p.1 #1 · Which 70-300mm for an upcoming trip to Europe?
AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED,
or,
AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR
Planning a three week trip to Spain this Fall and I would like to keep the amount of gear I take along to my Z8 with the 24-70 f/2.8 attached most of the time and one other lens - I'll be shooting Landscape and Architecture primarily
Both of the lenses above seem to represent a very useful range of focal lengths while being relatively compact and lightweight
I'll be using the FTZ II to attach either to my Z*
I am not familiar with either of them and am hoping for some help here in learning more
p.1 #3 · Which 70-300mm for an upcoming trip to Europe?
The AF-P is the better lens if you don’t already own either. The stepper focus motor in it also works better with Z cameras. The older SWM motors are very jittery with Z.
p.1 #4 · Which 70-300mm for an upcoming trip to Europe?
I used the 70-300 G on my d800e, I would say it was not the sharpest lens wide open on the long end. I have not tried it on my Z8, but I would expect it to show its softness even more on a 45mp sensor.
The 70-300 E is regarded as a much improved lens, but I have not used it personally.
There are a few other lenses to consider too:
- Tamron 70-300 f6.3 Z if you don't need vr
- Nikon 28-400 f8 Z if you think you might need more reach
- Nikon 70-180 f2.8 Z if you don't need 300mm and are happy with f2.8 over vr (You could add a 1.4 tc too for more reach)
p.1 #5 · Which 70-300mm for an upcoming trip to Europe?
I have the af-s 70-300 VR. At 200mm and below it is as sharp as any nikkor zoom. At 200-300mm it can get pretty soft on the edges. It works fine with the FTZ on both a Z50 and Z5 for me. I've never used the AF-P but I'm sure it works just fine.
p.1 #6 · Which 70-300mm for an upcoming trip to Europe?
The AF-P version is the one to get. Considerably smaller than the AF-S lens, better image quality, and works great on Z bodies with the FTZ.
I don’t have experience with the Tamron Z 70-300, but I might take a serious look at it if I wanted the 70-300 zoom range and didn’t already have a FTZ adapter. The Tamron doesn’t have VR but this class of lens isn’t exactly low-light friendly, even with in-lens stabilization.
The Nikon (Tamron) 70-180mm is a nice lens, but not nearly as compact as the Tamron 70-300. If you want/need f/2.8, it can be a relatively smaller/lighter option over other 70-200s, but it isn’t exactly a replacement for the even smaller 70-300 type of lens. Adding a TC to get closer to 300mm only adds cost and size…
I posted that before posting this thread, I am enjoying all the comments, so please keep them coming
It won't be difficult to change my WTB if that is the ultimate consensus
