Comments on: Patent for a new Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens

By: John Tangney

John Tangney — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:38:54 +0000

I’ll take one as well!

By: Nikon Canon

Nikon Canon — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:23:21 +0000

Pre-order #1 right here.

By: PhotonFisher

PhotonFisher — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:34:30 +0000

good point – why don’t we start collecting preorders to
convince Nikon producing it rather soon?

seriouly: we want such lens and should get in touch
with them

By: Cold Hands Luke

Cold Hands Luke — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:12:10 +0000

An internal zoom 80-400 update would be nice, but I think it would mean there’s no 100-500 coming. Which is a shame, because I think there would be room in the lens lineup for both ranges.

The current 80-400 is quite compact; it’s not much bigger than the 70-300VR, and would go in a shoulder bag alongside a normal zoom and a wide angle. (Correct me if I’m wrong, I don’t own an 80-400.) Optically there’s nothing wrong with it; Nikon just need to give it AF-S and updated VR, fix the handling issues, nano coat it if they really want, and they’ve got a modern long zoom which you can travel with.

A 100-500/5.6, no matter how you built it, would be too big to travel with unless you knew you really needed it. But the same is true of this internal-zoom 80-400, it would be the same size as my Sigma 150-500.

If Nikon make an 80-400 AF-S that’s compact like the current one, there’s room for a 100-500 as well (and I would eventually buy both and sell my Sigma). If they make a larger internal zoom 80-400, it takes the space in the lineup where the 100-500 would go (and I’ll stick to my Sigma or update to the new 50-500 OS). Unfortunately it looks like they’ll do the latter, since the patent is there for it.

By: Chris P

Chris P — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:43:24 +0000

If this lens turns out to be an internal focus 80-400 f4.5-5.6 af-s VRII, with an optical performance throughout the focal length range approaching that of my 80-200 f2.8 afs, then I will be prepared to pay at least the current price of the 70-200 f2.8, about £1,700 here in the UK, for it. I have waited for a zoom like this ever since I bought my D700 nearly two years ago.

By: enesunkie

enesunkie — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:58:22 +0000

What are the chances that the coffee mug version of this lens will be in stock before the actual lens is?

By: PHB

PHB — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:54:47 +0000

So it is a sealed Internal Focus design – woo-hoo!

By: PHB

PHB — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:52:41 +0000

Because the designer died before the lens was launched.

That meant that there was nobody inside the company pushing for updates.

By: PHB

PHB — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:49:22 +0000

They have to put an AFS unit in addition. And that can’t go in the same physical space as the VR unit. Since the lens is already pretty chubby, making it longer makes sense.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:21:00 +0000

POS! I don’t think so. Yes, the old school AF is not great, but the lens is far from a POS. Maybe someone needs to learn how to use the lens first before calling it a POS.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:17:33 +0000

this is the one i’ve been waiting for. I’m glad it will still be a 80-400. I love this range on my D700.

By: nobody

nobody — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:09:13 +0000

There have been enough reasons to criticize Nikon lately, but making new lenses with insufficient optical quality isn’t one of them. So I’m quite confident that a new 80-400 would deliver what is necessary for today’s cameras.

If it ever materializes, that is, in sufficient numbers to meet the demand.

By: PhotonFisher

PhotonFisher — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:41:01 +0000

The key question is: will it be sufficiently good for a 18-24 MPX sensor and will it be apochromatic.

The design can’t be interpreted without refr- idx charts per lens.

The main advantage would be here: weight is nicely distributed.

By: Recent Convert

Recent Convert — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:37:01 +0000

tsnake wrote: I own the current 80 – 400 and its a POS.
I wish I had never wasted my money on it.

I don’t have one myself and I am aware of the slow focus, but I was under the impression that it is optically rather good (no CA to speak off, reasonably distortion free, sharp over most of its range). What’s your key point of irritation?

By: Pat

Pat — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:24:27 +0000

What I meant was the lens was out for so long, why does it take so long (maybe it won’t even be this year) for Nikon to release a version with AF-S on it? I am pretty sure the new one would have AF-S, nano-coating and all other goodies….

By: Nikon Canon

Nikon Canon — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:04:06 +0000

All I want is AFS added to the current 80-400 and I am a happy camper. Leave the 500 focal to primes.

By: tsnake

tsnake — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:37:34 +0000

I own the current 80 – 400 and its a POS.
I wish I had never wasted my money on it.

By: Der Kafer

Der Kafer — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:33:03 +0000

I do not believe. Just 10 years old and already afs? too fast.
I think another 5 years sound truthful

By: plug

plug — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:58:49 +0000

This looks good to me. I have commented several times that I am looking for a 300f4 because I like to be out and about with nature, and weight and compactness along with IQ are key for me. This lens, given the sharpness of the newest Nikkor zooms, might be a very acceptable, balanced compromise if compromise is the right word.

By: kurotsu-kun

kurotsu-kun — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:30:01 +0000

… oh yes, and regarding the Sigma lenses, I have the 150-500. It is quite crappy at 500mm under most conditions. At close focus distances (!) and f/8 it is OK at 500mm (I mostly use a monopod or tripod – otherwise motion blur dominates).
In the range 150 to ca. 300mm my Sigma is really good.
According to tests it is comparable in sharpness to the existing Nikkor 80-400 but much cheaper (I paid 760 Euro for the Sigma 150-500 compared to 1500 Euro for the Nikon 80-400).
And I should add that I am on DX (D90)
DISCLAIMER: This is just my impression based on actual photographs, no test-charts, no brick walls, no lab set-up!

Cheers – kurotsu-kun