 Terrific but pricey hand-holdable tele zoom |
| Review Date: December 21, 2004 |
| Reviewer: Douglas A. Greenberg, Berkeley, CA USA |
Many photographers who purchase telephoto lenses wind up disappointed in their lenses' performance; they achieve subpar results and then swear that the lens is "not sharp." Some lenses indeed might not be optically outstanding, but even in these cases the major cause of soft images, particularly when camera and lens are handheld, is camera/lens shake. People routinely try to take highly magnified photos at shutter speeds that are simply too slow.
Nikon has come up with a (partial) solution to this problem through its innovative "vibration reduction" series of lenses. These optics are designed to compensate, at least partially, for the camera shake/movement that is inevitable when a lens is hand-held. According to Nikon, the VR mechanism adds two or more "stops" worth of steadiness, meaning that a 400mm. lens that previously might be adequately handheld at 1/500 second now will (often) produce good results at 1/125. Out in the field this can make the difference between a successful photo outing and a frustrating one.
Does this technology work, and is this 80-400mm. lens a good product overall? To both questions I offer a qualified "yes." As long as one realizes that VR is not magic and has definite limitations, this feature is definitely worth paying some extra money for, particularly if one's photographic style prevents the regular and disciplined use of a tripod. The other thing about VR to keep in mind is that since camera shake itself is variable, it's a good idea always to take multiple photos to ensure that at least one of them is optimally sharp (a slow-mo record of how much one 'vibrates' while holding a camera would reveal that from instant to instant there is considerable variation).
But what about this lens' performance overall? There definitely are some drawbacks and compromises of which potential buyers should be aware. The lens is fairly heavy, and since it utilizes what is now an "old-fashioned" screw-drive AF mechanism, autofocus can seem very slow and noisy. It would be nice if someday Nikon replaced this version of the lens with an AF-S model, but there apparently is no current plan to do this. To minimize the maddeningly slow "searching" that a slow AF lens can exhibit, Nikon has included a "focus limit" switch. This makes it possible to cut the focus range in half, essentially. If one is taking pictures that are all at a distance or are all reasonably close-up, setting the switch to "limit" will restrict the lens' focusing range, allowing proper focus to be achieved more quickly.
Another drawback is that the removable tripod mount that comes with the lens is simply not very good. Photographers intending to use the lens on a tripod regularly are advised to purchase a third party mount such as that offered by Kirk Enterprises.
Optically, the lens is actually quite remarkable. This is a 5:1 tele zoom, and one would think that given the "jack of all trades" nature of such a beast there would be severe optical compromises. Not so. As with just about all lenses, there is a slight loss of sharpness at full aperture, but once the lens is stopped down even one stop, sharpness at all focal lengths is quite satisfactory. As a bird photographer, I use my lens mainly at 400mm. As compared to my older, manual focus 400mm. Nikkors, the 80-400mm. is not quite as sharp and contrasty, but in practical terms the differences are truly minimal. This lens produces fine images exhibiting good contrast and excellent color rendition. Optically, it's a winner.
One caveat: because this is a complex zoom built from a large number of optical elements, it does NOT perform particularly well with teleconverters. With certain 1.4x teleconverters such as those in the Kenko Teleplus Pro line, the lens actually will still autofocus (even more slowly, however) and the VR mechanism works, sort of. But there is a notable deterioration of sharpness. With a 2x teleconverter, there is no AF, no VR, and even further reduced sharpness. If working with teleconverters is something you are counting on, stick to a single focal length tele.
Overall, however, for photographers bent on getting sharp photos at longer focal lengths hand-held, this is a fine lens to try and buy. For walkaround bird photographers like myself, it's nearly ideal. It's very likely that in a few years this early version of a VR lens will seem antiquated and quaint. For now, however, it represents a very good investment for Nikon users. |
Great lens as long as you understand the limitations.
|
| Review Date: March 22, 2005 |
| Reviewer: R. D. Smith, |
This is a great lens and takes simply amazing pictures. The results are much better than what you will get with the "plain" 70-300 telephoto lens.
That being said, there are a few things to consider.
1) the lens is expensive. It cost more than my D70 did...
2) the lens is HEAVY. When lugging this baby around, you know *something* is in that camera bag...
3) the focus is SLOW, particularly compared to the 70-300.
However, using the tripod mount as a "handle" (an awkward but effective use of the mounting bracket), I got some shots that simply blew me away given the amount of perceived camera shake. I do not have very steady hands (particularly with something so heavy) so the VR feature is invaluable.
I would recommend this lens, but don't throw away your 70-300 just yet... |
Great Lens!
|
| Review Date: August 4, 2006 |
| Reviewer: James Cooper, Pennsylvania |
I have to agree with most of the reviews here. It's heavy and not particularly quick focusing, but makes great pictures. I moved up from a 70-300 Nikkor, and it was well worth it. Having the extra 100mm is wonderful (essentially it's like a 600mm lens on a 35mm). And the VR is fantastic. One of the best endorsements for it is the number of times I've heard "You took that handheld?". Closer minimum focusing distance would be nice, but I have no real complaints about this lens.
I posted a couple of photos here, but you can't really see the detail.
Some Nikon lenses feel like they're made for the masses. The 80-400 has the 'pro' feel you come to expect from Nikon. You won't be disappointed. |
Love it
|
| Review Date: March 22, 2007 |
| Reviewer: idaho dad, Boise Idaho |
| I used the Nikon 80-400mm lens with my D200 for the first time last week at my kids lacrosse game. Before purchasing this lens, I was a little concerned about some of the comments here that the autofocus is slow to react. I took about 100 pics at the game, and had one that was slightly out of focus. All other pics were incredibly sharp. I think this is a great lens. |
Miracle of modern technology
|
| Review Date: February 26, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Vladimir Kushnir, Darien, CT United States |
| I have this lens for half-a-year now. Pricy, of course, but it is worth it. It allowed me to take some pretty interesting pictures which would not be taken any other way. Most of the time it is necessary when you `shoot' animals, e.g. birds, or butterflies, who would not allow you to get close. Another example is to shoot an alligator, where he probably would not mind, but I do. Then, some architectural shots from a big distance also become possible. The VR (vibration reduction) is totally amazing. The thing, however, eats batteries for lunch, so I've started to carry a second battery. The lens comes in a nice cylindrically shaped bag, and because it is pretty big and heavy, I carry it in it's original bag, instead of trying to stick it into the same bag with camera, so the load is spread. Of course, you really need to love this type of shooting to carry it around. Overall, the lens is a miracle of the modern technology, and the quality is exceptional. This is a great fun, and if money allow - I highly recommend. |
|
No video reviews found for this product.
[...] Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED Autofocus VR Zoom Nikkor Lens | AF-S.com [...]
[...] Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED Autofocus VR Zoom Nikkor Lens | AF-S.com [...]