I love this lens. I used to own a Sony A7R when they first came out. Great camera and ideal for my situation... I could take it climbing with me as it was so light....Due to a house burglary I lost it and my wife replaced it with a Nikon D5300. I know; fairly low end.

Consistent Output; Durable; Quick Focus; Sharp Focus; Strong Construction

Heavy

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

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.

Used to see these kinds of lenses as sort of amateurish. Got one from NPS a few months to give it a try on a golf tournament. Wow! Loved it. So sharp, fast focusing and easy to carry. The fact that it's so lightweight compared to a 400 2.8 or 200-400 makes it so much easier on the body.

A word of warning-this is absolutely a LAYMAN'S REVIEW. I am not a professional, and not even a serious amateur, but I have been dabbling in wild-life (particularly birds) photography for almost 5 years.

I have been using this lens for more than a year now and it stays on my camera all the time except for when I have special projects. I am mostly into birds and other wildlife. This lens is light enough for me to carry all day and sharp enough for great detail. Contrast and detail are very good.

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

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

This lens takes excellent high resolution photographs throughout the zoom range and has a fast enough maximum aperture to work even on cloudy days beyond the flash range.

Excellent quality and fine detail images

Non that I can see

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