ericbowles
Well-known member
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 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.