I think this lens is highly underestimated by many. It's quite easily one of the best lenses Nikon has ever produced in an decade yet few seem to be willing to take the plunge on it. Easily the best 200mm portrait lens you'll ever hold and combined with TCs it converts into one very good 400mm F4 lens. It really has no downside. The size in my opinion is quite small compared to its 300mm and 400mm F2.8 big brothers.
khphotography wrote:
I think this lens is highly underestimated by many.
I have only seen raves for this lens, so I really don't know what you mean with that. If you mean that not everyone is buying it, well, it is huge and heavy, and very expensive, and extremely specialized.
It's quite easily one of the best lenses Nikon has ever produced
Agreed.
Easily the best 200mm portrait lens you'll ever hold
...from Nikon, yes. The Leica 180 Cron and the two Canon 200/1.8 and 200/2 lenses are in the same class. The Leica especially has five distinct advantages over the Nikon: it has a built-in hood (!), it weighs 500g less, it is 3cm shorter, it focuses 0.4m closer (I would *love* this in my Nikon), and the shape is *much* better for handholding. If the Leica was AF and VR, I would have bought it instead of the Nikon.
The shape especially is a huge deal. With the Leica, you can place the tripod mount in the palm of your hand and focus with your fingertips. With the Nikon, this doesn't work, and no matter how you hold it, there is some awkwardness. The foot is too far forward to be of help here, and an uncomfortable shape.
Don't get me wrong, fantastic lens, and I am very happy and honoured to be able to own one, but it is not perfect.
If I ever get really wealthy, I will own both: the Nikon for AF and VR, the Leica for manually focusing and non-action shots.
Oh, and the Leica has a real lens cap. Perhaps not a big deal to some, I still prefer it to a sack.
I'd go as far as saying the Canon and Leica don't hold any weight to this lens. Super ED elements are something I wish we'd see in more lenses and I'd pay the extra money to have them. Even head to head with the Canon 200mm it will come out ahead.
I honestly think people complaining about the size/weight have honestly never tried using it for an extended period of time. I'm not joking when I say once you get used to it's size and weight you won't find it all that bad. For the performance it gives you it's worth it.
The size in my hands is something I am sure I will get used to. The size in my bag is not something that I (or my bag) will get used to. It is big to schlep around. The more compact Leica is also big and heavy, but one notch easier to manage.
I usually shoot rodeo with a 2 body/lens combo. The TT Glass Taxi holds the 200 f2 with hood in shooting position & a Pro body mounted.
This compact backpack is incredibly comfortable and offers great protection. I've gone 10hrs with it and I'm an old man.
Yes, I might have to look for something like that, or at least try my Kata R-103 with it. Didn't get around to that yet. I much prefer shoulder bags, I guess, but it does get heavy quickly.
IIRC both mouth and lens were wide open on THAT one!! 
it's a light sucker, Peter. Like a Keno girl on a....