Should i buy this lens

I found what i believe to be a great deal on a Nikkor 80-200 2.8 ED for 450 dollars Canadian

(it's the push pull one made between 1993-1997 with the slide switch)

 

The owner claims it is in good condition. i haven't gone down to see it yet. But i believe him since he is a

professional photographer.

 

Though my dilemma is this one.

 

I own the Nikon d70.. for now. (will upgrade to a d700 later on in life)

My lenses consist of the 50mm 1.8, 18-70 3.5, and the 70-300 vr

 

I shoot everything and anything, since i just love photography.. point blank.

 

The other day i shot a boxing event with the d70 bumped up to 1000-1600iso with the 70-300.

The results were better then i thought they would be.

 

But what do you guys think. Should i fork over the cash for the 80-200.

Will image quality between the two be that much more noticeable.?

 

The speed of the lens is nill to me now after seeing how good mine turned out at 1600. yes a bit noisy.. but not

what i was expecting it to be like.

 

And with the d700 smooth clean images at 3600.....

 

Anyway im rambling.

 

Question is. sell the 70-300vr and buy the 80-200. Or is the quality of the 70-300vr just as good on a d700(im

thinking future here)

 

Thanks in advance for the help.

The thing about the 70-300 is that when you're out past 200, it's slow. Yes, you may have high ISO capability on the camera, but that doesn't make the viewfinder any brighter, or deliver any more light to the AF system. One of the reasons that fast lenses are so nice is all of the light they drag in when you're composing and focusing. Don't underestimate the value of that when shooting sports and indoor events. Just something to put into your thinking about this. And: if you're used to the reach you get with your 70-300, remember that it will feel like a lot less on an FX body.

i shoot both, and use them on D300 and D700. basically, i take the 70-300 out on a bright, sunny day to photograph birds, mostly because it's light and easy to handle. i wouldn't really seriously consider it for an indoor event, because that's just not what the lens is designed for. the 80-200 f/2.8, on the other hand, is more appropriate for situations where you're working indoors, with available light -- like your boxing event. if the image quality with the 70-300 was better than you expected, you can expect the 80-200 to be better still. you say your images as "a bit noisy". wouldn't you prefer they be less noisy, or even not noisy? it also sounds as if you have the opportunity to purchase it at a fair price. upgrade, both for the sake of your present needs, and for the future.

To be sure we all understand Matt's parting statement, the<br />

70-300 (or 80-200) image will be CROPPED on a DX body;<br />

many folks see the term, "reach", to mean more magnification.<br /><br />

 

Start here at Thom's site for the zoom roundup, then move on<br />

to the details of each lens you're interested in:<br />

http://www.bythom.com/nikonlens.htm<br /><br />

 

I'd also check out Bjørn Rørslett's reviews: http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html

I Have that lens.

Mine is still as sharp as it was when I was shooting Kodachrome 200 and pushing it to 400-500 (boy have we got it easy today) for

concert shots.

 

I used it the other day on both the D300 and the D700 shooting Golf.

Worked great on both (of course you get a 120-300(crop) when it's on the D300).

On the D700 it is a great portriat lens especialy outdoors.

 

One thing I wish it had was a tripod mount so you can put it on a monopod and switch from vertical to horizontal easily.

I'd look for one with a tripod mount, they are manufactured latter and just as good if not better.

good luck

I just looked up my records and I pushed Kodachrome to 640. Sorry for the misinformation.

It is a good lens for the price. It has a screw-driven focusing, so I am not sure if it will work on D70. It is considerably smaller than 70-200VR although it is also a full frame lens. On cropped sensor only the center is used, which in its turn delivers the best performance out of it. It is a perfect lens for street shots and quick portraits.

 

- sergey

Thanks every one for your help.