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Nikkor AF 80-200mm f/2.8D ED - Review / Lab Test Report |
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Lens Reviews -
Nikon / Nikkor (APS-C)
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Page 1 of 2
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published December 2007
Lens kindly provided by Dirk von der Ehe!
Introduction
The Nikkor AF 80-200mm f/2.8D ED is one of two high-speed tele zooms
in the current Nikon lens lineup. Seems as if Nikon did not discontinue
the lens due to the rather steep price tag of the latest variant - the
AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR (1000€ vs 1900€).
Interestingly they kept this rather old design (released 1996) rather
than newer the AF-S 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED.
Anyway, within the scope of this test we'll have a look how the
lens performs on the Nikon D200 (APS-C DSLR) where its field-of-view is equivalent
to 120-300mm.
The build quality of the lens is highly impressive - a true professional
grade lens. Most parts are made of metal (crinkle finish).
The broad rubberized zoom and focus control rings feel very smooth.
The overall length of the lens does not change and the filter thread
does not rotate (unlike the inner lens tube which is why this is no
designated IF lens).
The lens features a tripod collar which certainly makes sense regarding
the size and weight of the lens. There's also a focus limiter which can
be useful in low-light situations where the AF may tend to hunt at times.
An independent control ring can be used to switch between AF and manual
focusing. The duplicated function may not be everybody's taste here.
The lens has no internal AF motor and relies on a slotted drive screw
operated by the camera. The AF speed is very fast on the D200 but a little
on the noisy side.
| Specifications |
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| Equiv. focal length | 120-300 mm (full format equivalent) |
| Equiv. aperture | f/4.2 (full format equivalent, in terms of depth-of-field) |
| Optical construction | 16 elements in 11 groups inc. three ED elements |
| Number of aperture blades | 9 |
| min. focus distance | 1.5 m (max. magnification ratio 1:5.9) |
| Dimensions | 87 x 187 mm |
| Weight | 1300 g |
| Filter size | 77 mm (rotating) |
| Hood | Nikon HB-7 (optional), barrel-shaped, Twist-lock mounted. |
| Other features | Lens provides distance (D) information. Tripod collar. |
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