Adam Trahan: AF VR Nikkor 80-400 f4.5-5.6 D

AF VR Nikkor 80-400 f4.5 - 5.6 D

s/n: 472634

I sold the AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 G ED VR FX. It was a great lens for sure but sort of too good. It was staying on my D780. It had low end and it had legs! It shot wide and long, 300mm long. On the wide end, I have lenses that I prefer, the AF-S Nikkor 14-24 f2.8 G ED FX in particular or the AF Nikkor 20-35mm f2.8 D. Even the AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm f2.8 D, I want what I want on the low end, so I shook things up.

I sold nearly all my gelded lens.

Spoiler alert for me, I purchased a DEFOCUS 105mm F2 D.

Huh?

Anyway, why purchase a 80-400?

It has an aperture ring, VR and it’s a sturdy lens. I need a longer landscape lens for hunting distant petroglyphs. I also want to try some birding and well, I’m going to photograph the Tovrea Castle. I can’t get very close, but with a 400mm lens, with VR I can.

I didn’t set out to buy this particular lens. It presented itself to me on a Marketplace in social media. It was relatively inexpensive compared to auction house and national online camera stores. Pretty quickly I committed to it. We worked out the logistics and a few days later, it’s in my hands.

I use combination of baby wipes, Q-tips with a little lighter fluid and Maguiers plastic polish to buff out the tiny scratch on the focus distance window. The cleaning and inspection went well. I first mounted it on the F6 and it quickly sought focus. On the D780, same thing.

It’s going to be a great lens to use hand held but man, it’s heavy. I’m going to get a LowePro Toploader for it to carry in the field. The extra 100mm is a big deal, the weight isn’t.

The four above images are the first four from this lens after cleaning and mounting on my D780. I simply went outside and took quick shots to check out detail and acquisition. I will add in a few images once I take it on an assignment.

The above four pictures are from taking my camera to work. Our break room is on the second floor with floor to ceiling windows. Piestewa Peak dominates the view, two miles away. I turned on VR and tried half press and full shutter. It didn’t matter with the quality of image. I adjusted the lens to 400mm and acquired the peak and actuated the shutter. Looking at the image made, you can see people standing on the summit two and a quarter miles distant. Pretty cool I think. Shot through a dusty window, I can’t tell how much that softened the image but I’m sure it did.

I wondered what the reflection of myself would be when I pulled into the bank parking lot..

Later today, I’ll begin my Shaw Butte petroglyph project. I’m looking for “Spiral Man” from the base of the hill.