Review on Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR Zoom Lens (OLD MODEL): Autofocus Nikkor Lens Review and Specs by Shane Black

I read all the reviews and I had mixed feelings about choosing this lens. The biggest complaint came from users who said the focus was too slow. It all depends on which Nikon DSLR you are going to use. I bought this lens for a fraction of the cost of the latest AF-S lens. I paid $995 for the refurbished lens, not $2695 for the AF-S version! This has given it space on my new D7100 and the focus suits my work well. On the D7100 (or my D300s) it's 120mm vs 600mm and if I set the D7100 to the 1.3x crop option it becomes 800mm (780mm but who counts?) and the vibration reduction ( VR) is amazing! Remember that this is an FX format lens so you can use it with DX or FX format cameras. For the FX body, for example, this is a lens with a focal length of 80 mm to 400 mm. I experimented with VR by taking a few shots of my dog walking out of my hand at a shutter speed of 1/200s at a focal length of 600mm. I then took some shots of the full moon at 780mm (600mm + 1.3x crop) handheld at 1/320 sec. and finally the flight sequence of the mountain thrush. The camera worked at a speed of 6 frames per second and the zoom was 600 mm - also in the hand. Sharp as a nail! The color is exactly the same as my other DX lenses and is what you can expect from Nikon. The combination of this lens and the D7100 covers everything I intend to shoot. Yes! It's big and heavy! If you expect otherwise, don't buy this zoom. Yes! It's expensive but you probably knew about it before reading all the reviews. How much are your pictures really worth? If you shoot with Nikon, IMHO you have already answered this question. Note that the lens has a focus range lock function and a focus limit switch. So if you're shooting similar subjects from the same distance, you only need to focus your lens to the distance you're shooting from. Autofocus doesn't need to focus the entire distance between you and the subject. This area limiting function works with auto focus and manual focus. (Remember manual focus?) Manual focus or using the limit feature is a really good way to preset and lock focus. Perhaps the new AF-S with VRll is a must-have if you're shooting very fast-moving subjects - however, the Bluebird has covered a lot of ground in a very short time - but $2695.00 is more than I was willing to shell out! My old version, the refurbished lens, exceeded all my expectations! If you're looking to save money, look for an updated version of this lens and pair it with a newer camera and I think you'll be happy too!