To test the effectiveness of the image stabilization I did almost 500 test-shots hand-held at shutter speeds from 1/320 sec down to 1/20 sec with VR=ON, and VR=OFF at 1/320 sec and at 1/160 sec. After rating the sharpness of those images at 100% magnification on a scale from 0 to 5 I compared the results between VR=ON and VR=OFF. See my Nikon 70-200mm f2.8G VR II review for more details where this lens earned a Highly Recommended rating. Nikon AF-S 300mm f4.0E PF ED VR final thoughts Older Focusing motor means slower AF with newer camera bodies. Still very capable AF, just not as fast as newer versions.

PF: Pressed Fresnel element, which has a funny zig-zag cross section just as lighthouse condenser lenses do to save weight.To appreciate size differences between the new 300mm f/4E VR and the 300mm f/4D AF-S, take look at the below side by side comparison: The desire to make this lens so much more compact was based on the differences in characteristics from super-telephoto lenses with focal lengths of 400mm and longer. Super-telephoto lenses that use a focusing unit were developed with the assumption that tripods will be used to support their length and weight. This 300mm lens, however, needed to be designed to have as short a total length as possible so that it would offer good handling, as it was originally planned to be just small and light enough for hand-held shooting. These efforts resulted in a compact 300mm lens with a "telephoto ratio" (lens total length divided by the focal length) of approximately 0.8. II. The battle with chromatic aberration Note the hourglass-shaped halos around the bright stars at the top of the frame. These are shafts of light created by the diffraction of light according to the shape of lens vignetting. The principle here is the same that causes shafts of light passing through a polygon-shaped aperture to radiate. The image prior to contrast enhancement exhibited some very light flare, but not enough to be noticeable in common night landscapes and the like. If you want the best possible protective filter, the 77mm Hoya HD2 UV is ultra multicoated, repels dirt and fingerprints and made of shatter resistant glass. I'd put this filter on my 300/4 PF; it's an expensive lens worth protecting with the best filter.

Nikon claims this is the “world’s lightest 300mm lens.” I honestly believe that and with new camera technology on the horizon and this innovative telephoto’s ability to produce sterling images, the days of the hefty 300mm f/2.8 lens may be numbered. Image sample with the TC-17E II: NIKON D750 + 300mm f/4 + TC-17E II @ 510mm, ISO 400, 1/1250, f/8.0 Tree Fronds, Mariposa Grove of Big Trees, 16 May 2015. D810, f/5.6 at 1/30 hand-held at ISO 400. Bigger. These samples are wide-open at f/4, which is superb. Many lenses get softer at macro distances wide-open; this lens stays just as sharp.Crop from above image at 100%. If this is 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the full image would print at 50 x 75" (1.25 x 1.9 meters)!