Telephoto prime · Full frame

Nikon Nikkor AI-S 300mm f/4.5

The Nikon Nikkor AI-S 300mm f/4.5 is a full frame prime lens (300 mm, f/4.5) for Nikon F. It belongs to the telephoto prime class — ideal for sports, wildlife and stage photography.

300 mmf/4.5Nikon F
300 mm
Focal length
f/4.5
Maximum aperture
8°
Diagonal angle of view (Full frame)
Full frame
Designed for

Specifications#

Brand
Nikon
Model
Nikkor AI-S 300mm f/4.5
Lens type
Telephoto prime
Focal length
300 mm
Maximum aperture
f/4.5
Image circle
Full frame (36×24 mm)
Mount(s)
Nikon F
Projection
Rectilinear
Lensfun correction profile
Yes — distortion/vignetting/TCA

Equivalent focal length on different cameras#

Field of view and depth-of-field equivalence when this lens is used on bodies with different sensor sizes (natively or via an adapter).

Camera formatAt 300 mmEquiv. aperture (DoF)
Full frame300 mm · 8°f/4.5
APS-C450 mm · 5°f/6.8
APS-C (Canon)480 mm · 5°f/7.2
Micro Four Thirds600 mm · 4°f/9.0

Depth of field & background blur#

Computed on its native Full frame format (CoC 30 µm). “Blur @2 m” is the size of an out-of-focus point at infinity, as a percentage of frame width, with the subject at 2 m — a simple bokeh index. Full table: 300 mm f/5.6 on full frame.

FocalApertureat 1 mat 2 mat 5 mat 10 mHyperfocalBlur @2 m
300 mmf/4.50.2 cm1.0 cm7.1 cm29.1 cm667 m32.7%
300 mmf/80.4 cm1.8 cm12.5 cm51.8 cm375 m18.4%

Handheld & night-sky limits#

NPF assumes typical 20–24 MP sensors (≈6 µm pixels on full frame, ≈3.9 µm on APS-C, ≈3.3 µm on Micro Four Thirds).

BodyMin. handheld shutter (longest focal)500 rule at 300 mmNPF at 300 mm, f/4.5
Full frame1/320 s2 s1 s
APS-C1/500 s1 s1 s
APS-C (Canon)1/500 s1 s1 s
Micro Four Thirds1/640 s1 s1 s

Adapt it to other systems#

Frequently asked questions#

Is the Nikon Nikkor AI-S 300mm f/4.5 full frame?

Yes — it covers the full 36 × 24 mm frame.

What is the Nikon Nikkor AI-S 300mm f/4.5 equivalent to on APS-C?

On a 1.5× APS-C body it frames like 450 mm, and like 480 mm on Canon APS-C.

What is the Nikon Nikkor AI-S 300mm f/4.5 good for?

As a telephoto prime it suits sports, wildlife and stage photography.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources