Nikon AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6g ED VR

£799/$947 The best choice for FX DSLRS

The extra quality enabled by an FX camera comes at the cost of extra weight and increased price. With a bigger image circle required to fill a full-frame sensor, this lens has a larger diameter and is heavier than any other lens on test, weighing 800g. That includes the FX format Z 24-200mm, which only weighs 570g.

Tamron used to make a competing 28-300mm FX format lens. The Nikon isn’t much more expensive, yet has a faster aperture rating at the long end, a faster and quieter ring-type AF system, and a dual-mode optical stabilizer. It’s the same VR II generation fitted to the Nikon 18-200mm lens on test, with Normal and Active modes.

Performance

Helped by the inclusion of three aspherical elements and two ED elements, plus Super Integrated Coating, image quality is good overall. Sharpness is respectable throughout the zoom range, although short-end distortion is noticeable. Performance is not as good as from Nikon’s Z 24-200mm for mirrorless cameras.

N-photo verdict

It’s big and heavy for a travel lens but manages to perform pretty well, all things considered. Sharpness Apart from a dip in centresharpness at 200mm when wide-open, it’s respectable across the zoom range. Fringing Levels of colour fringing are a little bit worse than average at those short to mid zoom settings. Distortion Barrel distortion is severe at 18mm and there’s moderate pincushion at mid to long zoom settings.