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Nikkor AF 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 ED VR D - Review / Lab Test Report |
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Lens Reviews -
Nikon / Nikkor (APS-C)
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Page 1 of 2
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published May 2006
Lens kindly provided by Horst Schneider!
Introduction
Released back in 2000 the Nikkor AF 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR was the first
in a row of new Nikon lenses featuring a Vibration Reduction (VR)
mechanism which is certainly one of the key selling arguments besides the
very attractive zoom range of the lens.
The VR has an efficiency equivalent to 3 f-stops (at cost of slow shutter
speeds like all optical image stabilizers). Unlike its Canon
counterpart the VR is capable to detect panning so it is not necessary
to switch between two different modes for static and action scenes. The VR
should be switched off when using the lens on a tripod - otherwise you
risk added blur because the lens tries to find non-existing motion.
The AF 80-400mm VR is a gold ring lens indicating a professional grade
Nikon lens for F-mount DSLRs. It's a full frame lens and there're no limitations
regarding the usage on film and digital SLRs. On current APS-C DSLRs like the
Nikon D200 (used for testing) the focal length is equivalent to 120-600mm
(5x ratio).
The build quality of the lens is good but don't
expect an all-metal tank - many parts are made of good quality plastic.
The Nikkor has a conventional zoom ring making
it quite convenient to set an exact focal length. The zoom action feels a
little on the stiff side. As you can see in the product shots above the lens
extends quite a bit when zooming towards the long end of the zoom range but
this is typical for zoom lenses in this focal length class. The AF 80-400mm VR
features a detachable tripod collar which is certainly needed regarding the
weight class of the lens. Unfortunately it isn't exactly the best implementation
around because turning the ring between horizontal and vertical layout
is imprecise at best. Most users will probably prefer to take it off.
Thanks to an IF (internal focusing) design
the front element does not rotate so using a polarizer is no problem.
The lens has no internal AF motor and relies on a slotted drive screw
operated by the camera. As a result AF operation will generate a moderate
degree of noise. The AF speed is quite slow - one of the primary points of
criticism with its the user community. Sports photography is not really a strong
aspect of the 80-400mm VR but things aren't all that bad on the D200.
The lens has a focus limiter which can be useful in low-light situations
where the camera's AF may tend to hunt at times.
If you deactivate AF on the camera you still need to turn an AF-MF ring
on the lens in order to use the focus ring - otherwise it remains detached
from the focus gears. Quite awkward compared to the recent AF-S designs.
| Specifications |
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| Equiv. focal length | 120-600 mm (full format equivalent) |
| Equiv. aperture | f/6.8-f/8.4 (full format equivalent, in terms of depth-of-field) |
| Optical construction | 17 elements in 11 groups inc. 3 ED elements |
| Number of aperture blades | 9 (rounded) |
| min. focus distance | 2.3 m @ 400 mm (max. magnification ratio 1:4.8) |
| Dimensions | 91 x 171 mm |
| Weight | 1340 g |
| Filter size | 77 mm (non-rotating) |
| Hood | Nikon HB-24 (supplied), barrel-shaped |
| Other features | Lens provides distance (D) information to the camera. Tripod collar. Vibration Reduction (VR). |
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