Nikkor 80-400mm VR - Get The Most Out Of This Lens

On flickr I get asked frequently about the 80-400mm lens, and often share info freely with other photographers. It's probably got something to due with the flickr tag and the rank of some of my images for the 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D VR.


Of the top 60 images currently only 9 are NOT mine. Anyway, I'm writing this as a resource for more photographers to hopefully benefit from.

I've heard that the Nikkor (Nikon) 80-400mm D VR lens is the first VR lens that made by Nikon. I've had it for about 2 years now, have probably taken over 100,000 images with it. (I've got 4 dSLRs and am at around 180,000 clicks or so.)

Before I got the 80-400mm and again after I got it I read some reviews from various sources. Some reviewers liked it, others hated it and returned it within hours because it is "soft".

My take on the lens is that for the money (well under $2,000 US) it is a great lens for many reasons. Read the rest of my review/guide for what works well (and what doesn't), and how to get the most out of this lens.



To start, here's how I normally setup and shoot with the lens.

In General

Hand-Hold
As of May 2008 about 85% of my images are taken hand holding the lens. About 13% of my photos were taken with a monopod, and the remaining 2% are from a tripod. So, mostly I hand-hold with the lens.
AF-S
With my both my D200 and D300 I mostly shoot in continuous focus mode (AF-C) and tend to use just the center focus point (with group assist on the D200, or 13 or 21 or whatever point assistance on the D300. I try not to be too caught up in the technical exactness, as you may have wondered from that last sentence....
No Filters
UV - For quite some time I have not used a UV filter on this lens. I have gotten a minor mark on the front element as a result, but you cannot see it in any images. A UV filter is only useful in my mind for a protective cover over the lens while you're not using the lens. While on the lens it will add another piece of glass that will degrade image quality and possibly affect focus.
Circular Polarizer - For quite a while I used a Circular Polarizer with the lens. But for about a year now I've not. The same problem as the UV filter applies (see above) but there's a much worse problem with the CP filter. It blocks two stops of light. That's how a CP filter works, it blocks light from certain directions, to produce its effect. A Circular Polarizer filter can be great for landscapes, or setup shots. But for tracking wildlife, getting focus on a moving subject, you lose way too much light to make the effect worth it. At 400mm the lens is at f/5.6. This is the standard minimum f/stop that Nikon cameras are rated for to get accurate focus. With the polarizer on the minimum f/5.6 goes to about f/11 worth of light. Expecting a Nikon body to track focus at 2 stops under its recommended rating is asking too much, even in decent light. So, ditch the polarizer!

The next set of things I do are based on the available light.

Poor to Moderate Light
The down side to this lens is that it needs light. When light's not that great I shoot close to wide open at f/5.6 or f/6.3 in Aperture Priority mode. Then to get a decent shutter speed I boost ISO. In these lighting conditions I might shoot at ISO 400 to ISO 1000, or sometimes even higher. If you're worried about noise, answer this: Would you rather have a sharp-noisy image or a blurred noise-free image? All things being equal I prefer some noise to some blur. So I make sure I am shooting at a minimum of 1 over focal length over (ie 200mm = 1/200, or 400mm = 1/400). One way to come close to this is to shoot in Auto ISO at the D200 or D300's maximum shutter setting of 1/250th minimum. When doing this I set the ISO to around 400, and then let the ISO climb as needed probably to ISO 1600. Here are two decent examples of this at work:
ISO 1600 @ 1/100 and 230mm

ISO 900 @ 1/250th and 400mm


Good to Great Light
When the light is good, the lens is at its best. I will usually shoot at ISO 200 to ISO 400 and stop the lens down to a minimum of f/7.1 and for great light f/8 or f/11. Most of the time I will target a maximum shutter speed of about 1/1000th, and then give the rest of the light to the f/stop setting. I shoot in Aperture mode almost all the time. The problem I have with shooting in Shutter Mode in these conditions is if I set it to 1/1000 and that produces around f/9 and then I move on to a shaded area, or a cloud passes over, etc, I might be at f/5.6 and 1/1000th, not what I would pick. While Aperture mode alone won't fix this problem, I guess I am just used to shooting and adjusting the f/stop when the light changes... The main thing this lens needs to perform well is the right f/stop and a decent shutter speed.

These setting will apply to just about any camera and lens combination, but for me on my D200 and D300 here's what I do. Generally I shoot wildlife, birds, moving subjects, etc.
Camera Settings

AF-C - Continuous-Focus mode - For moving subject you have to be in AF-C. Simple as that.
AF-C and AF-S mode - These two settings can be found under a1 and a2 and they need to be set to Focus Priority. When in Release Priority the camera will let you take out of focus images. I want my images IN focus.
JPG Compression Mode I use JPGs about 98% of the time for my images, and the compression mode makes a huge difference. Be sure to have this set for Image Quality, NOT File Size. Also, if you want the best JPG image possible from the camera make sure the camera is set to Large and Fine. If you shoot in RAW these settings don't apply. For me, the extra file overheard and processing time is almost never worth it.

Misc

VR - 99% of the time I use the VR in position 1, which only activates the VR when an image is taken. The other mode enables preview with VR on when the shutter is half-pressed. The two problems with this is it uses more battery power, and when panning it can result in things creeping out of the frame before you take an image. When on a tripod for long exposures I will turn off VR, and when on a tripod with fast shutter speeds I often start with it off, and then try some with VR on too.
Back lit subject - When something that is back lit and the exposure is adjusted for the front of the subject, like a bird on a branch, the chromatic aberration can be very noticeable. There's not much you can do, stop down a little, and shoot RAW and adjust the aberration via the RAW plug-in.
Lens Hood - Most of the time I use the lens hood. It will prevent light from creeping in from the side and messing up the image. It also acts as a good alternative to a protective UV filter, preventing the front element from coming in contact with anything.
Hand holding - Two things you can do to improve your shots: 1) don't hold the lens from the front element. This moves during focusing, and if you are holding it, you can restrict the movement and the lens' ability to focus. 2) remove the tripod mount, or flip it upside down so you can get an even grip on the bottom of the lens.
Focus Limiter I keep the focus limiter enabled at all times, unless I need to focus at a close distance, and then I turn it off. To enable the focus limiter so that only things at a distance are in focus, and so it won't hunt at a close distance, start by focusing on something far away. Then rotate the ring at the front of the lens to A-L for Autofocus-Limit. Then move the slider on the side of the lens to L. One thing I've noticed is that to temporarily allow close focus is that you can click the switch on the side and you can focus on near subjects.

So, if you have under $2k for a 400mm lens I think this lens is a great choice. If you have $5-10k and don't mind shooting from a tripod a lot, get a 300mm f/2.8, or 400mm f/2.8 or 500mm f/4. I've considered getting all of those lenses but for now have held off. I like the mobility of the small 400mm. If I were to be going on Safari in Africa or somewhere in Alaska I'd seriously consider buying a bigger and faster lens, or even renting one... But until then I'm happy with the Nikkor 80-400mmD VR lens.



-Jon

Nikkor 80-400mm VR - Get The Most Out Of This Lens