New 70-200 f2.8 on my wishlist.

[Cage]

I must be on the mend as I've just had a dose of lens lust.

I parted company, very reluctantly, with my Tammy 70-200 f2.8 to get the funds for the Siggy 150-600, and I need to fill that gap in my line up.

Having gone the Sigma route, including the fantastic dock, the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sports Lens seems like a no brainer. Would love the Nikon jobbie but hey, they are an arm and a leg, and as my kidneys are stuffed selling one is not an option either.

Anyone have one, or have any thoughts on the lens ?

[tandeejay]

have you ever considered one of the older 80-200 f2.8 lenses? you don't need to part with the arm, leg and kidney to get one of those, and I know your D7200 can drive one of those.

I'm considering the 80-200... if I can find one...

[arthurking83]

have you ever considered one of the older 80-200 f2.8 lenses? you don't need to part with the arm, leg and kidney to get one of those, and I know your D7200 can drive one of those.

I'm considering the 80-200... if I can find one...

I had one.
Built like a tank(as the saying goes).
Focus system is a bit inflexible, and slightly loud.
Most annoying about it's focus ability was that (for me) it backfocused within the 4m range at 200mm.
Probably backfocused at any focus distance, just more noticeable due to DoF within the 4m range.
Focus fine tune is useless on a zoom .. robbing peter to pay paul type result ... not workable.

If the focusing system was a bit more flexible, it could be overcome.

Anyhow, I sold mine after about a year of usage, and replaced with the original Tammy 70-200/2.8(pre USD, pre G models .. etc)

Worked fine on the D300, on the D800E tho it won't focus in Lv mode!
It also has a slightly annoying focusing system too with their clutch arrangement.
Only annoying if you manually focus tho .. so minor compared to the N 80-200/2.8.

Nowhere near as solidly built as the N80-200 either .. you could use the Nikon as a sledge hammer!

Another issue with the 80-200, is that the front is not sealed, the front element rotates within the lens tube, but is not sealed, so dust gets in .. so this os one of those rare lenses that really needs a protective type filter mounted.
Then the other issue arises, in that with a protection filter mounted(to keep dust out), once on and on for a while, the rubber texture of the 80-200's front barrel sticks the filter on .. hard!(I broke a filter trying to lever it off .. but it was a cheapish filter too)

Overall, for price .. Tammy 70-200/2.8 over the better lens .. should be cheaper S/H. Focus speed about on par. better sharpness on the Tammy .. bokeh up there with the best too.
But the N80-200 was nicer, in terms of bokeh and colour.

if you didn't have either lens, either will be fine, as long as it didn't backfocus like mine .. and other's did.
You wouldn't call the tammy's colour and bokeh bad in any way .. just having compared them ,.. this is the results I saw.

For the price, I think the Tammy USD G1 VC version of this type of lens would be the better overall buy .. going on price vs quality/ability.

- - - Updated - - -

OH! .. if you're not going to full frame .. the original Nikon 70-200VR is probably the better buy overall, considering their devaluation based on it being 2 generations old now.
I suspect they'd be in the low 1K price range.
Definitely the better lens on APS-C of all those mentioned above.

it's pitfall tho is edge sharpness if needed on full frame.
Much spoken about this problem, and why Nikon were quick to update it when the first full frame cameras came about in 2007!
Lots of vignetting and IQ loss at the corners on FF. Note that not right at the extreme corners .. basically from the zone just beyond the APS-C frame.

[Cage]

A new SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM SPORTS is on it's way to my house. Won't get much use from it till after my cataract op later this month but the Fleabay deal of $300.00 off the best price I'd found was too good to miss out on.

I got it from DCxpert, who I thought were grey market, but are far from it as they seem to be a division of C R Kennedy, the Sigma distributors.

Should fill the gap between the 24-70 and the 150-600 nicely and is compatible with my Sigma dock.

John, prior to buying the Tammy 24-70mm f2.8, I had a serious look at the 80-200mm f2.8 in it's many guises, none of which seemed to include a lens collar or foot, but decided to go the newer tech for the better coatings etc.

There are those who have a love affair with the 80-200, but for reasons that I've mostly forgotten I decided not to join the club.

[arthurking83]

Have seen reports to say it works very well.
Strangely this is a focal length that I don't seem to use much.
I've always had the idea to update my first version Tammy(non USD, non VC, non dock compatible) .. but just don't get value for money out of that lens F/L.

....

John, prior to buying the Tammy 24-70mm f2.8, I had a serious look at the 80-200mm f2.8 in it's many guises, none of which seemed to include a lens collar or foot, but decided to go the newer tech for the better coatings etc.

There are those who have a love affair with the 80-200, but for reasons that I've mostly forgotten I decided not to join the club.

Correction here. The last version of the 80-200/2.8 AF-D does have tripod collar/foot. Is VERY!! strong. More stable than the 70-200VR collar/foot.
70-200VR has a more amenable tripod collar in that it can be removed 'easier' and the foot can come off and replaced with an aftermarket one if desired too.

80-200 AF-D collar does not come off unless you know how to completely disassemble the lens!

Major drawback with the 80-200/2.8's is that they don't come with a lens hood, and that it needs a filter to seal the lens.
Also the manual/auto focus collar switch is awkward to use and if you do use it, it will invariably break.

Looking forward to seeing results, when you can Kev!

[Cage]

Forgot to mention that DCxpert also threw in a 64Gb/170MBS SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC card just to sweeten the deal.

This $300.00 off deal through eBay ends midnight tomorrow, the 12/9.

Unfortunately my eyes are so bad that I can't seriously use it till after the 26th when my first cataract is done.