Alternative to Nikon 70-200 VR?

My husband and I will be shooting events at a county fair next month and have decided to rent a couple lenses for the events. We want 2.8 or faster telephoto so we can use it at livestock shows and for events like tractor pulls. While we are aware the 70-200 may be our best option I am concerned about keeping costs down as much as possible. Is there a third party alternative to this lens that has a comparable performance? We are primarily wedding photographers but don't already own the 70-200. Thanks in advance!

Tamron's 70-200mm will be shipping soon. It has a built-in motor, so it will work on Nikon cameras that don't have in-body focus motors. Also, it retails for $700:

 

 

http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/70200_di.asp

 

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/539401-REG/Tamron_AF001N_700_70_200mm_f_2_8_Di_LD.html

The Nikon 80-200/2.8 AF-D has high performance and is good value. No motor though.

Also, Sigma has a similar 70-200mm with a high-speed focus motor for $100 more:

 

 

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses_all_details.asp?id=3340&navigator=3

 

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/533556-REG/Sigma_579_306_70_200mm_f_2_8_II_EX.html

Which body/ies are you using?

180 2.8 manual focus or AF 105 2.0 Together these are less than 70/200 and will be perfect for when you get full frame ( D700 shown on Xitek.com ). The 70/200 was made for small sensors and is not great on full frame.

Have a look at dpreview, they are testing the 70-200 lenses: http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/

The Nikon 70-200 is an excellent lens. It is a little soft in the corners at the long end on an FX sensor, so it's not the best choice for landscapes. It is, however, excellent for sports and portraits. Sorry about the cost.

" The 70/200 was made for small sensors" ? - DX lenses for sure were made for small sensor, not this lens.

There are a number 2.8 zooms in this range that have very good optical performance, but only the Nikon has VR. Depending on the lighting conditions it could mean the difference between having to use some external camera support, or simple hand holding. For 95% of my wedding ceremony shots I would need either a tripod or VR for this focal length range.

If you can score a clean used Nikon 80-200mm I'd jump on that. VR is nice, but this lens has quality optics perhaps equal to the 70-200 VR. Actually some past articles wriiten about these 2 lenses feel the lens glass to be slightly better with the 80-200 in a controlled test.

 

I had both in my Nikon days and I liked shooting the 80-200 2.8, on a tripod more. The VR on a tripod was a pain if you forgot to turn off the VR.