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The Good: - Super sharp - Good bokeh at long end, decent at short end - With today's high end sensors and low light performance, f/4 is more than good enough to use high shutter speed - Lower price for this model over newer version with VR2 (which I don't use at all) is huge because it has identical optics to the new version - Super versatile focal length for sports (I shot a college football game on this lens); a must if you are a serious pro The Bad: - Not as crispy, fast, or bokeh'licious as the 400 f/2.8 or 200 f/2 but who cares? - It's heavy (but I don't care because I am a powerlifter)
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The Nikon AF-S VR G 200-400 mm f/4.0 zoom is a pro lens by any means. You may also call it a "tool", so you should buy it if you have a job in mind for it. I bought mine for airplane and airshow photography. I have a Nikon 300 mm f/2.8 prime lens that I use a lot and it is excellent for me under most circumstances, but there are times when a fixed focal length lens is less than optimal. At most airshows the photographer's move relative to the airplanes is limited. Often times the planes fly across my field of view, at a relatively constant distance from me, but the military demo teams such as the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels may fly directly overhead at me or away from me. These are the times when I wish I had a zoom to follow them, and that this zoom be as good as a fast prime lens. For me, the Nikon 200-400 f/4.0 serves exactly this purpose. I can photograph the planes when they are flying down the runway or when they are flying across it, directly towards me. The 200-400 f/4.0 lens is sharp, it has incredible details and it is virtually free of the so annoying color fringes and distortions that less capable lenses suffer from. The autofocus is extremely fast as you would expect from a lens designed for sports and wildlife photography. You can read the detailed technical reviews of this lens at various photography web sites, so I'm not going to go into those details here. I only want to say that this lens can do all the things that the reviews say it can. Of course, this lens is heavy. I recommend using a tripod with a gimbal head, especially for fast paced sports, like airshows, boat or car races and such. You may try using a monopod but be careful with the traditional ball heads. I have used monopod with my 300 f/2.8 but the 200-400 f/4.0 is longer and heavier than the 300, so be careful how you set the friction of the ball. There is one thing you must know if you buy this lens. Some versions of its carry bag, the Nikon CL-L2 case, is under recall because the bottom of the old style case can fall out. An accident like that almost certainly would destroy your investment. I followed the instructions on the Nikon web site to request a replacement bag, and eventually got the new style case. Customer service lost track of my replacement request along the way, so it took a few phone calls and emails to sort this out, but finally I got a new style carry case that I can trust. I am looking forward to the new air show season with this lens. Based on my limited tries at my local airport I am very confident that I won't be returning this beauty to the seller.Read full review
I purchased the Nikkor 200-400 F4 VRI lens used, having done significant research on other similar lenses and testing the Sigma 120-300 F2.8. I felt I needed the extra reach of the 400mm using a Nikon D750 FF body. I am very happy with the 200-400 focus speed, accuracy and sharpness. It compares well to my 70-200 F 2.8 VRII in all regards. Very good lens.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This was my first super telephoto lense. I have used the 70-200 for a couple of years for indoor sports. This lense is crazy good. Focus is super fast and crips. I needed this lense for outdoor sports and a 2x teleconverter on the 70-200 just wouldn't focus or keep the light right. Now I know why these lenses call for a premium price. You get what you pay for and so far I have shot about 15000 pictures and love it. The lense is heavy but I prefer a heavy lense vs a lighter plastic one. You can shoot freehand but get the monopod and save your arm and shoulder.
I purchased this lens specifically for youth tournament baseball photography, as it was much less expensive than the Nikon 400mm f/2.8 AF-S prime telephoto. Although it loses a stop compared to the 400mm f/2.8, the flexibility of the zoom is very useful covering various infield plays and some outfield plays. It's definitely a daylight shooting lens, and is not ideal for late evening and night games under the lights. Then I switch to my 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lens. It's a heavy combo attached to a D500 with grip, so I use a CF monopod and Sirui tilt head. After AF fine tune, this lens is quite sharp at typical baseball distances (I normally have field access). I also recommend the Think Tank Glass Limo backpack for transport.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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