Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Review

Sharpness at 80mm
The sharpness tests for this review were carried out using a real-world subject rather than a test chart. The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens was attached to a Nikon Df body, which in turn was mounted on a sturdy tripod. We also used a release cable and mirror lock-up to prevent any blurring that may result from camera or mirror movement. The 100% crops represent about 1/400th of the total frame area.
The full frame at 80mm
Centre sharpness is excellent wide open and remains usable down to f/16.
The border areas are impressively sharp at f/4.5 and improve further on stopping down. Peak performance is achieved at f/8.
Aperture | Centre Crop | Edge Crop |
f/4.5 | ![]() |
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f/5.6 | ![]() |
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f/8 | ![]() |
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f/11 | ![]() |
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f/16 | ![]() |
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f/22 | ![]() |
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f/32 | ![]() |
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