Nikon AF Nikkor 300mm F/4 IF-ED
Super telephoto prime lens • Film era • Discontinued
- Announced:
- · June 1987
- Production status:
- ● Discontinued
- Country of design:
- · Japan
- Original name:
- · Nikon AF NIKKOR 300mm 1:4 ED
- Class:
- · Slow full-frame super telephoto prime lens
- · Professional model
- System:
- · Nikon F (1959)
Abbreviations
| AF | Autofocus lens with mechanical coupling with camera. Learn more |
| IF | Internal focusing. |
| ED | The lens incorporates low dispersion elements. |
Model history (7)
| ■Nikon Nikkor 300mm F/4.5 ED | A | 6 - 4 | 4.00m | ⌀72 | 1977 ● | |
| ■Nikon AI Nikkor 300mm F/4.5 ED | A | 6 - 4 | 4.00m | ⌀72 | 1977 ● | |
| ■Nikon AI Nikkor 300mm F/4.5 IF-ED | A | 7 - 6 | 2.50m | ⌀72 | 1978 ● | |
| ■Nikon AI-S Nikkor 300mm F/4.5 IF-ED | A | 7 - 6 | 2.50m | ⌀72 | 1981 ● | |
| ■Nikon AF Nikkor 300mm F/4 IF-ED | A | 8 - 6 | 2.50m | ⌀82 | 1987 ● | |
| ■Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm F/4D IF-ED | A | 10 - 6 | 1.45m | ⌀77 | 2000 ● | |
| ■Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm F/4E PF ED VR | A | 16 - 10 | 1.40m | ⌀77 | 2015 ● | |
Specification
| Optical design: | |
| 35mm full frame | |
| 300mm | |
| F/4 | |
| 8 elements in 6 groups | |
| 2 ED | |
| Internal focusing (IF) | |
| Nikon F [46.5mm] | |
| 8.2° (35mm full frame) | |
| On Nikon D APS-C [1.53x] cameras: | |
35mm equivalent focal length: | 459mm (in terms of field of view) |
35mm equivalent speed: | F/6.1 (in terms of depth of field) |
Diagonal angle of view: | 5.4° |
| Diaphragm mechanism: | |
Diaphragm type: | Automatic |
Aperture control: | Aperture ring (Manual settings + Auto Exposure setting) |
| 9 (nine) | |
| Focusing: | |
| 2.50m | |
| <No data> | |
Focusing modes: | Autofocus (A), Manual focus (M) |
Autofocus motor: | In-camera motor |
Manual focus control: | Focusing ring |
Focus mode selector: | A - M |
Manual focus override in autofocus mode: | - |
Focusing distance range limiter: | Mechanical |
| Vibration Reduction (VR): | |
| - | |
| Physical characteristics: | |
| 1330g | |
| ⌀89×219mm | |
| - | |
| - | |
| Accessories: | |
| Screw-type 82mm | |
Additional features: | Drop-in filter holder (39mm) |
| Built-in telescopic round | |
| Nikon Teleconverter TC-14B → 420mm F/5.6 | |
| Nikon Teleconverter TC-300 → 600mm F/8 | |
| Nikon Teleconverter TC-301 → 600mm F/8 |
Source of data
- Manufacturer's technical data.
Manufacturer description
Spectacular telephoto effects can be achieved with this exceptionally lightweight telephoto lens. Ideal for travel photography, fast-moving sports, and wildlife. Nikon Internal Focusing for compactness. Nikon ED glass assures sharp images. 360 deg. rotatable tripod socket collar. Accepts 39 or 82mm filters. Built-in lens hood.
From the editor
Nikon's first compact AF 300mm lens. A third of a stop faster than its manual focus counterpart it has IF and ED glass, and produces superbly sharp images comparable to those obtained by the faster f2.8 version but at a fraction of the cost. To allow for the AF mechanism and increased speed of the lens its barrel has a wider profile, and the front element has an unusual size 82mm filter thread. However, there is a slip-in filter draw towards the rear of the lens that accepts 39mm thread or gel filters. The focusing action can be limited to various ranges between infinity and the minimum focus distance of 2.5m by turning a ring set around the barrel just in front of the focus ring. This helps AF speed as well as conserve battery power. The lens has a retracting integrated hood, which is too short to be of any real benefit, and a rotating tripod collar. Even by contemporary standards at the time of its introduction this lens suffered from a ponderously slow AF action, and its handling when attached to a lightweight camera is hindered by it being somewhat front heavy.
It was one of a few Nikkor lenses not to receive an update to the AF-D specification and it remained in production until 2000 when it was finally replaced by the long awaited AF-S 300mm f4.
Notes
- The autofocus will not be available with Nikon D40, D40X, D60, D3000-D3500, D5000-D5600 digital SLR cameras.
Compared to other super telephoto prime lenses in the Nikon F system
- One of the lightest (1330g)
- Accepts front filters, along with 3 other models
Other super telephoto prime lenses in the Nikon F system
![Nikon AF Nikkor 300mm F/2.8 ED-IF [I]](https://lens-db.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/af-300-28-ed-02-101x150.jpg)
![Nikon AF Nikkor 300mm F/2.8 ED-IF [II]](https://lens-db.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/nikon-af-300-28-ed-03-126x150.jpg)
Lenses with similar focal length
| ■Nikon F mount (2) | |||||||||
| Sigma 300mm F/4 APO Tele Macro ZEN • ⌀77 | Pro | 1994 ● | compare | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Tokina AT-X AF 300mm F/4 • ⌀77 | Pro | 1995 ● | compare | 1 | 1 | ||||
Comments (3)
The lens is compatible with TC-301 and TC-14B, but the AF will not be available. The lens is NOT compatible with TC-201, TC-14A, TC-14E I/II and TC-20E I/II. But please note that this is not an official information, but information from the book “Compendium. Nikon System from 1917” (second edition from 2003) by Simon Stafford which I have in my possession. Unfortunately, I don’t have any official Nikon catalogs that mention this lens. The instruction manual is also impossible to find.
