Great success for Nikon! This 80-400 G lens is among the very best lenses ever, and will be for long time! Cost every penny you spent on it!

Long story shortly - the best Nikon's long zoom, better or equal to best primes of its range; Absolutely sharp at any zoom positions, even wide open; There isn't any kind of CA or geometrical distortions significantly enough to speak about; Fast and reliable AF.

There is enough of space to make hood telescopic, always ready; Actually, this lens doesn't need so big hood; I am using short 1" third-party metal one, over the B+W filter

I've just completed my full field test of this lens. Here's the "Executive Summary": The AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 VR is a significant and worthwhile upgrade from its predecessor. It's an incredibly versatile lens that will meet most of the needs for many, many nature and wildlife photographers.

Solid optical quality throughout the entire focal range; very "hand-holdable&quot

Just acceptable build quality; horrendous tripod collar; poorly designed hood

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR ($2,299.95) is an appealing walkaround lens for nature photographers and sports shooters working in bright light who appreciate a long range of coverage, but don't need to shoot in the dim lighting that makes event photographers reach for a fixed f/2.8...

Strong sharpness through most of range; Long telephoto reach; Optical stabilization; Minimal distortion; Relatively lightweight; Includes tripod collar and hood

Sharpness dips at 400mm and toward edges of frame; Pricey

For a 5x zoom, the AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR is an excellent performer. Centre sharpness is very good to excellent at all apertures throughout the zoom range, with the borders also being impressively sharp at most zoom settings.

If you're looking for a compact, versatile telephoto zoom lens that handles portraiture as well as it handles long-distance wildlife and action photography, look no further than the AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR.

As the Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR's £2500 list price suggests, there is a lot of technology packed into Nikon's latest telephoto zoom. With 20 elements (including four with ED glass and one with Super-ED glass), AF-S focussing, four-stop VR and technical test results that are consistently...

5x zoom range; Sophisticated VR system; High MTF results; Fringe-free images; Reliable AF system; Focus limiter; Weatherproof design; Tripod mounting collar

Rather heavy; Costly

After reading previous reviews giving it a 10, it was a great disappointment. Bad copy Maybe, but I am not going to try another one to find out. Sent it back for a refund.My Nikon 200-500 was sharper and had better AF. My 300 f4 PF with a 1.4x TC on it is sharper and has better AF.

Solid build; 80-100mm is handy

Not that sharp and AF not impressive And even though it is supposed to be normal; the obvious chattering sound it makes when changing focus is annoying and stupid that Nikon can't make this zoom lens without the chattering

Optically this lens is excellent, producing very sharp photos on both full-frame and sub-frame cameras even at wide-open apertures throughout the zoom range. Other image quality factors like chromatic aberration, distortion and vignetting were all well behaved and minimal.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR ($2,299.95) is an appealing walkaround lens for nature photographers and sports shooters working in bright light who appreciate a long range of coverage, but don't need to shoot in the dim lighting that makes event photographers reach for a fixed f/2.8 lens. It covers nearly twice the range as the AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II ($2,424.00 at Amazon) for about the same price, at the cost of a narrower maximum aperture that puts more limits on depth of field control and light-gathering capability. Image quality is strong through most of the zoom range, with a drop at 400mm that can be compensated for by stopping down, making it a solid option for Nikon photographers in want of a telezoom. It's not quite the equal of the less expensive Sigma 150-600mm DG OS HSM Contemporary ($899.00 at Amazon) , our Editors' Choice telezoom. But the Sigma trades some wide-angle coverage for telephoto reach, and is notably heavier, which will stee...

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens offers the convenience of a long range and doesn't show a lot of distortion, but images lose some crispness when zoomed all the way in.

Strong sharpness through most of range; Long telephoto reach; Optical stabilization; Minimal distortion; Relatively lightweight; Includes tripod collar and hood

Sharpness dips at 400mm and toward edges of frame; Pricey