Range, sharpness, hand holdable at 1/60th at 400.

Price.

I have taken one roll at a football game on an overcat day. The results are outstanding. I used Royal gold 200 and have shots that will easily go to 11x14. The vibration reduction works well. for wildlife and travel this lens is the ticket. I am trying to decide whether to get rid of my 300 or my 80-200.

Similar Products Used:

80-200 2.8 and 300 f/4

Very Sharp
VR works well
Not too heavy (for a zoom)

Price
Not AF-S

I take a lot of bird photographs, so I appreciate the Zoom. My 20-200/2.8 AF-S is my favourite lens - up till now! I have difficulty in stopping camera shake and normally use a tripod. The VR lens has made a dramatic difference to my pictures! If you want sharp shots without a tripod, this is the one for you. I use it on both my F100 and my D1 with equally good results.

Customer Service

None needed

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 80-200/2.8
Sigma 50-500/4-5.6

Optics, compactness, light weight, VR really really works!

Could use AF-S

Magnificent lens. Optics amazing for any zoom, especially for a 5X zoom. Handles well. VR really works! Effect on film is on a par with 28-135 IS. Focus is a lot more than good enough for any use i've put it to, including to track motorcross bikes at less than 15 feet. Although AF-S would make it feel even faster, but I really don't think the AF speed really leaves anything to be desired by a practical photog. It worked perfect tracking motorcross bikes and soccor balls.

Customer Service

Outstanding from experience, but no customer service has been needed for this lens.

Similar Products Used:

Assorted Nikon stuff from 8mm-1000mm, F3,F4, F5, Canon D-30, 70-300 IS, 28-135 IS. Olympus digital stuff.

Optics, very effective VR, compact size

Nothing really, not AF-S perhaps

Very good optics. The focus is a bit slower and noisier than 100-400 IS, but is still very effective for bird photography on F5. The guy who knocked its autofocus must be a hard core Canon partisan. Optics are much much better than my husband's 100-400 IS, Although we both think he got a lemon. The VR effect through the view finder is different from Canon IS, with more "elastic effect" when VR kicks in. Give you more virtigo. On film the VR works a tad better than IS, the pictures have a little less blurring in very long (1/4 sec) hand held shots.
I don't think any lens is worth $1000+, but I don't have a choice and this one is as good as any.

Customer Service

Canon and Nikon. But none on this lens

Similar Products Used:

Canon 100-400 IS, Canon 70-200 2X TC, Canon 500 IS, Nikon 17-35, 35-70, 70-180, 200 macro, 85 T/S macro

Extrememly Sharp, Excellent Contrast, Easy to balance when handheld. great range of 5x. Front element stationary makes use of either cross star or linear polarizer easy. Weight reasonable.

Not AFS
Slow focus (Livable)

I have two of these. The first I purchased in Hong Kong about three months ago. I had also ordered one from a dealer here in Las Vegas expecting delivery in early July as promised by the Nikon reps at PMA. Nikon has a problem when it comes to advertising and touting new equipment and then not delivering to dealers. The second one I got from a dealer here (Sahara Camera) 10 minutes after it came in his door. That one cost me 1,600. I think it is an excellent piece of glass. The fact that it does not focus as quickly as I would like has not impaired me in the least. I have gotten every shot I went after. I use it on the F-100. Over the years, I have trained yself to hand-hold long lenses. In most instances I cannot use a tripod or even a monopod. I shoot Las Vegas shows where the action is fast and no lighting can be used other than stage. I mostly shoot 100 ASA negative, and 200 ASA Transparency.Yes, I DO get an ocassional blurred shot, but i'ts because of the action of the performer that I miscalculated in most instances. I am extremely happy with this lens, and would recommend it highly. It takes some time to get used to it's capabilities, maybe 4 0r 5 rolls.

Customer Service

Not Applicable

Similar Products Used:

Closest is my 80-200 2.8

Good range, good flare control. Very sharp throughout the range and good contrast. Also VR if you can use the slower shutter speed.

Price and availability

Nikon claims this is in their current line but with the small availability and supply of this lens I somewhat question that you can officially claim this. For some reason, the supply of this lens is very low as stores are only getting in a couple a month with Nikon's allocation. Very dissapointed in that Nikon would release a lens and not be able to supply the lens adequately. Dos Canon have this problem? The other remark outside the lens is that the last customer support guy at Nikon USA was rude and abrupt and wouldn't listen to what I had to say.

Having gotten the negatives out of the way, I think this is a very nice lens and even keeps good sharpness out to the long range. VR is useful for those slower shutter speeds and subject not moving. Autofocus speed is not superb but fast enough.

Customer Service

Good and bad. Last guy I talked to was a NY ahole.

Similar Products Used:

Tokina 80-400, Nikon 80-200 2.8

Size, Stabilization, Sharpness

As everyone else mentions, focus speed.

This lens is expensive, but so are all of Nikon's good lenses. I have tried several <$500.00 Nikon lenses and always been disappointed. In fact, Tokina lenses are better in quality in that price range...Anyway, this lens performs very well - great sharpness and contrast with little distortion. Very good at 400mm. The image stabilization works great, but it is only good when the subject is stationary. The focus speed is something that could be improved. It's slow, but works fine for my use. Fortunately, there is a limit switch, which helps stop the lens from hunting too much. I feel that the lens is really worth $1000.00 without the silent wave motor, OR maybe worth $1400.00 with it. Nevertheless, it is a keeper. Good luck getting one as they are hard to find. What is it with Nikon? They can create great technology, but can never deliver it in quantity. Maybe they plan it that way. Check ebay as that's where i got mine.

Customer Service

Never had to deal with, and from what I read, a good thing.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 80-200 AFS
Tamron 28-300
Nikon 24-120
Nikon 300mm f/4
Etc.

Don't need a tripod. Sharp.

Would like 2.8 but then again I like the size of this thing.

I love this lens. I can shoot in a hurry with no tripod to mess with. I am getting consistanly sharp pics. My hand held pics are better than I am doing with my 300 2.8. I may just be a shaky old guy. The AF speed is OK for me. The S version would be nice but I am still glad I have this thing. The people who seem to be having trouble with the AF hunting may have a camera problem or need some training.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Various Nikon & Canon

Very light weight lens compared to it's capability. Focus is plenty fast for flying birds. Images from this lens are as sharp as the 80-200 2.8. The VR works very very well!! Shot most of my pics at the 400 end, and all hand-held, and they are sharp and contrasty.

Teleconverter availible is non-AF, non-VR, but it is slow.

This one is a winner folks! Destined to be one of Nikons finest!

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

None

Sharp without tripod for stationary subjects ONLY. Good contrast. Versatile zoom range. Compact.

Not AF-S. When used with TC14A teleconverter you lose AF, 3D matrix metering, etc. Flimsy tripod collar.

Consistently sharp over entire zoom range for hand-held shooting of stationary subjects. HOWEVER, when used on F5 in focus-tracking mode on moving subjects, this lens does NOT produce professional quality image sharpness, unlike the 80-200 f/2.8 AF-S. I have incontrovertible proof! I am puzzled by previous reviewer (John Wallace from NY with 21+ years in sports photography). I cannot emphasize enough that this lens is NOT for action photography.
As for the flimsy tripod collar, when you mount this lens on a tripod and lightly tap the lens hood to simulate moderate wind gusts, the image in the viewfinder bounces around like crazy (Yes, you do need a tripod in low light, and with TC14A teleconverter).
I will definitely trade-in this lens as soon as the AF-S version is available.

Customer Service

Never needed.

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 AF-S