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DocsPics
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Registered: Feb 2, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 2274
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Review Date: May 16, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast AF, wallet wrecking IQ and background blur (don't try it unless you can afford to buy one). Probably best Nikon lens out there. Retains high resale value.
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Cons:
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OEM lens foot is inadequate. Plan to purchase a longer foot for better balance on a tripod and better carry. Weight is all a matter of what you are used to.
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People wonder why go to the expense and trouble (size/weight) when you can get a good 200mm effect with the 70-200/2.8 or 70-200/4. You won't wonder anymore when you have tried this lens. I would rather carry a heavy lens giving great IQ than a lighter lens of lesser quality. I rented before buying....but bought very soon thereafter.
Calling this gem "Stubby" is demeaning. She is a beauty in my eyes.
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 May 16, 2013
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dale keith
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Registered: Jan 10, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 50
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Review Date: Apr 19, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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GREAT
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Cons:
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Weight, price
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After reading the reviews of others I decided to pull out my lens. I had not shot it in a few years and suddenly realized what I had been missing - the perfect lens. I shot everything with the lens from butterflies to people to animals at the zoo. I even tried my 1.4 extender and the shots were great. I tried the lens on DX and FX bodies with an equal sense of satisfaction. What everybody says about the lens is true. If you have an application, the financial resources, and you like primes, the 200 F2.0 will not disappoint.
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Apr 19, 2013
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thumphrey
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Registered: Nov 22, 2002
Location: United States
Posts: 31
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Review Date: Mar 5, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,200.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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My favorite lens! Ridiculous IQ! I have never looked back after purchasing this lens. I'm stunned on occasion by the images it produces.
Very fast AF.
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Cons:
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It is heavy with a D3x! Get a tripod!
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I had a 300mm f/2.8, but lusted for this lens. Broke down and bought this bad boy and suddenly became a much better photographer. It produces images that make people look twice. Sharpness is like a razor. Bokeh is so creamy. This is without trying hard. It does all the heavy lifting.....photographically speaking. It is a heavy rig with my D3x. But is it so worth the effort. Get a monopod! I am a fan of RRS, so I got the RRS foot for this lens. If you can afford this lens, it will bless your photography with great images!
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Mar 5, 2013
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owsundlo
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Registered: Oct 31, 2012
Location: Norway
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Oct 31, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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razor sharp images, fast focus
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Cons:
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heavy, expensive
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Ive had this heavy lense for about a month, and I try to carry it with me every day. Using it with a monopod its not heavy at all. It works very fast, gives me razor fast images in both sports and weddings as well as portraits. I used in studio with my d3x and gave me fantastic images!!
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Oct 31, 2012
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Pieria
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Registered: Nov 2, 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 24
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Review Date: Jun 1, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast autofocus , sharp wide open , Build like a tank.
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Cons:
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What a lens !!. I just bought this lens about a month ago, for action and portrait photography. In one simple word:AMAZING. I took some head shots of my 6 month old daughter, the lens is so sharp wide open , i don t even PP on the computer. I was just amazed at the quality of the color, sharpness, and bokeh of this lens. I own also the 400 2.8 vr , which was the lens i mostly shot with, but now the 200 took it s place. Owning the 400, weight is not an issue for me since i am used to heavy lenses. If you can afford this lens just go for it , don t even think about it, it can not get any better than this.
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Jun 1, 2012
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zesto
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Registered: Jun 26, 2010
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 326
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Review Date: Dec 23, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Razor sharp, beautiful, creamy bokeh, fast focusing.
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Cons:
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Heavy.
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I bought the 200 f/2 VR II about six months ago. It's incredibly sharp wide open. At f/4 it'll cut your eyeballs.
The depth of field is extremely shallow at f/2 and it's easy to have one eye in focus and the other not in a frontal portrait.
It's heavy and slightly awkward to use because of it's wide body. It's not the sort of lens that you take for a leisurely stroll. A monopod is a big help.
For those who think that their 70-200 f/2.8 VR II is sharp and why would anyone want to pay a few grand more for one f stop etc. etc. All I can say is, "you don't know what you're missing".
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Dec 23, 2011
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ilnonno
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Registered: Jul 14, 2011
Location: Italy
Posts: 33
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Review Date: Jul 14, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Impressive sharpness wide open.
Contrast.
Colours.
Autofocus speed is very, very fast.
It is "long" (a lot longer at short distances than the VR II)
I'm a cheap skate but... it's no body, no resale value lost! :-)
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Cons:
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Weight, of course.
"Difficult" to use: when it's not focused, it has such a blur in the viewfinder you really have no clue *what* you are pointing it at...
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This is an impressive lens... and it eats my 70-200 VR II for breakfast.
Autofocus in incredible, sharpness is something to be seen to be believed (and I'm talking wide open, on a D700), and colours, contrast, bokeh are just amazing. Plus, near or far subjects are rendered all with impressive sharpness and definition.
It weighs... so what? I hand hold it easily, and never feel like it is too heavy. If you carry it with you it always rewards you with extraordinary pictures.
Lenses I own/owned include 24-70, 80-200AFS, 70-200VR II, 85 1.4D, and many others. None can get nowhere near the optical properties of the 200F2. No exaggeration...
Am a little underwhelmed by TCs. Tried the TC2-III on it, but didn't really like it. Will have to try a TC-14!
I gave it all 10s. Even price.
I am not crazy, I know it *is* expensive, but, comparing its optical magic, build, and autofocus with the new 1.4G line of primes makes you be a little suspicious of Nikon's mark up on those lenses...
None of them share the incredible optical properties of the 200F2, and their build and AF is miles ahead that of the exotic teles.
I'm fine with this (and... plan to purchase the 35 1.4, poor me!), but I just do not see how can a monster like the 200F2 with its breathtaking image taking capabilities can just cost slightly more than twice what a 24 1.4 costs...
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Jul 14, 2011
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Chestnut
Offline
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Registered: Feb 1, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 594
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Review Date: Nov 22, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $3,999.95
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharpness, Bokeh, AF Speed & Accuracy, Build, Quality
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Cons:
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Weight.
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This is a wonderful gem of a lens. I've been using it for portraits and some sports, and it's fantastic. The only other lens that matches the AF speed from this guy is my 400/2.8VR... it beats the 24-70, 70-200 VR easily. The images it produces for me are stunning, and I just love using this lens. It also takes TC's very well... I've used a TC-14EII, a TC-20EII and a TC-20EIII on it, and you can barely tell there's any image degradation at all.
I was deciding whether to get the 300/2.8VR or this lens, and I'm pretty confident I made the right choice.
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Nov 22, 2010
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anhminh
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Registered: Aug 22, 2010
Location: Vietnam
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Aug 22, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,200.00
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Pros:
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Super sharp, decent bokeh, very fast AF, nice color rendering!
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Cons:
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Heavy
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I am very happy to shoot with this lens! AF is amazing fast, Very high in contrast and incredible sharpness.
Combined with D3 body is pefect for shooting fashion show!
HERE is some my fashion shot with the lens. Thanks!
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Aug 22, 2010
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mariomonte
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Registered: Feb 10, 2010
Location: Italy
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Feb 10, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Un obiettivo fantastico-nitidezza esemplare-velocità autofocus-bokeh eccezionale-qualità costruttiva solidissima
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Cons:
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costo e peso eccessivi-ma poi ti abitui grazie ai risultati che ti da
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E' pesante ma tenerlo in mano è una gioia.
Ha una qualità risolutiva eccezionale e una nitidezza insuperabile.
Velocissimo nell'autofocus(con D3 e d700)
L'unico problema è la sua pesantezza. Ti stanchi dopo un pò ma quando vedi quello che ti offre dimentichi tutto, compreso il suo costo.
Un obiettivo da raccomandare.
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Feb 10, 2010
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allstarimaging
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Registered: Mar 23, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1677
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Review Date: Dec 3, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,000.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Image quality from this lens is perhaps the best from any lens in the Nikon line up. Color, contrast, and sharpness are fantastic. Wide open provides incredible subject isolation, Very fast to focus.
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Cons:
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On the FX sensor the lens is a bit of a "tweener". Short for field sports. Ideal for indoor sports. Big to carry around compared to the 70-200 but worth the effort when you see the images it produces.
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Dec 3, 2009
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Fstr.
Offline
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Registered: Jan 17, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 2150
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Review Date: Oct 30, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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What everyone else is saying and then some.
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Cons:
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Heavy, and costs a chunk of change.
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Totally professional piece of glass. I tried for two years not to buy this lens, finally gave in to my NAS and wow. I like it, SHARP, fast focusing, FAST and has a look that my other lenses can't quite match. This is a lens that you more than likely will buy if you make the mistake of trying it. Did I say that I really like it?
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Oct 30, 2009
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solomon10
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Nov 21, 2008
Location: Norway
Posts: 178
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Review Date: Sep 9, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Stunning image quality, fast auto focus, Great colours and bokeh. Good price considering the Canon version is nearly twice the price in Norway at the moment.
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Cons:
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Wish i had bought it sooner.
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This lens has replaced my Canon 300mm f2.8 IS and 85mm f1.2. In fact, it has replaced them in some style.
I only came over to the dark side, because of the price of the Nikon version. It is much cheaper than the Canon version in Norway.
The image quality it produces makes people think i am better than i actually am. It is very sharp. Sharper than all my previous lenses from both Nikon and Canon.
As a previous poster has stated, " If the 70-200 rates a ten, then this lens rates at least 15 ". He is correct.
Its a heavy lens, but so is my child so i have no complaints.
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Sep 9, 2009
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Dustoff06
Offline
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Registered: Jan 28, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 172
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Review Date: Jul 27, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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IQ is unbelievable
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Cons:
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Heavy. I mean really heavy.
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I've got an enviable stable of Nikon Glass, including the 14-24 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 70 - 200 f2.8 VR and a 300 f4.0, among others. After months of reading debates and reviews I went with this lens versus the 300 f2.8 or 200-400 f4.0. I have to say, the IQ is stunning. Just got this lens today and took 100 shots around the house. It's amazing. Can't wait to try it out in a studio environment.
I also have to say that I am now in the market for a monopod. I'm a pretty big guy, but the 6+ pounds added to my D3 isn't exactly a walk around setup. Let's put it this way, this is first lens I've bought that comes with its own mini back pack. The case is actually very nice and allows you to store the lens with a body attached.
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Jul 27, 2009
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onetrack
Offline
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Registered: Aug 21, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 161
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Review Date: Jun 19, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $4,000.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp corner to corner, focus is lightning fast, VR works well, bokeh is incredible
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Cons:
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Heavy, expensive, mounting foot is too short (replace with RSS)
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I bought new in early 2009 before the price hike. I do portraits and use it some in the studio and outdoors, I always look for ways to use it.
Handheld it's a back breaker if you do it too much. I'm an old guy so if your a weight lifter, they are all light. Short periods are fine.
If your photo is not sharp with this lens, you misfocused.
Get about 6 - 15 feet from your subject and the bokeh of the background is creamy smooth.
I only use my 70-200 zoom now at events when I have to shoot without moving my position.
I use the Think Tank Glass Taxi and I keep the lens shade on all the time now. It's actually a short lens so it will fit into smaller spaces if needed by reversing the shade. I recommend the RRS lens foot for this lens.
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Jun 19, 2009
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jordanwd
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Registered: Dec 15, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 358
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Review Date: May 13, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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I've had this lens for the last 2.5 years and it is by far the sharpest lens I own. Very fast and accurate af w/ the d3, d300, and d2x. Great colour, contrat and sharpness. Very sharp at f2 but I prefer f2.2 or f2.5 for ulltra crazy sharp images. The bokeah is buttery smoot with evan background blown highlites that just blend in and melt away . It is rather short and squaty and kind of ackward to hold for longer periods of time...i found having it attached to a monopod (w/ the mono completely colapsed) at all times makes using this lens more enjoyable. The VR and focus recall work very well. I have not tried it w/ tc's as i have the larger primes. This is an absolutely phenominal lens!
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Cons:
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pricey but you get what you pay for...
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May 13, 2008
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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25
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60579
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May 16, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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96% of reviewers
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$3,994.44
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.96
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9.09
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10.0
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