Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G VR review

1st June 2014

Written by Thomas

Samples

The following images were taken with the Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR lens mounted on a Nikon D800 body. The images are RAW files developed in Lightroom 4 with camera standard settings, no lens profiles, CA-removal=ON, NRed=OFF, sharpening=70/0.5/36/10. The individual exposure details are listed for each image.All of the images below are available to download in their original formats for analysis; click the photo to access the files at flickr. These files are for personal evaluation only and cannot be used in another publication or website without permission.

The first two images give you an impression of what you can achieve with a 80-400mm zoom on a full-frame body: first shot was taken at 80mm, second shot at 400mm from the same vantage-point.

Under the bridge: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 80mm f8 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 80mm, f8, 1/60 sec, 100 ISO, VR=ON

Zoom in five times and you can capture all the details.

Graffiti: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 400mm f5.6 on a D800

400mm, f5.6, 1/200 sec, 220 ISO, VR=ON

From the distance to a close-up shot. See what you can achieve at 400mm from a distance of 3m.

Snow Drops: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 400mm f5.6 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 400mm, f5.6, 1/320 sec, 200 ISO, VR=ON


f5.6, 200 ISO	f5.6, 200 ISO	f5.6, 200 ISO

Need more magnification? Mount a Canon 500D 2-diopter close-up filter in front of the Nikon lens and get down to 1:1.25x magnification as the following shot demonstrates:

Dewdrops: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 400mm f8 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 400mm, f8, 1/200 sec, 280 ISO, VR=ON


f8, 280 ISO	f8, 280 ISO	f8, 280 ISO

Next up is a good shot to examine Bokeh. Captured from a distance of 7m. To better judge the effect I only use 50% crops. Foreground Bokeh is a little nervous, background Bokeh looks smooth:

Snowflakes: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 400mm f8 on a D800

Main image and all 50% crops: 400mm, f5.6, 1/400 sec, 200 ISO, VR=ON


f5.6, 200 ISO	f5.6, 200 ISO	f5.6, 200 ISO

Now back to more urban subjects. The gleaming metal shows no coloration/fringing, the scratches and tire-treads are well defined:

Safari: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 80mm f8 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 80mm, f8, 1/200 sec, 200 ISO, VR=ON


f8, 200 ISO	f8, 200 ISO	f8, 200 ISO

Fabrics demonstrate the acuity of this lens at 280mm:

Photog: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 280mm f5.6 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 280mm, f5.6, 1/320 sec, 100 ISO, VR=ON


f5.6, 100 ISO	f5.6, 100 ISO	f5.6, 100 ISO

Fine details, well-defined specular highlights and a bit of outlining with the background Bokeh:

Schoener Brunnen: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 80mm f5.6 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 80mm, f5.6, 1/800 sec, 100 ISO, VR=ON


f5.6, 100 ISO	f5.6, 100 ISO	f5.6, 100 ISO

Great reproduction of textures, good background-isolation at 175mm:

Putto: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 175mm f5.6 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 175mm, f5.6, 1/320 sec, 100 ISO, VR=ON

Some “magenta-ghosting” develops against the glaring sky:

Tree: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 80mm f4.5 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 80mm, f4.5, 1/200 sec, 200 ISO, VR=ON

Gate: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 80mm f5.6 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 80mm, f5.6, 1/80 sec, 200 ISO, VR=ON


f5.6, 200 ISO	f5.6, 200 ISO	f5.6, 200 ISO

Finally, here’s a comparison of a scene shot with the AF-S 80-400 and shortly afterwards with the combination of a Nikon 70-200/2.8 II and a 2x tele-converter

Scene: shot with Nikon Nikkor AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6G ED VR at 400mm f5.6 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 400mm, f5.6, 1/60 sec, 100 ISO, VR=OFF


400mm, f5.6, 100 ISO	400mm, f5.6, 100 ISO	400mm, f5.6, 100 ISO