Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR

Pros Vibration reduction system. Fixed aperture through zoom range. Sharp images. Fairly light.

Cons Tripod collar is an expensive add-on. Soft edges at 70mm. Bottom Line The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR is the telezoom for Nikonians who can't handle the cost of the f/2.8 version of the lens.

By Jim Fisher

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR ($1,399.95 direct) is the low-cost alternative to Nikon's 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. It only captures half the light at its maximum aperture, but it costs $1,000 less. There's no compromise in terms of build or optical quality—the lens is sharp throughout its zoom range, though edge performance is a bit lacking at 70mm. It sharpens up as you close the aperture, and delivers similar performance to the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens. It's compatible with full-frame Nikon cameras, as well as APS-C bodies, where it covers a 105-300mm field of view due to the smaller sensor.

The lens features a flat black finish with gold trim. It measures 7 by 3.1 inches (HD) and weighs 1.9 pounds. A hood and protective case are included. It supports the use of 67mm threaded front filters, and there's no rotation of the front element so using a polarizing filter is feasible. An optional tripod collar is available, but it's expensive at $232.95. The minimum focus distance is about 3.3 feet, which is by no means macro, but it does allow for 1:3.7 magnification. Both the zoom ring and manual focus ring are large and comfortable to adjust; the zoom ring is closer to the base lens mount, while the focus ring is situated towards the front element of the lens.

There are a few toggle switches on the lens—one to switch between manual and autofocus, one to set the distance over which the autofocus will search for a lock, another to enable or disable the vibration reduction system, and one to choose standard or active vibration reduction. Standard VR detects panning and does not compensate for it, but active does not differentiate between panning and camera shake.

I used Imatest to check the sharpness and distortion characteristics of the 70-200mm when paired with the 36-megapixel Nikon D800. At its widest angle the lens manages 2,914 lines per picture height using a center-weighted test, much better than the 1,800 lines we require for a sharp photo. Edge performance is a little weak at f/4, only 1,643 lines, but it improves noticeably when you stop down to f/5.6. At that aperture the overall score is 3,265 lines with edges that are 1,834 lines. Things are even better at f/8 where the lens averages 3,490 lines with edges that approach 2,600 lines. Distortion is slightly noticeable—about 1.4 percent barrel, which makes straight lines curve outward, but can easily be corrected in software.

Zooming to 105mm improves performance and reduces distortion. At f/4 the lens manages 2,848 lines, with sharp edges that approach 1,900 lines. Stopping down improves performance a bit; it peaks at f/8 at 3,484 lines with edges that close in on 2,900 lines. Distortion is 0.7 percent, but it's the pincushion variety that makes straight lines curve inward. At 135mm the lens maintains its solid performance, notching 2,899 lines at f/4 with excellent edge-to-edge performance. It peaks at f/8 again, with 3,408 lines. Distortion increases a bit here; the lens shows 1.4 percent pincushion distortion.

At 200mm it's a little softer, 2,181 lines at f/4 with even sharpness across the frame. The best performance is at f/8 where it tops 3,100 lines. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM delivers similar performance, but its edges are at their best at 70mm and softest at 200mm.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR is a solid option for shooters who don't need the light-gathering capabilities of an f/2.8 zoom. If you shoot indoor sports or weddings, you'll likely want to go with the f/2.8 lens—if you're making money from shooting it will pay for itself in time. But for enthusiasts in need of a quality walkaround telezoom, this is a solid option at a price that won't break the bank.

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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR

Pros Vibration reduction system. Fixed aperture through zoom range. Sharp images. Fairly light.

Cons Tripod collar is an expensive add-on. Soft edges at 70mm. Bottom Line The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR is the telezoom for Nikonians who can't handle the cost of the f/2.8 version of the lens.

By Jim Fisher

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR ($1,399.95 direct) is the low-cost alternative to Nikon's 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. It only captures half the light at its maximum aperture, but it costs $1,000 less. There's no compromise in terms of build or optical quality—the lens is sharp throughout its zoom range, though edge performance is a bit lacking at 70mm. It sharpens up as you close the aperture, and delivers similar performance to the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens. It's compatible with full-frame Nikon cameras, as well as APS-C bodies, where it covers a 105-300mm field of view due to the smaller sensor.

The lens features a flat black finish with gold trim. It measures 7 by 3.1 inches (HD) and weighs 1.9 pounds. A hood and protective case are included. It supports the use of 67mm threaded front filters, and there's no rotation of the front element so using a polarizing filter is feasible. An optional tripod collar is available, but it's expensive at $232.95. The minimum focus distance is about 3.3 feet, which is by no means macro, but it does allow for 1:3.7 magnification. Both the zoom ring and manual focus ring are large and comfortable to adjust; the zoom ring is closer to the base lens mount, while the focus ring is situated towards the front element of the lens.

There are a few toggle switches on the lens—one to switch between manual and autofocus, one to set the distance over which the autofocus will search for a lock, another to enable or disable the vibration reduction system, and one to choose standard or active vibration reduction. Standard VR detects panning and does not compensate for it, but active does not differentiate between panning and camera shake.

I used Imatest to check the sharpness and distortion characteristics of the 70-200mm when paired with the 36-megapixel Nikon D800. At its widest angle the lens manages 2,914 lines per picture height using a center-weighted test, much better than the 1,800 lines we require for a sharp photo. Edge performance is a little weak at f/4, only 1,643 lines, but it improves noticeably when you stop down to f/5.6. At that aperture the overall score is 3,265 lines with edges that are 1,834 lines. Things are even better at f/8 where the lens averages 3,490 lines with edges that approach 2,600 lines. Distortion is slightly noticeable—about 1.4 percent barrel, which makes straight lines curve outward, but can easily be corrected in software.

Zooming to 105mm improves performance and reduces distortion. At f/4 the lens manages 2,848 lines, with sharp edges that approach 1,900 lines. Stopping down improves performance a bit; it peaks at f/8 at 3,484 lines with edges that close in on 2,900 lines. Distortion is 0.7 percent, but it's the pincushion variety that makes straight lines curve inward. At 135mm the lens maintains its solid performance, notching 2,899 lines at f/4 with excellent edge-to-edge performance. It peaks at f/8 again, with 3,408 lines. Distortion increases a bit here; the lens shows 1.4 percent pincushion distortion.

At 200mm it's a little softer, 2,181 lines at f/4 with even sharpness across the frame. The best performance is at f/8 where it tops 3,100 lines. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM delivers similar performance, but its edges are at their best at 70mm and softest at 200mm.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR is a solid option for shooters who don't need the light-gathering capabilities of an f/2.8 zoom. If you shoot indoor sports or weddings, you'll likely want to go with the f/2.8 lens—if you're making money from shooting it will pay for itself in time. But for enthusiasts in need of a quality walkaround telezoom, this is a solid option at a price that won't break the bank.

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Nikon Coolpix P330

Pros Very small for a 1/1.7-inch sensor camera. Sharp lens. Impressive images through ISO 1600. Raw shooting support. Wide aperture when zoomed out. Built-in GPS.

Cons Sluggish performance. Extreme distortion at widest angle in Raw mode. In-camera battery charging. Finicky power button. Bottom Line The Nikon Coolpix P330 pocket camera is capable of producing some truly outstanding images, but may be too slow for some shooters.

By Jim Fisher

On paper the Nikon Coolpix P330 ($379.95 direct) is an impressive pocket camera. It's got a 12-megapixel image sensor with a 1/1.7-inch design, larger in surface area than those in other compacts in this price range. The lens opens up all the way up to f/1.8 on the wide end, Raw shooting is supported, and the rear LCD is impressively sharp. Unfortunately, the P330 is a noticeably slow performer—it takes a full 1.9 seconds to recover after capturing a JPG photo. It's priced on the high-end of the scale for midrange cameras, but can also be looked at as a bargain version of an enthusiast-oriented compact. But despite capturing impressive images, it doesn't manage to oust the Canon PowerShot Elph 330 HS as our Editors' Choice for midrange compact cameras.

Design and Features
The P330 is a practical clone of the Nikon Coolpix P310, a similar camera (that still remains in the Coolpix lineup) with a smaller 1/2.3-inch sensor. Both are flat black with a boxy design and similar control layout. The P330 measures 2.3 by 4.1 by 1.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 7.1 ounces; the P310's measurements are the same, but it's a smidge lighter at 6.9 ounces.

The lens is a 5x design, covering a 24-120mm (35mm equivalent) range. At the wide end it opens all the way up to f/1.8, but narrows to f/5.6 when zoomed all the way in. It's still a reasonable f/3.2 at the 50mm-equivalent focal length. The lens and camera are similar in design and concept to the Canon PowerShot S110. Both use a 1/1.7-inch sensor design and pack a 5x zoom lens that covers a similar zoom range and aperture.

If you want a lens that captures more light, you'll have to move up to a more expensive camera. Wide-aperture lenses are usually the bailiwick of larger compact cameras priced above $500. Nikon's own Coolpix P7700 is one example—it's priced at $500 and its 7.1x lens has a 28-200mm f/2-4 design. The P330's lens is physically smaller; it doesn't jut out as much from the camera body and its front element isn't as large.

The control layout is sure to please serious shutterbugs. On the front of the camera there's a programmable Fn button—I used it to control the ISO, but it can also be set to adjust the drive mode, image quality settings, the metering pattern, and focus area. On the top plate there's a standard mode dial, a zoom rocker, shutter button, a control wheel, and the power button. Rear controls include a record button for movies, an additional control wheel with button functions at the cardinal directions to adjust the flash output, self-timer, exposure compensation, and macro shooting mode. There's also a button for image playback, a delete button, and the menu button.

I had a couple of quibbles with the control layout, but your mileage may vary. The top control wheel always adjusts the shutter speed, so if you're working in aperture priority mode it doesn't do anything. Likewise, the rear control wheel always adjust aperture. While the consistency of this approach is appreciated, it would be preferable that the top wheel was dedicated to exposure compensation and that the rear wheel's function changed from mode to mode. There's no way to adjust the functions of these controls via the menu system. The menu system itself is a bit on the slow side. There's a slight lag when scrolling through options and when going from screen to screen. It's 2013, and that's just plain puzzling. These are text menus, and either the firmware engineers at Nikon have deliberately slowed down the operation of the menu, or the P330's processor is severely underpowered.

The power button is a bit finicky. Simply pressing it in does not turn the camera on; you have to hold it for an additional beat before the camera starts. This isn't the same when turning things off; a good, quick press powers down the camera. It'd be one thing if the button was easily tripped—it could save you from accidentally powering the camera on in your bag, and discovering your battery dead at the worst time. But the button is slightly recessed—the chances of it being pressed in accidentally are minimal.

The rear LCD is impressive. It's 3 inches in size, but packs an outstanding 921k-dot resolution. It's very, very sharp and bright enough for use on sunny days. It's one of the best LCDs we've seen on a compact camera, absolutely killing the 230k-dot LCD packed into compact Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX80 in comparison. It's also better than some of the more expensive competition—the Canon S110 only packs a 460k-dot display.

There's a built-in GPS, which isn't a common feature in digital cameras. It automatically adds your location to photos, so you can view them on a map in software like Lightroom, iPhoto, and Picasa. The GPS requires about 90 seconds to lock onto a signal at our standard test spot under the open skies of suburban New Jersey. This is a bit slow; the Olympus Tough TG-830 iHS acquired a signal in 30 seconds at the same spot. There's no built-in Wi-Fi, but you can add an external adapter to add that functionality to the camera. The Nikon WU-1a adds $60 to the cost of the camera, but we felt it was a disappointing accessory when we reviewed it along with the Nikon D5200 D-SLR.

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