Nikon 70-200 AFS-VR 2.8 vs 80-200 AFS 2.8

[sykestang]

sykestang,

do you think can provide coparing pistures taken heand held at 1/30 or 1/60 long end? cos at 1/640, the VR wouldnt make any difference woould it? is fast enough to hand held even a non VR

Sorry I don't own the AFS70-200VR lens. Got to beg, steal or borrow to use it... ;p

What I'm stressing here is that, AFS70-200VR f/2.8 Lens is good but a little high in price as compared to the AF80-200D f/2.8 which produces similar quality at half the price.

What I want to convey here is for newbies who just got the D70 and now hunting for lenses to consider on what they actually want to shoot before jumping to buy the lenses just because some of the guys says it is good.

Get the 70-200VR if you:
- have the budget, abt $3100
- want the AFS speed
- need the VR cos you always need to shoot at low speed

Get the 80-200D if you:
- think AF (abt 70% of AFS speed) is fast enough for you
- don't need VR cos you can handle the weight well and low speed is seldom required.
- want good for money, quality vs price

The problem now is that a lot of newbies here actually think that the AFS70-200VR produces a much better picture quality than the 80-200D and started buying it. Not because they need the feature.

To me, there is no clear winner in the 2 lens as they both have their good and cons. Just ultimately what the user wants to achieve at the end of the day.

 

[gadrian]

Well here is another image to share.. this image is at 680x1024. It was resize using Nikon View 6.1 to jpg from raw. No post processing was made. btw..image filesize is only 90Kb.

Why such a huge file.. well so that you can see the details that the 70-200 AFS-VR f/2.8G lens can produce with VR on.. handheld.

This image has Exif attached.. so if you do not believe me.. you can check it out for yourself..

Nikon D100 - Raw (12bit)
Lens: VR70-200 f/2.8G
Focal Length:200
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern - 1/60sec - f/4
Exposure Comp: 0EV
Sensitivity: ISO 320
WB: Cloudy -2
Colour Mode: Mode III
VR Mode: Active[/QUOTE]

 

[gadrian]

The 70-200 AF-S VR f/2.8 G lens is now my ultimate nature lens. To be caught in a shooting scenario without it.. would be unthinkable. I have owned the 80-200 AF-D.. and I can say.. it is a good lens.. but when VR is concerned.. 70-200 AF-S VR f/2.8 G is the ultimate. And from here you can see.. it does help to produce quality images.

 

[hackie]

i posted the sigma cos i believe its also a worthy buy for newbies..

i'm a Nikon user who uses Fuji S2 for digital and Nikon F80 for film, sigma flash (no $$ to get sb80dx), nikon/sigma lenses, B+W/hoya filters, and i dun think my photo looks bad next to a guy's who uses ALL Nikon..

 

[gadrian]

i posted the sigma cos i believe its also a worthy buy for newbies..

i'm a Nikon user who uses Fuji S2 for digital and Nikon F80 for film, sigma flash (no $$ to get sb80dx), nikon/sigma lenses, B+W/hoya filters, and i dun think my photo looks bad next to a guy's who uses ALL Nikon..

Dude.. I think your pic looks a winner.. and I have had some great experiences with Sigma lenses.. and some not so.. then again.. had the same with Nikon.. I would have to say though.. Sigma's engineering and standards have definitely rocketed this past 2-3 years..

Which.. comes to my point.. keep on firing.. and keep on taking your presentation of the world around you.. you have my support. A lens choice is as personal as a choice of your spouse.. no one lens can fit anyone.. but there can be compromises.

 

[sykestang]

i posted the sigma cos i believe its also a worthy buy for newbies..

i'm a Nikon user who uses Fuji S2 for digital and Nikon F80 for film, sigma flash (no $$ to get sb80dx), nikon/sigma lenses, B+W/hoya filters, and i dun think my photo looks bad next to a guy's who uses ALL Nikon..

Sure no... the pics you posted earlier is of good quality... :thumbsup: Still like the colours of the 2nd pic. ;p

 

[sykestang]

Well here is another image to share.. this image is at 680x1024. It was resize using Nikon View 6.1 to jpg from raw. No post processing was made. btw..image filesize is only 90Kb.

Why such a huge file.. well so that you can see the details that the 70-200 AFS-VR f/2.8G lens can produce with VR on.. handheld.

This image has Exif attached.. so if you do not believe me.. you can check it out for yourself..

Nikon D100 - Raw (12bit)
Lens: VR70-200 f/2.8G
Focal Length:200
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern - 1/60sec - f/4
Exposure Comp: 0EV
Sensitivity: ISO 320
WB: Cloudy -2
Colour Mode: Mode III
VR Mode: Active

[/QUOTE]


hmmm... that's remind me.

Will shoot some nature shot tomorrow using my 'poor man' 80-200D ED.

Will be posting soon... ;p

 

[Ansel]

To me the comparison of these two lenses is like this.

Proton Wira cars used to come in a variety of options, although the chassis or "shell" are essentially the same. At the point when I bought mine new in 1996 there were only these two possibilities:

1) Proton Wira 1.5 litre manual transmission. Comes with 13 inch steel wheels.
2) Proton Wira 1.6 litre auto tranmission. Comes with 14 inch alloy wheels. ABS.

The price difference btw the two models was about $8K.

In the hands of a good driver, both of these are equally good. In fact, some may say that manual transmission is better than auto.

However I settled for the 2nd choice as I think the diff in price is well worth it considering that I hate manual transmission, I like the 14inch "sports rim" and I believe ABS will help me stop the car better in times of emergency.

Other than these, the two models of cars are exactly the same size, carries the same number of passengers, carries the same amount of barang-barang in the boot, and probably can travel at the same maximum speed of 140 km/h.

Which one is best for you? It depends on your budget first, or if budget is not a concern then your preference.

Which will you recommend to a newbie driver? I will recomment the 2nd as I think ABS is an essential safety feature in case he gets into trouble. Does ABS work? Of course!

Think of VR as the "ABS" of lens design. VR is here to stay and it will become an integral feature of all telephoto lenses of the future. Yes, you may not need it, but I think in the future, you will have no choice because all tele lenses will eventually come with it. Just like nowadays, almost all cars come with ABS.

But as at today, you have a choice as far as VR is concerned. Don't pay for it if you don't need it.

 

[gadrian]

btw.. ABS stands for Anti-Lock Breaking System - A breaking system that ensures that your wheels do not lock up during emergency breaking in order to avoid your car from skidding, thus ensuring higher level of road grip when breaking.

 

[sykestang]

To me the comparison of these two lenses is like this.

Proton Wira cars used to come in a variety of options, although the chassis or "shell" are essentially the same. At the point when I bought mine new in 1996 there were only these two possibilities:

1) Proton Wira 1.5 litre manual transmission. Comes with 13 inch steel wheels.
2) Proton Wira 1.6 litre auto tranmission. Comes with 14 inch alloy wheels. ABS.

The price difference btw the two models was about $8K.

In the hands of a good driver, both of these are equally good. In fact, some may say that manual transmission is better than auto.

However I settled for the 2nd choice as I think the diff in price is well worth it considering that I hate manual transmission, I like the 14inch "sports rim" and I believe ABS will help me stop the car better in times of emergency.

Other than these, the two models of cars are exactly the same size, carries the same number of passengers, carries the same amount of barang-barang in the boot, and probably can travel at the same maximum speed of 140 km/h.

Which one is best for you? It depends on your budget first, or if budget is not a concern then your preference.

Which will you recommend to a newbie driver? I will recomment the 2nd as I think ABS is an essential safety feature in case he gets into trouble. Does ABS work? Of course!

Think of VR as the "ABS" of lens design. VR is here to stay and it will become an integral feature of all telephoto lenses of the future. Yes, you may not need it, but I think in the future, you will have no choice because all tele lenses will eventually come with it. Just like nowadays, almost all cars come with ABS.

But as at today, you have a choice as far as VR is concerned. Don't pay for it if you don't need it.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Well said... that's the point I am trying to drive at.

Anyway, hope no harm done for the readers here. In fact most of us benefited from all the photo previews :bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

Indeed, Gadrian's photo of the leaves is very well taken :thumbsup: Bravo Gadrian... thus I'm taking is up as my personal challenge to produce something similar or hopefully better using my AF80-200D tomorrow. :bsmilie:

 

[Ansel]

Well said sykestang, I'm proud of u! :thumbsup:

OT, but I think I know what espn stands for:

Everybody
Sing
Praises for
Nikon.

hehe :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

 

[sykestang]

OT, but I think I know what espn stands for:

Everybody
Sing
Praises for
Nikon.

hehe :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

Any comments from our bro espn??? :bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

 

[gadrian]

Indeed, Gadrian's photo of the leaves is very well taken :thumbsup: Bravo Gadrian... thus I'm taking is up as my personal challenge to produce something similar or hopefully better using my AF80-200D tomorrow. :bsmilie:

PaiSeh.. PaiSeh.. hehe.. remember with no tripod.. and with same settings as in my EXIF.. hehe.. :sweat: :sweat:

 

[hackie]

no la.. me not here to ask for praises.. juz want newbies to have another choice for a pro 70-200/2.8 lens.. but hopefully dun make them even blurer.... keke..

anyway, nikon or not, happy shooting~~~

 

[espn]

Any comments from our bro espn??? :bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

Well, Nikon rulez, doesn't it?

Anyway I've a chance to hold on the AF-S 70-200VR for a week, with courtesy from a fellow CS-er, I've taken a few shots, including SHE @ Cineleisure (WB off), Energy @ IT Funan Mall, Geraldine Model shoot and my nephew shots.

I can say that the sharpness is not really there compared to primes (at full res), but generally very good for picture taking and a very multipurpose lens.

If you think this is just a zoom lens you're pretty much mistaken, at a constant f/2.8 the sharpness is quite good, and all the shots I've taken were handheld with VR turned off at even 200mm.

I've sadly no chance to play with the 80-200 (AF-S & AF-D). But I believe as predecessors, they must be good as well.

 

[sykestang]

PaiSeh.. PaiSeh.. hehe.. remember with no tripod.. and with same settings as in my EXIF.. hehe.. :sweat: :sweat:

Will try tomorrow... you know lah, I got no gears now to even practice. :sweat: Can cheat a little tomorrow or not... with tripod :bsmilie:

Lucky you didn't shoot using 1/30 or lower, else I definitely need a tripod... 1/60 maybe still can make it.

 

[sykestang]

Anyway for the benefit of newbies, I have started another thread on Lens Picture Review... http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=66597

My purposes is just to show the sharpness and bokeh of the lenses and their designed intended purpose. Of cos, I understand that it is ultimately the photgrapher's choice on which lens to use for what photography.

I have also added my personal feel and finding with those lenses. BTW those featured there are all my lenses I currently owned.

Maybe fellow nikonians, you can add in and share your experience and feel of those lenses that you currently have. In this case, it would be an advantage for any newbies or even the 'old bird' here who is currently looking for lenses to first, see and hear from those who already own those lenses he/she wishes to purchase before committing so as not to waste hard earn $$$.

 

[Jed]

btw.. ABS stands for Anti-Lock Breaking System - A breaking system that ensures that your wheels do not lock up during emergency breaking in order to avoid your car from skidding, thus ensuring higher level of road grip when breaking.

Actually, btw.. ABS stands for Anti-Lock Braking System - A braking system that ensures that your wheels do not lock up during emergency braking in order to avoid your car skidding, thus ensuring higher levels of road grip when braking.

What Gadrian is confused by is ALS. btw.. ALS stands for Anti Lock-breaking System - a locking system that ensures that your locks do not break up during forcible entry in order to avoid theft attempts from thieves, thus ensuring higher levels of motorist safety when away from your vehicle.

Now that we have all that clear... what I want to know is what was the relevance of Gadrian's post to explain ABS... aside from demonstrate that he knows what it is :bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

(Or thought he did anyway)

 

[gadrian]

Actually, btw.. ABS stands for Anti-Lock Braking System - A braking system that ensures that your wheels do not lock up during emergency braking in order to avoid your car skidding, thus ensuring higher levels of road grip when braking.

What Gadrian is confused by is ALS. btw.. ALS stands for Anti Lock-breaking System - a locking system that ensures that your locks do not break up during forcible entry in order to avoid theft attempts from thieves, thus ensuring higher levels of motorist safety when away from your vehicle.

Now that we have all that clear... what I want to know is what was the relevance of Gadrian's post to explain ABS... aside from demonstrate that he knows what it is :bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

(Or thought he did anyway)

Now, now.. is a MODERATOR trying to take a swipe at me.. :nono: :nono: :blah: I was just trying to explain what is ABS as was stated in the post by Ansel.. coz there are many here in Singapore that dont drive..

And.. Btw.. though I know it is only a joke.. here is some facts about ABS.. (Which is still Anti-Lock Breaking System, hehe :blah: :blah: ) I do know my facts.


"Anti-lock Brake Systems (ABS)

Originally developed for aircraft, ABS basically works by limiting the pressure to any wheel which decelerates too rapidly. This allows maximum stopping force to be applied without brake lockup (skidding). If standard brakes are applied too hard, the wheels "lock" or skid, which prevents them from giving directional control. If directional control (steering) is lost, the vehicle skids in a straight line wherever it is going. ABS allows the driver to steer during hard braking, which allows you to control the car much better. In the old days, drivers had to know how to "pump" the brakes or sense the lockup and release foot pressure in order to prevent skidding. This meant that if only one wheel lost traction and started to skid, the driver would have to reduce braking force to prevent a skid. The advantage of ABS is that the brakes on the wheels with good traction can be used to the fullest possible amount, even if other wheels lose traction.

In operation, the wheelspeed sensors at each wheel send electronic pulse signals to the control unit. If wheel lockup (rapid deceleration) is detected during brake application, the computer signals the valve unit to limit the hydraulic pressure to the wheel cylinder. This is usually accomplished by diverting the fluid into a small reservoir. The fluid is later pumped out of the reservoir and returned to the main fluid reservoir when the brakes are not being applied.

The anti-lock brake system tests itself every time the vehicle is started and every time the brakes are applied. The system evaluates its own signals. If a defect is detected, the system then turns off, leaving normal braking unaffected. "

 

[Jed]

I'm really really impressed. I see you're able to research stuff on the Internet and cut and paste. And forget the moderator thing, I'd take a swipe at you if I didn't know what ABS was.