Nikon 70-200 VRII vs Canon 70-200 Zoom Test! Interesting results!

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http://www.giangrandi.ch/optics/lenses/focalcalc.html

(and/or this: http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/technical/measuring_focal_length.html )

Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f2.8 G VR ED:

(keep in mind that they are just manufacturer specs, they may be a bit different from reality)
From Nikon USA dot com:
Max magnification: 1:6.1
Min focus distance: 1.5m

Lets take a subject of 500mm as example, as that is the default value in that calculator. It does not matter, as we are not actually measuring, we are just using manufacturer data.
Object size: 500mm
Image size: 1/6.1 = 0.1639 * 500 = 81.97mm
Object distance: 1.5m
Calculator gives: focal length 211mm

So, that is using the manufacturer's data. It of course is more interesting to actually use real measurements.
Wrong. WRONG! You entered a wrong object distance! Object distance is NOT the same as minimum focus distance! Read the instructions! But thanks for settling the issue yourself, I already started doubting that I was right.
 
And there are MANY IF lenses that do NOT show it (all other 70-200 and 80-200 lenses).
Not at all, or not to this extent? Well, the debate is on, obviously (given some other posts above), and your statements go contrary to everything I've read about optics so far. But I'm not an expert, so, if you have some reasonable other explanation, put it forward...
Not at all. They go LONGER at near focus.

Longer, not shorter. And they are IF. Like the Nikon 80-200 f2.8 D apparently, and the Canon 70-200 series. And just about every other 70-200.
You are the only one claiming this - yet I have not seen any proof of this to be true.

As I understand IF design, it is simply not possible to get a longer focal length with shorter focus distance.

Here is a challenge - show us the proof in the form of test images where the 80-200 AF-S gives a larger reproduction than a lens that is known to be close to 200mm at min focus distance!

Until then, I call all your loud shouting just BS.

Maybe some other experts on this topic would weigh in? Thom? Iliah? Anyone...?

Mike
All you have to do is try it yourself. I'm sure you have at least one IF lens? Both my zooms and my one IF prime narrow their AOV as the focus distance shortens
--
Scott,

I just did that test with four of my lenses, all IF designs:
  • Nikon 16-85 VR and Tamron 28-300 VC: subject appears to get smaller/FOV seems to widen in viewfinder as focus distance decreases
  • Nikon 70-300 VR and 70-200 VR I: subject appears to get larger/FOV seems to narrow as focus distance decreases
Ok - so I see what you are saying... However, I am not convinced that seeing this effect actually means the focal length is increasing in the latter 2 lenses.

Cheers

Mike
 
http://www.giangrandi.ch/optics/lenses/focalcalc.html

(and/or this: http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/technical/measuring_focal_length.html )

Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f2.8 G VR ED:

(keep in mind that they are just manufacturer specs, they may be a bit different from reality)
From Nikon USA dot com:
Max magnification: 1:6.1
Min focus distance: 1.5m

Lets take a subject of 500mm as example, as that is the default value in that calculator. It does not matter, as we are not actually measuring, we are just using manufacturer data.
Object size: 500mm
Image size: 1/6.1 = 0.1639 * 500 = 81.97mm
Object distance: 1.5m
Calculator gives: focal length 211mm

So, that is using the manufacturer's data. It of course is more interesting to actually use real measurements.
Wrong. WRONG! You entered a wrong object distance! Object distance is NOT the same as minimum focus distance! Read the instructions! But thanks for settling the issue yourself, I already started doubting that I was right.
Yup. The object distance as defined on that page is at least:

(min focus distance - length of the lens)

(assuming the front principal plane coincides with the location of the front element, which is a valid assumption for an IF type lens - and neglecting the distance from the rear of the lens to the actual focal plane).

The length of the 70-200 VR I is approx. 22cm.

So:

Object size: 500mm
Image size: 1/6.1 = 0.1639 * 500 = 81.97mm
Object distance: 1.5m - 0.22m = 1.28m
Calculator gives: focal length 180mm

... which, to the greatest amazement is almost exactly the 181mm I previously calculated via the "oh-so-flawed" formula:

F = D/(1/R + R + 2)

F = 1500mm/(1/6.1 + 6.1 + 2) = 1500mm/8.26 = 181mm

qed :)

Mike
 
Did you try any of the other lenses in a local camera store yet? No?

Why not?

Anyway. I went through the trouble of posting an example where you can see how the focal length changes from infinity to minimum focus distance with my internal focussing 70-200 f4 L and the internal focussing 18-50 f2.8 from Sigma on Rapidshare, as I do not want to join any photo community sites and you have not given me anywhere to upload it for you.

In the example you can see the test subject being quite a bit bigger at close focus with the IF-ing 70-200 f4, and a bit smaller with the Sigma.

http://rapidshare.com/files/317004921/focallengthchange.jpg.html
 
Did you try any of the other lenses in a local camera store yet? No?

Why not?
Maybe because it's Sunday.
Anyway. I went through the trouble of posting an example where you can see how the focal length changes from infinity to minimum focus distance with my internal focussing 70-200 f4 L and the internal focussing 18-50 f2.8 from Sigma on Rapidshare, as I do not want to join any photo community sites and you have not given me anywhere to upload it for you.

In the example you can see the test subject being quite a bit bigger at close focus with the IF-ing 70-200 f4, and a bit smaller with the Sigma.

http://rapidshare.com/files/317004921/focallengthchange.jpg.html
Why don't you comment on the calculations done using the calculator you suggested? As I stated in a previous post, the subject apparently getting bigger can be misleading.
 
And there are MANY IF lenses that do NOT show it (all other 70-200 and 80-200 lenses).
Not at all, or not to this extent? Well, the debate is on, obviously (given some other posts above), and your statements go contrary to everything I've read about optics so far. But I'm not an expert, so, if you have some reasonable other explanation, put it forward...
Not at all. They go LONGER at near focus.

Longer, not shorter. And they are IF. Like the Nikon 80-200 f2.8 D apparently, and the Canon 70-200 series. And just about every other 70-200.
You are the only one claiming this - yet I have not seen any proof of this to be true.

As I understand IF design, it is simply not possible to get a longer focal length with shorter focus distance.

Here is a challenge - show us the proof in the form of test images where the 80-200 AF-S gives a larger reproduction than a lens that is known to be close to 200mm at min focus distance!

Until then, I call all your loud shouting just BS.

Maybe some other experts on this topic would weigh in? Thom? Iliah? Anyone...?

Mike
All you have to do is try it yourself. I'm sure you have at least one IF lens? Both my zooms and my one IF prime narrow their AOV as the focus distance shortens
--
Scott,

I just did that test with four of my lenses, all IF designs:
  • Nikon 16-85 VR and Tamron 28-300 VC: subject appears to get smaller/FOV seems to widen in viewfinder as focus distance decreases
  • Nikon 70-300 VR and 70-200 VR I: subject appears to get larger/FOV seems to narrow as focus distance decreases
Ok - so I see what you are saying... However, I am not convinced that seeing this effect actually means the focal length is increasing in the latter 2 lenses.
Focal length is DEFINED by the field of view. Nothing else, really. So when the field of view gets more narrow, you can/may/should conclude that the focal length increases.

Ergo:

With the Nikkor AF-S 80-200mm f2.8 owner telling us his experience with his (IF) 80-200 lens, that the focal length gets longer,

With me, telling that with my 70-200 f4 sharing my experience with my (IF-ing) 70-200 f4 lens, telling that the field of view gets more narrow (and showing it),

With the person 2 posts above, sharing with us that his IF lenses narrow their view when you focus closer,

And with you seeing something similar with your Nikkor 70-300 and 70-200 VR,

we can safely conclude that it is NOT true that IF designs shorten their focal length by default.

I stated that no other 70/80-200mm lens widens the field of view, like we see with this new Nikkor 70-200 VR II.
We now have reports of 4 lenses that indeed do not do that:
Canon EF 70-200 f2.8 L IS USM
Canon EF 70-200 f4 L USM
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f2.8 G VR ED
Nikon AF-S 80-200mm f2.8 ED
 
Did you try any of the other lenses in a local camera store yet? No?

Why not?
Maybe because it's Sunday.
Anyway. I went through the trouble of posting an example where you can see how the focal length changes from infinity to minimum focus distance with my internal focussing 70-200 f4 L and the internal focussing 18-50 f2.8 from Sigma on Rapidshare, as I do not want to join any photo community sites and you have not given me anywhere to upload it for you.

In the example you can see the test subject being quite a bit bigger at close focus with the IF-ing 70-200 f4, and a bit smaller with the Sigma.

http://rapidshare.com/files/317004921/focallengthchange.jpg.html
Why don't you comment on the calculations done using the calculator you suggested? As I stated in a previous post, the subject apparently getting bigger can be misleading.
Can you direct me to the post where you explained why apparently getting a bigger subject can be misleading?
 
Did you try any of the other lenses in a local camera store yet? No?
Don't need to - I have enough lenses right here :)
Why not?

Anyway. I went through the trouble of posting an example where you can see how the focal length changes from infinity to minimum focus distance with my internal focussing 70-200 f4 L and the internal focussing 18-50 f2.8 from Sigma on Rapidshare, as I do not want to join any photo community sites and you have not given me anywhere to upload it for you.

In the example you can see the test subject being quite a bit bigger at close focus with the IF-ing 70-200 f4, and a bit smaller with the Sigma.

http://rapidshare.com/files/317004921/focallengthchange.jpg.html
That picture concurs with my own experience with some lenses I posted below.

However, this is not proof that the focal length gets longer with decreasing subject distance for the 70-200 - neither for the f/4 Canon nor for the f/2.8 Nikkor.

Focal length can only be measured when subject is in focus. And even the web site with the calculator that you so kindly provided returns a 180mm focal length for the 70-200 VR when the correct object distance is used.

Enjoy :)

Mike
 
Did you try any of the other lenses in a local camera store yet? No?
Don't need to - I have enough lenses right here :)
Why not?

Anyway. I went through the trouble of posting an example where you can see how the focal length changes from infinity to minimum focus distance with my internal focussing 70-200 f4 L and the internal focussing 18-50 f2.8 from Sigma on Rapidshare, as I do not want to join any photo community sites and you have not given me anywhere to upload it for you.

In the example you can see the test subject being quite a bit bigger at close focus with the IF-ing 70-200 f4, and a bit smaller with the Sigma.

http://rapidshare.com/files/317004921/focallengthchange.jpg.html
That picture concurs with my own experience with some lenses I posted below.

However, this is not proof that the focal length gets longer with decreasing subject distance for the 70-200 - neither for the f/4 Canon nor for the f/2.8 Nikkor.

Focal length can only be measured when subject is in focus. And even the web site with the calculator that you so kindly provided returns a 180mm focal length for the 70-200 VR when the correct object distance is used.
Can you explain how the field of view has nothing to do with focal length? Because the field of view clearly changes. And field of view is what focal length defines...

In my image, the back ground of the close focused photo is less wide, AND the in focus subject is noticeably bigger.

In my image, the back ground of the infinity focussed photo is wider, AND the out of focus subject is noticeably smaller.

Only one conclusion can be drawn: the focal length increases/field of view decreases when focussing closer.
 
It may be hepful to judge the real horror of the situation. Why? Simply because 70/80-200's are not very good in such situations.

If Nikkor VRII performs better than competitors (counting all brands, including Nikon) - so there's no problem. I'd prefer better sharpness than bigger reproduction ratio/focal length.
Regards
--
Marcin_3M
 
It's better to enjoy the good than worry about the bad. If you go to a great restaurant, pay $400 per person, the food, service, wine, room are all fantastic but you thought the coffee was a little bitter, will that completely ruin the evening for you?
 
Did you try any of the other lenses in a local camera store yet? No?
Don't need to - I have enough lenses right here :)
Why not?

Anyway. I went through the trouble of posting an example where you can see how the focal length changes from infinity to minimum focus distance with my internal focussing 70-200 f4 L and the internal focussing 18-50 f2.8 from Sigma on Rapidshare, as I do not want to join any photo community sites and you have not given me anywhere to upload it for you.

In the example you can see the test subject being quite a bit bigger at close focus with the IF-ing 70-200 f4, and a bit smaller with the Sigma.

http://rapidshare.com/files/317004921/focallengthchange.jpg.html
That picture concurs with my own experience with some lenses I posted below.

However, this is not proof that the focal length gets longer with decreasing subject distance for the 70-200 - neither for the f/4 Canon nor for the f/2.8 Nikkor.

Focal length can only be measured when subject is in focus. And even the web site with the calculator that you so kindly provided returns a 180mm focal length for the 70-200 VR when the correct object distance is used.
Can you explain how the field of view has nothing to do with focal length? Because the field of view clearly changes. And field of view is what focal length defines...

In my image, the back ground of the close focused photo is less wide, AND the in focus subject is noticeably bigger.

In my image, the back ground of the infinity focussed photo is wider, AND the out of focus subject is noticeably smaller.

Only one conclusion can be drawn: the focal length increases/field of view decreases when focussing closer.
Fine. Let's assume for a moment that what you are saying is correct and the Nikon 70-200 VR I gains focal length with decreasing subject distance.

It follows that the maximum focal length of that lens must be 180mm - according to that calculator that you insisted on using for the last 2 days, after correcting your false input for object distance (see my post above: "Indeed").

Now we also know that manufacturers are required to state the focal length of a lens at infinity, and within a certain tolerance (I believe it was 5%). Since the 70-200 VR must have less than 180mm focal length at infinity if your hypothesis is true, it must be concluded that Nikon grossly misstated the focal length of that lens!

That's a contradiction - the 70-200 VR must be at least 190mm at infinity if Nikon is following the rules.

So, what's up with that?

Mike
 
Can you direct me to the post where you explained why apparently getting a bigger subject can be misleading?
You suggest that others read books on optics and math, but don't bother reading the thread you participate in, or the guidelines for the focal length calculator you're using. You make a huge fuss about others using "wrong" forumlas (because they don't support your statement), while you don't even bother putting correct numbers into yours (because that way, you get numbers that support your statements). And after getting egg on your face, you don't even bother wiping it off before starting the next round of attacks. Tiresome, to say the least.
 
Can you direct me to the post where you explained why apparently getting a bigger subject can be misleading?
You suggest that others read books on optics and math, but don't bother reading the thread you participate in, or the guidelines for the focal length calculator you're using. You make a huge fuss about others using "wrong" forumlas (because they don't support your statement), while you don't even bother putting correct numbers into yours (because that way, you get numbers that support your statements). And after getting egg on your face, you don't even bother wiping it off before starting the next round of attacks. Tiresome, to say the least.
So you can not direct me to your post where you explain why getting a more narrow view when focussing closer does not mean the focal length gets longer?

I always learned that longer focal lengths have more narrow field of view.

BTW, I on purpose used the wrong distance, by using the "manufacturer" specs, to see why the other person used such a weird "formula" that is nonsensical, which he found on some Nikon forum. He never bothered to check, till you did.

I also stated that I was using manufacturer specs, and not real measurements, and said the outcomes might be different than in reality.

Now, back to field of view. If field of view is NOT directly linked to focal length, when going through the focus path, then how do we have to see the relation between focal length and field of view?
 
Did you try any of the other lenses in a local camera store yet? No?
Don't need to - I have enough lenses right here :)
Why not?

Anyway. I went through the trouble of posting an example where you can see how the focal length changes from infinity to minimum focus distance with my internal focussing 70-200 f4 L and the internal focussing 18-50 f2.8 from Sigma on Rapidshare, as I do not want to join any photo community sites and you have not given me anywhere to upload it for you.

In the example you can see the test subject being quite a bit bigger at close focus with the IF-ing 70-200 f4, and a bit smaller with the Sigma.

http://rapidshare.com/files/317004921/focallengthchange.jpg.html
That picture concurs with my own experience with some lenses I posted below.

However, this is not proof that the focal length gets longer with decreasing subject distance for the 70-200 - neither for the f/4 Canon nor for the f/2.8 Nikkor.

Focal length can only be measured when subject is in focus. And even the web site with the calculator that you so kindly provided returns a 180mm focal length for the 70-200 VR when the correct object distance is used.
Can you explain how the field of view has nothing to do with focal length? Because the field of view clearly changes. And field of view is what focal length defines...

In my image, the back ground of the close focused photo is less wide, AND the in focus subject is noticeably bigger.

In my image, the back ground of the infinity focussed photo is wider, AND the out of focus subject is noticeably smaller.

Only one conclusion can be drawn: the focal length increases/field of view decreases when focussing closer.
Fine. Let's assume for a moment that what you are saying is correct and the Nikon 70-200 VR I gains focal length with decreasing subject distance.

It follows that the maximum focal length of that lens must be 180mm - according to that calculator that you insisted on using for the last 2 days, after correcting your false input for object distance (see my post above: "Indeed").

Now we also know that manufacturers are required to state the focal length of a lens at infinity, and within a certain tolerance (I believe it was 5%). Since the 70-200 VR must have less than 180mm focal length at infinity if your hypothesis is true, it must be concluded that Nikon grossly misstated the focal length of that lens!

That's a contradiction - the 70-200 VR must be at least 190mm at infinity if Nikon is following the rules.

So, what's up with that?
So, if we suppose that the lens at infinity actually IS around 200mm. And we see the field of view get more narrow at close focus. Then either two things (maybe more, always open to suggestions and ideas) can be "up with that":
  • The manufacturer's specs of max. magnification and min. focus distance are not entirely accurate.
  • The formula assumes there is a direct relation between front element position and focal length, and that might not be entirely accurate, it might be an assumption for something more complex. More study about calculating focal length and lens design might shed light on this.
 
It's better to enjoy the good than worry about the bad. If you go to a great restaurant, pay $400 per person, the food, service, wine, room are all fantastic but you thought the coffee was a little bitter, will that completely ruin the evening for you?
If you go to a great restaurant, pay $400 per person, the food, service, wine, room are all fantastic but you order pan roasted sea bass and you get poached lobster, would you send it back to the kitchen because it is not what you ordered?
 
Yeah, the loss of focal length in the new 70-200 compared to the old one bummed me too when I was reading about it . However, after trying it, and buying it, the image quality, quick focus - basically it works beautifully - I don't care about this issue of loss of focal length. If I want more, I will get the TC20E III that, coupled with the 70-200, retains great image quality and sharpness.

I don't necessarily thing that the Nikkor 70-200 VRII is better than the Canon version. If I shot Canon, I'd probably buy the Canon 70-200 and be happy just as well (except I don't really like Canon's ergonomics, but that's another story...).

Sorry to hear that you were disappointed at first, but happy that you came around and are happy now.
 
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