Nikon 80-200 AF-S vs 70-200 AF-S VR1 - Worthy Upgrade?

Neilc28

Neilc28

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Neil
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Hi All,

Looking into selling my 80-200 AF-S F/2.8, not because it's not amazing, but because I'm tempted to pay a bit more for the VR of the 70-200.

Now as much as I would love to be able to gain a bit of stability, especially given it's weight! I have heard from numerous sources online that the 80-200 AF-S can be sharper, and for that reason I've held out so far. I could get a monopod I guess to help stabilize it!

Has anyone here changed from the 80-200 AF-S to 70-200 VR1? If so, what's the verdict! :thumbs:

Oh, and I'm assuming that the backfocus problem due to focusing on the limit is probably still apparent on the 70-200 as well?

Cheers all,

Neil
 
I went the other way and regretted it. The vr made a lot more difference than I expected. I found that I would often struggle to get a nice sharp image compared to the 70-200 at the lower shutter speed range. Didnt find it as nice to handle either, so yes, go for 70-200.
 
Well that's promising! It must be said that the 80-200 is a heavy beast! Would you say that the 70-200 was lighter and easier to handle in general?

Thanks for the feedback so far guys, much appreciated!
 
Unless you really need Vr, stick with what you have and save some brass.

I went from the 80-200 to the VR1,then the VR2. IQ wise, the 80-200 is no slouch.
 
I've had both and preferred the 80-200 AF-S, hard to put my finger on why though. I always felt the autofocus felt that little bit snappier on the 80-200, and the difference it cost to change certainly wasn't worth it.

Just don't make the mistake I did and let your AF-S go without getting its true value. They're pretty rare and in demand, so do a bit of research on what they're worth to the right buyer at the moment.
 
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Interesting comments so far! Does anyone know if there are copy variations on the 70-200? Last thing I would want to do is sell my sharp lens and get a relatively soft one in comparison.

Sorry for all the questions, just a bit concerned..
 
From all the info i have read on the web using a crop body the VR 1 is seldom less than brilliant!
 
I think it all depends whether you care about corner performance and vignetting at 200mm (on FX camera). The original 70-200 VR1 doesn't quite shine in that. On the other hand most people don't need sharp corners on a tele-zoom. In the centre of the frame there is not much difference between all existing versions of 80-200 and 70-200 lenses.

I am personally a non-VR believer and I would not replace sharp across the field 80-200 for 70-200 with VR.
 
I upgraded to the VRII. The 80-200 was great for sports but the VRII makes the lens usable for so much more due to being able to hand hold at 1/60th or so. I also see less missed focus shots on the VRII. It has a price premium but is the ultimate tele lens.
 
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