70-300mm f/4.5 G Lens Incompatible with D300/D300s

I gave my old D300 camera and an 18-200mm lens to my son-in-law. Everything went well as he gets increasingly interested in photography. Today he brought his new 70-300mm f/4.5 G lens for me to look at as it does not auto-focus. I tried it on his camera, and sure enough it did not auto-focus. Then I tried it on my D300s and the same thing happened. However, the auto-focus works on my D500. I then tried other zoom lenses on his D300 and they all worked as expected.

 

I Googled and there is no mention of incompatibility between this 70-300mm lens and the D300/300s. Now this is very strange. Has anyone had the same problem? Or is this lens defective? However, it does work on the D500. I am asking him to return it for a refund.

 

B&H's compatibility list for this lens does not mention D300/300s. Hwvr, although B&H also has not mentioned D300 compatibility with the VR version either; yet it is shown as compatible in some YouTube videos.

Is that 70-300 G lens the AF-S VR version? It should be fully compatible with any Nikon DSLR. I would first clean the electronic contacts around the mount. It sounds like something is wrong with that particular sample of the lens.

 

If he is into photography, I would upgrade to a newer body anyway. The D300 is “ancient” by now.

If it really is a G version (or earlier) it should autofocus. The most recent version (E) won't. I disagree with Shun about the D300. If it is in good condition, it's still a fine camera. If nevertheless he should decide to upgrade, you might want to look at this article about compatibility by Thom Hogan.

Does the new lens have the mechanical screw drive connector? I agree with Hector, D300 still a great camera.

Are you sure it is not the AF-P version of the 70-300 mm he has? If so, that does not af with the D300/S but it does with your D500.

Are you sure it is not the AF-P version of the 70-300 mm he has? If so, that does not af with the D300/S but it does with your D500.

Well, that would explain it. It looks like Nikon classifies the AF-P version as an E lens, but it is definitely not the G type.

See the image in the link below. The AF-P version clearly specifies AF-P on the barrel and there is no mechanical aperture diaphragm coupling.

 

Nikon AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR Lens | Interchangeable lens from Nikon

 

Worse yet, there is also an AF-P DX version, but that one is f4.5-6.3 and it is considered a G, not an E lens.

That AF-P DX lens is not compatible with the D300 family.

 

AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR | Interchangeable Lens from Nikon

To answer a number of questions above, the full description of the lens reads: "Nikon DX AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED". So it is a G lens with no VR.

Worse yet, there is also an AF-P DX version, but that one is f4.5-6.3 and it is considered a G, not an E lens. That AF-P DX lens is not compatible with the D300 family

So you are conclusively stating that it is NOT compatible with the D300 family.

 

So, if he exchanges it for the VR version, then it would be compatible?

 

Thanks.

As much as I like Nikon, this constantly changing/evolving mount/coupling issue is a real PiA.

If I consider buying a lens or camera, I have to look at the compatibility chart to see which of my lenses/cameras will work with the new gear and which won't.

Neither one of the AF-P DX version, VR or no VR, is compatible with the D300. I would avoid any lens that is f6.3, anyway.

 

This is yet another reason the D300 is very out of date.

Neither one of the AF-P DX version, VR or no VR, is compatible with the D300. I would avoid any lens that is f6.3, anyway.

 

This is yet another reason the D300 is very out of date.

Uh oh! Seriously I have never encountered a situation that a Nikon lens was incompatible with a Nikon camera. Nikon has been known to pride itself on backward compatibility, save for a few here and there. Guess this is no longer true. :(

 

So is there any 70-300mm version that is compatible with the D300 at all?

Uh oh! Seriously I have never encountered a situation that a Nikon lens was incompatible with a Nikon camera. Nikon has been known to pride itself on backward compatibility, save for a few here and there. Guess this is no longer true. :(

 

So is there any 70-300mm version that is compatible with the D300 at all?

 

I think the AF-S model will work.

That is also the latest 70-300 that will work on my D7200. I cannot use the AF-P lenses.

 

Compatibility was an issue for a long time. The problem is while the mount itself it compatible all the way back to the F and it's lenses, the meter and control coupling of the lens to camera has changed several times, with incompatibilities along the way.

• I cannot use a pre-AI lens on an AI camera, including my D7200. The pre-AI aperture ring will damage the AI follower.
   
  
• G lenses won't work on cameras without electronic aperture control. IOW, I can't use a G lens on my F2.
   
  
• AF-D lenses won't AF on cameras without a body AF motor (D3xxx and D5xxx), and the new Z series cameras via the FTZ adapter.
   
  
• The new AF-P lenses won't work or will have limited functionality on older cameras.
  
  • On my D7200 (only 1 model old), I cannot turn the VR off, for use on a tripod.
    
  • I think the manual focus is 'focus by wire,' so the lens has to communicate to the camera to focus. No communication = no manual focus.
    

There are metering issues where different cameras cannot use all the metering modes.

I know there are a LOT more compatibility issues.

Mary, yes the AF-S 70-300/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR will work as expected on any Nikon digital camera. He needs to exchange the AF-P version for the older AF-S version.

 

AF-P lenses only work on the more recent models and even then compability is somewhat of a matrix for some of the older cameras.

 

Consider calling them AF-S and AF-P respectively to avoid confusion as that is what separates them. Both are G type VR lenses.

"So is there any 70-300mm version that is compatible with the D300 at all?"

 

Yup, every type they ever made APART from AF-P. type..:)

 

---------------

 

Late Edit. The lens RJ mentioned; A friend of mine has the Tammy and it's 'better' than the Nikon, and cheaper.

So is there any 70-300mm version that is compatible with the D300 at all?

 

- Yes, the Tamron SP VC 70-300 in Nikon fit.

Excellent image quality and superb stabilisation, with an f/5.6 aperture at the long end.

Agreed with others, AF-P won't work with much older cameras (unlike Canon's stepper motor design, "STM", which I believe works with all EF-mount Canon bodies), but AF-P FX lens support does go back as far as the D300.

 

With the exception of most pre-AI lenses (before 1977, so 40 years ago) not physically mounting on some cameras (without crunching either the aperture follower tab or the EE sensor switch) and a few lenses with intrusive elements, almost everything will mount and work with the latest top of the line body. That is, spend the maximum amount of money on a regular basis, and all the lenses will work. This is likely usually Nikon's answer to "I bought a new lens and it doesn't work".

 

Nikon do introduce new technology in the accessories (lenses and flash), and only make a moderate amount of effort to make them work with cheaper or older bodies:

• To use a pre-AI lens on an AI body without a flappy aperture sensor (like the Df or F4), you need to get the lens AI adapted. Or work without metering, in the case of some low-end bodies.
  
• To use an E-series (1979) or later (including AF) lens on a pre-AI body, you need to fit bunny ears so the meter connects.
  
• AI support was added in the F2AS in 1977, and is still supported in the top of the line bodies (notably disappearing from the D7500). Lenses can be AI-adapted.
  
• G lenses need the camera to control the aperture lever, which is very restrictive on the bodies without an additional dial (F90, F4, FA) or essentially unusable if the camera can't control the lever at all (F3 and earlier). G was introduced in 2000; the F5, which uses G "properly" was introduced in 1998.
  
• Screwdriver AF lenses were introduced in 1986. The first dSLR to drop support was the D40 in 2006, so you had twenty years of working. They still work manual focus, obviously. The high end dSLRs still have screwdriver AF; the FTZ adaptor doesn't.
  
• AF-I lenses were introduced in 1992. The F-601 and F-801 didn't have support, although they support screwdriver AF. All dSLRs still handle this, including the FTZ adaptor.
  
• E-aperture was added in the PC-E lenses in 2008 (with a mechanical fall-back for older bodies on the PC lenses). Body support came with the D3 and D300 in 2007.
  
• AF-P lenses came out in 2016. Support for some (FX) AF-P lenses is still available back to the D300 - 9 years.
  
• AF-P DX lenses are supported only as of the D3300, D5200 (kind of), D7100, and all the FX bodies other than the D700 and the D3 and D4 ranges. These are "budget lenses", and I suspect priority wasn't given to compatibility.
  

Just to be clear, according to the linked table and Shun's advice above, the FX version of the 70-300mm AF-P (the AF-P f/4.5-5.6E ED VR) should work on the D300, although with a couple of handling oddities. It is supposedly a bit better than the DX version of the same lens, and certainly appreciably better than the older AF-S G version; it's also more expensive, of course. The cheaper DX lens, the AF-P f/4.5-6.3 DX lens, does not work (or at least, focus) on the D300.

 

Conclusion: The 70-300mm AF-S G lens will work, but if you can afford it, the 70-300 f/4.5-5.6E AF-P is better, especially if you plan a future body upgrade that would avoid the remaining minor handling oddities.

So I ordered a non-AFP G version for him. Thanks - eye-opening even for me.

Nikon sure makes a lot of 70-300 versions. I've had two, and will stop at the FF VR non-P.

Just checking: Mary, Steve, why the non-P? The AF-P version is supposedly quite a lot better, and works fine on bodies as far back as the D300. It's more expensive, admittedly.

 

Nikon sure makes a lot of 70-300 versions.

 

Depends whom you're comparing to. In the EF mount, Canon produced:

• EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 (1991)
  
• EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 USM (1992)
  
• EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 II USM (1995)
  
• EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 II (1995)
  
• EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (1995)
  
• EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 III (1999)
  
• EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM (1999) (I think I still have this in case I ever shoot Canon again; it's not worth much)
  
• EF90-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM (2002)
  
• EF90-300mm f/4.5-5.6 (2003)
  
• EF70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM (2004) (everything before this kind of sucked optically; this was okay, but expensive)
  
• EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (2005) (I had this, it's roughly equivalent to the 70-300mm AF-S G VR - good on a 6MP crop body, not so much at 24MP)
  
• EF70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM (2010)
  
• EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM (2016) (a step up, and probably optically the match of the 70-300 AF-P)
  

All of those are full-frame lenses (I've not listed the 55-250 EF-S...)

 

The AF-P lenses are probably needed because of the optical requirements of modern bodies, although I'm not sure the non-VR version has much justification these days. The DX -f/6.3 versions are, I guess, justified because the FX versions are quite expensive, maybe prohibitively so for sensible matching to a D3x00 or D5x00 (even bundled); I got the impression that the 55-200mm has been discontinued, and the 70-300mm is the new telephoto bundle lens (albeit sometimes not with VR). IIRC the AF module on the D300 is only rated down to f/5.6 anyway; I can't spot specifics on the D3400 AF module (for example), but it's clearly expected to work with the 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 DX AF-P.

Just checking: Mary, Steve, why the non-P?

Andrew, the AFP is the one that did not auto-focus on the D300. I am waiting to test the non-AFP version on D300/300s. All he cares about a lens that works on his camera - quality enough for now anyway. ;)

Andrew, the AFP is the one that did not auto-focus on the D300. I am waiting to test the non-AFP version on D300/300s. All he cares about a lens that works on his camera - quality enough for now anyway. ;)

 

No, Mary. The ($400) "AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR" won't work on the D300. According to Nikon's tables, the ($600) "AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR" FX lens should work fine, and from what I've read tests slightly better than the DX lens - and substantially better than the ($500) "AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF ED", which I'm assuming is what you ordered? (Prices from Nikon's web site, not current market rates.)

 

Two different AF-P lenses (each available with and without VR). The slower DX version won't work on the D300, the faster FX version does (according to Nikon). The older, non-AF-P lens works too, but is optically weaker.

 

Thom Hogan compares the DX and FX versions.

 

The D300 does have a "meter off defocus issue" with the FX lens, which I believe is that when the camera meter turns off, the lens loses focus. I assume that's because it's pulling power to maintain focus in the same way that the VR system works (which also turns off when you stop metering). Assuming you have the meter turned on (half-press the shutter) while shooting, this feels mostly like a non-issue for me, especially since the meter time-out is configurable, but YMMV and the older AF-S lens won't behave that way. Newer cameras (if there's a later upgrade) don't have this problem.

 

I just wanted to make the existence of two separate AF-P lenses (or four, if you consider non-VR) clear, since there seemed to be conflicting/confused advice in the thread, and it sounded as though you could be ordering a less good lens than you could be getting - I hope I might have got to you in time to switch the order, if you want to?

<< just wanted to make the existence of two separate AF-P lenses (or four, if you consider non-VR) clear, since there seemed to be conflicting/confused advice in the thread, and it sounded as though you could be ordering a less good lens than you could be.

 

Andrew, I have already ordered and it will be arriving anytime soon. My son-in-law is starting to get interested in photography. If he wishes to have better lenses in the future when the interest grows (like some of us here), he will buy them for himself. Thanks.

Weirdly enough, a lot of older bodies(going back to the D2Xs and D2Hs) will, with a firmware update, work fine with FX AF-P lenses but not with DX AF-P lenses.

 

I can't confirm that from trial and error(the only AF-P lens I have is DX), but rather per a chart on the Nikon UK site I was looking at earlier this morning. I'm not sure what exactly the difference is between the FX and DX AF-P lenses. The D300 is included in this.

 

Also, I've had two different answers on the compatibility of "E" aperture lenses. One is that all CMOS-sensor cameras will work with them, and the other is that the only cameras from the D3/D300 generation and later can use them. The second criteria leaves out the D2X, which AFAIK was Nikon's first CMOS DSLR. There again, I don't have an E lens, so I can't check first hand.

<< just wanted to make the existence of two separate AF-P lenses (or four, if you consider non-VR) clear, since there seemed to be conflicting/confused advice in the thread, and it sounded as though you could be ordering a less good lens than you could be.

 

Andrew, I have already ordered and it will be arriving anytime soon. My son-in-law is starting to get interested in photography. If he wishes to have better lenses in the future when the interest grows (like some of us here), he will buy them for himself. Thanks.

 

No problem, Mary. Just thought I'd make sure you were aware in case it hadn't actually shipped, or the store has a return policy. Although it allegedly doesn't hold up brilliantly on a 24MP body (I don't have either a 70-300 or a 24MP DX camera), it's not exactly a bad lens, and a D300 isn't all that demanding; I wish your son-in-law good luck with it!

Weirdly enough, a lot of older bodies(going back to the D2Xs and D2Hs) will, with a firmware update, work fine with FX AF-P lenses but not with DX AF-P lenses.

 

I can't confirm that from trial and error(the only AF-P lens I have is DX), but rather per a chart on the Nikon UK site I was looking at earlier this morning. I'm not sure what exactly the difference is between the FX and DX AF-P lenses.

 

I'm a bit confused as well, although I note that the VR on the 70-300 AF-P DX is switched by a camera menu (rather than a mechanical switch, as on the FX version), so there's at least some interface difference. Maybe there's a real difference in the signalling interface, and there's no "fall-back to AF-S" mode for the DX lenses? I suspect it, at least in part, comes down to what level of backwards-compatibility Nikon feels inclined to provide relative to the cost of the lens. I don't own anything AF-P (the most novelty I can stand is E aperture), so the compatibility limitations of my infrared D90 are untroubled by my lens collection. Well, the autofocus ones, anyway.

I have the AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR ED lens. The one can be used on both FX and DX cameras. I bought it (used) to work with my D5300. I have an old D70s and just tried it on that - works fine. Works on a D70s, should work on D300s, unless, as mentioned above, it is an AF-P lens. I have an AF-P 10-20mm that does not work in autofocus mode on the D70s. Manual works fine though. That lens also works in S mode, autofocus and autoexposure, on my F90x (N90s) film camera.