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80-400mm update this week? (1 Viewer)

I handled the new 80-400 a couple of weeks ago. I've also seen some side by side tests under controlled conditions.

The 80-400 is quite an improvement over the earlier version. AF is quite good - good enough for birds in flight. Image quality is very good. It's probably 90% or so of the sharpness of the 200-400 which makes it quite a bargain. The 300 f/4 AFS is better than both the 80-400 and the 200-400 in terms of image quality and sharpness, but you would expect that with a prime lens compared to a zoom. The difference is small, and the zooms provide flexibility absent in a prime.

The one major flaw in the new 80-400 is the tripod collar. It's simply unacceptable. My initial observation was it looked like a mounting screw was loose - but that's not the case. A friend who owns the lens suggested the top designers created tehlens and turned it over to the intern for the tripod collar. :) It is just unacceptably light and requires a replacement collar. RRS has one to be delivered shortly.

I would consider the new 80-400 an excellent lens for photos while birding. The relatively light weight, moderate size, and image quality are excellent. Yes its a little pricey, but the alternatives for better quality are more expensive.
 
The MTF curves don't suggest that much difference optically. I've only read positive reviews about the new lens but I'm disappointed if the 2000 design of the AFS 300/4 betters it. I met someone using the new 80-400 AFS version with the D7100 and he was very pleased with it, bragging that it effectively becomes an 800mm with the crop mode. Despite the falling Yen, Nikon are determined to keep their prices high in the UK.

Not sure about the tripod mount, it's rare that I use one anyway, preferring a beanbag or just handheld.
 
The comparisons I've seen of the 80-400 vs. 200-400 and 300 f/4 comes from Nikon MTF charts and other testing using FoCal test images. While the design of the 300 f/4 is from 2000, there are plenty of older long primes that are very sharp. It's the zoom lenses where modern designs have made huge steps forward in quality, and the 80-400 is no exception.

I don't think you should expect a good telephoto prime to be matched by a zoom. The fact is that the 80-400 is a big improvement in image quality over the earlier model, and the problems with AF speed have been nicely addressed.

LensRentals.com has a nice early evaluation of the 80-400 along with some test results comparing the 80-400 with alternatives.
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/03/quick-take-on-the-new-nikon-80-400-vr

Here's a comparison of the 80-400 with the 70-200 and 2x teleconverter. The new 80-400 is superior based on their Imatest results.
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/03/the-requested-80-400-af-s-vs-70-200-vr-ii-and-2x-comparison

The relatively small differences between all of these lenses will vary depending on test conditions. LenRentals and others typically are using a D800E for their testing since it maximizes resolution, and I expect some other cameras might not be able to record an observable difference. I expect it would be very hard to see differences under normal conditions but it looks like the 80-400 is a real winner.
 
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