Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR Lens

Product Information

Slimmer, lighter, and smaller in all dimensions, the new 70-200mm F4 is a genuinely portable optic, and in terms of handling, an ideal companion for one of Nikon's smaller FX DSLRs, like the D800/E or recently-announced D600. The closest competitor to the AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR is of course Nikon’s own Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2. At 70mm, the Nikon 70-200mm f/4G VR yields better contrast from center to corners than the 70-200mm f/2. But then don't complain when ALL the manufacturing and jobs are gone from your country, and once great economies crumble. Autofocus speed of the 70-200mm f/4G VR is excellent, I would say very close to the AF motor on the 70-200mm f/2.

The TC-20E III turned out to be a much better teleconverter than the old TC-20E II, which only seemed to work well with a couple of high-end super telephoto lenses.

It's not a bad lens for the money, but this new lens from Nikon or the Canon equivalent are in different leagues. You'll have Program and Shutter-priority modes, but lose Manual and Aperture-priority since you have no way to set the aperture on the camera or on the lens.

We took to the streets for some portraits and shot a few macro photos for this first installment in our sample gallery. No it is not perfect, but it is an impressive performer, significantly better than say the F-mount 24-120 VR. At close distances, the 70-200mm loses quite a bit of the range, which can be a problem for those of us that like to fill the frame with small objects.A D5 or D6 has two processors, and higher voltage, and can drive a lens motor faster on some lenses. I kind of share your frustration, however unless this lens is used on the smaller polycarbonate-build Nikon DSLRs like 3000 and 5000 series, you may not actually require a tripod collar. This will be the first in my new review format for ‘light’ reviews – pieces of equipment that perhaps don’t necessarily need a full blown magnum opus, but benefit from some context in deployment and typical usage.

Likewise, edge of day in the wilds can force you to push your ISO values up because f/4 just isn’t going to hold high shutter speeds at dawn or dusk. The Sony a9 III is the world's first full-frame mirrorless camera to feature a global electronic shutter with simultaneous readout. Camera technical details can get complicated quickly, but we all need a place to start before diving into the deep end. Nikon claims that the new AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR III will give you an extra 5 stops shutter speed. If you really want great background blur, skip zooms and go straight to the 135mm f/2 DC or 200mm f/2 or 300mm f/2.My first comment a lot of folks don't like to hear, but this lens is significantly better than any F-mount 70-200/2. Consistently sharp at 1/15sec, and impressive sharpness, if not 100% of exposures, a stop or so slower than that. My main problem with the 70-200/4G is its length when coupled with FTZ: it doesn't fit my small Kata DC-441 DL bag. Is the extra optical oomph worth the upgrade over the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3x (77mm equivalent) telephoto?

So, if this sounds close to the way you’d use this lens or the way you plan to use your images, follow my advice and get a tripod collar, you’ll be glad you did. As for autofocus accuracy, I could not tell any difference in AF accuracy between the 70-200mm f/4G and the 70-200mm f/2. Stopping down, performance degrades slowly until, at f/11, diffraction definitely renders the image too soft for critical use. Like its big brother, the 70-200mm f/4 is equipped with the latest generation of optical image stabilization for which Nikon announces a huge gain of 5 stops.Moreover, I'm certain both RSS and Kirk will offer alternative solutions which may be both better and less expensive.