Nikon AFS 400mm f2.8G VR Testing

Update: some nice bokeh shots with this lens (had half an hour yesterday with wonderful sun light to do some tests – its easy to send every for/background into a creamy bokeh fog with a 400mm f2.8 system. However the lens isnt a dedicated macro device – hence it will be important to see how the lens performs in the mid to far range shots and with full reflecting highlights. Especially the resolving power with very distant objects is usually a problem – even with these top-of-the-line tele lenses. My first impressions indicate that the 400mm f2.8 works fabulous with the TC14E II and also very good with the TC20E III but the AFS 300mm f2.8 mk1 wasn’t bad with the TC14E II either. The weak part was the resolving power focusing more distant things with more than 300m distance.

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First tests with the new 400mm lens – the f2.8 AFS VR version – pretty much a dream tele lens and optical performance is just as what you would expect. First lens align tests seem to be spot on. The lens snaps to focus – clearly faster than my old 300mm f2.8 AFS Mk1. Some bokeh tests will follow.

The lensAlign target with the long ruler installed – approx. 20m distance – this equals 50times focal length. At f2.8 this gives a depth of field of 40cm and the lens is pretty spot-on on the 0-Mark of the ruler. No chromatic aberration  at all … . Damn cool lens – only point to think of right now is the how-to-story of “hand-holding” this lens, its just bigger than anything I used before.

Some bokeh shots: