Lens Construction

This lens is constructed using 15 elements in 13 groups. This includes several special lens elements - extra-low dispersion (ED) glass and aspherical (ASP) lens.

ED glass is a high-quality glass that is used to correct chromatic aberration, which is a problem in long telephoto lenses. This lens has two ED glass elements.

Aspherical lenses, on the other hand, are used to correct distortion in wide-angle lenses. They also allow Nikon to reduce the number of elements and make the lens smaller and lighter. This lens has two aspherical lens elements.

Focusing Mechanism

This lens is internally focused. This means focusing is accomplished without the barrel rotating or changing length. This is a big advantage if you wish to use a position-sensitive filter like a polarizing filter. Their position will remain fixed even after focusing.

All the way in

All the way out

Internal focus also allows for faster auto-focusing because there's less mass for the auto-focus motor to move. Instead of extending or rotating the lens barrel, the auto-focus motor only has to move the lens elements within the barrel.

Zoom Mechanism

This lens uses a ring zoom which extends the front elements as it zooms.

Minimum zoom, without hood	Maximum zoom, without hood
Minimum zoom, with hood	Maximum zoom, with hood

This lens measures about 96 cm from the mount to the filter ring at minimum zoom. But when fully extended, it measures 12.8 cm long. The hood further extends the length to 14 cm.