With the fanfare surrounding today's announcement on the Nikon D80, the dual announcement of the Nikon 70-300mm AF-S VR lens got overlooked by many.
We knew it was coming, but it is official now. 70-300mm has always been a popular zoom but Nikon has been losing a ton of sales to Sigma over the last few years (the 'ED' version wasn't that good, the Sigma APO Macro cheaper and better in may ways).
With AF-S and VR, this lens could stop the rot.
F-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED Major Features - 4.3x, 70-300mm telephoto zoom (picture angle, when used with Nikon DX format digital SLRs is equivalent to a 105-450mm on a 35mm format SLR).
- The VRII minimizes camera shake by offering the equivalent of a shutter speed 4 stops* faster. Normal and Active modes are available.
- Two ED glass elements minimize chromatic aberration in the entire zoom range while ensuring high resolution and contrast. Outstanding Nikkor optical performance makes it suitable for photography with both Nikon digital and 35mm film SLR cameras.
- The Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables fast and quiet autofocusing, and quick switching between autofocus and manual operation.
- Two focus modes are available — M/A and M
- The Internal Focus (IF) design provides a constant lens length and eliminates rotation of the front lens element, facilitating the use of circular polarizing filters.
- The nine-blade rounded diaphragm opening makes out-of-focus elements appear more natural.
- A flower-shaped bayonet hood is provided.
- ø62mm filter attachment size
cheers,
Andy