Nikkor Lens Test by D300            Back to Notes on Photography
by Makoto Honda     February 16, 2008   
Resolution & Contrast    ---- Using Nikon D300 ----       

Telephoto Lens Comparison

Zoom Nikkor 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 used at the 200mm shows good center resolution from f/5.6 and does not improve too much as you close down. The edges improves at f/11. So the best performance is around f/11 & f/16, and deteriorates after f/22. Ai Nikkor 180mm ED F2.8 clearly improves at f/5.6 and perform best at f/8. It gets softer a bit at f/11. After f16, the picture visibly deteriorates. At their best apertures, 180mm performs significantly better than 18-200mm zoom at 200mm. Nikkor 180mm performs very well with TC14 converter. The best range shifts down one step to f/4 to f/8 with f/5.6 being the best.

KEYS - Green: OK to use   Grey: So-so   Red: Do not use   Green: Soft