NEW Nikon 80-400mm VR lens

[Zee71]

FINALLY!!! Nikon updated their 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens. According to the Nikon website, will be out and available in early April 2013 for around $2,700 (start saving your nickels, dimes, and quarters). I will definitely be upgrading my 80-400mm lens in the future.

In my view this should be a fantastic spotting lens, with much faster focusing then the current 80-400mm lens.

Here are details:
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/About-Nikon/Press-Room/Press-Release/hdqifz3x/Nikon-Zooms-In-on-Ultra-Telephoto-Versatility-with-the-AF-S-NIKKOR-80-400mm-f4.5-5.6G-ED-VR-Lens.html

[Landing Lights]

I wonder if this will finally push Canon to update the 100-400L. It has been widely believed that they were waiting for Nikon to update their equivalent lens before releasing an update.

[megatop412]

I got tired of waiting for it and got the Sigma 150-500 2 years ago. It'll be a while before I can afford to put down that much cash for a lens.

Still, I always said I would get it- I just hope that they really did improve the IQ and focusing speed(not all AF-S lenses focus at the same speed). They REALLY need to have something that can hang with the Canon 100-400 that doesn't cost 6 grand.

[Zee71]

I found the IQ to be relatively okay on the current 80-400mm but the focus speed was challenging when it came to low light as compared to other lens. With the improved focus speed and optics I see it as being a pretty darn good lens. Put this lens on a DX body and you have an equivalent lens of 120-600mm with the camera body's crop factor of 1.5x. Not bad!

[Cary]

So, what's the best DX body to go with this? The D7100?

[megatop412]

So, what's the best DX body to go with this? The D7100?

D40:tongue:

[Zee71]

D7100 (which is at 24.1 MP) sounds pretty darn good and even better with the new 80-400mm lens.

[gonzalu]

FINALLY!~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/03/05/Nikon-launches-AF-S-Nikkor-80-400mm-4p5-5p6G-ED-VR-telezoom

[gonzalu]

For a spotters all around great setup

D7100
80-400mm (new one)
18-200mm
1.4x Teleconverter (new Nikon AF-S is able to deal with apertures as low as f/8)
SB-900 Flash

DONE! :smile:

[Cary]

D7100 (which is at 24.1 MP) sounds pretty darn good and even better with the new 80-400mm lens.

Nice. If the new 80-400 turns out to be a good deal better than the 100-400, I may move over to the D7100 + 80-400mm, since my Canon 7D + 100-400 is just a one-trick pony at the moment. I'm very happy with the 5DmIII + 70-200 2.8 IS II, though, so I'd have a mixed Canon/Nikon setup :)

[wunaladreamin]

With the announcement of this new lens, I HIGHLY doubt Nikon is done announcing bodies. The specs on the 7100 are nice. Nice enough to have made me look for a moment, but with the body build and slow buffer, there has to be a D400 to mount this on in the near future.

[megatop412]

With the announcement of this new lens, I HIGHLY doubt Nikon is done announcing bodies. The specs on the 7100 are nice. Nice enough to have made me look for a moment, but with the body build and slow buffer, there has to be a D400 to mount this on in the near future.

Almost as a joke I was going to say "D400" in response to Cary's question.

Never say never, but I HIGHLY doubt there is going to be a D400. Such a gadget wouldn't fit into their new model number convention, AND they went and put a 51-point AF module into the 7100, which I think is what was in the 300s. Nikon has spent the last few years trying to convert as many 'pro' DX shooters into the FX camp as possible, starting with the D3 and D700, and Nikon seems to be saying to whoever is left wanting 'the 7100 should be good enough for your needs'(despite the limited buffer). Now, crop sensors are marketed towards entry level/consumer shooters. The only reason there were professional build DX cameras was because they hadn't figured out how to make FX practical enough yet. But, if Canon releases a 7D MkII, that throws the whole theory out the window. Just my two pesos :cool:

[Zee71]

I have to agree with Kenny............there has to be something else than the D7100. I'm hoping for a body with a big buffer, more fps and a higher ISO range. One thing for sure I was very surprised when the announcement for the 80-400mm came out. I honestly didn't think it would happen after waiting years for its replacement. So, maybe something else may be in the works.

[gonzalu]

Nikon loves taking care of the cash cow: Coolpix! So, they will release some more Coolpixen before a new Semi-Pro DX cam is... btu, I am predicting a hybrid Pro camera... not sure why but, if they can get the rumored 45MP FX sensor to behave well in the DX mode, then they could potentially release a D4H sports camera of sorts...

[megatop412]

Egads! 45 megapixels! You'll need a Cray supercomputer just to work with the RAW files....