Nikon 80-400mm Sample Images: Real-World Examples

I’ve posted a detailed review of the Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR ED Zoom Telephoto lens before. Here’s a collection of sample images to go along with it.

These were all shot with the AF-S version of the 80-400mm, the one Nikon announced in 2013 with a silent wave focus motor built into the lens. It’s worth being clear about that, because Nikon’s original 80-400mm from 2000 shares the name and the focal range but is focused by a screw drive in the camera body. The old one won’t autofocus at all on entry-level DSLRs like the D3000 and D5000 series, and it’s manual focus only on a Z body through an FTZ adapter. This AF-S version autofocuses normally on both.

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.

Nikon rates that VR at 4 stops, measured at 400mm under CIPA’s standard test. Independent testing puts the usable figure closer to 3 stops at the long end, which is the normal gap between a lab number and real shooting. Even at 3 stops it’s the difference between a usable handheld frame and a blurred one in the sort of indoor light several of the shots below were taken in.

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 lets 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 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.

Most of these were shot on a D800 or D810, and the caption under each one gives the focal length and aperture. A lot of them are at 400mm and f/5.6, which is wide open at that end. On a high-resolution full-frame body the far corners soften a bit there, and stopping down to f/8 or f/11 tightens them up if you need the whole frame sharp.