Buy a Nikon 70-200 now or wait for newer version?

[magnus2]

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I am thinking of buying a Nikon 70-200 f2.8 lens but read that soon a Nikon 70-200 II will be coming out. I probably cannot afford the latest version but I wonder if you think the price for the current Nikon 70-200 will go down in price?<br>

Whats your thoughts?</p>

 

[wpahnelas]

<p>did you perhaps read about that II on one of the rumor sites? that's come up here quite a number of times, but as we're fond of saying, there's no point in holding your breath for an officially unannounced product. if you need the 70-200, you should go ahead and get one. shun not long ago posted some images showing the "problem" with the current (and only) 70-200 under certain circumstances. judge for yourself if that's a deal killer, and decide accordingly.</p>

[wpahnelas]

<p>did you perhaps read about that II on one of the rumor sites? that's come up here quite a number of times, but as we're fond of saying, there's no point in holding your breath for an officially unannounced product. if you need the 70-200, you should go ahead and get one. shun not long ago posted some images showing the "problem" with the current (and only) 70-200 under certain circumstances. judge for yourself if that's a deal killer, and decide accordingly.</p>

[josheudowe]

<p>I recently purchased the 70-200 f/2.8 and love it. Yielded some spectacular results. I would highly recommend it and wouldn't waste time and/or money on a newer version (especially one that's never been officially announced).<br>

I second William's thoughts - if you have a need for it, grab it. It's spectacular.</p>

[alex_lofquist]

<p>My experience with the 70-200 has been most gratifying. I cannot imagine that any replacement will change that evaluation.</p>

[shuo_zhao]

<p>The 70-200 is a wonderful lens on DX and for most situations on FX. For the few times I've used it, I found the sharpness, color rendition, and bokeh to be fantastic within a DX frame. But still for its very high price, the problems it exhibits are not exactly acceptable or excusable. It's understandable to feel bothered when paying for something as expensive and flawed. </p>

[dwight200]

<p>In general, waiting for a product to be updated when the update is only a rumor is counterproductive. It could be years before the product is updated, so you have lost the use of the product during that time.</p>

<p>In particular, the 70-200 f/2.8 copy that I have works well, shows little vignetting, and I have enjoyed it for almost a year now. If I had listened to the rumors, I'd still be waiting and would have missed a lot of good opportunities.</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>The 70-200 is a great lens for action photography at least against non-white backgrounds. I think in the current situation it's best to use primes for landscapes and the 70-200 for action. Or you can get an AF 80-200/2.8D N which is a compromise that works fairly well for everything but doesn't have AF-S nor the brilliant bokeh characteristics of the 70-200 and the primes.</p>

[dan_brown4]

<p>I'd wait.</p>

<p>If you need glass today,I suggest that you get a used 80-200/2.8 and sell it when the new 70-200 arrives.</p>

[ronald_moravec1]

<p>Get it if you going to stay with DX or do not care about what happens at long focals on FX. I am not buying as I have a D700 and will stick with my old AiS 80/200 4.0. I have thought about a 80/200 AF D, but the problem is screw drive AF on that lens. </p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p><em>the problem is screw drive AF on that lens. </em></p>

<p>To me screw drive AF on a tele and a two-ring design is a lot better than no AF and zoom drift when pointed up or down which is present on many Ai-S push-pull zooms. With shorter glass and macro lenses I can deal and often prefer manual focus lenses.</p>

[alvin_lim5]

<p>Do you need the lens for a shoot now? If you do, than get it. If it is a case of NAS, than you can probably wait.<br>

Alternatively, go for a used copy; that way, the depreciation would not be so great.<br>

Anyway, if you get the 70-200mm now, you will get to enjoy it now rather than think about what if I have it now and how I can use it. Just get it if you really want it and enjoy it. =)</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p><em>If it is a case of NAS, than you can probably wait.</em></p>

<p>I don't think you have had experience with a severe case of NAS if you say that! :-)</p>

[craig_gillette]

<p>I'm sure there will be a fair number of buyers happy to take that puppy of your hands if and when the new and improved version comes out - figure it as a long term rent?</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

<p>I've had zero problems using various rented 70-200mm f/2.8G VR Nikkors on both Nikon DX (D2X, D2H, D70, , D70s, D200, and D300 ) and FX (two D3 and a D700) bodies</p>

[stanley_rogouski]

<p>Has anybody compared the results of the 70-200 on FX to the 180mm/2.8 prime?</p>

[Uhooru]

<p>I've only used the lens on a Dx camera and it's been nothing short of steller.</p>

[shuo_zhao]

<p>>> "Has anybody compared the results of the 70-200 on FX to the 180mm/2.8 prime?"</p>

<p>If you can't or don't use tripods or monopods often with the 180 f/2.8 or 80-200 f/2.8, then many of the images shot under poor light with relatively long shutter speeds (around 1/30s) would be "ruined" due to camera shake. The 80-200 f/2.8's design also require the screw driver to move an massive chunk of weight, thus causing vibration and "jumps due to torque. I found this problem (with this lens and other heavy screw driver lenses) to be extremely aggrevating at causing camera movement, which's really bad for lenses that lack VR in the first place. This definitely limits the lenses' usability regardless of their performance/sharpness.</p>

[james_symington1]

<p>What will you use it for Magnus? On DX cameras it is fabulous, for most purposes on FX it is fabulous, for landscapes on FX it is simply mediocre and you are better off with the 80-200mm.</p>

[magnus2]

<p>Planned to use it for wedding photography and portraits.</p>

[dan_brown4]

<p>Nikon will surely rev. this lens to a new version. Whenever that happens, the value of used 70-200's will drop below what other Nikkors typically do. You might look around for an 80-200/2.8 AFS, they have held their value very well.</p>

[lex1]

<p>I'm not sure how this lens can be improved for use by mortals.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>For weddings and portraits, the 70-200mm/f2.8 AF-S VR is perfectly fine on any camera. For some situations such as landscape, quality in the extreme corners can be a problem. See the discussion in the following thread and my image samples there: <a href="../nikon-camera-forum/00Rdrl">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00Rdrl</a><br />If you are actually going to take wedding pictures with this lens instead of busy studying minute differences among lenses, I don't see why there will be any issue.<br>

<br />I too recommend stop reading those nonsense rumor sites. Nikon has introduced 4 new DSLRs in 2008. Those sites are busy spending 3 months speculating about the next camera and that cycle simply repeats over and over. Those are not people who are actually interested in improving their photography. Speculating about when the next 70-200 will be introduced is merely a waste of time. Buy the current lens if it meets your needs. It'll continue to work in exactly the same fashion regardless of whether there will be a newer version or not.</p>

[stanleys]

<p>I, for one won't be selling mine when (if) a new version comes out. There is no way it will be enough of an improvement to justify it. </p>

[john_decker1]

<p>i've got the 80-200 and its great - didn't have the extra money it took to get the 70-200<br />i shoot mainly sports and it works great<br>

<a href="http://www.ondeck.photoreflect.com">www.ondeck.photoreflect.com</a></p>