Lens Testing - Nikon 80-400vr versus 300F4 with Kenko 1.4 TC - page 1
A friend loaned me his Nikon 300 F4 AF-S with 1.4 Kenko TC for a comparison test against my 80-400vr. The test was simple. I mounted each lens on my D300, which was set on a Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead on top of a Gitzo 3550 tripod. Mirror-up with a corded remote release was used for each shot. No settings were changed on the camera. The focus point should have been on the front-most owl chick. No post processing or sharpening has been done.

This is a series of shots at different F-stops, from F5.6 to F22 to see how sharpness varied. Converted from NEF to JPG with ViewNX2. For more information, view the EXIF data. Images are not resized. The tripod position was not moved, so the 300 with 1.4 tc (effective 420mm) puts a few more pixels on the subject.

There was some wind blowing the feathers a bit. You can definitely see this on the 300f4 at F14, compared to the 80-400vr at F14.

I'd give the IQ edge to the 300F4 with 1.4 TC.
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F5.6, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/640, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F5.6, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/640, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F6.3, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/500, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F6.3, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/500, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F7, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/500, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F7, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/500, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F8, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/400, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F8, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/400, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F9, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/320, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F9, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/320, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F10, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/250, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F10, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/250, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F11, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/200, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F11, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/200, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F13, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/160, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F13, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/160, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F14, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/125, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F14, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/125, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F16, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/100, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F16, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/100, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F18, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/80, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F18, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/80, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F20, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/60, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F20, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/60, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F22, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/50, focal length 400mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm<br>
AF VR Zoom 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, *** Aperture: F22, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/50, focal length 400mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 600mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F5.6, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/500, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F5.6, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/500, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F6.3, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/320, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F6.3, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/320, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F7, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/320, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F7, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/320, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F8, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/250, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F8, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/250, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F9, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/250, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F9, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/250, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F10, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/160, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F10, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/160, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F11, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/160, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F11, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/160, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F13, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/125, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F13, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/125, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F14, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/80, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F14, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/80, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F16, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/60, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F16, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/60, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F18, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/60, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F18, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/60, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F20, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/50, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F20, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/50, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm


AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F22, ***<br>NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/30, focal length 420mm,  effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm<br>
AF 300mm f/4D, *** Aperture: F22, ***
NIKON D300, shutter speed 1/30, focal length 420mm, effective focal length on 35mm film 630mm