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Author
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Juan Estevez
Registered User
Registered: June 2005
Location: Boynton Beach, Florida
Posts: 3067
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Review Date: Fri September 16, 2005
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,200.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharp and it has VR
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Cons:
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Slow autofocus
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A lot has been written about this lens, I have this lens for three years now, worth every penny. Could be better ? Of course. I wish for a AF-S version.
I find that the best thing about this lens is sharpness, at 400mm is right there with Nikon big guns. Is not a 10 just beacuse the autofocus speed. For birds in fly get something else.
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http://www.pbase.com/juanfotos
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Andy Bright
Administrator
Registered: August 2002
Location: Herts
Posts: 4150
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Review Date: Tue October 11, 2005
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,000.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Optical quality, VR
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Cons:
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AF speed
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Everyone seems to knock the AF speed of this lens but it is perfectly adequate for most bird photography situations and is generally faster on pro bodied Nikons such as the D2x.
In truth, the lens is a little bit dated now and would not be the first choice for a fast action lens.
No one can doubt the optical quality from this lens, capable of razor sharp images even wide open at f5.6.
Tripod collar designed by an idiot but it is a VR lens that positively encourages handheld use, so leave the tripod collar in the box and consign it to a life in the attic.
VR clunks in and out with a slightly worrying noise but it does work.
Review available here http://www.digiscoped.com/Nikon80-400.html
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www.Digiscoped.com
also, if you're particularly bored, try www.andybright.com - mediocre aviation photography
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mybirds
Registered User
Registered: January 2007
Location: Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire
Posts: 26
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Review Date: Sun February 11, 2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Superb optics
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Cons:
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Slow autofocus
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Another great lens from Nikon but now getting a bit dated. With a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) it could be much faster but even so I find it perfect for use from a hide with a monopod or when just walking. The Vibration Control (VR) works very well and the sharpness of the images is superb. Still learning but great so far. Will post samples shortly.
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"I take pictures of what I like - if someone else likes them - that's a bonus"
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Dave Williams
Registered User
Registered: March 2007
Location: North Wales
Posts: 1344
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Review Date: Fri August 10, 2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Pricey but still affordable
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Cons:
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You need good light for really sharp pictures
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No matter how big your lens, you will no doubt always covet something better. What is affordable to some certainly isn't to others, but this piece of kit has given me some very good pictures and hours of pleasure. I rarely use the lens at anything less than full zoom so I would be happy with a prime lens if I could afford one. Unfortuneately , you can't use a converter with this lens either, but having said that you would need very good light to make use of it. The VR works very well, and as I take the majority of my pictures whilst hand held it has proven it's worth.
I have some pictures in the gallery if anyone wants some comparisons, but I would buy the lens again given that choice. I was considering the Canon equivalent but decided the Nikon D200 was a better camera than Canon had on offer for a reasonable budget.I haven't tried the Canon but would like to do so for a like for like trial.
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twolf
Registered User
Registered: May 2008
Location: Romania
Posts: 82
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Review Date: Sat May 10, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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good optics, VR
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Cons:
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poor tripod collar , a bit overpriced, AF could be faster
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Coming from the excellent and affordable Nikon 70-300VR, this lens seemed like the natural upgrade to do.
Well, after using it for a few months now I'm a bit underwhelmed, and it doesn't feel like much of an upgrade anymore.
The optics and overall build quality are quite good. The lens feels solid, the hood is excellent, the controls work great, VR does a good job.
IQ-wise it's on the par with 70-300VR up to about 200mm. Over that setting it's visibly better, but at 400mm it does soften a bit. Stopping down helps, but it doesn't match the lower focal lengths.
So far so good.
In AF department this lens is more of a downgrade for me, and before getting the D300 (I had D80), acquisition was slow and prone to hunting in less than perfect light.
D300 solved half of the problem - it doesn't hunt nearly as much, but it's still on the slow side. The focus limiter is a real help and improves things further (IMO - every telephoto lens should have one!).
The tripod collar flexes, significantly decreasing sharpness. Replacements don't go cheap either.
Hopefully Nikon will come up with an improved design that would unleash the full potential of this lens
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All the best
Bogdan
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