Nikon Nikkor VR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED Lens

This Nikkor zoom is a lens that I would not want to live without. As with my other Nikkor lenses the value and quality are more apparent today than ever before.
Believe me when I say that I looked at this purchase very carefully. Not a day goes by that I am not glad I made the decision to purchase this lens.
For me the range has proven to be essential in capturing wildlife and particulary useful when covering sports.
What I like in particular are the range, quality, performance, size, weight and cost. The accessories including soft case, tripod mount, shade and packaging are first rate!
This lens works very well hooked to my D200!
My experience with the auto focus is that performance is much better than some other reviews would lead you to believe. Getting familiar with the various auto function options available via today's DSLR's have increased the performance I get from this lens.
Listen... a faster aperture would be great and so would AF-S but the reality is that Nikon does offer those feautures in other lenses. The size and cost also reflect the cost of such features and may well be worth it to some photographers.
That being said I wouldn't trade my 80-400mm AF-D ED VR for anything.
Talk to those who have owned one and used it extensively and better yet take a look at the images they produce with this lens.
My position after less than a year is that this lens is an exceptional value!
The more I use it the more I appreciate the build quality and performance aspects.
Size and weight feel very balanced and purposeful in my hand.
One last thing is that using Nikkor lenses with Nikon cameras and system offer too many benefits to properly cover here. At least that is my experience!
Good luck!

This lens is heavy but very worth the weight. The lens is sharp as a tack and the VR (Vibration Resistance)allows you to shoot 3 f stops slower. Nikon says you can hand hold 1/60 at 400mm. I have not found this produces a good sharp photo but the lens has allowed me to take my wild life shots at a much slower shutter speed.
One of my favorite features is the ability of the lens to steady the view through the viewfinder as well as the the photo.
An expensive lens but well worth it!

This has been a terrible experience and I will never buy from Cameta again! when the product arrive it did not work at all. It was advertised as a "Demo" unit in prefect condition and was to carry a full One Year Warranty, When the unit arrive it had a "Refurbished" 90 warranty paperwork.
When I contacted Cameta I was told to return it and it would be replace with another unit. Then when I called ten days later the return still had not been processed and I was told no more units were available. If this unit had ANY warranty at all it should have been replaced.
Cameta is NOT to be trusted and I will never purchase anything from them and will tell everyone I know Not to do business with this company.
I will also send a formal complaint to Nikon as well as ebay.

This Nikkor zoom, 80-400mm AF –D ED VR is a must have for the nature and sports photographer alike. More focal length, longer reach, more coverage, more zoom, call it what you want, we've all wished we had more at one time or another. As with my other Nikkor lenses the value and quality are more apparent today than ever before. Yes you can buy a cheaper lens, but that is exactly what your going to get – cheaper quality, construction, and materials.
The range has proven to be essential in capturing wildlife and particulary useful when covering sports.
This lens will work (all functions supported) with all Nikon AF film bodies and all of their digital SLRs except the D40. A complete package comes with the front and rear caps, a tripod foot, a lens hood, a carrying case, and a manual.
What I like in particular are the quality, range, performance, weight, size and cost.
This lens works very well with my D200.
My experience with the auto focus is that performance is much better than some other reviews would lead you to believe. Becoming familiar with the various auto function options available via today's DSLR's have increased the performance I get from this lens.
A faster aperture would be great and so would AF-S but the reality is that Nikon does offer those features in other lenses. The size and cost also reflect the cost of such features and may well be worth it to some photographers.
That being said I wouldn't trade my 80-400mm AF-D ED VR for anything.
Talk to those who have owned one and used it extensively and better yet take a look at the images they produce with this lens.
My feeling is that this lens is an exceptional value!
The more I use it the more I appreciate the build quality and performance aspects.
The size and weight feel very balanced and firm in my hand.

This is a great lense. It has 5x power, is lightweight by comparison to others, and shoots razor sharp pictures. Yes, it is a bit slow to focus, but you can live with it if you are not shooting sports. Overall, a great lense if you need this much power. It is due for an update and there have been many rumors for the last year, but so far, nothing from Nikon. Most rumors are that Nikon will release the same lense with the fast and accurate AFS focus instead of the current focus from the camera body. We will all just have to wait and see.

This is an excellent lens if you are working off of a tripod. Sadly, unless you are shooting in very bright light, you HAVE to be on a tripod to get a perfectly still image. Even with VR, this lens is simply too big and heavy to hold still during the best light of morning and early evening.

With that being said, the images I've captured with this lens are superb and sharp. Bright light bird-watching images are amazing but the autofocus is a little slower than I would like.

While just a bit heavy, hey it's a 400mm zoom, the lens is quite sharp and the focus is relatively quick. Only had it a few days and it is just great for outdoors, wildlife and moving children shots.