The Nikon 80-400mm ƒ/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S Nikkor is an upgrade to Nikon's previous medium-to-supertelephoto zoom lens, the 80-400mm ƒ/4.5-5.6D ED VR AF Nikkor. The new version features several improvements and new features such as Nikon's Nano Crystal Coating and the inclusion of a Super ED glass element and second-gen Vibration Reduction. The lens is also designated as a G-series lens meaning the manual aperture ring has been removed, leaving aperture settings to be controlled via the camera. The new version is also heavier than its predecessor.
Like it's predecessor, the 80-400mm ƒ/4.5-5.6G is designed for FX, or full-frame, Nikon DSLRs, but will work on Nikon's DX crop sensor cameras as well, providing an equivalent field of view range of 120-600mm. The inclusion of AF-S, or Silent Wave Motor, autofocus allows the new 80-400mm lens to work on all Nikon DX cameras, even those without a built-in AF motor (i.e. D5200, D3200, etc.).
The new lens features Nikon's second-generation Vibration Reduction image stabilization system. Nikon touts the ability to shoot up to 4 stops slower while still capturing sharp photos.