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The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR is a compact telephoto zoom lens designed for Nikon’s DX-format (APS-C) DSLR cameras, serving as a significant upgrade to the earlier 55-200mm VR by adding 100mm of reach and second-generation Vibration Reduction. It’s Nikon’s most affordable lens reaching a 300mm focal length, ideal for capturing distant subjects at athletic events, family gatherings, dramatic sunsets, and travel.
Optically, the lens covers a 55-300mm focal range, delivering an 82.5-450mm full-frame-equivalent field of view on Nikon’s DX-format sensor, with a variable maximum aperture of f/4.5 at the wide end narrowing to f/5.6 at full telephoto. The 17-element, 11-group optical design includes two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements along with one High Refractive Index (HRI) element, reducing both chromatic and spherical aberrations for a high degree of sharpness and clarity while keeping the lens’s size manageable. Nikon’s Super Integrated Coating controls flare and ghosting for increased contrast and color accuracy in harsh lighting, and a rounded 9-blade diaphragm contributes to smooth background rendering.
Autofocus is driven by Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor (SWM), a micro-type ultrasonic design offering quick, quiet autofocus operation on any Nikon DSLR body. The lens’s VR II (Vibration Reduction) image stabilization compensates for up to four stops of camera shake, including a tripod-sensing feature, helping deliver sharper handheld images and more stable video capture at this lens’s extended telephoto reach.
Build quality uses a polycarbonate barrel paired with a metal mount and rubber mount seal, though the lens is otherwise not weather-sealed. It uses a rotary, extending zoom design with a focus ring that rotates during autofocus, and the lens does not focus internally, extending by a couple of centimeters at closer focusing distances. It has a minimum focusing distance of approximately 1.4m, yielding a maximum magnification of 0.28x, and accepts a 58mm filter thread (filters rotate during focus). The lens measures approximately 76.5 x 123mm and weighs approximately 530g.
As a DX-format-specific lens, the AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR is designed for Nikon’s APS-C DX-format DSLR cameras; it will vignette if used on a 35mm film SLR, but can be mounted on Nikon FX-format bodies, where the camera automatically applies a DX crop mode to eliminate vignetting at the cost of reduced image area.
Key Features
– 55-300mm telephoto zoom (5.5x) for Nikon DX-format (APS-C) DSLR cameras
– Approximately 82.5-450mm full-frame-equivalent field of view
– Maximum aperture f/4.5-5.6 (variable)
– 17 elements in 11 groups, including 2 ED elements and 1 HRI element
– Super Integrated Coating
– Silent Wave Motor (SWM) autofocus
– Vibration Reduction II (VR II), up to 4 stops of shake correction, with tripod-sensing
– Rounded 9-blade diaphragm
– Rotary (extending) zoom design; focus ring rotates during AF
– Minimum focusing distance of approximately 1.4m; 0.28x maximum magnification
– 58mm filter thread (rotates during focus)
– Polycarbonate barrel with metal mount and rubber mount seal
– Approximate weight: 530g
– Designed for Nikon DX-format DSLR cameras (usable on FX bodies via automatic DX crop)
