Nikkor AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR

£750/$750

Now Nikon’s cheapest FX telephoto!

Nikon’s AF-S 70300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR has long been a favourite budget

telephoto zoom. It’s now been discontinued and replaced by this new version, which adds an AF-P (Pulse) stepping motor autofocus system, plus an electronically controlled diaphragm. These make it incompatible with a number of older Nikon DSLRs.

The upside is that the autofocus system is quick and essentially silent, while aperture consistency is improved during rapid bursts of shooting at high continuous drive speeds. However, there’s no focus distance scale and, unlike the Canon 70-300mm lens on test, there’s no LCD info screen.

A new VR system delivers 4.5stop performance. The Active mode of its predecessor is replaced by a Sport VR mode, preferred for tracking erratically moving subjects through the viewfinder.

Performance

Image quality is excellent, and sharpness throughout most of the zoom range is spectacular. The class-leading VR lives up to its billing. Overall, this weatherresistant lens is a joy to use.