Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70 200mm F 2 8G ED VR II Review | 54 Data compared

The DPReview analysis of the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II highlights a professional telezoom that corrects its predecessor's full-frame issues, offering superior corner-to-corner sharpness and improved 4-stop Vibration Reduction. Built with durable magnesium alloy and thorough weather sealing, the lens also provides fast, reliable autofocus, making it a robust, high-performance tool. However, the review notes significant focus "breathing" at close distances, a lack of front-barrel AF-stop buttons, and susceptibility to flare, alongside small, fiddly controls. Despite these drawbacks and higher weight, the lens earned a Gold Award for its excellent image quality, serving as a reliable workhorse for professionals.

Ken Rockwell’s review highlights the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II as a significant upgrade, delivering outstanding, accurate autofocus and improved, edge-to-edge sharpness with minimal light falloff. Key performance advantages include exceptional, reliable performance at f/2.8, reduced distortion compared to its predecessor, and an advanced VR II system enabling sharp handheld shots at low shutter speeds. Ken Rockwell However, the lens has drawbacks, including a $500 higher launch price than previous models and the removal of physical AF-lock buttons. Additionally, Rockwell noted minor sample variation, with his unit displaying slight softness on one side of the frame.

The Photography Life review deems the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II an outstanding professional telephoto lens, highlighting its robust, weather-sealed construction and exceptional sharpness across the zoom range at f/2.8. Key advantages include an effective Nano Crystal Coat to reduce flare and a highly capable Vibration Reduction II system. Conversely, the review notes significant focus breathing at close distances, where the lens acts more like a 135mm, and its substantial 3.4-pound weight. Despite these factors and a high price point, the lens is recommended for its reliable performance and build.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II is a highly capable professional telephoto zoom lens engineered for full-frame FX-format DSLR bodies. Tested on a 36MP Nikon D800, the lens delivers excellent overall performance, boasting a constant f/2.8 aperture ideal for fast-moving action and a shallow depth of field. Its premier features include excellent build quality, robust weather sealing, standard 77mm filter threads, and a very precise, fast, and silent wave autofocus motor (SWM). Furthermore, the second-generation Vibration Reduction (VR II) provides a 2-to-3 stop stabilization advantage, ensuring consistently sharp images during hand-held tracking. Despite its professional strengths, the lens has notable drawbacks, primarily its high retail price and significant physical heft. Weighing 1,540 grams, it combines with a full-frame body to strain a photographer's shoulder over long shooting periods. Optically, with 21 elements in 16 groups, the lens is prone to internal flares and ghosting. A major drawback for videographers is that the autofocus mechanism produces audible "clack" and humming noises that register clearly on the camera's built-in microphone. Additionally, the close focus distance of 1.4 meters limits...

Summary This review highlights the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens as an outstanding, professional-caliber "workhorse" telephoto zoom optimized for both DX and full-frame (FX) digital SLR cameras. The reviewer praises its tank-like, dust- and moisture-resistant construction, exceptionally smooth rubberized control rings, and a highly responsive Silent Wave autofocus motor that aggressively tracks fast-moving subjects. Optically, the lens delivers incredible edge-to-edge sharpness and contrast across the entire frame, even when shooting wide open at f/2.8, thanks to seven Extra Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements and Nano Crystal Coatings that highly suppress flare and ghosting. Additionally, the upgraded VR II stabilizer provides an impressive four-stop advantage for steady handheld shooting in low light. Despite its superb performance, the lens does come with some notable drawbacks. It is a large, heavy piece of equipment weighing 3.4 lbs, and comes with a hefty retail price tag of around $2,300, which may deter casual photo enthusiasts. Users will also experience a "focus breathing" effect, meaning the effective focal length shortens and maximum magnification decreases to 0.12x when focusing on nearby subjects rather...

The Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200 mm f/2.8G ED VR II review by LensTip highlights this professional journalistic zoom lens as a highly successful upgrade over its predecessor, engineered to solve the corner vignetting and edge performance degradation previously experienced on full-frame FX sensors. The lens features an armored, weather-sealed metal build quality alongside a rapid, ultra-quiet, and exceptionally accurate autofocus system driven by an ultrasonic motor. Optically, LensTip praises its ability to maintain a highly even and outstanding resolution across all focal lengths, while also ensuring remarkably low chromatic aberration, negligible distortion, well-corrected coma, and an efficient VR II stabilization mechanism. Despite its stellar overall execution, the review pinpoints a few clear performance bottlenecks. The primary optical drawback is that the outermost edges of a full-frame sensor remain a bit too soft when shooting wide open at the maximum relative aperture of f/2.8. Additionally, LensTip's deeper technical testing notes that some internal rings show strange splinters, the minimum focusing distance is restricted to 1.4 meters, and its performance against harsh, direct bright light can sometimes be problematic and prone to...

The AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II is a premium, weather-sealed professional lens offering exceptional image quality with 9.0/10 scores for build and optical performance. Its 7-element ED design and Nano Crystal Coat effectively eliminate aberrations and soft corners, while the VR II stabilization and SWM autofocus system provide reliable low-light, handheld performance. However, the 1,540-gram lens is physically demanding to use over long sessions. Specific drawbacks include noticeable focus breathing at close distances, a shallow lens hood design, and a high retail price, according to the review.

The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII is a highly professional, ruggedly built lens designed to cover full-frame (FX) image sensors with blazingly fast autofocus performance and highly effective four-stop image stabilization. Overall image quality is excellent, delivering exceptional color, strong contrast, and a superb bokeh that rivals top-tier fixed lenses when shot wide open. Furthermore, it performs surprisingly well with teleconverters, particularly the 1.4x TC-14EII and 2.0x TC-20EIII, maintaining impressive sharpness and autofocus capabilities once stopped down by a single stop. However, the lens has notable limitations regarding corner sharpness and focal length behavior. Edge-to-edge sharpness falls off significantly at 200mm when using larger apertures, a flaw that is even more pronounced on high-resolution bodies like the D800 and requires stopping down to f/8 or f/11 to correct. Additionally, it exhibits an internal focusing characteristic where the focal length noticeably shortens—by an estimated 20%—when focusing on subjects at very close distances. While these flaws have minimal impact on general wildlife photography, they pose a distinct drawback for landscape photographers or those shooting small, close-up subjects.

The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lens delivers exceptional, professional-grade performance when paired with a DX-format crop sensor camera like the Nikon D3200. The 1.5x crop factor transforms this lens into a fast 105-300mm equivalent f/2.8 zoom, making it an excellent, cost-effective alternative to a full-frame 300mm prime lens. Optically, the lens is a standout performer; it suffers from virtually zero lateral chromatic aberration, exhibits almost no flare even in direct light, and shows no noticeable vignetting in JPEG files because the DX sensor only uses the sharp center of the lens circle,. Resolution remains stunning across all focal lengths, drawing sharper than many professional fixed-focal lenses after stopping down just one stop. The lens boasts several physical and operational pros, including a highly rugged, mostly metal construction featuring a rubber lens mount seal to block out moisture. It features fast and accurate internal autofocus, internal zooming that prevents dust buildup, and highly effective vibration reduction that grants a proven 3 to 4-stop advantage. However, the review notes a few notable cons, primarily its large, heavy build and its high...

The Frederik Boving review highlights the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II as a highly functional, feature-packed workhorse, boasting exceptional image quality driven by ED glass, a constant f/2.8 aperture, and effective VR II stabilization. Key performance advantages include a rapid AF-S silent wave motor, internal focusing, and robust build quality with versatile, tactile controls for professionals. Conversely, the review notes significant practical drawbacks, primarily the lens’s substantial 1.5-kilogram weight, which can make prolonged handheld shooting physically demanding. Additionally, the requirement for 77mm filters and the high cost of entry constitute the main compromises, though it remains a formidable lens despite these factors.