1. •Most important (to me) the 80mm D adds the one-touch AF / MF ring. With the original AF 80mm lens, to change between AF and MF, the switch on the camera body must be flipped to the appropriate position. The AF/MF switch is on the front the camera, so it is nearly impossible to change focus modes while looking through the viewfinder. Furthermore, the switch does not have clean detents, so “feeling” the clicks is not possible.
   

2. With the 80mm D changing between AF and MF is simple and easily done while looking through the viewfinder. The camera body is left in the AF position and toggling between AF / MF can be done on the lens. Or for those who prefer the switch on the body, leave the lens in the AF position and use the switch on the camera body to toggle focus modes.
   

3. •Oddly, the 80mm D has no markings on the front the lens retaining ring. Usually the retaining ring is embellished with the manufacturer’s name, focal length, aperture, etc. WIthout the customary lettering the 80mm D looks somewhat generic from the front.
   

4. •The 80mm D has a 67mm filter thread, but the front element is the same size as original 80mm AF. I suspect Mamiya widened the lens barrel and recessed the front element to help reduce flare.
   

5. The front element and filter threads do NOT rotate during focusing, so using screw-in circular polarizers and graduated filters is trouble-free.
   

6. The 58mm and 67mm front filter thread is a mixed blessing. Many of the Mamiya 645AF lenses have a 58mm thread, so the 67mm thread may lead to purchasing new filters.
   

7. •The 80mm D’s lens hood is made with thicker plastic and feels more robust. There is a very slight texture to the plastic, so it might be less susceptible to rub marks.  The hood attaches much easier.
   

8. •Auto-focus sounds a bit louder with the 80mm D. The focus noise resonates more - most likely due to the metal barrel and larger volume. Mamiya 645AFD, 645AFD II and ZD owners may notice a slight increase noise. With the new (quieter) AF motor in the Mamiya 645AFD III and Phase One P645, noise is probably a non-issue.
   

9. •The 80mm D extends about 12mm when focused at infinity - same as the original AF 80mm. Unlike the new Mamiya AF 150mm F2.8 IF D; the 80mm D is not an internal focus (IF) design.
   

I always liked the original Mamiya AF 80mm F2.8 - except for the lack of the AF / MF switch. When Mamiya announced the new 80mm with one-touch AF MF ring it was lust-at-first-sight. After handling the lens, it seems as if Mamiya may have considered making the lens an F2 instead of a F2.8 repeat. The larger, wider barrel design hints at the possibility of a wider front element. Considering the $1143 retail price tag, I wish Mamiya had upgraded the lens to F2. There are numerous benefits - brighter viewfinder, improved auto-focus performance, additional aperture latitude when outdoor light fades - and a competitive advantage against other currently produced 80mm lenses.

It has been five months since the Mamiya 80mm D arrived and it has performed flawlessly on the Mamiya ZD. There have been no glitches, no issues with build quality and no issues with performance. Having the AF / MF switch on the lens body is a radical improvement over the original 80mm AF design. With the new design switching between auto-focus and manual-focus is quick, intuitive and can be done easily while looking through the viewfinder. For build quality and handling, the new Mamiya 80mm F2.8 AF D earns an easy “A”.

LENS PERFORMANCE

The optical formula in the 80mm D is unchanged from its predecessor, so performance is similar to the original. Mamiya has updated their lens coatings, and colors do seem a bit crisper - maybe a touch cooler. Overall optical performance is essentially identically with the exception of F2.8 - which seems slightly sharper. I have used the original Mamiya AF 80mm F2.8 off and on for over a year. The lens is very sharp, contrasty and managed distortion well.

With a 12mm extension tube the 80mm D is an excellent macro lens. The Mamiya N401 12mm Tube, NA402 24mm Tube and NA403 36mm Tube can all be used with the 80mm D and stacked all the way to a 1:1 magnification ratio. For product shots, I find the 12mm does the job well. Auto-focus is not supported with the tubes; however, focus-confirmation does function correctly. The focus confirmation light is fairly accurate and it helps if the Mamiya auto-focus setting is set to “spot” instead of “wide”.