Just received the new Nikon AF-S 80-400 f4.5-5.6 ED VR - sample shots

[Lance B]

I finally received my 80-400 f4.5-5.6 ED VR today after a lot of dickering around by various camera stores. So far with some limited time with it at the zoo this afternoon, this lens is the "ants pants".

Most of these are shot wide open @ f5.6 (some f8) and at ISO6400 due to the dull, gloomy, wet day here in winter time Sydney at Taronga zoo. The lion shots were taken through glass as well! Just shots to test how good it is.

#1
Nikon D800E, 1/160s, f/5.6, at 400.0mm, iso6400 handheld


#2
Nikon D800E, 1/125s, f/5.6, at 400.0mm, iso6400 handheld


#3
Nikon D800E, 1/833s, f/5.6, at 400.0mm, iso5600 handheld


#4
Crop of above.


#5
Nikon D800E, 1/625s, f/5.6, at 400.0mm, iso6400 handheld


#6
Nikon D800E, 1/400s, f/8, at 400.0mm, iso6400 handheld


#7
Nikon D800E, 1/833s, f/5.6, at 400.0mm, iso6400 handheld


#8
Nikon D800E, 1/200s, f/5.6, at 180.0mm, iso6400 handheld against glass


#9
Nikon D800E, 1/200s, f/5.6, at 180.0mm, iso6400 handheld against glass


#10
Nikon D800E, 1/250s, f/8, at 270mm, iso6400 handheld


#11
Nikon D800E, 1/625s, f/8, at 370mm, iso6400 handheld


#12
Nikon D800E, 1/200s, f/5.6, at 400mm, iso2500 handheld

[salnel]

A lovely series of shots, Lance. Really love the lions images, especially through glass. How do you find the auto focus on this lens? And how do you think it stacks up against the 300 f4. ? It certainly looks nice and sharp!! The detail is excellent ! Thanks for sharing

[Sar NOP]

It looks pretty good for me, especially with such a high ISO !
How was the AF in these low light conditions ?

[Lance B]

A lovely series of shots, Lance. Really love the lions images, especially through glass. How do you find the auto focus on this lens? And how do you think it stacks up against the 300 f4. ? It certainly looks nice and sharp!! The detail is excellent ! Thanks for sharing

Thank you very much for your lovely comment, Sally!

The AF is quick! and very accurate! Very happy with both those aspects as well as overall IQ. The 300 f4 might have an ever so slight edge in sharpness, but the versatility of the 80-400 is without question, especially as it has VR and in these low light situations it was great to have.

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It looks pretty good for me, especially with such a high ISO !

Thank you very much for your nice comments, Sar!

How was the AF in these low light conditions ?

AF was fast and accurate, never hunting and always spot on and VR worked a treat as well. All in all a great travel lens for when you want to go "light".

[salnel]

Thanks , Lance..VR is the one thing I wish the 300 had ..I seem to always be in low light !!

[Lance B]

Thanks , Lance..VR is the one thing I wish the 300 had ..I seem to always be in low light !!

I just hope they update the 300 f4 to a 300 f4 with VR soon!

[Unique Faces]

Hi Lance. Any samples at 80mm? Thanks.

[Glenda]

Great set of shots and certainly appears to be an impressive lens. As I get older and less stable I definitely need VR and find purchases swayed by its availability.

[flyreels]

Fantastic shots Lance and the shot of the lion is simply stunning especial through glass!, you have got be pleased with those results

[Lance B]

Hi Lance. Any samples at 80mm? Thanks.

I haven't tried it at 80mm yet.

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Great set of shots and certainly appears to be an impressive lens. As I get older and less stable I definitely need VR and find purchases swayed by its availability.

Thank you very much for your nice comments Lplates!

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Fantastic shots Lance and the shot of the lion is simply stunning especial through glass!, you have got be pleased with those results

Thank you very much for your lovely comments, Peter!

[Gonk0]

I'm no expert Lance, but that lens looks to me as taking photos, or should I say the quality looks to be as good as your primes, I know that's a big thing to say, but these shots are fantastic.

#4 the crop, is great, the detail in the feathers, colours and sharp as per your usual standard, and all with a fairly high ISO.

The Lion photo, if you hadn't said it was shot through glass, no one would know, crystal clear and tack sharp.

A fantastic series, and to your usual standard, sharp, great colours, and great DOF.

Thanks for sharing.

[mongo]

extremely impressive Lance. the shots of the wallaby and goat are particularly telling of its abilities. Mongo also notes these were shot wide open and at 6400 ISO ! You have given it a pretty good report card.

It would be interesting to see for completeness (in the near future) how good it can get if it was stopped down a little(if that makes any difference) and to see how it works with converters (not that there would be an abundance of need for converters).

[Warus]

Im continually impressed on how well the D800 handles the high ISO. It must have been really gloomy to be at 6400 and 1/125. Well done on hand held at 400mm and those speeds.

[Lance B]

extremely impressive Lance. the shots of the wallaby and goat are particularly telling of its abilities. Mongo also notes these were shot wide open and at 6400 ISO ! You have given it a pretty good report card.

It would be interesting to see for completeness (in the near future) how good it can get if it was stopped down a little(if that makes any difference) and to see how it works with converters (not that there would be an abundance of need for converters).

Thank you for your very nice comments, Mongo!

In these shots there was little light, as you can see by the fact that many were wide open and at ISO6400. Once I get to some bight sunshine, I will give it a work out at f8 and higher and maybe the use of the 1.4x TC.

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I'm no expert Lance, but that lens looks to me as taking photos, or should I say the quality looks to be as good as your primes, I know that's a big thing to say, but these shots are fantastic.

#4 the crop, is great, the detail in the feathers, colours and sharp as per your usual standard, and all with a fairly high ISO.

The Lion photo, if you hadn't said it was shot through glass, no one would know, crystal clear and tack sharp.

A fantastic series, and to your usual standard, sharp, great colours, and great DOF.

Thanks for sharing.

Thank you very much for your glowing comments and extended appraisals, Gonk0! Very much appreciated.

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Im continually impressed on how well the D800 handles the high ISO. It must have been really gloomy to be at 6400 and 1/125. Well done on hand held at 400mm and those speeds.

Thank you very much for your lovely comments, Warus!

[cupic]

Great set @ 400mm.That's the most saddest lion look I have seen in a long time
Those extra Megapixel just works in the cropping dept

[Lance B]

Great set @ 400mm.That's the most saddest lion look I have seen in a long time
Those extra Megapixel just works in the cropping dept

Thank you very much for your lovely comments, Cupic!

[Unique Faces]

Finally had the chance to pixel peep the photos on my 27" Ultrasharp. They certainly look great! I wonder how they will look like with the D4 given it's excellent high ISO performance . I think they will be super.

No doubt a lens like this will be optimized for 400mm but will be interesting to see how it performs at the other end. Cheers.

[Lance B]

Finally had the chance to pixel peep the photos on my 27" Ultrasharp. They certainly look great! I wonder how they will look like with the D4 given it's excellent high ISO performance . I think they will be super.

No doubt a lens like this will be optimized for 400mm but will be interesting to see how it performs at the other end. Cheers.

Thank you very much for your kind comments, Unique Faces!

Actually up to ISO12800, the D4 and the D800 have about the same high ISO ability, ie both their noise signatures are basically the same up to that ISO. It is over ISO12800 where the D4 has the advantage and this can bee seen by DXO Marks tests. This has also been attested to by Sar Nop of this forum when he trialled these two cameras back to back in the deeply dim rainforests of far North Queensland earlier this year on a birding tour that he did. He said there was no advantage of the D4 at ISO12800 and under, but over that, the D4 has the big advantage. However, the D800 will have the better cropping ability due to the higher pixel count.

[Unique Faces]

Thank you very much for your kind comments, Unique Faces!

Actually up to ISO12800, the D4 and the D800 have about the same high ISO ability, ie both their noise signatures are basically the same up to that ISO. It is over ISO12800 where the D4 has the advantage and this can bee seen by DXO Marks tests. This has also been attested to by Sar Nop of this forum when he trialled these two cameras back to back in the deeply dim rainforests of far North Queensland earlier this year on a birding tour that he did. He said there was no advantage of the D4 at ISO12800 and under, but over that, the D4 has the big advantage. However, the D800 will have the better cropping ability due to the higher pixel count.

That's great to know. Thanks for your feedback.

[wedgtail]

Fantastic images definitely put this lens on my wan't list thanks for the post.