| Sign in: |
| Members log in here with your user name and password to access the your admin page and other special features. |
|
|
|
|
|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
AF-S VR NIKKOR 200mm f/2G IF-ED ... to buy or not to buy ...
Tom Sperduto, Photographer
 |
Edison | NJ | USA | Posted: 10:13 AM on 05.01.08 |
->> I have been on the fence for sometime now about purchasing the AF-S VR NIKKOR 200mm f/2G IF-ED.
I know all about the wonders of this lens, and I am sold on its quality, but the fact that I own a 300 2.8 is the reason why I have not made the purchase.
Has anyone experienced any negative issues with the 200 on the D3?
Can anyone offer any comparison between the 200 and the 300 2.8 besides the obvious 100 mm?
The 200 would be used for sports (mostly runners) and portraits. |
|
Tom Sperduto, Photographer
|
Edison | NJ | USA | Posted: 10:19 AM on 05.01.08 |
| ->> I forgot to add that I LOVE my 180 2.8 so any comparisons with that lens is also appreciated. |
|
Travis Haughton, Photographer
 |
Crystal Lake | IL | USA | Posted: 11:32 AM on 05.01.08 |
->> I don't have any experience with the lens, but if I could own either a 300 2.8 or a 200 f/2 it would definitely be the 200. For a few hundred bucks you can get a converter to take it to a 280mm @ 2.8 or a 2x converter makes it a 400 f/4.
Plus you have the bonus of being able to shoot it at f/2 for nighttime or indoor sports like volleyball or gymnastics. |
|
Matt Cashore, Photographer
 |
South Bend | IN | USA | Posted: 1:48 PM on 05.01.08 |
| ->> I do own both the 300 and the 200. Both have their uses. In my opinion the straight 300 is slightly better than the 200-with-a-1.4x. But when you need f2, you need f2! My 200 f2--like my Canon 200 1.8 was--is my 'secret weapon' in some indoor sports venues and lecture halls here at Notre Dame. VR is wonderful and helpful, but it won't freeze action. Sometimes the difference between 1/250 and 1/500 is critical! If it's in your budget to own both the 200 and the 300, then do it! |
|
Ed Wolfstein, Photographer, Assistant
 |
Burlington | VT | USA | Posted: 2:17 PM on 05.01.08 |
->> Tom:
I'll echo Matt's comments. I own and use both. I use the 200 indoors almost 100% of the time. That extra stop is sweet indeed. And I've even had comments/questions about my using strobes for some of my hockey shots - I've never used strobes: just my 200 and my D3. For outdoor stuff, a 300/400 is best IMHO. For optics, they're both sharp as tacks!
Cheers!
- Ed. |
|
Dave Amorde, Photographer
 |
Lake Forest | CA | USA | Posted: 4:52 PM on 05.01.08 |
| ->> I spend the bulk of my time in ice rinks and theaters; the 200/2.0 is da bomb! Forget about teleconverters! if you really need to reduce your traveling weight or simply in a budget crunch, I'd much rather get the 200/2.0 plus the 200-400/f4, and leave the 300/2.8 and 400/2.8 out of the picture. |
|
Walter Calahan, Photographer
 |
Westminster | MD | USA | Posted: 7:43 PM on 05.01.08 |
| ->> To have money again. HA! |
|
Andrew Sullivan, Photo Editor, Photographer
 |
Kissimmee | FL | USA | Posted: 10:11 PM on 05.01.08 |
->> I'd like to echo Matt's comments, but sadly I must echo Walt's....
Andrew Sullivan
http://www.picandrew.com |
|
Bryan Hulse, Photographer
 |
Highlands Ranch | Co | USA | Posted: 10:12 AM on 05.02.08 |
->> I love the 200mm f2 on the D3. The true 200mm with all that speed is amazing.
I've used it for basketball and portraits, and I think it will make the perfect combination for volleyball.
I do get a slight amount of vignette on the D3 when shooting wide, but it is really only visible in photos with blue sky. Plus, with the decreased DOF on the D3, I probably won't be shooting wide open much anyway.
It also works great with the 1.4 tc, which gives you 280mm @ f2.8, although I usually stop it down 1/3 or 2/3 of a stop when shooting with the TC.
It's a chunky little sucker. It isn't quite as long as the 70-200, but it is a lot wider and heavier. And the hood is pretty large.
My 70-200 is at Nikon for service (3 weeks now waiting parts), so I've been using the prime even more than normal. |
|
Tom Sperduto, Photographer
|
Edison | NJ | USA | Posted: 11:55 AM on 05.02.08 |
| ->> Thanks all. I appreciate the feedback on the lens. I am still on the fence, but I am looking forward to putting a NPS loaner through the paces and seeing if I want to buy this lens or new brakes for the car! |
|
Kirby Yau, Photographer, Assistant
 |
San Diego | CA | USA | Posted: 1:24 PM on 05.02.08 |
->> Spoken like a true Photographer Tom....
"Hmmm should I get a 200mm or the abiltiy to stop a speeding car?? Hmmmm descisions, decisions" |
|
Israel Shirk, Photographer, Assistant
 |
McCall | ID | US | Posted: 1:33 PM on 05.02.08 |
->> "To buy or not to buy"
Might as well! |
|
Arthur Spragg, Photographer
 |
San Angelo | TX | USA | Posted: 4:02 PM on 05.02.08 |
->> I forced my 16-year-old daughter to wait 9 months before she got braces because I HAD to HAVE the 200mm f/2 last summer in time for football season, and of course, the upcoming basketball season! Setting priorities is important as a parent and business owner-"Hmm, braces or a 200? Braces or a 200?"
I got the lens in July, 07... She got the braces in March 08!
The 200 teamed with the D3 or D300 rocks!-Speed, sharpness and versatility made it a wonderful investment tool. Very good results with the TC-14II as well. It's a chunk (of glass) for sure, but I find it to be just as "hand-holdable" as the Canon 200mm f1.8, and many times I use it without the hood, making it easier to handle and less obtrusive. Always keep your monopod handy, though. The 50mm f/1.4 and the 200mm f/2 are probably my most used lenses. The 200mm f/2 is an all-around useful lens that was, for me, a must-have. |
|
Kenneth Jacobson, Photographer, Assistant
 |
Merrimack | NH | USA | Posted: 3:27 PM on 05.06.08 |
| ->> A colleague of mine shoots with a 200/f2 on a D3 and that combo is stupidly sharp. |
|
|| Sponsor Special Deals
NEW 12x12 & 9x12 PhotoBooks
|
Available from:
Adorama Camera
|
Price: $0.00 |
Notes:
NEW Adorama PhotoBook sizes 12x12 & 9x12 (Portrait Orientation) PERFECT for Portfolios! Present and distribute your portfolio, create albums for clients, or just enjoy showing off your own family and vacation photographs. There’s no better way to preserve and display your photographs than in a real photobook from AdoramaPix. Our PixPublisher is simple to use and best of all works from any web browser. There’s no software to download or learn to use. Drag and drop your images into a themed template of your choice, or design your own layout. Resize your images, add borders, frames, backgrounds, captions or other descriptive text. It’s your book! SPORTSSHOOTER MEMBER SPECIAL-- 25% OFF USE COUPON CODE PXBKSP12 Good through 11.15.09
|
|
-- More Info -- |
|
Return to --> Message Board Main Index
|