Nikon unleashes upgraded 80-400mm super telephoto lens

An upgrade to the 80-400mm lens already in the Nikkor lineup, Nikon's new super telephoto optic has been designed with newer, high resolution DSLRs in mind.

Nikon's Vibration Reduction system is included to enable up to 40-stop compensation throughout the zoom range, even at the full 400mm telephoto end of the optic.

The newly designed construction of the lens boasts 20 elements in 12 groups and is equipped with Nikon's own Nano Crystal Coating. The Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens also has four ED (extra low dispersion) glass elements and one Super ED glass element.

Designed to combat ghosting and flare, Nano Crystal Coating combines with the ED glass to help correct for problems such as chromatic aberration and colour defects.

When shooting within a specific distance range, a focus limit switch is available to speed up focusing time. The AF also works even when a 1.4x teleconverter is attached to an f/8 compatible camera. An integrated barrel lock prevents the lens extending under its own weight when not in use.

High quality build

The construction features a metal mount and rubber sealing for protection against the elements. It comes complete with a lens hood and case, along with a detachable tripod foot for improving balance when the camera is mounted to a tripod.

The Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens price will be around £2,449.99 (around US$3,689 / AU$3,635), with an anticipated sales start date of March 19.