Pixiq

Yesterday I returned from a brief trip to New Zealand for my son’s wedding. Because time was limited for working, instead of taking a favorite long and fast f/4 lens, I travelled light with just three lenses – the 12-24mm f/2.8 zoom, the 105mm Micro-Nikkor f/2.8G AF-S VR (macro) and the fairly new FX format 28-300mm super zoom (X10.7) lens. I wanted to see if the latter would be practical for alpine forays when every gram counts at altitude.

Much has already been written about the Nikon AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5- 5.6 lens – here on PIXIQ and elsewhere, with full specs here .

Nikon describe it as an ideal walkabout lens and certainly, I can predict it will save me time changing lenses back and forth when working on the hoof overseas, when time is the essence. This week I used the lens for most of a day at Zealandia (known as the Karori Sanctuary but recently rebranded)  and at Otari Native Botanic Garden, dedicated solely to native New Zealand plants – both in the heart of Wellington. The images have been selected to show what kind of subjects are practical to take with this lens.

Whenever I use a new lens, I prefer to shoot plants and wildlife subjects, which are my bread and butter (as well as the jam!) rather than urban buildings, which I would never look at again.  All shots were taken with a D3 camera and with one exception (see below), this super zoom (X10.7) lens worked fine. 

The longer end of the focal length range was perfect for taking larger birds including endangered takahe as they emerged to graze on a grassy patch.  Thought to be extinct, the takahe was rediscovered in 1948. Control of stoat predators and captive breeding increased the total population to 250 birds by 2005.

The Kaka is one of several kinds of parrots that occur in New Zealand.

Pros

• Lightweight (approx. 28.2oz/800g)
• Compact
• Has Normal and Active modes with VR (Vibration Reduction)
• The angle of view ranges from 75º – 8º.
• SWM (Silent Wave Motor) provides fast, quiet autofocus
• Has zoom-lock switch that secures the lens at 28mm

Cons

• The variable maximum aperture (f/3.5 – f/5.6), means that achieving shots with good bokeh is out.
• The lens hood is a compromise at the long end of the zoom.
• If the lens gets damaged you lose a very wide focal length range – unless you double up, which rather negates the point of going for a super zoom in the first place.

Backlighting a problem

The one downside was when I was shooting into the light at the long end of the zoom.  As with all zoom lenses that range from a wide angle to a telephoto, the lens hood is a compromise. Flare was a big problem when using backlighting – even inside the forest. This can be seen in the two images below of flaking bark of the largest Fuchsia in the world. With care, the flare problem can be cured by extending the lens hood with a hand – providing the camera is mounted on a tripod. It is not a practical option when handholding the camera. Then the best solution (but an expensive one) for optimizing the lens hood with a super zoom lens, is to use an adjustable bellows one which can be extended or contracted to suit all focal lengths.

Verdict

Certainly, if saving weight is a consideration, the 28-300mm lens is a great solution. You could use it all day long for speedily shooting a wide range of different sized subjects from landscapes and trees, to geological formations, flowers in the landscape as well as larger blooms, larger birds or seabird colonies. While it is certainly not a macro lens, with the minimum focus distance being 0.5m/1.6 in throughout the entire zoom range, I can see it will be useful for taking larger insects that speedily flit from flower to flower.

However, it is not comparable with long fast telephoto lens complete with a lens mount for speedily changing formats when taking individual bird or mammal portraits.

If used with a DX format it has a focal length range equivalent to 42-450mm.

I shall be taking the 28-300mm with me on a botanical trip to the Alpes Maritimes next month, where my targets are flowers and their pollinators; but I won't be leaving home without a macro lens and a short wide-angle zoom.