Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens USA

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I photograph Aussie Rules Football - fields are huge! - 165m long and 135 m wide, hence the need for a TC - I use a 1.4TC which takes the lens to f5.6.

I was deciding between a 400 f2.8 or this lens, but as I only carry one camera body, the zoom range provides good flexibility and a wider range of the field that can be covered.

Effectively it's a 835mm f5.6 lens when used with the 1.4TC and a D300 body!

Most of the photogrpahy is done in daylight, so even at 200 ISO, I easily get shutter speeds of 1/2000s @f5.6

Focus is fast, good bokeh, pictures are sharp

Too heavy to hand hold (even for just a few shots) - I use a monopod.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I just got back from Safari in Africa & this lens was amazing to use. The focus was fast & accurate. I used a bean bag to help stabilize the lens when shooting from vehicle. The only downside I would say is the price & weight.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

Just try one, download it to your calibrated computer screen and wait for the WOW-effect. Have a look and you'll understand.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I use this lens for sport and wildlife safari. It's a little bit hevvy but a zoom like this is normal to be so.
With a dx camera become 300-600 f4 and is a great thing!

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I use the lens for birds and other wildlife. A/F is fast and accurate and the resolution is eye-popping. I shoot hummingbirds and dragon flies in flight and the detail is outstanding. I like having the zoom as opposed to a prime, as it enables more flexibility in compositions with moving subjects. I have used the lens in Africa and the detail in fur and feathers exceded my 70-200 f2.8 VRII. Very happy to purchase the old lens for a [$] savings over the new one, on a tripod the VRII won't be missed, and don't kid yourself, you won't hand hold this puppy for very long!

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I was and still am to some extent a Canon fan-boy, but my agency had Nikon equipment so I bought a D3s and the 200-400. I was blown away by both and am now arguing with my friends over how much better they are than their closest Canon equivalents. I have been shooting wildlife professionally for ten plus years and this lens is by far the best I have ever used. I like the Canon 500 f/4 and 300 f/2.8 but got really tired of backing up to get compositions including the environment. With the 200-400 you have so much to play with, if I am too close I can zoom out without having to move. It is also one of the sharpest lenses I have ever used and stands up to even the tack Canon 300 f/2.8. All in all one of the most intuitive lenses I have had my hands on, it just works and I don't think I could live without it.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I have gotten the best bird photos ever with this lens. You do need a good tripod with this lens

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I love this lens. I use this with my D300 because of the 1.5 crop factor, (now a 300-600mm) and use my D3 with the 70-200mm for closer shots at the zoo. I do not have the 600mm Nikon to compare it to but, when you shoot at zoos to get those great wildlife shots you can not move closer or farther away because you are stuck usually by the rail in a crowd of people. That makes the zoom to me priceless. I use the 1.7tc for extended range and it works great. Only once in awhile does the autofocus lock up and not work with the TC1.7 on it.
I use it with a Wimberely head on a Gitzo tripod and wow what a combo. Have no desire to hand hold this lens for a long period of time but, I have seen many great shots on the internet with this lens handheld doing wildlife and air shows and they look great.
If you are thinking about this lens, give it a try, you will love it

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

Have not had a chance to try any animal shots which I enjoy most,but will try later and let you know.
Very heavy at about the same weight as the 500MM
Glad to see the price reduced but unfortunatly occured the day after I made my purchase.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I am going to use this lens in Africa.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

The image quality with this lens is excellent. When it is matched with my D3s it doesn't get much better. The images are Tack Sharp. I use it as my main lens for shooting MLB Baseball on a monopod.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I bought this lens a couple of years ago. Using it for wildlife. If is excellant with the Nikon 1.4 Teleconverter which provides 280mm to 560mm and autofocus. I use it on the D3 and D3x and can follow birds in flight with excellant results. In using it with Continuous AutoFocusing it is best to focus on something stationary at about the same distance so that it picks up prodictive focusing quickly. I have used this lens with the D200 and it works ok on slowly moving or stationary subjects. This lens has deliverd on what I have ask from it. Use the Gitzo and Giottos tripods with the Wimberley head and can pan on anything. Great for folloing birds in flight. It is a fine addition to the D3 or D3x cameras. It has been a very duralble lens. Been banged around a couple of times.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I use the 200-400 for wildlife, sports and scenics (in that order). For these uses, it's very helpful to think of the lens as one part of a telephoto system--because you won't get the most out of your investment without an adequate support system. Don't be fooled into thinking that the VR feature will allow you to shoot hand-held. It's not going to happen.

I'm using the Wimberley Sidekick, Kirk replacement foot, a 50-pound rated ballhead and the Gitzo 3531 tripod. It's a sweet setup that covers all my shooting situations and provides the rock-solid stability needed with this long, heavy lens. Where the tripod is impractical or prohibited, I use a monopod with a swivel head.

I haven't tried the 1.4 or 2.0 teleconverters with this lens, but I've read in many reviews that they will seriously degrade IQ on the 200-400. I believe them, and I don't expect this lens--as good as it is--to equal a prime 400, 500, or 600 with a teleconverter. It's great, but not a replacement for the primes.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I got this lens at the end of January, 2010, in time to take pictures of the full moon on the 29th. The images are extremely sharp and captured the color and details of the moon. I took several on a tripod and several hand-held. I could not tell the difference - VR on this lens really works because it and my D300 and MB-D10 battery pack weigh about 10 pounds, making it hard to hold steady. Everything about the lens, case and packaging is very high quality and merits the expense.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

OTHER THAN THE WEIGHT, WHICH WASN'T AN ISSUE FOR ME, IT IS A SPECTACULAR LENS AND PRODUCES OUTSTANDING PICS

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I have been using this lens for more than 3 months now and it has been performing flawlessly. It has been giving crystal clear shots even in poor light. It's a great lens for wildlife photography.
Only con is its very heavy.I am not a big guy so just hand holding without any support is almost impossible. But with its VR function I could get great shots with just a little support like resting my elbow on the window sill of a landrover. 200-400 zoom gives great flexibility in composing shots without compromising on quality, which is not possible with fixed focal length lenses. Being f/4 it may not be as fast as f/2.8 VR 300mm but it's fast enough for me.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I photograph a lot of sporting events and this lens is absolutely a joy to shoot with to create sharp, detailed images. It is a fairly large, heavy lens to carry around but the results obtained are well worth the effort. Tack sharp - fast focus - zoom capabilities - great results.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

Creates very sharp images.
Excellent focus speed.
Heavy, but you know that when you buy it.
Pricy, but worth it.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

There's a bit of a learning curve with long lenses, but patience will be rewarded with tack sharp images even wide open. Add a Nikon 1.4X for greater reach with no loss in image quality (IQ). Despite hand-holding claims by some reviewers, I'd recommend a good, solid tripod for best IQ.

Comments about Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED Lens:

I use this lens for wildlife and nature and do not use a tripod.. It is great for flying birds, again, handheld.. with the nikon d300 camera it weighs approx 10+ lbs.. Often use the 1.4x TC and 1.7x TC.. also handheld.. Great lens with great VR performance..