Photography Life

PL provides various digital photography news, reviews, articles, tips, tutorials and guides to photographers of all levels

  • Lens Reviews
  • Camera Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • Compare Cameras
  • Forum
    • Sign Up
    • Login
  • About
  • Search
Home โ†’ Reviews โ†’ Cameras and Lenses โ†’ Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR Review

Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR Review

By Nasim Mansurov 103 Comments
Last Updated On November 9, 2024

«»

Summary

Nikon did a very good job with completely redesigning the aged 80-400mm lens, which was plagued with many issues: from mediocre optical performance and noisy / slow autofocus motor to a badly designed construction that could hurt your fingers. The new AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR addresses most of those issues and delivers much better performance in comparison. It has better colors, better contrast and sharpness throughout the zoom range and has a very solid construction.

No more finger pinching problems and loud motor noises, thanks to Internal Focus design and AF-S Silent Wave Motor. Because the lens is optically superior to its predecessor, Nikon allowed the use of teleconverters with the lens, which can expand its reach beyond 400mm. The new Vibration Reduction II system is very effective in low-light situations and the difference in stabilization performance between the new 80-400mm and its predecessor is especially noticeable on high resolution camera bodies such as Nikon D7100 and D800.

Nikon D7100 Sample (38)
NIKON D7100 + 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 195mm, ISO 1600, 1/640, f/5.6

With all these advantages, the Nikon 80-400mm also has some flaws. First, while its autofocus performance is excellent, autofocus accuracy can be iffy in some situations. In short, the lens sometimes hesitates / chatters when autofocus is continuously engaged, going back and forth in small steps, as if is unsure if focus is properly acquired. This behavior is not very noticeable at short focal lengths, but it does occur at 300mm and longer, similar to what you see on lenses like Nikon 70-300mm VR. Second, although Nikon redesigned the tripod foot, it is still very unstable for long focal lengths. Third, although you can attach any Nikon TC to the lens, they all seem to impact lens sharpness and contrast significantly.

At its current price of $2,699, I struggle to see good value with this lens. Yes, it is better than any other zoom lens in its class overall, but lenses like Sigma 50-500mm OS typically go for almost twice less that amount and give you a much better value.

Nikon 80-400mm Sample (9)
NIKON D800E + 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 195mm, ISO 720, 1/400, f/8.0

If you are after the best performance / reach and you are on a low budget, the Nikon 300mm f/4D + TC-14E II is still a better deal in my opinion. You will surely miss VR in low-light situations, but this combo is simply amazing, especially at its much lower price.

Where to Buy

The Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR is available for purchase at B&H for $2,696.95 (as of 07/15/2013).

Nikon 80-400mm Sample (24)
NIKON D800E + 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 185mm, ISO 640, 1/400, f/5.3

Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR
  • Optical Performance
  • Features
  • Bokeh Quality
  • Build Quality
  • Focus Speed and Accuracy
  • Handling
  • Image Stabilization
  • Value
  • Size and Weight

Photography Life Overall Rating

Photograhy Life Silver Award
4

Table of Contents

  • Overview and Specifications
  • Optical Features
  • Sharpness Tests
  • Lens Comparisons
  • Summary
  • More Image Samples
  • Reader Comments
«»
Looking for even more exclusive content?

On Photography Life, you already get world-class articles with no advertising every day for free. As a Member, you'll get even more:

Silver ($5/mo)
  • Exclusive articles
  • Monthly Q&A chat
  • Early lens test results
  • "Creative Landscape Photography" eBook
Gold ($12/mo)
  • All that, PLUS:
  • Online workshops
  • Monthly photo critiques
  • Vote on our next lens reviews
 
Click Here to Join Today
 
Disclosures, Terms and Conditions and Support Options

Learn

  • Beginner Photography
  • Landscape Photography
  • Wildlife Photography
  • Portraiture
  • Post-Processing
  • Advanced Tutorials
Photography Life on Patreon

Reviews

  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • Other Gear Reviews
  • Best Cameras and Lenses

Photography Tutorials

Photography Basics
Landscape Photography
Wildlife Photography
Macro Photography
Composition & Creativity
Black & White Photography
Night Sky Photography
Portrait Photography
Street Photography
Photography Videos

Unique Gift Ideas

Best Gifts for Photographers

Subscribe via Email

If you like our content, you can subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly email updates using the link below:

Subscribe to our newsletter

Site Menu

  • About Us
  • Beginner Photography
  • Lens Database
  • Lens Index
  • Photo Spots
  • Search
  • Forum

Reviews

  • Reviews Archive
  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • Other Gear Reviews

More

  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Workshops
  • Support Us
  • Submit Content

Copyright © 2025 ยท Photography Life

You are going to send email to

Move Comment