Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction Review

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Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction (Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D for short) is a member of the line of super telephoto autofocus zoom lenses.

A range of focal lengths in excess of 300 mm can be considered a super telephoto, and Nikon has only 8 of these models among auto focus zoom lenses:

  1. Nikon Nikkor 80-400 mm 1: 4.5-5.6D AF VR EDsince February 2000
  2. Nikon Nikkor 80-400 mm 1: 4.5-5.6G AF-S VR ED Nsince March 2013
  3. Nikon Nikkor 100-400 mm 1:4.5-5.6SZ VRsince October 2021
  4. Nikon Nikkor 120-300 mm 1: 2.8E AF-S VR ED FL SRsince January 2020
  5. Nikon Nikkor 180-400 mm 1: 4E AF-S VR ED N TC 1.4 FLsince January 2018
  6. Nikon Nikkor 200-400 mm 1: 4G AF-S VR EDsince July 2003
  7. Nikon Nikkor 200-400 mm 1: 4GII AF-S VR ED, since April 2010
  8. Nikon Nikkor 200-500 mm 1: 5.6E AF-S VR ED, since August 2015

All these lenses except Nikon 200-500 / 5.6E VR, have a gold ring near the front lens and are professional solutions.

Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D was the first of this line, and introduced in February of the distant 2000. That's pretty strange lens, it also has a built-in Nikon VR stabilizer and focuses using a camera screwdriver, and even features an aperture control ring. I only know of one 'VR' and 'AF' type lens and it is shown in this review. So Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D is a mix bulldog with rhino old and new technologies. In addition, by itself, the Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D is a pretty old lens. Flipping through the instructions there you can find its compatibility only with the first ancient Nikon D1 digital SLR cameras, D1x, D1h, D2h и D100 (don’t worry, Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D works well on modern cameras).

Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D is equipped with a gold ring on the focus ring, which means it can be attributed to the professional lenses of the NIKON NIKKOR line. In addition, he is on the list of professional equipment Nikon NPS. In the modern list of Nikon Professional Services includes only 3 lenses with a maximum relative aperture of 1: 5.6, and therefore, I want to note that professional optics do not have to have a large aperture.

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Main technical characteristics of Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction:

Review Instance Name Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction US 407096
Basic properties
  • FX (for Nikon FX) - lens designed for Nikon FX full-frame cameras
  • AF (Auto Focus) - automatic focusing by means of the camera motor
  • D (Distance) - transmission of the focusing distance to the camera
  • Non-g (Non-gelded) - the presence of the aperture control ring
  • ED (Extra low dispersion) - the use of special low-dispersion elements in the optical scheme
  • AM (Autofocus or manual focus switch) - focus mode switch
  • LA, LM (Locked) - focus mode lock
  • L (Locked) - diaphragm ring retainer
  • Limit / full - focusing distance limiter
  • DIH (Nikon Super Integrated Coating) - special integrated enlightenment of optics
  • Golden ring - gold ring near the front lens
  • VR (Vibration Reduction with 2 modes) - built-in image stabilizer with two modes of operation
  • Window with a focusing distance scale with an indicator for working in the infrared spectrum for 80 mm
  • Composed by professional equipment list Nikon NPS
  • Ability to use a tripod foot (unknown foot model)
Front Filter Diameter 77 mm, the thread for the filters is metal, the outer part of the thread for the filters is rubberized
Focal length 80-400 mm EGF for Nikon DX cameras is 120-600 mm
Zoom ratio 5 x
Designed by for film and digital cameras Nikon
Number of aperture blades 9 rounded petals
Tags focusing distance in meters and feet, focal length values ​​for 80, 105, 135, 200, 300, 400 mm, bayonet mount mark (it is also a mark for setting the aperture), a mark for working in the infrared spectrum for 80 mm of focal length. Tags for attaching the hood and tripod foot.
Diaphragm At 80 mm from F / 4.5 to F / 32. At 400 mm from F / 5.6 to F / 40. The lens has an aperture ring (Non-G - lens type)
MDF (minimum focusing distance) 2.3 m, the maximum magnification ratio for 80 mm is 1:25, for 400 mm - 1: 4.8
The weight 1360 g with a tripod foot and 1210 g without a tripod foot
Optical design 17 elements in 11 groups. The scheme includes 3 low dispersion elements (shown in yellow on the optical diagram). The presence of such elements is indicated on the body by the abbreviation 'ED'. nikon 80-400 optical schemeThe image of the optical circuit is clickable.
Lens hood Nikon HB-24 in the package, as well as the ability to use a special hood Nikon NH-34 for Polar filter to work with polarizing filters
Manufacturer country MADE IN JAPAN
Period From February 2000 to 2013, later replaced by Nikon N AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6G ED SWM Nano Crystal Coat SuperED IF
Instruction (multilingual) Download, mirror 2
Price

About 2 years before the Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D came out, Canon already announced a similar lens - Canon Zoom Lens EF 100-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6 L IS USM.

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Assembly

All Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D lenses have been released in Japan. To the touch, the lens is quite pleasant and weighty, without a tripod foot, its weight is about 1200 grams. At first it seems that the lens is already very large and very heavy, but in fact it is the same, or even lighter, than professional fast lenses of the class (70) -80-200 / 2.8... On cameras Nikon D700 and and Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro weight balance does not cause discomfort.

Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D uses standard professional 77mm color filters. The outer part of the case frame near the front lens is rubberized, which is a kind of protective bumper.

The focus and zoom rings are rubberized, large and comfortable. However, with the tripod foot installed, access to the zoom ring is a bit uncomfortable. Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D has metal bayonet. The zoom ring and the part of the lens barrel between the focus and zoom ring are plastic. The focusing ring is also plastic. The rest of the lens is made of metal. Due to the presence of a large number of plastic parts, it may appear that the 'professional' Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D is less assembled than real professional metal zoom type Nikon ED AF Nikkor 80-200mm 1: 2.8D (MKII).

The zoom ring does not rotate as easily and smoothly as we would like. Most likely, the rigid zoom ring is made so specifically to avoid self-extension of the lens trunk.

There is a mark on the case for quick installation of the hood. The lens uses an HB-24 plastic lens hood, which is fixed in special grooves located near the front lens of the lens. The hood can be installed in the opposite direction for transportation. In this position, access to the focus ring and zoom is lost. Hood, although plastic, but very strong. While changing the focal length, the lens hood moves with the trunk of the lens.

The lens has no dust or moisture protection.

When changing the focal length, the rear lens moves in the middle of the lens body like a pump - it draws in and pushes out air. This behavior of the rear lens is called 'vacuum cleaner effect', which can increase the amount of dust that accumulates in the camera.

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Tripod foot

The Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D body has a dedicated tripod foot mount. The tripod foot is fixed to the lens with a special clamping screw. The protrusion on the body has 4 fastening screws, which is why the foot can only be installed if the grooves on the foot are correctly aligned with these screws. And also, because of these 4 screws, the rotation of the foot occurs in jerks. For many users, this is inconvenient compared to other lenses.

To remove or set the foot, you need to combine the indicator in the form of a triangle on the foot ring with the mark on the lens body.

On the inside of the tripod foot there is velor seal for quality fixation.

The Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D foot and body have markings for quickly adjusting the horizontal or vertical position of the lens and camera.

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Stabilizer

Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D - the very first Nikon Nikkor lens with built-in stabilizer.

Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D uses a VR stabilizer (Vibration Reduction - Nikon's Vibration Reduction Technology) that can compensate 3 stops by shutter speed. In numerical terms, this means that you can shoot at shutter speeds 8 times longer than what a lens without a stabilizer requires. For example, when shooting stationary subjects at 400 mm of focal length, instead of being limited to 1/400 sec., You can shoot at 1/60 sec.

В instructions 80 stops are indicated for Nikon 400-4.5 / 5.6-3D lens. On official website indicated that the lens can only compensate 2 stops (measurements by CIPA).

This lens uses one of the weakest stabilizers available in Nikon Nikkor lenses (perhaps even the weakest). The Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D stabilization system refers to first generation... VCMs (Voice Coil Motors) motors are used for stabilization. Even the 'VR-Nikkor' label is archaic in itself (do you know other lenses with such markings?). The 'VR-Nikkor' label reminds me of old manual zoom lenses that were labeled with the 'Zoom-Nikkor' prefix. And modern lenses do not have the 'Vibration Reduction' inscription, which is on the Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D body (it decodes the abbreviation 'VR' and emphasizes the presence of this option).

Although the lens uses a weak stabilizer, the capabilities of the latter are quite enough for comfortable work during handheld shooting. It was difficult for me to get sharp shots of stationary objects at 400 mm focal length and 1/60 sec., But starting from 1/100 sec. almost all frames were sharp. Therefore, I believe that in real conditions the lens compensates for less than 3 stops. For the review, I took pictures at shutter speeds of 1/250 sec and 1/320 sec to completely avoid blur both from camera shake and from the movement of objects.

To enable / disable the stabilizer, as well as switch modes of its operation, the lens has special three-position switch (shown in the picture below).

The stabilizer can work in three modes:

  • 'ON with two buttons drawn' - activates the stabilization system when you press the shutter button fully, or when you half press the shutter button. Suitable for easy focusing when displayed in JVI the picture is not shaking.
  • 'ON with one button drawn' - activates the stabilization system only when you fully press the shutter button. Suitable for saving battery power.
  • 'OFF'- the stabilizer is off.

Important: in the first mode 'ON with two buttons drawn' the stabilizer is not activated when the 'AF-ON' button or any other button programmed for the 'AF-ON' function is pressed. The stabilizer turns on only when you half-press the shutter button. Different cameras may operate differently with 'AF-ON' and gimbal activation.

The stabilizer operating modes allow you to choose only the stabilization system activation method, and, unlike modern lenses, for example, such as Nikon N AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm 1: 4G ED SWM VR IF Nano Crystal Coat, do not have quality settings and the method of its operation, for example, such as the variation 'VR Normal / Active'.

The Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D stabilizer can track the movement of the camera in horizontal or vertical directions to create panoramas. When turning on or off the stabilization system motors, the image in JVI can twitch.

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Diaphragm

Diaphragm lens consists of 9 rounded petalsthat form a flat hole. Aperture range is available from F / 4.5-5.6 to F / 32-F / 40.

There are marks with a focal length on the zoom ring, the following is a list with the minimum numbers F available for these marks:

  • 80 mm - F / 4.5
  • 105 mm - F / 4.8
  • 135 mm - F / 5.0
  • 200 mm - F / 5.3
  • 300 mm - F / 5.3
  • 400 mm - F / 5.6

The lens has a manual aperture ring. To be able to control the value aperture from camera or for automatic installation aperture on modern CZK, you need to turn the control ring to the value of F / 32 and fix it with a special lock with an orange letter 'L', which is located to the right of the labels aperture. If this is not done, then on a number of cameras, the display will display an error - 'fEE' (ring is not installed aperture) Some cameras having diaphragm rheostatallow you to control the aperture using the ring aperturebut only in metering modes exposure 'M' and 'A'. You can read more about this issue in the section on Non-G Lenses. Ring aperture rotates with clicks, it has F / 4.5, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32; it is not possible to set an intermediate value between pairs of numbers using the aperture ring. Intermediate values ​​can be set only through the camera menu. Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D is one of the few lenses that has a letter 'L' ('Lock' - 'lock').

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Focusing

In general, the Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D focuses slow. On cameras Nikon D700 и Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro the lens makes focusing errors more often than wanted, but I don’t have any particular complaints about the tenacity of focus.

There is a lens housing focusing distance limiter 'Limit / Full'.

  • In Full mode, focusing is available over the entire range - from ∞ to 2.3 m. The travel time of the lenses from infinity to MDF and back is very long and causes severe discomfort during automatic focusing. In this mode, the lens can be considered to focus So slow.
  • In Limit mode, there are two operating options: 'from ∞ to 5 meters' and 'from 2.3 m to 3.5 m'. In the 'Limit ∞-5' mode, the travel time of the lenses from infinity to MDF and back is significantly reduced, and the focusing speed can be called and... In the 'Limit 2.3-3.5' mode, the travel time of the lenses from infinity to MDF and back is longer than in the 'Limit ∞-5' mode, and the focusing speed can be called low.

The focus limiter operates in both manual and automatic focus modes.

The minimum focusing distance is 2.3 meters (over the entire range of focal lengths), while you can shoot Macro with a maximum magnification of 1: 4.8but only at 400 mm focal length. It is inconvenient that for an 80 mm focal length the MDF is 2.3 meters too large.

Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D has a window with a scale of distances in meters and feet. There is no GRIP scale, but there is a mark for photographing in the infrared spectrum, but only for 80 mm focal length. The manual contains additional information about shifting the focus ring during infrared shooting at other focal lengths. And the depth of field scale can cut from the instructions and stick on the distance scale (and Nikon suggests doing this needlework for a professional lens!).

During focusing, the front lens does not rotate, but travels forward. While changing the focal length, it also does not rotate and drives forward. There should not be any special problems with the use of specialized filters. Unfortunately, the Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D does not have internal focusing as such, although the front lens does not rotate during manipulation of the lens.

During auto focus, the focus ring rotates freely and does not affect the focus process. During manual focus, the focus ring rotates 135 degrees in Full mode. Manual focus is quite comfortable.

It's important: auto focus with this lens is available only when using him on cameras with built-in motor focusing.

Exact list Nikon DSLR cameras with a built-in focus motor, on which this lens will focus automatically:

Exact list Nikon DSLR cameras without a built-in focus motor, on which this lens will not focus automatically:

Only auto focus and sound confirmation of focus will not work with these cameras, all other important functions, such as automatic exposure metering and automatic iris control, will work well.

You will find a lot of useful information on the types of cameras and lenses Nikon here.

During auto focus, the lens and camera pretty noisy.

Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D has the 'Focus Breathing' effect - changing the viewing angle when focusing. When you change the focal length, the focus goes astray, but only a little.

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Focus switch 'L MA L'

Focus mode switch 'A-M' (on the case it is actually 'M-A') is designed as a ring and uses a metal release button to switch between 'M' and 'A' modes. This switch makes it easy to distinguish Nikon professional from non-professional lenses in the old 'Nikon AF' range.

Actually, such a focus mode switch is not very convenient. In order to somehow refine it, additional functionality was developed, namely, the LA and LM modes were added. Now near the letters 'A' (left) and 'M' (right) there is also the letter 'L' ('Lock' - 'Lock / latch').

The essence of the updated switch is as follows:

  • A - automatic focusing works, you can quickly change the focus mode to 'M' by simply rotating the focusing mode selection ring, without additional pressing the lock button.
  • M - manual focus only, you can quickly change the focus mode to 'A' by simply rotating the focus mode selection ring, without additional pressing the lock button.
  • AL (or LA) - automatic focusing works. To switch to another focusing mode, press the lock button of the focusing mode selection ring.
  • LM - manual focus only. To switch to another focusing mode, press the lock button of the focusing mode selection ring.

The 'A' and 'M' modes are useful when the photographer frequently switches between focusing methods, while the 'LA' and 'LM' modes provide a secure lock on the selected focusing method. In any case, these modes are still far from modern switches'M / AM', or 'A / MM', or 'A / MM / AM'.

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Compatibility and Features

The lens will work best on full-size cameras. Nikon fx. EGF camera lens Nikon DX is 120-600 mm. There is no complete analogue of Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D for Nikon DX cameras, but according to EGF it looks a lot like cropped Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 55-300mm 1: 4.5-5.6G ED VR SWM HRI (EGF is 82.5-450 mm).

A list of all Nikon DX series lenses can be found. here. The optical design of all Nikon DX lenses can be viewed here.

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Image quality

In the range of 80-300 mm, there are no complaints about the sharpness in the center of the frame on open apertures, but after 300-330 mm the sharpness drops a little. The sharpness drop is very noticeable at the edges and corners of the frame. If you cover the diaphragm, then the sharpness comes back to normal. The lens has a slightly pronounced distortion and vignetting (hardly anyone will even notice them in real pictures). Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D tolerates side and backlight well, you can safely shoot without a hood. Chromatic aberrations present, but their level is not great. The lens creates a neutral bokeh and a fairly neutral, somewhat even pleasant picture.

In general, from Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D I would like the best indicators of image quality, especially in terms of sharpness along the edges of the image at the long end.

You can download RAW source files at this link (62 files in the '.NEF' and '.RAF' format, 820 MB). All photos are on-camera JPEG. All photos were shot on Nikon D700 (using monopod and hood) and Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro (without using a hood and tripod foot).

UPDATED

Sample photos on Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction and a camera Nikon D610 shared Ekaterina Vasyagina (website photojourneys.com).

  • The first photo in the gallery - the finalist of the international competition "Golden Turtle" 2017
  • The second photo in the gallery is the finalist of the international competition "Golden Turtle" 2018
  • The third photo in the gallery is the Finalist of the international competition "Golden Turtle" 2017. Winner of the Nikon competition "I am in the heart of the image". 2018 in the category "Animalism" (professionals)

More works by Ekaterina can be found on her page Facebook and on the site 35photo.

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

My experience

Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D - a funny specimen tractor engineering objective building. Slow focusing and general moral obsolescence do not suit me. Although 400 mm is cool :).

In general, the Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D can be useful for those professionals who know exactly how to use this kind of lens. For everyone else, there is a shorter Nikon ED AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm 1: 4.5-5.6G VR ED IF SWMwhich does 80% of the work of the Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D.

It’s a little surprising that the lens was produced for the whole 13 years and amuses that during its publication in advertising brochures it was indicated as an advantage that it uses a ring zoom (the focal length is changed by rotating the zoom ring, and not by moving the piston, as with older lenses).

More pictures of the lens:

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

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Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Price

Real prices for Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction lens can see here, or in the price block below:

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

Results:

Nikon 80-400 / 4.5-5.6D is a very peculiar professional lens. In many ways it is outdated and out of production. For our time, it has slow and noisy focusing and weak image stabilization. But this fat man can still please the photographers. The super telephoto range is something.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: lech

 

 

Comments: 110, on the topic: Review of Nikon ED AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6D Vibration Reduction

  • Maximen

    I have had this lens for four years now and have been shooting it with a Nikon D-800. I found that for the stabilizer to work correctly, it is necessary not to hold it too tightly (evenly), that is, when the shaking is minimal, it almost does not stabilize, but try to add a small shake of the hands specially, as good stabilization is right there))). Although, probably, the concept of even holding / shaking is different for everyone. Maybe this is a feature of my copy ... I will add that I am a professional cameraman and used this glass often and in large quantities, including filming a video ... I like the picture ... I bought a used one for 35 thousand ... It's a bit dark ... But for a range of 80-400 mm and such a price on the secondary market, this is a good budget option! I will be glad if my observation will help someone more comfortable to shoot with this glass!

    • TaMaRa

      Good afternoon, tell me, please, is this lens suitable for the D70?

      I am an amateur, I want to take more interesting photos. Or is this lens too complicated for the layman?

      • Valery A.

        Good evening. Yes, it does. The lens is not that complex, but large and heavy (and not cheap). Have you considered 55-300 or 70-300VR (Nikon or Tamron)?

  • Maximen

    And it also perfectly implements manual focus - this is extremely important for shooting video! Not any "rings of infinite twist" as on G - lenses! ))) Everything is classically reliable!

  • oGo

    Fap Fap)
    Yes, the focus is slow, but even with this you can shoot the same football without any problems)
    In general, D glasses can be taken only for the sake of design, all new Nikon glasses have been sucked in this regard)

  • Maximen

    Keep in mind that the speed of “screwdriver” AF is highly dependent on the carcass. There are no problems with this in professional carcasses!

  • lech

    Yesterday I bought this "Monster". The choice was: either 70-200 f4, or this one (80-400D ED). The choice fell on the monster, the foot was included. I tested it, at 300 mm - ideal sharpness, at 400 mm - it washes, but no less much sharper than the DX 55-300 at 300 mm. The camera is perfectly balanced on the foot.

  • lech

    The other day I tested. I tried to find out what kind of blur this glass gives out. He built a target of stones, about 20 centimeters high, and moved about 25 meters away. The photo is right from the camera, only compressed.

  • lech

    Wandered, tested. Deer without processing, directly from the camera, is compressed.

  • lech

    Focus on the monument.

  • lech

    Now on the moon.

  • lech

    Glue in PS, process to taste and get this.

  • lech

    At dusk, autofocus creeps back and forth. The glass is light and easy to focus manually, you just need to adjust to using the switch. For good sharpness, it is better to take a picture between f8 and f11. At f6.5, it is already starting to soap all over the frame. When you aim at infinity manually on a scale, it should be strictly in the center of the icon, like this -8, if you scroll a little further, everything goes to soap. In general, glass is very heavy, not for roaming walkers, but for a clearly defined task.

    • Valery A.

      And what is now your favorite 55-300, abandon it? Deers are good, half a kilometer removed?

  • Ivan

    Yesterday I worked with this lens for the first time. I’m not satisfied. I expected more.https://ibb.co/eJRFNG

    • Peter Sh.

      And what does not suit you? The picture shows the landscape in haze due to high humidity. There is no need for a lens.

  • Den

    Hello! Briefly, what do you think of the newer model of this lens - Nikon 80-400 mm 4.5-5.6 G AF-S VR?

    • lech

      Autofocus is faster, sharper, harder and for complete happiness is twice as expensive.

      • Koba

        I tested the second version myself, the bastard costs 1400 dollars in China, the first version is twice as expensive, in addition, it also has a more powerful stabilizer, an excellent lens ...

  • lech

    Recently took 80-400 at sea. Definitely better than 55-300. At 300mm, an absolutely sharp picture at f9.5. If you start to open the diaphragm, it is already soaping. 55-300 in this regard is better, even with f5.6 sharp, but as already noted, the 200-300mm segment is not quite working. In general, 80-400 is good for static objects (portraits, ships) and with a tripod. If you need speed and VR, 55-300 is more suitable (although certainly not ideal). All this is my personal field experience.

  • Sergey Khodykin

    Guys, I have a question about the focal length in the table for this lens; - “80-400 mm, EGF for Nikon DX cameras is 120-600 mm”. Is it spelled correctly?
    I kind of read and as I understood it should be for the DX-53-266mm.

    • Valery A.

      Yes, it is correctly written. Here the topic is this: focal lengths are the same for all lenses, regardless of whether they belong to any format - full, narrow (FF), 1,5 or 2 or 5,75 crop. This is the distance from the opt. the center of the lens to the matrix. It is accepted to “dance” from a 35mm frame, on it the zoom 24 (28) -70 (80) mm is the most versatile, as on the 18-55 crop (zoom 15-100 is weak to do). Further, I saw an 18-55 lens on the crop and ask you - What focal points does it give (for FF), i.e. what is EGF? You multiply by a crop of 1,5 and confidently answer: 27-82mm, - I see, but for my 24-70 try it on your crop. You try and say: like nothing, but the focal points are wrong - the wide angle is gone. What angles can be seen there? - Yes, as in FF 36-105, i.e. this is the EGF of the lens 24-70 at a 1,5 crop. Similarly with 80-400, on the crop the viewing angle is 1,5 times narrower and the picture becomes like 120-600 on the FF (this is the EGF 80-400 on the 1,5 crop). And by attaching this device to a soap dish, we will see a picture, as in a telescope: 400 * 5,75 = 2300mm EGF.

    • Gennady

      Equivalent focal length is not the best thing that came up with. Imagine a person who has the first camera in his life (crop, of course), and they begin to tell him that his half a barrel is not half a barrel already, but generally seventy-five. And they explain what this object will look like from this angle if you shoot on a full frame. And the newcomer has never held any such full-frames in his hands, he absolutely does not care what kind of view there may be on some other cameras, he is interested in the result on his dear camera, but all sorts of clever people come and start to hover his brain, measuring the angle by distance, as if comparing with hell knows what, what our newbie did not see, does not know, and it is not a fact that he wants to know.
      Thus, ether is an absolutely superfluous term, invented by not the most smart guys.

      • Victor

        I totally agree.

        It is from here that the misconceptions come from that they say, “a full-frame fifty-kopeck piece gives 3100mm on my d75, it’s too narrow for me”, or “it’s not possible to shoot a portrait for half a row even on a crop because there are distortions” :)

      • Seladir

        > ether is absolutely unnecessary term
        > he is interested in the result on his dear camera

        I see a contradiction between these two phrases. Without understanding the EGF concept, a beginner can gather information, where, for example, fifty dollars is quite rightly described as a standard lens, and then discover that the lens on his cropped camera is inconvenient for every day.

      • Michael

        It is superfluous only now and for a beginner. And when everyone switched from film to crop, the question was relevant

  • TaMaRa

    Good day to all.
    Tell me, please, is this lens suitable for the D70?

    I am an amateur, I want to take more interesting photos. Or is this lens too complicated for an amateur?

  • Taras

    Hello Nikon D7100 cannot see this lens. Although 18-105 works without problems. The 80-400 also works great on the D90. What could be the problem?

    • Ivan

      What do you mean "does not see"? Don't have auto focus? Is the lever on the camera on AF?

      • Taras

        The error is reported by fEE. Everything you need is included. The D90 works with this lens without any problems, and with the D7100 other lenses also work without problems ... by the way, when I press the shutter button, the stabilizer starts working, but it's still a mistake ...

        • Arkady Shapoval

          see if the lens aperture ring is pressing (such a ledge) aperture limit lever (This one). D90 and d7100 have different methods of determination. If not, press it down with your hand / toothpick and see what happens.

          • Taras

            Doesn't react in any way. When the lens is removed, then if I pull this foot to the end, it shows f64, when I release it back, then f11

            • Andrei

              And what do they say in the service?

              • Taras

                I'll take it on Monday. So while the good old "90-stick" helps out) I think maybe something with a ceramic diaphragm resistor ... although the previous owner worked with the old 80-200, fifty rubles ... the riddle is shorter (

            • Alexey

              Maybe something with a diaphragm rheostat on the D7100. New lenses (18-105) do not interact with this unit, and for old lenses, it seems that information about the extreme position of the diaphragm obtained from the rheostat is important.
              Check if the rheostat is working properly. Set in the Non-CPU lens data item a lens with any focal and maximum aperture 2.8. Without a lens in mode M or A, the aperture value should change from 2.8 to 45 for the extreme positions of the rheostat.

              • Taras

                I will try, thanks for the advice)

              • Taras

                Checked, extreme 45 and in the opposite direction 8

              • Taras

                and in mode A shows at least 5.6

              • Alexey

                8, if not touch and just without a lens? Is 2.8 set in the menu?
                Perhaps then the malfunction is associated with the diaphragm rheostat.

              • Taras

                Yes, I just don't touch it, without a lens, 2.8 is exposed, when M is 8, when A is 5.6.

              • Taras

                Then I think you are right, and the service will confirm this) I hope the replacement will not cost a large amount.

              • Alexey

                It shouldn't be that way. Probably the problem is connected with such work of the rheostat.

              • Alexey

                If working with such lenses is important, then yes, you need to go to the service.

              • Taras

                Tell me, should the 7100, in theory, produce a sharper picture on this lens than the D90?

              • Alexey

                If the question is for me, then I had nothing to do with this lens. But in theory, yes :) All the same, 24 megapixels versus 12. If you don't start talking about the resolution of the lens and all kinds of micro-smears.
                If you need a telephoto lens of this type, then on the D7100 I would recommend the modern AF-P 70-300 DX.

              • Alexey

                Does the diaphragm control ring press the diaphragm rheostat exactly to the end? Is there a little more movement to the right of the rheostat protrusion after installing the lens?

              • Taras

                Well, it doesn’t push it to the end, it’s not point-blank, there is still room for a move, but just physically, the lens will not reach the end. But all the same, I neatly pulled it all the way with a toothpick, but there were no changes.

              • Alexey

                Clear. So the compression did not help.

          • Taras

            Here is actually the "hero of the occasion")
            Thanks to the master (0635432641), I did everything in an hour, since I was in stock.

  • Gennady

    Tell me, has anyone really successfully used this lens on a crop?

    • Andrei

      Good day, Gennady, the above photo on D 90 is just a crop.

      • Gennady

        I reviewed everything three times. I didn’t find it, alas. This glass is coming to me. I would like to drive it to the D7200.

    • Ksenia

      I have been using d7200 for two years now, the dynamics are not his strong point, static - the pictures are bright, sharp

  • Gennady

    Literally an hour ago I bought such a lens. Absolutely new. I made a couple of dozen test shots and am very pleased with the result. No not like this. VERY VERY satisfied. I literally gurgle boiling water with happiness. A similar 80-200d (mklll) and not lying around in quality, and therefore selling it nafig.

  • Alexey

    Good evening!
    I like to take pictures of airplanes, but because to the airport 150 km, then mainly on the echelon - 9-11 thousand meters. I use nikon d5000 + glass 55-200 for these purposes, I understand that this is probably not the best set. What can be used from the Nicorr family for such spotting?

    • Jury

      try Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f / 5.6E FL ED VR, you might like it :)

    • Specialist

      Uncle Yura is joking. Better (than 55-200) inexpensive telephoto lenses: AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm 1: 4.5-5.6G VR, Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm 1: 4.5-5.6G ED VR. AF-P lenses, alas, will not have autofocus.

  • Sylvio

    comment fontctione t'il avec des nikon f4 et f5 argentique?

  • john

    Does BBF work without any problems?

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