Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm F4E TC1.4 FL ED VR lens review: Nikon’s best tele-zoom

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm F4E TC1.4 FL ED VR is an updated version of the AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F4G ED VR - one of the first lenses Nikon added stabilisation (VR) to (the other being the AF-S Nikkor 200mm F2.0, effectively a 300mm on the DX only bodies back then) and the favourite of animal safari photographers everywhere. Not surprisingly, it’s also a popular choice with those who cover sports. This new model, though, is much more than just an update - it’s a redesigned lens complete with a built-in 1.4x teleconverter that’s meant to counter the Canon EF 200-400mm F4L IS USM Extender 1.4x, itself a showcase model to rival the earlier AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F4G ED VR introduced in 2003. This lens, incidentally, was the first Nikon super telephoto lens to feature VR and was th