Question about 70-300D ED


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johnyu

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Nov 4, 2003
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Melbourne, Australia
I bought a 2nd hand 70-300D ED. But something doesn't feel right.

First, the focus ring feels damped, as tight as the zoom ring. I think the focus ring should be very loose.

Second, photos at 300mm f/5.6 look very soft. The camera was on very stable tripod. It's soft that It looks as if the camera were hand-held at 1/10s....

Are these normal? Or I got a bad copy? I have a feeling it's the latter. :(
 

I had the non-ED version before and i think the optics shld be about the same.

For my version, at 300mm the photos are often soft. This is just the lens i think. Coz this lens is more of the budget series, so gotta sacrifice quality for price.

For the focusing and zooming rings I am not really so sure. Should be quite smooth?
 

I have the 70-300G version on my D70s...

The picture is terrible at 300mm...

IMHO...the 70-300ED version is also having the same problem...
 

I have the G version. It is kinda soft at f5.6. It'll be sharper at f8 and f11.
 

Blur Shadow said:
I have the G version. It is kinda soft at f5.6. It'll be sharper at f8 and f11.

Yup, its just the quality of the lens, its very soft, literally terrible at 300mm wide open. Focus should be pretty loose though, maybe it will lossen up the more you use it.
 

between 200mm to 300 use f/8 to f/11;) go try again! hehehe:D
 

Thank you to all. That sounds reassuring.

How about the focus ring? should it be damped (like a MF Nikkor) or loose?
 

johnyu said:
Thank you to all. That sounds reassuring.

How about the focus ring? should it be damped (like a MF Nikkor) or loose?
i dont recall anything damped

seriously... does it feel .... feel.... smooth? or like something "tio tat"?
 

johnyu said:
I bought a 2nd hand 70-300D ED. But something doesn't feel right.

First, the focus ring feels damped, as tight as the zoom ring. I think the focus ring should be very loose.

Second, photos at 300mm f/5.6 look very soft. The camera was on very stable tripod. It's soft that It looks as if the camera were hand-held at 1/10s....

Are these normal? Or I got a bad copy? I have a feeling it's the latter. :(

try seeing if ken rockwell experience it ;) http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/70300af.htm
 

slooow said:
i dont recall anything damped

seriously... does it feel .... feel.... smooth? or like something "tio tat"?

It's smooth, but "dragging", "dampened". Just like a normal manual focus Nikkor...
 

johnyu said:
I bought a 2nd hand 70-300D ED. But something doesn't feel right.

First, the focus ring feels damped, as tight as the zoom ring. I think the focus ring should be very loose.

Second, photos at 300mm f/5.6 look very soft. The camera was on very stable tripod. It's soft that It looks as if the camera were hand-held at 1/10s....

Are these normal? Or I got a bad copy? I have a feeling it's the latter. :(
this lens is known to be soft at the tele end, the only way to overcome it is to shoot a f/8 or smaller (e.g. f/11). Regarding the zoom and focus rings, try using it for awhile more. is this lens relatively new and hardly used? Zoom and focus rings are stiff in the beginning and would loosen after 'seasoning or run in'. Try out all the recommendations and let us know. ;)
 

johnyu said:
I bought a 2nd hand 70-300D ED. But something doesn't feel right.

First, the focus ring feels damped, as tight as the zoom ring. I think the focus ring should be very loose.

Second, photos at 300mm f/5.6 look very soft. The camera was on very stable tripod. It's soft that It looks as if the camera were hand-held at 1/10s....

Are these normal? Or I got a bad copy? I have a feeling it's the latter. :(

U should bring down to Nikon to have a check. :)
 

photogene said:
U should bring down to Nikon to have a check. :)
i think it'll be better if the TS calls NSC @ 65596360 to check first. ;)
 

photogene said:
U should bring down to Nikon to have a check. :)


:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 

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