LifeNature
Active member
Just as many other (pro) photographers, I owned the predecessor to this new lens when it was announced. And probably, I would not have chosen to buy this new toy if I had not set my sights on a new photographic adventure in Tanzania and Rwanda. To be more precise: mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, Ruhengeri, Rwanda.
Gorillas are dark. And the thick Rwandan jungle isn't too bright either, especially when it's overcast. Next to that, gorillas move around a lot, often quite close to visitors. If you add up these parameters you required camera gear looks something like: fast tele zoom/large aperture, attached to a DSLR with low noise at high ISO and high frame rate, and the whole combo at pro-level so it can withstand the rainy weather and rough jungle environment. So why go for the the new Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL in this case?
As I've written in a previous article on this website "Reflections on the new Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4 E FL ", Nikon's new fluorite lenses are sharper wide open compared to their predecessors. And a sharper 70-200mm f/2.8E FL in the situation of gorillas is a very attractive option compared to its predecessor: you effectively gain a stop with equal or even sharper images; i.e. the 'old' lens was very sharp at f/4 and a bit soft at f2.8, while the new lens promises to be sharp wide open at f2.8. Yes, you pay a small fortune for it, but the images are better. So is the new lens better than its predecessor? I decided to take the plunge and buy the new lens before even selling the 'old' one:
https://fliek.com/2016/12/05/nikon-70-200mm-f2-8g-vs-the-new-70-200mm-f2-8e-fl/
My highly non-scientific and subjective test did convince me the new 70-200mm does give me that sharpness I'm looking for already at f/2.8, unlike its predecessor which I usually shot at f/4 to get a really sharp image. And a VR that kicks in immediately after pressing the shutter button isn't too bad either! On the previous model I always had to wait a few seconds for a really stable VR; on the new model you're ready for the action! Another advantage is the reduction in weight; not much, but still nice.
So what's not to like about this lens? Not much really. The price is very high, and perhaps too high. But the one feature most documented as annoying, is the switch of the zoom and focus rings. It's not something I have a big problem with, but the previous model was simply easier in use. On the new model you need to take that extra caution of not touching the focus ring while zooming; something you can learn and can get used to, but it's one of those bizarre Nikon mysteries as to why they decided to change these rings. I do wonder sometimes if Nikon talks to the right people in the field to get their required gear specifications... Anyway, I thought I'd mention as well an article by Roger Cicala from Lensrentals who wrote a very nice (and much more scientific/objective) review on the new lens:
Lensrentals article
So how did the 70-200mm f/2.8E FL perform? Well, I mostly shot at f/2.8 for the reasons I mentioned above, and I was very pleased with the result:
https://fliek.com/2017/01/17/adventures-in-africa-with-the-new-nikon-d500-and-70-200mm-f2-8e-fl/
https://fliek.com/2017/01/28/gorillas-in-the-mist/
On my Nikon D4S most of my shots were tack sharp. However, the D4S is 'only' 16.2 MP; I had also brought with me a brand new Nikon D500. Compared with the D4S, the D500 has 20.9 MP on a DX/1.5 crop format, and those 20.9 megapixels combined with Nikon's latest metering completely blew me away. I'll probably update this article or create a new one with a set of images I took of the 'golden monkeys' with that set, also in the same park... coming soon!
I'll give it 4.5 out of 5, because of the strange ring switch and the rather hefty price. Apart from that, highly recommended!
Gorillas are dark. And the thick Rwandan jungle isn't too bright either, especially when it's overcast. Next to that, gorillas move around a lot, often quite close to visitors. If you add up these parameters you required camera gear looks something like: fast tele zoom/large aperture, attached to a DSLR with low noise at high ISO and high frame rate, and the whole combo at pro-level so it can withstand the rainy weather and rough jungle environment. So why go for the the new Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E FL in this case?
As I've written in a previous article on this website "Reflections on the new Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4 E FL ", Nikon's new fluorite lenses are sharper wide open compared to their predecessors. And a sharper 70-200mm f/2.8E FL in the situation of gorillas is a very attractive option compared to its predecessor: you effectively gain a stop with equal or even sharper images; i.e. the 'old' lens was very sharp at f/4 and a bit soft at f2.8, while the new lens promises to be sharp wide open at f2.8. Yes, you pay a small fortune for it, but the images are better. So is the new lens better than its predecessor? I decided to take the plunge and buy the new lens before even selling the 'old' one:
https://fliek.com/2016/12/05/nikon-70-200mm-f2-8g-vs-the-new-70-200mm-f2-8e-fl/
My highly non-scientific and subjective test did convince me the new 70-200mm does give me that sharpness I'm looking for already at f/2.8, unlike its predecessor which I usually shot at f/4 to get a really sharp image. And a VR that kicks in immediately after pressing the shutter button isn't too bad either! On the previous model I always had to wait a few seconds for a really stable VR; on the new model you're ready for the action! Another advantage is the reduction in weight; not much, but still nice.
So what's not to like about this lens? Not much really. The price is very high, and perhaps too high. But the one feature most documented as annoying, is the switch of the zoom and focus rings. It's not something I have a big problem with, but the previous model was simply easier in use. On the new model you need to take that extra caution of not touching the focus ring while zooming; something you can learn and can get used to, but it's one of those bizarre Nikon mysteries as to why they decided to change these rings. I do wonder sometimes if Nikon talks to the right people in the field to get their required gear specifications... Anyway, I thought I'd mention as well an article by Roger Cicala from Lensrentals who wrote a very nice (and much more scientific/objective) review on the new lens:
Lensrentals article
So how did the 70-200mm f/2.8E FL perform? Well, I mostly shot at f/2.8 for the reasons I mentioned above, and I was very pleased with the result:
https://fliek.com/2017/01/17/adventures-in-africa-with-the-new-nikon-d500-and-70-200mm-f2-8e-fl/
https://fliek.com/2017/01/28/gorillas-in-the-mist/
On my Nikon D4S most of my shots were tack sharp. However, the D4S is 'only' 16.2 MP; I had also brought with me a brand new Nikon D500. Compared with the D4S, the D500 has 20.9 MP on a DX/1.5 crop format, and those 20.9 megapixels combined with Nikon's latest metering completely blew me away. I'll probably update this article or create a new one with a set of images I took of the 'golden monkeys' with that set, also in the same park... coming soon!
I'll give it 4.5 out of 5, because of the strange ring switch and the rather hefty price. Apart from that, highly recommended!
