Being a kit, I'll split this review up for each of the items it contains.
1. Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens with hood
Right off the bat, the big question I see with this lens is if the AF function will work on the D40/D40X/D60 cameras. The answer is a solid YES. Autofocus will function as normal, both in regular shooting and in macro mode. The motor is a bit loud, and occasionally takes a little time to focus in clearly. But it focuses very well (possibly even better than the Nikon 55-200 kit lens). Macro mode is great for close-ups, and pictures come out incredibly detailed, considering the cost of this lens. The large diameter opening lets more light in, and f/5.6 is still more than enough to hand-hold shots at the shorter end of the lens' range. The lens hood works, for what it is. Nothing fancy, but does the job when you are getting CA in your shots.
2. Spare EN-EL9 High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery Packs + CTA Mini Battery Charger for Nikon EN-EL9
Just so people are clear, these are NOT Nikon batteries. They are generic knock-off units. However, with that said, they so far are seeming to charge up at the same speed, and hold a charge just as well as my original Nikon unit. The charger, also generic, is nice in that it can be used with a car's AC adapter. It charges both Nikon batteries and the generics equally well and is handy to keep for long trips when you may not have a wall-outlet handy at all times.
3. Precision Design USB 2.0 All-in-1 Card Reader
Well....the Card Reader I received was not the Precision Design unit shown in the pictures, but rather a more compact Zeikos unit. It is actually is well-constructed, and is simply plug-and-play. I don't need it, as both my desktop and laptops have card readers built-in, but I gave it to a friend who is very happy with it.
4. Precision Design Deluxe 6-Piece Lens & Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit + Digital Camera LCD Monitor Screen Protectors + Precision Design Memory Card Storage Wallet
A cheapy cleaning kit. I already have a few of these, and don't use them. The microfiber cloth is usable and the blower bulb is decent, the rest I toss in a pile. The screen protectors "work". Not much else to say about them. They do peel off cleanly and don't leave any residue behind, which is nice. The memory card wallet is good if you want to keep all your cards in one place.
PROS:
+ Great quality lens for the money WITH working AF on units that do not have it on the camera body.
+ Nice macro mode
+ Good generic batteries and charger
+ Price point that is hard to beat
+ Card reader was better than expected
CONS:
- AF motor on the lens is a bit noisy
- Batteries, while they work well, are not genuine Nikon
- "Throw-away" cleaning kit
Average Rating:
Brand: Tamron
Model: A17NII
Product Description:Kit includes:
♦ 1) Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens
♦ 2) Spare EN-EL9 High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery Pack
♦ 3) Additional Spare EN-EL9 High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery Pack
♦ 4) CTA Mini Battery Charger for Nikon EN-EL9
♦ 5) Precision Design USB 2.0 All-in-1 Card Reader
♦ 6) Precision Design Deluxe 6-Piece Lens & Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit
♦ 7) Digital Camera LCD Monitor Screen Protectors
♦ 8) Precision Design Memory Card Storage Wallet
The Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro Autofocus Lens is a quality, compact ultra tele zoom which covers the 70mm to 300mm telephoto range, with a macro magnification ratio of 1:2 (1/2 life size) at the 300mm setting - ideal for shooting subjects that are difficult to approach such as sporting and theatrical events. This lens incorporates a motor built into the lens itself, which gives it the capability to autofocus with all Nikon DSLR cameras (including cameras without an AF Motor).
Increase your shooting capacity with 2 powerful EN-EL9 Lithium-ion rechargeable battery packs.
This CTA Mini Rapid Multi-voltage Charger plugs directly in to your wall outlet or your car's cigarette lighter and charges the battery included with this kit in approximately 60 to 90 minutes. Its unique flat pin, foldable design allows easy storage and makes it the most compact battery charger on the market!
This stylish USB 2.0 multi-card reader works with nearly all types of flash memory cards, including CompactFlash (CF), SecureDigital (SD), Memory Stick (MS), xD Picture Card, Mini SD, and more.
Features:
- KIT INCLUDES 8 PRODUCTS — All Brand New Items with all Manufacturer-supplied Accessories + Full USA Warranties:
- <#1> Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens with hood PLUS
- <#2> Spare EN-EL9 High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery Pack
- <#4> CTA Mini Battery Charger for Nikon EN-EL9 + <#5> Precision Design USB 2.0 All-in-1 Card Reader
- <#6> Precision Design Deluxe 6-Piece Lens & Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit + <#7>
Available at Amazon
Lowest New Price: USD 179.95
Customer Reviews
great lens, and price
I'm no expert, but am happy with this lens. It seems to shake a lot while focusing, but this may be normal for a zoom lens, like i said, I'm no expert. i was able to capture clear, high quality photos with a tri pod, and the lens arrived a day earlier than predicted
![Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR [Vibration Reduction] Zoom Nikkor Lens + Tripod + Accessory Kit for Nikon D3, D700, D300, D90, D60, D40, D3x, D300s, D3000, 3100 & D5000 Digital SLR Cameras](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51OoIyoFSiL._SL160_.jpg)
