“Why would one buy the 70-300 VR when the 55-300 VR has very similar specs, a wider range, is lighter, and cheaper? Why would one buy the 70-300 VR when the 55-300 VR has very similar specs, a wider range, is lighter, and cheaper?”
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After looking both of these lenses I chose the 70-300 based on the following: 1.) Better build quality -- it feels more substantial and clicks more assuredly when I mount it on my camera than any of the DX lenses I own 2.) Excellent sharpness -- other reviews indicate that the 55-300 gets a little soft past 200mm, from personal experience the 70-300 is very sharp all the way to 300mm 3.) A/M -- in auto-focus mode, you can manually adjust focus without shifting modes if the auto-focus is not where you want it 4.) FX format -- future proofs me for the time when I can spend the money for an FX format camera and provides a little extra reach (100-420) on my DX camera
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.The 70-300mm "ED-IF AF-S VR" lens vs the 55-300mm "AF-S DX VR" lens... the extra $200 for the 70-300mm lens gets you an FX (full-frame) lens instead of a DX or APS-C format. Putting an FX lens on a DX camera will give you a 1.5 focal length multiplier, since you have a smaller FoV on the small sensor, and you can use the lens in FX/full-frame bodies. On an APS-C body, this lens is effectively a 105-450mm lens.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.The 70-300mm zoom lens has better faster auto-focus technology. It is compatible with the larger FX format sensor. If you don't need fast auto focus and don't expect to ever upgrade to a much higher end FX format camera the 55-300mm would be a good choice.
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