NOT TOO HEAVY AND EASY TO HAND HOLD WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.

SOMEWHAT NOISY.

OVERALL THIS LENS REALLY LIVED UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS. USING THE LENS WITH MY F100 I WAS ABLE TO TAKE GREAT SPORTS PHOTOS FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL GRANDSTANDS!!

Customer Service

HAVE NOT USED

Similar Products Used:

17-35MM 2.8 AF-S ED, 28-70MM 2.8 AF-S ED

Stable enough to use 1/40th Sec at 400mm!

Optical quality not good enough for a £1400 lense.

I need a 300+mm lense, so yesterday I went to one of the most helpful Nikon dealers in London, who let me use an F5, a 300 f4 afs and an 80-400vr. He also gave me a roll of Kodak E100vs slide film to test them with - who says you can''t get good service in the UK! I shot test photos with the 300 f4 first, working through the aperture range from wide open to when the shutter speed became too slow (about f11 - it was a cloudy day) Then I repeated the same test with the 80-400vr at 400mm. After getting the roll processed I scanned them using my coolscan. I have to say that the image quality from the 80-400 was disappointing. The 300 f4 images were stunning however, and the difference was like chalk and cheese! The impression I got when holding the 80-400 was really favourable, with very stable images appearing in the viewfinder at 400mm hand held. This allowed me to take shots at ridiculously low shutter speeds just as the Nikon salesman told me it would. Unfortunately, the optics are not up to the quality of the electronics. The shots I took were not very sharp at any aperture setting. Also, I found the colours to be murky and confused when compared with the cheaper 300 f4. I think that Nikon have compromised on this lense and what you are paying for is the relatively new VR system. Cheap glass is the tradeoff. VR is undoubtedly a great thing, but I don''t really need it and at this price I want to be buying image quality rather than electronics. I can''t afford a 300 2.8, so for now I am going to buy a 300 F4. I think that the 80-400 needs to be cheaper to be a serious contender.

Customer Service

Excellent - Grays of Westminster will bend over backwards to help you.

Similar Products Used:

No other VR lenses, but plenty of other Nikkors.

Weight

See review summary

Perhaps I got a bad lens but this lens was a HUGE disappointment. I took it on a recent trip to Northern Canada and of the 100 odd images I took with it I was able to count the usable images on one hand! When I returned (and got my slides back) I decided to do a few tests. I photographed a statue at 400mm 5.6 with VR OFF with the lens mounted on a tripod. I then took the lens off the tripod turned the VR ON and took the same photo from a very steady rest. Both exposures were on Velvia set to ISO40 at 1/125 sec. The second image with VR ON was undeniably softer. I did similar tests with a Nikon 80-200 2.8 (new). The image quality from the 80-200 was streets ahead! Some may say that it is unfair to compare the 80-400 lens to the other (superb) Nikon pro lenses. Well, if that is the case why does Nikon attach a pro price tag? The bottom line is that (in the case of my lens) the VR had a NEGATIVE effect and it is NOT optically as good as the pro ED lenses, even with the VR OFF which leaves very little incentive to keep the lens. I took mine back to the shop and will get the 300 2.8 in a few months and live with the weight. No more short cuts.

Customer Service

Good. They exchanged this lens for the 80-200 IF 2.8. A superb lens. I will now trade in my very reliable and trustworthy "new" version.

Similar Products Used:

Many, but is this focal range the 80-200 Nikon.

much sharper shots than non vr lenses

Slow AF sometimes, noisy focusing

Great for small birds and general outdoor photography. Great lens to travel with.

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 400 APO

Vibration reduction really works. Wide zoom range. Build quality is high.

Moderately slow focus compared to AF-S or HSM.

Amazing performance! I was able to obtain sharp pictures while hand-holding this lens with shutter speeds as low as 1/60 sec at the 400mm focal length range. I previously was unable to do this with my 80-200 f2.8 lens. While the VR feature alone makes this lens a good buy, it also features solid build quality and ED glass. The combination of these features contribute to very sharp results. The wide zoom range comes in very handy.

Customer Service

None needed.

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 70-200 F2.8 EX HSM

80-400 Range!
Size & Weight
VR
Sharpness, Color, Contrast, image quality
Focus Speed vs 80-200(non-AFS) & 2X Tamron Pro
Lens does not rotate
77mm which allows me to share filters w many other lenses

not AFS
not constant 2.8
Not all metal (durability?)

took 17 rolls of photos w f100 at 2 soccer games (2hr games) last weekend (10AM start) mid-day & (3:15 start)5+PM (dusk) w mono-pod. Estatic with the results!
The range is perfect for soccer games.
AF speed not as fast as either non-afs nor afs 80-200/2.8 alone, but it's not bad either, especially if reasonably close in range. Certainly a lot faster than my non-afs + tamron pro 2x or 1.4x. Takes a while to go from close to far and opposite.

When it got dark, I was very happy to have the VR capability. Took shots as low as 1/60th of sec & the motion effects are great!

Been waiting for this since announced & not disappointed at all.

I keep it on the middle setting (VR only at shutter release) which works great!

GREAT Lens so far!

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

80-200/2.8 + Tamron 2X & 1.4X Pros

- 80-400 range
- VR
- It's a Nikkor 400/5.6 even if part of a zoom
- well built
- sharp

- slow (compared to the 2.8 fixed aperture zooms)
- not as sturdy as 80-200/2.8
- AF hunts at times, in low light
- slow AF (not only compared to AF-S but also compared to 80-200/2.8)

This is a bit premature since I have only had it for a week but since it is a new lens I assume a lot of people want some info.

It is a very nice lens and it is sharp as far as I can tell without having done any serious comparrison tests (but what Nikkor PRO lens isn't "sharp"?)
VR does work and it is a help. The lens is definitly hand-holdable at 400mm. It is shorter, lighter and thicker than the 80-200/2.8.
Speaking of which, I do not feel that it replace the 80-200, it complements it. The latter still has an unbeatable feel and quality (build and optical). If you can only afford one of these: buy the 80-200/2.8 first, it's a true must-have while the 80-400VR is a nice-to-have.

If you are in the market for a 400/5.6 lens and you can afford it then this is a good alternative to Sigma 400/5.6 and the like. You get the zoom range and VR, and you get a Nikkor of the great quality that you can expect from Pro lenses (i.e. not the consumer lenses).

I am very happy I bought it, it is sharp, neat, handholdable and versatile. Just make sure that this is what you want and do not believe that you get all the good things of the 80-200/2.8 included.

About VR/IS: some photographers think that VR is meaningless if you know how to hold a camera, some feel it is the best thing since sliced bread.
I am inbetween the two. It does work and it does help, but it will not make a great photographer out of you unless you know what you are doing.
Either way, you will be able to handhold this lens at slower speed than without VR, regardless of how good you are.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 80-200/2.8D New

The vibration reduction feature really works. The lens is compact, well built and the 80-400 zoom range is just right for a variety of uses. My first box of chromes were outstanding...excellent and sharpness.

This is NOT an AF-S lens so focus is a bit slower. The VR function appears to significantly increase battery consumption especially with the D1.

This is an outstanding lens. If you need the 80-400 range I recommend it. The VR feature alone is great but combined with the agressive zoom range is really impressive. Tac sharp and compact!

Customer Service

None as of yet.

Similar Products Used:

None

Top notch optics, compact size and of course a VR capability that works!

A bit slow to autofocus however the lens is easy to switch between manual and auto.

I have used this lens to shoot a professional football game where I usually employ a 300 mm f2.8 AF-S Nikkor. The results were excellent. Keep in mind the VR funciton reduces camera shake but does NOT reduce motion blur if the subject is moving. Thus it is important to use a fast shutter speed and time your shot for that peak of action. This will not replace my 300 2.8 AF-S nikkor but with a second body it is lkely to beocme indispensable.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

None

Range. VR - ability to switch viewfinder VR off. Optics.

AF speed or rather lack of speed. Heavy - without in-lens motor still as heavy as Canon 100-400 IS with USM.

I don't own this lens. I tested it on my shoot in Bolsa Chica bird reserve. I'm confused how people shooting sport and wildlife can rave about this lens. It's unusable for any fast action. AF is one of the slowest I've ever used, and lens hunts until your subject is gone. VR is not enough to make it a good lens. Pictures are sharp (when you take your time and let AF do the job or use MF) but not sharper than Canon or Minolta zoom. This is year 2000 and I think people are waiting for new lenses incorporating the newest technology to make taking pictures easier - faster AF, IS/VR, lighter, better optics. It's a shame that Nikon is introducing VR with this lens when Canon is ready to ship 400 F4 IS USM DO. I see a serious problem with Nikon technology. It took them two years to make something like Canon IS (let's be clear - to rip off) and since they announced this lens in January, it's been delayed several times. And they are not able to use AF-S together with VR yet. This lens is not worth >$1500. If you have a lot of Nikon stuff, wait for anything VR + AF-S or consider AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4D IF-ED. If you want to make a decision wich system you should choose if you're serious about wildlife - unless you're interested in turtle photography ;-) - don't choose Nikon.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 100-400 IS USM
Minolta 100-400