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The Nikon AF 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 D ED VR is a tele lens for FF and APS-C, manufactured from 2001 to 2013 (discontinued). The focus is done by In-camera AF motor, it has image stabilization. The average price, when it has been added to the JuzaPhoto database, is 1650 €;
22 users have given it an average vote of 8.5 out of 10.
MOUNT
This lens is available with the following mounts:
Nikon F: this lens is compatible with reflex fullframe and APS-C Nikon.
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user238344
sent on March 01, 2023
Pros: Very light weight, astonishingly sharp at 80mm+, usable and good IQ up to 300-350mm, good colour rendering, alltogether it has a very usable focus range, it is built stable, stabilisation available, with good luck this lens is available relatively cheap,
Cons: performance becomes poor near 400mm, AF dependent on camera motor, therfore too slow for flying or running animals, tripod clamp useless weight (but can be taken off), stabilisation very old version (it works, but creates artifacts sometimes),
Opinion: I bought an used, but excellent exemplar of that lens for less than 400 Euro, which turned out to be a bargain. But it took me perhaps a year to understand under which conditions the results can be satisfying. It is near to unuseable at 400mm, but if you work with less than 350mm or better less than 300mm, you will get fine results. It's very light to carry, which is important for me. It's no classical wildlife lens, as it is very slow. If you use it clever, you still can get some good shots, but you should not forget to find the focus point before action will start. For a long time, there were no tele lenses that light to carry. Nowadays they exist, but cost a lot. I love it on longer hikes, 80-350 go very well, and you still have a reserve of 400mm, if the two headed deer shows up. Don't pay more than 400 Euro for it.
Cons: Rudimentary VR, that takes long time to kick in and does so visibly, Weight, f22 performance, 400mm open aperture performance, closest focus, repairs expensive and slow, old type AF
Opinion: Initially purchased to turn my FX D700 more into a DX, extending maximum focal length from 300mm to 400mm. The combination of the 1kg of the D700 and this lens made for a home gymnasium! Good image quality generally but noticeable fall-off at 400mm, especially at f5.6. Highly usable long lens for many applications but some very restricting downsides. Closest focus of 2.3m isn't close enough for a head and shoulders portrait, for instance and the original VR was very agricultural, with noticeable delay and a visible movement in the viewfinder. F22 performance very soft (tripod mounted for a landscape with maximum depth of field) The lens, with generous lenshood becomes very long at 400mm too, making it very obvious. I then dropped the lens and, via the shop who sold it, Nikon took over 4 months to repair it as a part could not be sourced. On repair, I immediately traded it in for Sigma's 150-500mm, even bigger and far less well built, but better optically. I had also bought a DX D7000 by then too and so I had the 400mm focal length with my much more portable Tamron SP 70-300mm VC, which I still use for almost all telephoto applications. The new, replacement G 80-400mm seems to have addressed all the issues, such as 400mm performance and now has SWM and latest VR, BUT at a huge hike in price. BUT, if I had the money, then I would definitely buy the G as it offers a really useful extra length over the 70-300, especially on DX, but without the huge non portability of the 150-500mm, plus of course, a wider starting point.
The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.
Pros:Very vivid colors, good construction, sharp at 80 mm
Cons:Discrete AF
Opinion:Bought in January used in excellent condition, like new, I needed a tele zoom, I use it for athletics photos, with burst shots you risk not having all the photos in focus, a still bird you can compose a great photo, in flight you have to find the right time, very lively as colors, I am still satisfied, just choose the subject at the right time. Judgment, however, more than positive
Opinion:Simplifying: Canon the theme of 80 - 400 f4.5 - 5.6 stabilized solved it at the first shot (sharper at maximum focal and lower minimum focus distance), Nikon no. Having said that, the first Nikonian version of this declination is not without interest, and I affirm it not disjointedly from the low price at which it can be found today. At a relatively small figure you get a well-built lens, with a very versatile focal excursion, with good general sharpness. As announced, its Achilles heel is the drop in sharpness at the maximum focal. However, the advantage is that the maximum MTF value at 400 mm is reached in the center already at maximum opening, for acceptable field results. Thus, the proof of the facts results convincingly in a wide variety of situations. There is also to consider that my specimen is a freshman with first number 4, and as another reviewer explains here since this series, improvements have been made. As for bokeh, there are negative and positive premises. The negatives: it's a wide focal excursion zoom. The positives: the blades of the diaphragm are nine and rounded. On the field the consequence is: a soft base so to speak "covered" by a structured patina. A result not entirely pleasant but not even the worst. The autofocus - which only works when controlled by the camera engine, where mechanical coupling is expected - is slow, but less so than you might think when paired with modules starting with the D800/D4 series. My opinion is therefore positive when compared to today's quote: as much as you pay it, it gives a lot, and with a multiplicity of uses.
Opinion:It was Nikon's first VR, and it cost an eye ... that I bought as soon as possible in 2002 to replace a bit of manual long optics including a 300 f2.8. In fact, then it was a decisive choice, making sports photos, the number of usable images (still and in focus) radically increased, instead of discarding 30 per roll, now I got at least 30 good for roll. Then came the digital ... the lens was slow and had a lower quality than that of an AFS 70-200 f2.8 with 1.4x. I sold it, and then bought back a used one a few years ago, to satisfy temporary work needs. On a D800, I got good images, not to scream, but still very worthy and well publicized. Then I got the AFS version and life changed for the better. It is used at a reasonable price and satisfactorily fulfills the role of a long lens and autofocus as needed, without major compromises on image quality. Personally I found it anyway better than the AF-S 70-300 f4.5-5.6G VR%2C in particular on the contrast, but this is only an opinion, more dictated by the conditions in which I found myself photographing that real and valid comparisons. VOTE 8 (but when he left he deserved a good 9).
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The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.
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