebrate it twice! Use this holiday to take some cool photographs of trees.

April 25, 2013

Frame your storm photograph before it happens. Remember that the sky is your subject, so dramatic clouds are what you’re framing for, and then you hope that lightning will happen in that space. Keep the horizon in the lower third of the frame with the sky the top two-thirds.

April 24, 2013

Shooting a lightning storm can be exciting. Use a tripod and set you camera to record a long exposure. With D-SLRs, 15 seconds is a good start, but you may have to use up to 30 seconds, or bulb setting (where the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the shutter button). Because you never know when the lightning will occur, keep shooting for best results. And don’t forget the tripod! Otherwise you’ll have blurry photos.

April 23, 2013

Try different kinds of framing with your flower shots. Instead of centering the flower, try placing it off to the left or the right of the frame. This will allow for you to be creative with the negative space (areas without the subject). Look for the patterns of other out of focus flowers in the background.

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AF-S NIKKOR
300mm f/2.8G ED VR II

Professional, fast-aperture super telephoto lens, now enhanced with Nikon VR II image stabilization and featuring Nano Crystal Coat, is an ideal choice for sports photography, live performance shooting, wildlife and more.

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$5,899.95

Product Number: 2186

Authorized Dealers

Key Features

Fast-aperture f/2.8 NIKKOR Super Telephoto
Wide aperture, professional telephoto performance, optimized for edge-to-edge sharpness for both FX and DX-format Nikon D-SLRs—perfect for action and sports photojournalism, wildlife photography and more.

Exclusive Nano Crystal Coat
Further reduces ghosting and internal flare for even greater image clarity.

Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM)
Delivers fast, accurate and quiet autofocusing.

Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC)
Enhances light transmission efficiency and offers superior color consistency and reduced flare.

Rugged Construction
Featuring enhanced dust and moisture-resistance, magnesium die-cast barrel construction and a protective meniscus front lens.

Fully compatible with Nikon TC-14E II, TC-17E II and TC-20E II (III) Teleconverters.

Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization
Vibration Reduction, engineered specifically for each VR NIKKOR lens, enables handheld shooting at up to 4 shutter speeds slower than would otherwise be possible, assuring dramatically sharper still images and video capture.

Three Extra-low Dispersion (ED) Elements
Offers superior sharpness and color correction by effectively minimizing chromatic aberration, even at wide apertures.

Three Focus Modes
A/M mode joins the familiar M/A and M modes, enhancing AF control versatility with fast, secure switching between auto and manual focus to accommodate personal shooting techniques.

AF Memory Recall
Allows instant return to a predetermined point of focus.

Close Focusing to 7.2 feet
Focus to 7.2 feet in manual focus or 7.5 feet in autofocus, enabling striking image perspectives.

Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
Renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image areas.

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

Specifications

Mount Type

Nikon F-Bayonet

Focal Length

300mm

Maximum Aperture

f/2.8

Minimum Aperture

f/22

Format

FX/35mm

Maximum Angle of View (DX-format)

5°20'

Maximum Angle of View (FX-format)

8°10'

Maximum Reproduction Ratio

0.16x

Lens Elements

Lens Groups

Compatible Format(s)

FX
DX
FX in DX Crop Mode
35mm Film

VR (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization

Yes

Diaphragm Blades

Distance Information

Yes

Nano Crystal Coat

Yes

ED Glass Elements

Super Integrated Coating

Yes

Autofocus

Yes

AF-S (Silent Wave Motor)

Yes

Internal Focusing

Yes

Minimum Focus Distance

7.5 ft. (2.3m)7.22.2

Focus Mode

Auto
Manual
Manual/Auto
Auto/Manual

Filter Size

52mm

Accepts Filter Type

Slip-in

Compatible with Nikon AF-S Teleconverters

Yes (refer to the product manual for details)

Dimensions

(Approx.) 4.9 x 10.5 in. (Diameter x Length)
124 x 267.5mm (Diameter x Length)

Weight

(Approx.) 102.3 oz. (2900g)

Supplied Accessories

52mm filter holder
52mm Nikon NC Filter
LN-1 strap
HK-30 Slip-on lens hood
CL-L1 semi-soft case
Slip-on Front lens cover
Rear lens cap

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

**Specifications and equipment are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.
***Refer to the product manual or the Compatible Lenses Specification for additional details.

AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR$10,299.95

CL-L1 Ballistic Nylon Semi-Soft Lens Case$240.00

Front Lens Cover$53.00

LF-1 Rear Lens Cap$13.50

52mm Screw-On NC Filter$49.00

52mm Slip-in Circular Polarizing Filter$398.00

52mm Screw-on Soft Focus Filter$77.00

LN-1 Lens Strap$35.50

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*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II 5 5 8 8

High Expectations Exceeded Very fast focus that has been spot on. Heavy, but shoot hand-held at times and pleased with results. I prefer to shoot with monopod or tripod ... I find D700 and 300/2.8 easy to carry over the shoulder with monopod attached ... pleasant surprise. Use it for birds, moon, field sports. Plan on being social if you have one ... people are always stopping and asking about the lens and an opinion of how it performs. April 14, 2011

Superb lens This is the best lens I have ever used. The focus is quick and accurate and the VR makes hand-holding this large lens possible. I am an avid amateur wildlife photographer and am quite capable of holding the lens steady even while following birds in flight. February 1, 2011

Excellent lens! This is a great lens. It's a little heavy to hand-hold, but I do it all the time. If not for a bicycle crash, it would probably be an easy hand-hold. Optics are every bit as good as you'd expect. I shoot birds in flight, and this is my go-to lens. No complaints, whatsoever. August 26, 2010

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AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II

1 answer

Compare optics of Nikon 200-400 f/4 VR2 with Nikon 300 f/2.8 + 1.4 TC, both with approximately 400 mm focal length.

Apr 17, 2011 by

swimmdoc

on AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II

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I am currently using a Nikon 80-400 VR lens with a Nikon D7000, and want to upgrade the lens, primarily for bird photography, and want to avoid tripod use. I was advised by a fellow photographer that the 300 mm VR2 with the 1.4 TC will technically surpass the 200-400 VR2 at the 400 (420)mm range, and is easier to carry around and shoot with. I already have the 80-400 VR lens, and want to make a wise upgrade purchase that I will be happy with. Probably 95% or more of my photos are at 400 mm, and all are hand-held.

1 year, 3 months ago

swimmdoc

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Favorite Subject: Nature

Nikon Family: 21+ years

Experience: More than a year

Role: Serious passion, hobbyist

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Each have there advantages, I use a 200-400 and it is superb, even with a 1.4 and 1.7 tc on it. I dare say the 300 might give you slighlty better image quality but what you gain with that you lose on the flexibilty of having a decent zoom. Either way if you are trying to avoid using a tripod I would have a rethink as both of these you wouldnt want to hand hold for too long unless you are an Arnie type bodybuilder, minimum would be a monopd for either of them.
If possible try and rent both for a week or so see which is going to be most suitable for your needs.

Apr 18, 2011 by

KeithD

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AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II

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can this lens be used with any nikon teleconverters?

Jul 7, 2012 by

Anonymous

on AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II

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Age: 55-65

Favorite Subject: Nature

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Yes. All current Nikon teleconverters are fully compatible with this lens including the TC-14E II, TC-17E II, TC-20E II, and TC-20E III.

Jul 8, 2012 by

Beso

Portland, OR, USA

Top 100 contributor
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Portland, OR, USA

Age: 55-65

Nikon Family: 6-10 years

Role: Serious passion, hobbyist

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AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II

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Is the 300mm f/2.8G ED VRII lens compatible with the D200 and D300s bodies?

Jul 10, 2012 by

Anonymous

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Yes to both. 450mm effective field of view. also this lens is compatible with the TC-14,17& 20EII and 20EIII teleconverters.

Jul 10, 2012 by

JoeR

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*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

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AF-S NIKKOR
300mm f/2.8G ED VR II