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	Introduction
	Face to face with the VR
	The VR technology
	Sample shots
	Beach shots
	Digital gallery
»	Some conclusions

It works. I tested it shooting while walking, (which creates a not so predictable movement; my sore body has had too many bumps and falls) and the VR still produced sharp images. I completely forgot about panning, sorry.
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Mousing Nikons D2X with 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR AF Zoom Nikkor

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I tried shoots at dusk, well stopped down for very slow shutter speeds and it worked. I tried bikinied wildlife on the move. I believe it worked. Subjected it to harsh operating temperatures between 32° and 96° Fahrenheit and it worked. I tried it mounted on a tripod with the VR system on -which is not recommended at all- and even then it worked, although not always. I took off the tripod mount ring and it was a while to put it back, but that's a minor concern. Now Kirk provides an excellent replacement. But I now have a lens that can do from portraiture medium shots at 80mm, to long telephoto shots at 400mm, without having to worry about shutter speed. "f/8 and be there" can be a reality now, at all times. After all of the above, whether this lens purchase should be evaluated against any other alternative is not a question in my mind. Not at all. Some may argue that the 80-200 f/2.8D ED IF AF-S and TC20E or the newest 70-200mm f/2.8G ED AF-S VR II with a TC20EII gets you the same 400mm f/5.6. However, there is no way one could handhold a shot with that combo at 1/20 sec, like Nikonian John Rice (johnr43) did with his 80-400mm VR in the bottom image at right of President George W. Bush. Others argue that the AF is slow. Well, images of birds in flight were made with manual focusing lenses on manual film cameras before us. The trick is simply to prefocus in the general expected area. With this lens you can use its Limit Focus function. Remember also that with a modern SLR your focusing will be further aided with Dynamic Focusing mode. This lens is fully compatible witrh 35mm film cameras, and DX and FX format DSLRs, with no light fall-of in the corners of the frame. Tip: When on a monopod, keep the VR on This 80-400mm VR remains the least expensive and most convenient lens to get up to the 400mm focal length, with excellent quality optical performance. Have a great time	.