dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

The Brown truck just dropped off my new (to me) toy. I got a used Nikon 80-400mm AFS (the old one) lens from KEH for $619. It was stated to be in excellent condition and has the Kirk tripod adaptor, front and rear lens covers, and case. It was missing a lens hood (easily replaced by B&H $30 and yes it is the hood for the older lens). I also got a 77mm circular polarizing filter for it and my backup Watson Battery for my D7100 is dead at 3 years old and will not take a charge. The Nikon brand ELEN-15 is still working strong so I purchased a second Nikon brand battery to replace the Watson. I typically get 800-1000 shots out of the Nikon battery and struggle to get 500 shots out of the Watson so, while the Watson may have been defective since I got it, I will never by another non-Nikon battery. The $15 difference in price isn't worth it and the only reason I got the Watson in the first place was B&H included it in their "package" deal for the camera. Note for those thinking about filters. I purchase filter adapter rings for all of my lenses to match the diameter of my largest lens. This way I only have to purchase 1 of each type filter as it will fit all of my lenses. Unfortunately, my largest up to now was a 70mm and the 80-400 is 77mm so I had to get a new filter for the lens. The new lens seems to work great and battery consumption isn't nearly as bad as some reported in their remarks about the lens. I've used the lens all day at a bird sanctuary (about 500 shots) and only used about 1/3 the capacity of the battery according to the gauge on the camera. I will say that the lens is heavy but can be hand held and the image stabilization seems to work well in daylight. At dusk to dawn or moderately low light, a tripod or monopod is a necessity. The newer 80-400 is supposed to be faster focusing and has better image stabilization but this lens seems to work fine at 1/3 the price of the newer lens.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Congratulations to another happy camper!

Dr.Nikon Loc: Honolulu Hawaii

Congrats on the new used 80-400 .. I bought 2 of them years ago .., one for my brother and 1 for myself .. Sold 1 a year ago for $660 .. And my brother just gave me back too months ago my other one I gave him .., so it now sits in the safe .., as I have a new 200-500 .. It will not see too much use .. I loved the lens and I'm sure you will as well .. Ill stick it onto my 7100 and leave the 200-500 on my D810 ..

I will add a shot or 2 taken with the old 80-400 77mm 4/5.6 ..enjoy your new lens ...

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dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

Great pics. I used one at the Bronx Zoo when I worked for Nikon and loved it. However, I was using it on a D600 at that time and got some astounding photos of the animals. It (plus the D600) was a little heavy but the shots were worth it. I was also carrying a D70s with a Nikon 18-70mm lens for wide shots and photos of the placards, signs, wide shots, etc. at the same time. I could really feel the muscles after 12 hours of lugging the 2 cameras and lenses around but got some excellent shots (even one of the new World Trade Center 1 week before the official topping out ceremony (just happened to be the day of the Nikon trip to the zoo). The lens got dissed for using lots of battery for focus but, on my D7100, it did fine going back and forth between 15 feet or so and infinity. I haven't tried the new 80-400 AFS2 lens but this one is going to be an asset to my collection. I was looking at the 200-500mm Nikon but I got this at half the cost and can't complain. Also on the D7100, this works out to approximately 120-600mm which is pretty good for nature. Or I can put it on the D610 and use it at the normal 80-400.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

[quote=dcampbell52] I got a used Nikon 80-400mm AFS (the old one) lens from KEH for $619.quote]

If your lens says "AFS" then it is indeed the newer model. The original AF 80-400mm Nikon was a screw drive AF system and not AFS. The "S" means it has the Silent Wave focus motor inside the lens.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

[quote=MT Shooter]
This says VR not AFS. I was confused. The newer is VRII and AFS. This one says AF VR-Nikkor 80-400mm 1:4.5-5.6D and is the ED lens not the Nanocrystal lens.

moonhawk Loc: Land of Enchantment

The way you have those two lenses on those two bodies, you have a total focal length range of 120 to 600, all covered by your 80-400 on your D7100. Your 200-500 0n the D810 becomes redundant.

Why not put the 200-500 on the D7100, and the 80-400 on the D810? Then you would have a focal range of 80 to the equivalent of 750, much wider than 120-600.

Dr.Nikon Loc: Honolulu Hawaii

Actually I tested the 80-400 4-5.6 on the D7100 side by side with the D810 and the 200-500 .... then .. I put the 200-500 on the D7100 and the 80-400 on the D810 ... Oh boy ..there is no question hands down ... The D810 with the 200-500 then cropped ... Blows away the same lens (200-500) mounted on the D7100 .. Full frame and 24 pix. vs. 36 ... .. I will admit the 200-500 is a super telephoto on the DX 7100 .... And fun to shoot ..., but when you crop the D810 so as to equal the 7100 zoom v.alue with the 200-500 .., you see the dif ...

Attached is my pic in Yosemite in Feb 2016 .., the 7100 with the 80-400 and my *810 with the 200-500 attached ...

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dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

I don't have a 200-500mm. I bought the $619 80-400 instead of the $1300 (roughly) 200-500mm. I do have an a 10-24mm Tamron (DX only) lens, a Nikon 18-70mm and a Nikkor 50mm 1.4 lens. I was torn between (and saving for) the 200-500 but the 80-400 mm is a professional build (although an older version) and provides good (not spectacular) aperture. I have worked with it while at Nikon and was generally pleased with it on an FX D600 while using the 18-70 mm on my D70s (at that time I had only the 18-70 and a 70-300) for wide and to document the placards at the zoo. The Nikon 70-300mm is the older non cpu version of the lens that doesn't have VR or any bells and whistles other than Auto Focusing (uses camera focus motor rather than the built into the lens SWF and the lens profile is NOT into Lightroom (I use the profile for the newer AFS lens but it works fairly well). The profiles for the Nikon 18-70, the Nikkor 50mm 1.4, the Tamron 10-24mm and the 80-400mm all come up automatically as I run through the develop mode. (by the way, for those that don't know it, in Lightroom develop mode you can hold the shift key down while clicking on the first six controls (Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks) and Lightroom will automatically make what it considers to be the appropriate adjustments to the image. I then apply Clarity, Lens Corrections and Dehaze before doing the fine tuning on any and all other adjustment. The Auto adjustment plus Clarity Dehaze and lens corrections will generally get me very close to a correctly adjusted image. Though, if I shoot an image of the Moon in daylight, LR tends to adjust contrast and brightness to make the blue sky background dark blue or almost black but really brings out the detail of the moon.
I learned about the "auto adjust" capability on one of the Anthony Morganti videos and it will get me close enough to make minor corrections after all of the Autos have been done.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Enjoy your lens. I don't have problems with Watson batteries. Perhaps defective or has a lower Mah. Compare the two.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

I suspect it was defective as it has never been close to the equivalent of the Nikon (usually lasted 1/3 as many shots) and failed after 3 years of use as a backup battery where the Nikon (both have 1800mAh and 12.6 Wh on the EN-EL15 batteries) is constantly used and still going strong. What I had been doing is shooting the Nikon as my primary battery, since I got 3 times the number of shots before it died and the Watson as my backup if I ran out of juice on the Nikon. So the Watson was only used while the Nikon was charging. Since the Watson was included as one of B&H's free add ons to sell their package, I wasn't worried. Had they replaced the Nikon with the Watson in the package, I would have bought elsewhere or demanded the Nikon. But, since I got both, I got to at least try the Watson and will never purchase one outright. I will spend the additional bucks and get the "sure thing".

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Great shots.

BudsOwl Loc: Upstate NY and New England

Is that a belted kingfisher in the first photo? Great photo.
Bud

terry44 Loc: Tuolumne County California, Maui Hawaii

I need to stop telling everyone about keh soon all the goodies will be gone. Congratulations you got a good lens for a fair price now get out there and use it then post some photos that you took with it

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

Well, your "secret" is still safe. LOL. I already knew about KEH from my working at Nikon days. However, this was the largest and most significant of my purchases from them. I have always recognized and included them (even though they are not an "Authorized" Nikon Dealer), in my suggestions that people check, along with Adorama, B&H, Cameta, and any local *Authorized* dealer not named Best Buy.