Last updated at 08/06/2026 14:41:34
Nikon AF-S 400mm F28E FL ED VR Super Telephoto Lens for Nikon F Mount with Vibration Reduction
Delivery $9.95
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR Lens
Delivery between 11–16 June $12.90
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR Lens
Delivery $9.90
Nikon 400mm F2.8 E FL VR Lens FX / DX Mount Camera Lens
Free delivery between Wed – Thu
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
I'd guess that an individual's purchase of this category of lens is a substantial commitment for most. It's not likely to be repeated often and odds on it's going to be with you through a variety of camera bodies over many years. I feel like the camera bodies are tools, often swapped/upgraded for new speeds and features. Lenses are more the art side and become like the friends that are in the camera bag for many more years. That's how I feel about my 200-400mm f/4 that I got in 2006. And it's pretty quickly what I feel this one will quickly become. I've only had the opportunity to shoot one event, a reasonably well lit college indoor swim meet. Two of the three parts of the meet were during daytime where substantial window light washed softly of the pool's surface. ... MoreI'd guess that an individual's purchase of this category of lens is a substantial commitment for most. It's not likely to be repeated often and odds on it's going to be with you through a variety of camera bodies over many years. I feel like the camera bodies are tools, often swapped/upgraded for new speeds and features. Lenses are more the art side and become like the friends that are in the camera bag for many more years. That's how I feel about my 200-400mm f/4 that I got in 2006. And it's pretty quickly what I feel this one will quickly become. I've only had the opportunity to shoot one event, a reasonably well lit college indoor swim meet. Two of the three parts of the meet were during daytime where substantial window light washed softly of the pool's surface. One part was at night where a mishmash of sodium vapor fixtures provided modest to poor light spread unevenly over the the lanes. It takes a bit to become accustomed to a lens/body's habits as it relates to focus tracking and swimming is just about as tough a challenge in that regard as I've encountered. I can say that I was immediately impressed with how incredibly fast and effortlessly this lens took to that challenge. The mechanical feedback or perception that it's working to focus that I'm aware of in my 200-400 is absent. It just gets there. No noise, no hum, no stutter, and with so little lag that for the first time I've been able to, with a high degree of success, track a swimmer diving off the block going into the water head-on vs. working an angle from the side. Sharpness and bokeh are as others have widely reported - fantastic. As for the weight... it's nice and well balanced. You can't monopod swimming. It's either stand and hold, or squatting and use a knee as a brace. This all worked out well. I was a bit tired from the effort, but I think the extra weight and reported balance issues of the prior model would have broken me down sooner. It's early in my use, but I'm very very pleased.
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
Within the first week of shooting with the 400 FL I had some great photos. The subject isolation, the dreamy and colorful bokeh, the sharpness and contrast - and the reach. The reaction of my family and friends to these photos was more than any reaction I've had previously - they didn't know what lens I was using but raved about the overall beauty of the photographs.The 400 FL is hand-holdable for awhile, but for longer more sustained shooting it's much better to have a monopod or even a tripod with a gimbal head.I've used the 400 FL with all 3 teleconverters. The TC14e-III produces images with only a very slight degradation in sharpness; I have to look at them 1:1 and even then it's not always obvious. The TC20e-III has slightly more degradation than the 1.4, ... MoreWithin the first week of shooting with the 400 FL I had some great photos. The subject isolation, the dreamy and colorful bokeh, the sharpness and contrast - and the reach. The reaction of my family and friends to these photos was more than any reaction I've had previously - they didn't know what lens I was using but raved about the overall beauty of the photographs.The 400 FL is hand-holdable for awhile, but for longer more sustained shooting it's much better to have a monopod or even a tripod with a gimbal head.I've used the 400 FL with all 3 teleconverters. The TC14e-III produces images with only a very slight degradation in sharpness; I have to look at them 1:1 and even then it's not always obvious. The TC20e-III has slightly more degradation than the 1.4, but again, it's not always obvious. General focus and ISO/noise issues are bigger than whatever degradation the TCs introduce. The 400 FL takes all the TCs so well that one shouldn't hesitate to use them, even wide-open. The attached photo with the bison was taken with the TC20e-III wide-open with a monopod.I've used the 200-500mmm f/5.6. It's a fine lens and punches above its class. But you won't be able to take the kind of top-tier photos that you can take with the 400 FL. Which is why the 200-500 is $1200 and the 400 FL is 10x that.The price is the only negative about the 400 FL.
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
I’ve been a pro wildlife photographer for 30 years, so have used an array of Nikon pro tele lenses. 300 2.8, 500 f4, 600 f4, 200 f2 plus an array of long zooms. This Nikkor 400 f2.8 is without doubt the finest lens I have ever used. And I use it with all the Nikon teleconverters - 1.4x, 1.7x & 2x with barely noticeable drop off in IQ. If you have the need and use for a long telephoto lens for wildlife or sport do not hesitate if you can afford the $$$. My dilemma now is that I recently acquired the new Nikkor 180-400 with built-in 1.4x. One of them will be superfluous. Time will tell!
Nikon AF-S 400mm F28E FL ED VR Super Telephoto Lens for Nikon F Mount with Vibration Reduction
Delivery $9.95
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR Lens
Delivery between 11–16 June $12.90
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR Lens
Delivery $9.90
Nikon 400mm F2.8 E FL VR Lens FX / DX Mount Camera Lens
Free delivery between Wed – Thu
I'd guess that an individual's purchase of this category of lens is a substantial commitment for most. It's not likely to be repeated often and odds on it's going to be with you through a variety of camera bodies over many years. I feel like the camera bodies are tools, often swapped/upgraded for new speeds and features. Lenses are more the art side and become like the friends that are in the camera bag for many more years. That's how I feel about my 200-400mm f/4 that I got in 2006. And it's pretty quickly what I feel this one will quickly become. I've only had the opportunity to shoot one event, a reasonably well lit college indoor swim meet. Two of the three parts of the meet were during daytime where substantial window light washed softly of the pool's surface. ... MoreI'd guess that an individual's purchase of this category of lens is a substantial commitment for most. It's not likely to be repeated often and odds on it's going to be with you through a variety of camera bodies over many years. I feel like the camera bodies are tools, often swapped/upgraded for new speeds and features. Lenses are more the art side and become like the friends that are in the camera bag for many more years. That's how I feel about my 200-400mm f/4 that I got in 2006. And it's pretty quickly what I feel this one will quickly become. I've only had the opportunity to shoot one event, a reasonably well lit college indoor swim meet. Two of the three parts of the meet were during daytime where substantial window light washed softly of the pool's surface. One part was at night where a mishmash of sodium vapor fixtures provided modest to poor light spread unevenly over the the lanes. It takes a bit to become accustomed to a lens/body's habits as it relates to focus tracking and swimming is just about as tough a challenge in that regard as I've encountered. I can say that I was immediately impressed with how incredibly fast and effortlessly this lens took to that challenge. The mechanical feedback or perception that it's working to focus that I'm aware of in my 200-400 is absent. It just gets there. No noise, no hum, no stutter, and with so little lag that for the first time I've been able to, with a high degree of success, track a swimmer diving off the block going into the water head-on vs. working an angle from the side. Sharpness and bokeh are as others have widely reported - fantastic. As for the weight... it's nice and well balanced. You can't monopod swimming. It's either stand and hold, or squatting and use a knee as a brace. This all worked out well. I was a bit tired from the effort, but I think the extra weight and reported balance issues of the prior model would have broken me down sooner. It's early in my use, but I'm very very pleased.
Within the first week of shooting with the 400 FL I had some great photos. The subject isolation, the dreamy and colorful bokeh, the sharpness and contrast - and the reach. The reaction of my family and friends to these photos was more than any reaction I've had previously - they didn't know what lens I was using but raved about the overall beauty of the photographs.The 400 FL is hand-holdable for awhile, but for longer more sustained shooting it's much better to have a monopod or even a tripod with a gimbal head.I've used the 400 FL with all 3 teleconverters. The TC14e-III produces images with only a very slight degradation in sharpness; I have to look at them 1:1 and even then it's not always obvious. The TC20e-III has slightly more degradation than the 1.4, ... MoreWithin the first week of shooting with the 400 FL I had some great photos. The subject isolation, the dreamy and colorful bokeh, the sharpness and contrast - and the reach. The reaction of my family and friends to these photos was more than any reaction I've had previously - they didn't know what lens I was using but raved about the overall beauty of the photographs.The 400 FL is hand-holdable for awhile, but for longer more sustained shooting it's much better to have a monopod or even a tripod with a gimbal head.I've used the 400 FL with all 3 teleconverters. The TC14e-III produces images with only a very slight degradation in sharpness; I have to look at them 1:1 and even then it's not always obvious. The TC20e-III has slightly more degradation than the 1.4, but again, it's not always obvious. General focus and ISO/noise issues are bigger than whatever degradation the TCs introduce. The 400 FL takes all the TCs so well that one shouldn't hesitate to use them, even wide-open. The attached photo with the bison was taken with the TC20e-III wide-open with a monopod.I've used the 200-500mmm f/5.6. It's a fine lens and punches above its class. But you won't be able to take the kind of top-tier photos that you can take with the 400 FL. Which is why the 200-500 is $1200 and the 400 FL is 10x that.The price is the only negative about the 400 FL.
I’ve been a pro wildlife photographer for 30 years, so have used an array of Nikon pro tele lenses. 300 2.8, 500 f4, 600 f4, 200 f2 plus an array of long zooms. This Nikkor 400 f2.8 is without doubt the finest lens I have ever used. And I use it with all the Nikon teleconverters - 1.4x, 1.7x & 2x with barely noticeable drop off in IQ. If you have the need and use for a long telephoto lens for wildlife or sport do not hesitate if you can afford the $$$. My dilemma now is that I recently acquired the new Nikkor 180-400 with built-in 1.4x. One of them will be superfluous. Time will tell!
I'm a professional sports photographer, so having a long telephoto lens is essential. I like many people kept reading specs and reviews before parting with almost $12,000 with the sales tax. I received the lens this week and decided to adjust the Auto Fine Tune with my cameras. My D850's required +18 correction, and my D5 was at +15 to get the focus relatively sharp. Without the corrections, it was extremely soft, so make sure you take the time to check it with your cameras and make the adjustments to be happy with the sharpness.Today was my first time using the lens. I shot two college baseball games today, with pretty heavy overcast skies so didn't really get to see the best of color rendition, but it appears to have improved color over some of the other Nikon ... MoreI'm a professional sports photographer, so having a long telephoto lens is essential. I like many people kept reading specs and reviews before parting with almost $12,000 with the sales tax. I received the lens this week and decided to adjust the Auto Fine Tune with my cameras. My D850's required +18 correction, and my D5 was at +15 to get the focus relatively sharp. Without the corrections, it was extremely soft, so make sure you take the time to check it with your cameras and make the adjustments to be happy with the sharpness.Today was my first time using the lens. I shot two college baseball games today, with pretty heavy overcast skies so didn't really get to see the best of color rendition, but it appears to have improved color over some of the other Nikon Prime's I own and use. It is an overall improvement in engineering from previous prime's and it performed as such today during the two baseball games. I have been editing the final images for the past couple hours and have been satisfied with the results for my first outing with the lens. I elected to shoot with the D850 today so that I would have the FX format at 400mm and also able to instantly switch to DX to get that 600mm 2.8 reach when needed. For me, at the college field, it worked out perfectly. I shot the two games with a monopod and VR Sport mode.In regards to final sharpness results, I can't say that it appears that much if any sharper than other Nikon telephotos like the 300mm 2.8 but it does seem to render a bit more detail in the image. Today I only shot at 2.8 all day, so can't comment on how it performs at F4 or F8, since I never shoot at those stops when shooting sports. In regards to auto focus speed, maybe a bit faster than the other Nikon Prime's, but not sure you will notice a big difference. I will say I never experienced an episode of the lens having to hunt for the subject to lock onto focus. The biggest improvement I seemed to have noticed over some of the other Nikon Prime's is how fast the background drops out when shooting sports, and the magical creamy appearance of the backgrounds. This is extremely helpful in sports photography since most of the backgrounds are full of distractions.I would recommend this lens to a friend, especially if you are a pro or serious sports photographer and can justify the cost. If you are not a an avid sports photographer, then you would most likely never notice a difference in speed or sharpness from it's previous brother the Nikon 400mm 2.8 which can be purchased at about half the price.
I had used a 300mm f2.8 VR prior to moving to the new 400mm f2.8 E FL. I have been using it on a D810 and D750 and am just very impressed by the overall performance of the lens. I have been using the lens to shoot traditional festivals in Japan, very high resolution panoramic stitches and some portrait as well. It excels in all these applications, some pretty non typical for this kind of glass. Image quality is simply breathtaking, similar to the Zeiss Otus 55mm f1.4, with great sharpness, micro-contrast and a total apparent lack of chromatic aberations. VR works great and AF very impressive in speed and accuracy. The weight is manageable considering the type of lens and it works great on my RRS monopod set up. The price is high, but this lens is bound to remain ... MoreI had used a 300mm f2.8 VR prior to moving to the new 400mm f2.8 E FL. I have been using it on a D810 and D750 and am just very impressed by the overall performance of the lens. I have been using the lens to shoot traditional festivals in Japan, very high resolution panoramic stitches and some portrait as well. It excels in all these applications, some pretty non typical for this kind of glass. Image quality is simply breathtaking, similar to the Zeiss Otus 55mm f1.4, with great sharpness, micro-contrast and a total apparent lack of chromatic aberations. VR works great and AF very impressive in speed and accuracy. The weight is manageable considering the type of lens and it works great on my RRS monopod set up. The price is high, but this lens is bound to remain near the top for years to come.
What can one say beyond what others have said already? The first thing I noticed was the packaging. The lens was in its Nikon case, which was inside FOUR(!) nested boxes. Took a while to unpack. When I finally got it out, it was about the size I expected but much lighter than I expected. I didn't own the previous version of this lens, but I tried it out at B&H quite a while ago, and I remember how heavy it seemed. This FL version is light (for a 400mm f/2.8). I've used it handheld, but it's still much more comfortable on a gimbal head. Is it sharp? I'm attaching a couple of pictures I took in my backyard. Yes, it's sharp. There is only one thing I don't like - the lens cap, which is a synthetic fabric sock that is difficult to take off and put on. But it's kind of ... MoreWhat can one say beyond what others have said already? The first thing I noticed was the packaging. The lens was in its Nikon case, which was inside FOUR(!) nested boxes. Took a while to unpack. When I finally got it out, it was about the size I expected but much lighter than I expected. I didn't own the previous version of this lens, but I tried it out at B&H quite a while ago, and I remember how heavy it seemed. This FL version is light (for a 400mm f/2.8). I've used it handheld, but it's still much more comfortable on a gimbal head. Is it sharp? I'm attaching a couple of pictures I took in my backyard. Yes, it's sharp. There is only one thing I don't like - the lens cap, which is a synthetic fabric sock that is difficult to take off and put on. But it's kind of like going through the forest to get to the picnic, definitely worth it. It's a purchase of a lifetime, given its cost, but I'm learning that it's worth it. Beautiful lens, Nikon!
I enjoy wildlife photography, mostly of birds. I choose this new Nikkor 400mm because it provides me a seamless interface to my subject without worry where I may wind up or concern of how far I may need to walk to get there. I had been shooting primarily with two other similar lens, one being the Nikkor 400mm VR II 2.8 and getting fantastic results in sharpness but the downside was the bulk when hiking with that lens. Now I have a more casual approach to moving with the lens and camera body, making my approach to wildlife less noticeable because I work less to get there. Less weight is not always why people choose one lens over the other. Nikon has set the bar for sharpness in this focal range of 400mm large aperture lens. If you are into reading MTF charts you know ... MoreI enjoy wildlife photography, mostly of birds. I choose this new Nikkor 400mm because it provides me a seamless interface to my subject without worry where I may wind up or concern of how far I may need to walk to get there. I had been shooting primarily with two other similar lens, one being the Nikkor 400mm VR II 2.8 and getting fantastic results in sharpness but the downside was the bulk when hiking with that lens. Now I have a more casual approach to moving with the lens and camera body, making my approach to wildlife less noticeable because I work less to get there. Less weight is not always why people choose one lens over the other. Nikon has set the bar for sharpness in this focal range of 400mm large aperture lens. If you are into reading MTF charts you know where the lens is. I don't look at the MTFs, I look at the pictures taken and the actual real life photos and see the results. This lens is simply put a fantastic instrument of engineering and quality which delivers the best quality images one could ever want to display. It has enough of everything to make it even better than its older brother, and that is saying A LOT! I could have purchased a 500mm, or 600mm but choose this 400mm because it is versatile I have shot with the Nikon 2x TC and the lens holds sharpness and focus remarkably well. Shooting with my 1.4 or 1.7 TC it almost like the extenders are not even on the lens. Although I have not made a run at sports shooting this lens begs me too give it a try, and I will! This fall I plan on shooting our local High School games. Sorry, this review does not contain technical specifics, but you really don't need it, because if you read what the older 400mm is and then make it EVEN BETTER you have this lens. What more can one say It is better that every lens before it. - Shorter Focus distance, better weather sealing, Fluorite coatings and Lens Elements, better sharpness, improved VR, lighter weight and shorter length. WOW is a word I use to help describe this lens. Final word to B&H - Your Team is the best! Thanks for everything past and future.
Aside from all the great things that have already been said about this fantastic lens, I'd like to add the fact that **it is sharpest wide-open**If you check the accredited MTF scores (Ephotozine, PhotographyLife), you will find this lens is at its über-most in performance @ f/2.8 to f/4. This fact is vital to understanding the value of the Nikkor 400 FL ED in comparison to others.Wide-open is what you pay for. The reason an f/2.8 lens costs more than an f/4 lens is LIGHT. However, if the f/2.8 doesn't sharpen-up till f/5.6, it is essentially worthless.The Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 FL ED is greater than all the others (Canon, Sony) because it performs at its uttermost, *wide-open*. It has virtually *zero* CA @ f/2.8 and it is razor-sharp at this aperture.Yes, it ... MoreAside from all the great things that have already been said about this fantastic lens, I'd like to add the fact that **it is sharpest wide-open**If you check the accredited MTF scores (Ephotozine, PhotographyLife), you will find this lens is at its über-most in performance @ f/2.8 to f/4. This fact is vital to understanding the value of the Nikkor 400 FL ED in comparison to others.Wide-open is what you pay for. The reason an f/2.8 lens costs more than an f/4 lens is LIGHT. However, if the f/2.8 doesn't sharpen-up till f/5.6, it is essentially worthless.The Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 FL ED is greater than all the others (Canon, Sony) because it performs at its uttermost, *wide-open*. It has virtually *zero* CA @ f/2.8 and it is razor-sharp at this aperture.Yes, it costs a lot. But its value lies in the fact you will never want to part with it, once you experience what it can do, wide-open, in comparison to the rest. It is, quite literally, in a class by itself.
It's been 2 years almost since I bought this lens from b&h .love everything about this lens. Sharp ,clean ,fast. Even at low light this lens delivers amazing pictures. You can check some of my pictures at sriram.udhayab at Instagram. I can't wait the combination of z9 and this lens ,it's going to rock my world for sure. It's not easy to hand held but doable . I prefer mostly tripod and sometimes I use handheld . The picture quality with tc 2.0 is not great even with z7ii and d850 but it's great with TC 1.4 . I mostly prefer without TC. I am still debating do I still really need 600 f4 ?
Since 1994, I have owned the 400mm F2.8 EDIF ais manual focus lens.It is still incredible and 4 pounds more heft. The 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR has brought me way more Keepers and spectacular auto focus. Lot of money, but my wife says this will probably be the last 400mm lens I will own.
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8 Ed VR Lens
A new-generation high-performance super-telephoto lens that has achieved significant weight reduction. A new-generation super-telephoto lens that has undergone a major renewal with the latest technology and has improved AF speed, AF accuracy, and AE accuracy. In addition, by adopting a fluorite lens, etc., excellent optical performance with little chromatic aberration is realized, and it is extremely lightweight with a mass of about 3800 g and demonstrates high mobility. Uses an electromagnetic aperture mechanism that enables stable exposure control during high-speed continuous shooting. The VR mechanism supports super-telephoto shooting with a camera shake correction effect of 4.0 steps (CIPA standard compliant). In addition, NIKKOR is equipped with the newly developed VR mode "Sports Mode" for the first time, which provides a stable viewfinder image when shooting moving subjects such as sports. NIKKOR's original fluorine coating, which is highly durable and has an excellent antifouling effect for a long period of time, is also used for the first time on the front of the lens. It also has an anti-reflection effect and contributes to the shooting of clear images. The tripod mount ring uses bearings with excellent durability, allowing you to smoothly change the composition in the horizontal and vertical positions.
A new-generation high-performance super-telephoto lens that has achieved significant weight reduction. A new-generation super-telephoto lens that has undergone a major renewal with the latest technology and has improved AF speed, AF accuracy, and AE accuracy. In addition, by adopting a fluorite lens, etc., excellent optical performance with little chromatic aberration is realized, and it is extremely lightweight with a mass of about 3800 g and demonstrates high mobility. Uses an electromagnetic aperture mechanism that enables stable exposure control during high-speed continuous shooting. The VR mechanism supports super-telephoto shooting with a camera shake correction effect of 4.0 steps (CIPA standard compliant). In addition, NIKKOR is equipped with the newly developed VR mode "Sports Mode" for the first time, which provides a stable viewfinder image when shooting moving subjects such as sports. NIKKOR's original fluorine coating, which is highly durable and has an excellent antifouling effect for a long period of time, is also used for the first time on the front of the lens. It also has an anti-reflection effect and contributes to the shooting of clear images. The tripod mount ring uses bearings with excellent durability, allowing you to smoothly change the composition in the horizontal and vertical positions.
A new-generation high-performance super-telephoto lens that has achieved significant weight reduction. A new-generation super-telephoto lens that has undergone a major renewal with the latest technology and has improved AF speed, AF accuracy, and AE accuracy. In addition, by adopting a fluorite lens, etc., excellent optical performance with little chromatic aberration is realized, and it is extremely lightweight with a mass of about 3800 g and demonstrates high mobility. Uses an electromagnetic aperture mechanism that enables stable exposure control during high-speed continuous shooting. The VR mechanism supports super-telephoto shooting with a camera shake correction effect of 4.0 steps (CIPA standard compliant). In addition, NIKKOR is equipped with the newly developed VR mode "Sports Mode" for the first time, which provides a stable viewfinder image when shooting moving subjects such as sports. NIKKOR's original fluorine coating, which is highly durable and has an excellent antifouling effect for a long period of time, is also used for the first time on the front of the lens. It also has an anti-reflection effect and contributes to the shooting of clear images. The tripod mount ring uses bearings with excellent durability, allowing you to smoothly change the composition in the horizontal and vertical positions.
A new-generation high-performance super-telephoto lens that has achieved significant weight reduction. A new-generation super-telephoto lens that has undergone a major renewal with the latest technology and has improved AF speed, AF accuracy, and AE accuracy. In addition, by adopting a fluorite lens, etc., excellent optical performance with little chromatic aberration is realized, and it is extremely lightweight with a mass of about 3800 g and demonstrates high mobility. Uses an electromagnetic aperture mechanism that enables stable exposure control during high-speed continuous shooting. The VR mechanism supports super-telephoto shooting with a camera shake correction effect of 4.0 steps (CIPA standard compliant). In addition, NIKKOR is equipped with the newly developed VR mode "Sports Mode" for the first time, which provides a stable viewfinder image when shooting moving subjects such as sports. NIKKOR's original fluorine coating, which is highly durable and has an excellent antifouling effect for a long period of time, is also used for the first time on the front of the lens. It also has an anti-reflection effect and contributes to the shooting of clear images. The tripod mount ring uses bearings with excellent durability, allowing you to smoothly change the composition in the horizontal and vertical positions.
in 4 offers
The lowest price for Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8 Ed VR Lens right now is $14,500.00 at Digital Camera Warehouse, compared across 4 retailers.
The all-time low was $6,021.25 on 14 May 2026 — today's price is 141% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 8 June 2026.
