Anyone who doubts that zooms can't match one of the top "prime" lenses should definitely try one of these new models for an eye opener. In terms of sharpness, resolution of intricate detail, snappy contrast, freedom from flare and aberrations, both are outstanding performers. Although the Silent Wave Motor adds to the cost, it makes the lenses even more desirable. This technology will surely help photographers to increase their success ratio of sharply focused images, paying dividends that will justify the higher price. Hav
Professional photographers and discriminating photo enthusiasts who demand the very finest will definitely want these two AF-S lenses. They are a credit to the engineers and designers at Nikon, boasting the advanced optical, mechanical, and electronic technology. Because a fast telephoto zoom is the workhorse of many photographers, the AF-S 80-200m f/2.8D IF-ED especially should become a favourite with all types of photography
Why should you care what I think?
My relationship with this item: I used to own it Where did you buy this item?: N/A When did you buy this item?: N/A
Conclusions at a glance
Would you recommend this Item: Yes Pros: Sharp Cons: Not VR
Last updated: Tuesday, 27 November 2007
User Lens Reviews
Average user rating from: 29 user(s)
Overall rating (weighted)
4.4
Sharpness
4.4
Build Quality
4.5
AF Speed
4.4
Value for Money
4.4
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
A great lens but the m/af ring breaks., Saturday, 27 June 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
I love this lens and Nikon products in general, so I hate to be negative, but I think people should be aware of a potential problem with this lens. I take very good care of my gear, and although I'm a pro, I used this lens infrequently and very lightly. One day the M/AF ring button stopped working and the plastic ring that it sits in had a crack where there is a screw in it to hold things together. I sent it to Nikon and paid $200 to have it fixed. I would not have given it a second thought but... one day I went to use the lens after hardly using it at all - maybe 200 shots over the course of 2 years, and the new ring was cracked in the same place - leaving the lens again unusable. It's obviously a manufacturing defect in design or materials. This time I sent it to KEH and had it fixed for $125. They told me they had seen the problem many times. Hopefully this new ring is made of better materials that will last longer. Hopefully Nikon will not make expensive products with parts that easily break.
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Beg, Borrow or Steal but have this lens, Thursday, 25 June 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I got this lens more than a month back and got good opportunities to use it. I first used this in a b'day party in low light condition and what amazing performance i got. The results were stunning. I shot photos with other lenses also ( 35-70 mm/2.8 and 50 mm 1.8) but the photos which i got out of this was far superior from both of them. Mind it i rate 50 mm 1.8 d as one of the best lenses ever made for the value it brings at its cost.
Though its heavy and not a walk around lens still i carried it to a trip to New York and it performed excellent again.
Non availability of VR is not that big thing for me as i have been able to take sharp photos hand held in reasonable low light conditions.
The photos carry professional look to it. The bokeh is smooth across the zoom length. though its expensive but i am happy for the quality it has added to my photos..
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Terrific Nikon Glass - Professional, Friday, 17 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
Incredible professional lens. Quick focusing. Smooth zooming. Rugged. And worth it's weight.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Best value Nikon professional telephoto lens. Grea, Friday, 17 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens is a very good quality lens. It's fast (fixed f/2.8), solid (built like a tank), produce great quality image, and priced very reasonably for a professional grade telephoto lens.
Having said that, this lens is not perfect (as this lens is quite old and many new features/technology have come out since then). There are some things that would be nice to have for this lens (an image stabilization, more silent autofocus, and shorter minimum focus distance). Therefore, if budget is not an issue, then I would recommend the 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR (the Vibration Reduction technology and faster and more silent focus are very useful) or the 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S (which has faster and more silent focus).
There are several version of 80-200mm f/2.8 lens, and the latest (non AF-S model) one is the two ring model. The one ring push pull model is also good quality lens (solidly built and produce great image quality) buy autofocus is much slower. If budget is an issue, the older push pull model would still be a good choice too.
FYI: This lens will not autofocus with Nikon D40, D40x, D60 or D5000.
Pros 1. Great quality lens (very sharp pictures. 3 of the glasses made/coated with ED technology) 2. Very fast (fixed f/2.8 throughout the zoom range) 3. Very reasonably priced (compared to 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR and 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S) 4. Built to last. Very solid 5. Great for sport, action, wedding and low-light photography 6. Uses standard 77mm lens filter 7. Bokeh is very nice at f/2.8 8. Autofocus much faster than the older 80-200mm f/2.8 model (the push pull version) 9. The price is very stable (I bought mine several years ago and I could still sell it at the same price today) 10. With non full frame Nikon DSLR, the focal length becomes 120-300mm equivalent (nice reach). you can get Nikon 80-400mm for more reach but that lens is not fixed f/2.8).
Cons 1. Heavy at 2 lbs 14 oz or 1.3kg. (Good arm exercise :), or using tripod or monopod would be nice) 2. Autofocus not as fast and silence as the AF-S model (70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S and 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S), but the autofocus limiter switch improves autofocus time 3. Tripod collar is too close to the zoom ring (you can remove or adjust the tripod collar though) 4. Thread for the filter can be better (it's made of plastic) 5. Lens hood is sold separately (highly recommended to reduce flare and internal Reflection) 6. More expensive than Non-Nikon (sigma, tamron etc) brand alternative (some comparable price but they have faster and silence focus) 7. Lens could jump around a Bit during autofocusing if you are not strong enough (due to the glass moving fast as the lens autofocus) 8. No Manual focus override mode on Autofocus mode 9. No Macro mode (can't be use for macro shot). closest focusing distance is quite far 10. No VR (Vibration Reduction), which will help a lot for this type of lens (heavy and telephoto)
In conculsion, if you are looking for a Nikon professional grade telephoto lens that is reasonably prices, you can't really beat this Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor lens. This lens is really good choice for sport, action, wedding, low-light, indoor photography.
Happy Photographing!
Sidarta Tanu
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Best value Nikon professional telephoto lens. Grea, Friday, 17 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens is a very good quality lens. It's fast (fixed f/2.8), solid (built like a tank), produce great quality image, and priced very reasonably for a professional grade telephoto lens.
Having said that, this lens is quite old (but still very good hence Nikon is still making it as of 2009) and many useful new features/technology have come out since then. There are some things that would be nice to have for this lens (an image stabilization, more silent autofocus, and shorter minimum focus distance). Therefore, if budget is not an issue, then I would recommend the 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR (the Vibration Reduction technology and faster and more silent focus are very useful) or the 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S (which has faster and more silent focus).
There are several version of 80-200mm f/2.8 lens, and the latest (non AF-S model) one is the two ring model. The one ring push pull model is also good quality lens (solidly built and produce great image quality) buy autofocus is much slower. If budget is an issue, the older push pull model would still be a good choice too.
FYI: This lens will not autofocus with Nikon D40, D40x, D60 or D5000.
Pros 1. Great quality lens (very sharp pictures. 3 of the glasses made/coated with ED technology) 2. Very fast (fixed f/2.8 throughout the zoom range) 3. Very reasonably priced (compared to 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR and 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S) 4. Built to last. Very solid 5. Great for sport, action, wedding and low-light photography 6. Uses standard 77mm lens filter 7. Bokeh is very nice at f/2.8 8. Autofocus much faster than the older 80-200mm f/2.8 model (the push pull version) 9. The price is very stable (I bought mine several years ago and I could still sell it at the same price today) 10. With non full frame Nikon DSLR, the focal length becomes 120-300mm equivalent (nice reach). you can get Nikon 80-400mm for more reach but that lens is not fixed f/2.8).
Cons 1. Heavy at 2 lbs 14 oz or 1.3kg. (Good arm exercise :), or using tripod or monopod would be nice) 2. Autofocus not as fast and silence as the AF-S model (70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S and 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S), but the autofocus limiter switch improves autofocus time 3. Tripod collar is too close to the zoom ring (you can remove or adjust the tripod collar though) 4. Thread for the filter can be better (it's made of plastic) 5. Lens hood is sold separately (highly recommended to reduce flare and internal reflection) 6. More expensive than Non-Nikon (sigma, tamron etc) brand alternative (some comparable price but they have faster and silence focus) 7. Lens could jump around a bit during autofocusing if you are not strong enough (due to the glass moving fast as the lens autofocus) 8. No Manual focus override mode on Autofocus mode 9. No Macro mode (can't be use for macro shot). closest focusing distance is quite far 10. No VR (Vibration Reduction), which will help a lot for this type of lens (heavy and telephoto)
In conculsion, if you are looking for a Nikon professional grade telephoto lens that is reasonably prices, you can't really beat this Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor lens. This lens is really good choice for sport, action, wedding, low-light, indoor photography.
Happy Photographing!
Sidarta Tanu
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Best value Nikon professional telephoto lens. Grea, Friday, 17 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens is a very good quality lens. It's fast (fixed f/2.8), solid (built like a tank), produce great quality image, and priced very reasonably for a professional grade telephoto lens.
Having said that, there are some additional features that would be nice to have for this lens such as image stabilization, more silent autofocus (AF-S), and shorter minimum focus distance but those features will make this lens a lot more expensive (as those feature is included in the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR lens). If budget is not an issue, then I would recommend the 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR (the Vibration Reduction technology and faster and more silent focus are very useful) or the 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S (which has faster and more silent focus). If large aperture (fast lens)is not your main requirement, then you can get the 70-300mm VR (at a lower price)
There are several version of 80-200mm f/2.8 lens, and the latest one (non AF-S model and that Nikon still produce as of 2009) is the two ring model. The one ring push pull model is also good quality lens (solidly built and produce great image quality) but autofocus is much slower. If budget is an issue, the older push pull model would still be a good choice too.
If you are wondering whether you should get a fast lens or a lens with VR (Vibration Reduction), here's my take: In overall, VR does help a lot (as it will reduce Camera shake) and will produce better/sharper picture than equivalent lens without VR (especially if the object is static). If the object is moving (sports/action) then VR feature alone might not help (depending on how fast the object is moving and how much light is available), and a fast lens often end up being a far better solution, even without VR feature as it will allow much faster shutter speed to freeze motion. Using tripod (and a remote) will substitute for the need of VR feature. In general I would recommend getting a fast lens with VR feature (and usually it is expensive) such as the 70-200 f/2.8 VR, but if one can only get for one or the other, then find out what do you want to use the lens for and then use the guideline mentioned here.
FYI: This lens will not autofocus with Nikon D40, D40x, D60 or D5000.
Pros 1. Great quality lens (very sharp pictures. 3 of the glasses made/coated with ED technology) 2. Very fast (fixed f/2.8 throughout the zoom range) 3. Very reasonably priced (compared to 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR and 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S) 4. Built to last. Very solid 5. Great for sport, action, wedding and low-light photography 6. Uses standard 77mm lens filter 7. Bokeh is very nice at f/2.8 8. Autofocus much faster than the older 80-200mm f/2.8 model (the push pull version) 9. The price is very stable (I bought mine several years ago and I could still sell it at the same price today) 10. With non full frame Nikon DSLR, the focal length becomes 120-300mm equivalent (nice reach). you can get Nikon 80-400mm for more reach but that lens is not fixed f/2.8).
Cons 1. Heavy at 2 lbs 14 oz or 1.3kg. (Good arm exercise :), or using tripod or monopod would be nice) 2. Autofocus not as fast and silence as the AF-S model (70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S and 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S), but the autofocus limiter switch improves autofocus time 3. Tripod collar is too close to the zoom ring (you can remove or adjust the tripod collar though) 4. Thread for the filter can be better (it's made of plastic) 5. Lens hood is sold separately (highly recommended to reduce flare and internal reflection) 6. More expensive than Non-Nikon (sigma, tamron etc) brand alternative (some comparable price but they have faster and silence focus) 7. Lens could jump around a bit during autofocusing if you are not strong enough (due to the glass moving fast as the lens autofocus) 8. No Manual focus override mode on Autofocus mode 9. No Macro mode (can't be use for macro shot). closest focusing distance is quite far 10. No VR (Vibration Reduction), which will help a lot for this type of lens (heavy and telephoto)
In conculsion, if you are looking for a Nikon professional grade telephoto lens that is reasonably prices, you can't really beat this Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor lens. This lens is really good choice for sport, action, wedding, low-light, indoor photography.
Happy Photographing!
Sidarta Tanu
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Great Nikkor, Sunday, 12 April 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
I did not use much this lens on the field but, based on using it mainly indoor and little times out doors, I would say that this is really a work of art although it is old and heavy, it produces high quality images with great sharpness,
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I did'nt want to write this!!!!, Wednesday, 04 March 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
1.3
Sharpness
1.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
2.0
Value for Money
1.0
First I want to say, I know I'm going get a lot of bad comments because of this post, but people need to hear what I have to say. I love Nikon. I own a D200 and four lenses. I've been a Nikon fan for forty years. So here goes. I decided to buy the very costly Nikon 80-200mm D ED f2.8 lens. I ordered it from B&H. When it arrived I did a resolution test, it turned out to be the worst lens I've ever owned. The test photos were so fuzzy I could barely make out the charts lines. I then preformed a focus test, and found the lens was focusing 40mm beyond the subject. I returned the lens and asked to another of the same model. I can't beleave this lens could pass the quaity control test. I hope the replacement lens will perform as good as all the reviews I've read. If it is I will remove this post.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
I did'nt want to write this!!!!, Wednesday, 04 March 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
1.0
Sharpness
1.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
1.0
Value for Money
1.0
First I want to say, I know I'm going get a lot of bad comments because of this post, but people need to hear what I have to say. I love Nikon. I own a D200 and four Nikon lenses. I've been a Nikon fan for forty years. So here goes. I decided to buy the very costly Nikon 80-200mm D ED f2.8 lens. I ordered it from B&H. When it arrived I did a resolution test, it turned out to be the worst lens I've ever owned. The test photos were so fuzzy I could barely make out the charts lines. I then preformed a focus test, and found the lens was focusing 40mm beyond the subject, or as it is called "back focus". All my other lenses tested O.K. so it was'nt the camera. I returned the lens and asked for another of the same model. I can't beleave this lens could pass Nikons quality control. I hope the replacement lens will perform as good as all the reviews says it is. If it is, I will remove this post.
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Wild about the Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 lens, Wednesday, 04 March 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I've always heard the a photographer should first buy good glass (lenses) then a camera. Lenses are far more important than the camera. I believe this to be true. I have bought many cameras that have now been sold, but the good lenses are still in my camera bag. I love nature, and wildlife photography, so telephoto lenses are the ones I own. I have a Nikon 80-400mm which is a great lens, but I wanted a zoom that covered a range up to 300mm. I bought a Nikon 70-300mm VR lens but after 200mm it had more color fringing than I liked. I had a Tamron 1.4x teleconverter, so decided to put it to work. Putting a 200mm lens on the converter would give me a 280mm lens, so I bought the Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 ED D lens. This lens is far above anything I have ever owned. Heavy......yes, but what a lens. Even with the 1.4x teleconverter on it, it out performed the Nikon 70-300mm VR. I now have a 280mm f4 lens that in a class of it's own. I get great detail and contrast. Expensive, yes, but you get what you pay for. This lens is everything all the reviews said it was. I own a Nikon D200 camera, it will soon be gone and replaced with another one, but the Nikon 80-400mm, and 80-200mm will stay with me for a long time to come.
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Wild about the Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 lens, Wednesday, 04 March 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I've always heard the a photographer should first buy good glass (lenses) then a camera. Lenses are far more important than the camera. I believe this to be true. I have bought many cameras that have now been sold, but the good lenses are still in my camera bag. I love nature, and wildlife photography, so telephoto lenses are the ones I own. I have a Nikon 80-400mm which is a great lens, but I wanted a zoom that covered a range up to 300mm. I bought a Nikon 70-300mm VR lens but after 200mm it had more color fringing than I liked. I had a Tamron 1.4x teleconverter, so decided to put it to work. Putting a 200mm lens on the converter would give me a 280mm lens, so I bought the Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 ED D lens. This lens is far above anything I have ever owned. Heavy......yes, but what a lens. Even with the 1.4x teleconverter on it, it out performed the Nikon 70-300mm VR. I now have a 280mm f4 lens that in a class of it's own. I get great detail and contrast. Expensive, yes, but you get what you pay for. This lens is everything all the reviews said it was. I own a Nikon D200 camera, it will soon be gone and replaced with another Nikon camera, but the Nikon 80-400mm, and 80-200mm will stay with me for a long time to come.
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Great lens, Monday, 23 February 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I shoot all my weddings and portraits with this lens. no VR is a bummer but it is way cheaper than the 70-200. this lens is unbelievably sharp at about f/4, it stil blows me away. This lens and the D300 are awesome. focusing is a little slow due to no internal motor but its ok because it is soo much cheaper than the 70-200.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Awesome lens, slow at times, Tuesday, 03 February 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I got a chance to try this lens out in a low light theater situation over the weekend. I got some great,good,bad and ugly shots, in my tradition. The lens is tack sharp with most vibrant colors at 2.8D. It doesn't lose any of the sharpness at 200, but starts hunting when the subject moves a little. It's a great lens to shoot sport outdoors, and indoors if you have a tripod handy. It's a heavy beast, so hand shots are flaky, you might not get lucky for that crucial shot.
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Awesome lens, slow at times, Tuesday, 03 February 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I got a chance to try this lens out in a low light theater situation over the weekend. I got some great,good,bad and ugly shots, in my tradition. The lens is tack sharp with most vibrant colors at 2.8D. It doesn't lose any of the sharpness at 200, but starts hunting when the subject moves a little. It's a great lens to shoot sport outdoors, and indoors if you have a tripod handy. It's a heavy beast, so hand shots are flaky, you might not get lucky for that crucial shot.
Addendum: Did I forget to mention the most beautiful bokeh? Shoot with your subject in semi darkness and the background turns magically black, just amazing. Makes it perfect for shooting closeup portraits.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
excellent lens, Tuesday, 06 January 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
this is first product that i bought from Amazon,the only thing i have to say is excellent !
