This is a selection of photos I’ve taken with the Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G under various conditions to give a sense of how it performs in real-world shooting.
With a versatile zoom range, it’s a step up in reach and quality from the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED without going into a different league for the pricey professional sports and wildlife lenses.
With a maximum aperture ranging from f/4.5 at the 80mm end of the zoom and f/5.6 zoomed in, it’s by no means the fastest of Nikon’s lenses. But the built-in vibration reduction (VR) helps compensate for that and makes the lens usable indoors and in low-light conditions.
While it’s not perfect, this lens has earned a regular place in my travel kit. For its reach, it’s relatively small and light. And the extra reach of 400mm lens me bring out details that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
So here’s a collection of various images I’ve shot with this lens in the hope it gives you some sense of how it performs. For more information take a look at my detailed review. And you can click on each image to open up a full-resolution version if you’re want to see the results up close.
Nikon 80-400mm Sample Images
You can click on each of these Nikon 80-400mm sample photos for a full-size version.
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 400mm and f/5.6. At the U.S. Army’s Twilight Tattoo in Arlington, VA. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 135mm and f/5.0. A hazy morning in Panama City. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. This shot, taken in a cathedral in Granada, Nicaragua, was in relatively low indoor light and hand held. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 290mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 380mm and f/5.6. As the sun disappeared behind the mounts around Athens, Greece, I used a tripod to catch the fading glow. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. At events like the U.S. Marine Corps Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima Memorial, the extra reach of this lens helps bring the action in closer even when you can’t physically move closer. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 80mm and f/4.5. The Jefferson Memorial before sunrise. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 340mm and f/6.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 400mm and f/5.6. The dome of the Jefferson Memorial has seen better days, but I liked the way the blues worked together. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 400mm and f/8.0. This shot, taken from on top of Teotihuacan’s Pyramid of the Moon, is of the people climbing the Pyramid of the Sun about 3/4 of a mile away. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 400mm and f/5.6. Another shot taken at Teotihuacan, Mexico, this one used the reach of the lens to get some detail that is fenced off and you can’t get very close to. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 310mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 92mm and f/8.0. The Centennial Bridge over the Panama Canal. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/8.0. A closer shot of the same bridge. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 400mm and f/5.6. The Moorish Castle in Sintra, Portugal. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. The sun was setting and casting these statues on the front of the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels in a golden light. But the light wasn’t especially bright, so the VR really helped. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 200mm and f/5.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 80mm and f/4.5. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 320mm and f/8.0. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 165mm and f/5.6. At certain times of the year in the right conditions, the statue of Abraham Lincoln inside the Lincoln Memorial catches the direct light of the rising sun. The zoom lens helps cut out the other people standing in front of it. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 80mm and f/4.5. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D810 at 380mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 270mm and f/5.6. Even pointed directly at bright light sources such as the sun there’s no real issue with lens flaring. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 360mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 130mm and f/4.8. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 260mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 80mm and f/5. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 160mm and f/5. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 120mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 112mm and f/4.8. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 155mm and f/5. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 80mm and f/8. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 200mm and f/5.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 165mm and f/6.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 380mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/6.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/6.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 165mm and f/6.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 240mm and f/5.3. Some of the detail of the mosaics in the relatively low light inside Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 116mm and f/6.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 260mm and f/5.6. Another hand-held, low-light shot, inside the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 350mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. This one was using a tripod. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 102mm and f/8. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 280mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 220mm and f/6.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 310mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 110mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 200mm and f/5.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 175mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 300mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 165mm and f/6.3. Another low-light shot, this one in Bruges. It was shot hand held. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 370mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 220mm and f/5.3. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 280mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 220mm and f/7.1. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Photo taken with a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on a Nikon D800 at 400mm and f/5.6. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Price & Availability
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I'm a professional photographer based in Washington DC. Seven continents, up mountains, underwater, and a bunch of places in between. I've been shooting for 30+ years, and my my photos and time-lapse videos have appeared in a bunch of different publications from major newspapers to magazines and books, billboards, TV shows, professional sports stadiums, museums, and even massive architectural scrims covering world-famous buildings while they're being renovated. You can see some of my travel photography here and here.
