Built like a tank
Optical quality
Works well with TC16A (optical quality and fast autofocus)
Works well with film and digital FX
Less expensive than AFS 200/2

Heavy
No autofocus
Minimum focus only at 2.5m

I bought this lens to take portraits. It is one of the last serial number, a model with a glass in front of the lens.

I like portraits taken with this lens at f/2. They are wonderful. Colors are beautiful, depth of field is very small (14mm at f/2 and 2.5m), so you absolutely have to focus on eyes.

The optical quality is excellent at f/2.8 and better than the old nikkor 180mm f/2.8 ED at f/2.8. Wide open, the definition is a little worse but quite acceptable for portraits.

This is a heavy lens and a monopod is very useful to focus well and cosy.

I bought a TC16A and use it on my F6. I have a 320mm f/3.2 with a minimum focus at 2.5m, very useful for head pictures. First you make a manual focusing approximate and after you press the shutter to adjuste automaticaly the focusing.

I bought another TC16A that I modified to work with my D700 (you have to change the place of one electrical plot, see description of the modifications on web).

Highly recommended for portraits.
You can have a 200/2 for 1500€ instead of 6000€ for the 200/2VR (in France)

Customer Service

No

Similar Products Used:

300/4 AF, 180/2.8 AFD, 180/2.8 Ais ED, 135/2 AF DC, 135/2 Ais

F/2, quality of image is unmatched by my 28,50,85,135mm primes.

200mm can be short or long depending on where you want to shoot. For example, high school basketball it is to slow (manual focus) to long (focal length). While for football it is too short (focal). Weight, cost, manual focus. Because it is so specialized I would consider giving it a 4 in overall rating, but nobody can do this with argueably the best optics ever produced by Nikon!

I think I got a great deal on this minty Nikon AIS version of a light vacum. It is a heavy beast, one that will definatly stay mounted on a mono pod. Once you learn the limitations of manual focus, using a monopod, it becomes a wonderful tool. I have shot soccer with this lense and can easily cover one quarter of the field with room to spare. I can't wait to use this thing for a wedding. This could be a primary lense in the case of an available light shooter. It's a spectacular portrait lense. Sports... basketball, foortball, soccer... well that is what autofocus is for dummy! Volleyball, swimming, baseball... things more stationary with slower moving athletes... one can adapt. Sometimes I regret I didn't give the 180mm f/2.8 AF a look first. One... the money saved would have been substantial. Two... more flexible hand holdable lense. All said I have no regrets. THE ONLY REASON TO BUY THIS LENSE is if you have a reason to need F/2 ALL THE TIME or want to do something different with your portraits.... then this is your baby! Sweet Sweet lense!

Later version has excellent optical performance at f/2. Lens fills a niche for low-light or moderate-range sports use, also a good lens for theatrical photography or indoor sports.

No AF, but this could be seen as a virtue, depending on application. Lens is designed for manual focus, so focusing is fast and precise--it just takes a little practice.

The 200mm f/2 ED-IF has had 2 or 3 variations since its introduction. The most desireable (from an optical standpoint at least) is the later version having the detachable sunshade and built-in protective filter. Earlier models were soft, or lacked contrast wide open, so are not as useful. I'm quite pleased with the later version (have an earlier one as well), often called the "coffee can" by the pros, it delivers as only the big Nikkors can--and this one is especially handy for digital use, where its 200mm becomes effectively 300. A 300mm f/2 is a lens to be reckoned with!

Customer Service

First 200 f/2 I got from eBay had been abused. Sent it to Nikon, they returned it after 2 months, claiming it was "not economically repairable." However, the iris problem had been largely corrected, so I was happy--and it didn't cost me anything...

Similar Products Used:

300 f/2.8 S, 400 f/2.8, 400 f/3.5, 600 f/5.6

Tack sharp wide open and one stop down.

Very heavy lens and not good for shooting hand held unless fast film is used.

Absolutely fantastic lens, especially wide open. It's great for sports and especially for fashion photography. When used on the Nikon D100, D1x or Fuji S2 Pro it becomes a 300mm f2 lens.

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 180mm f2.8 Zeiss 200mm f2.8 Zeiss 180mm f2.8 Nikkor 200mm f4

Very sharp & fast telephoto - excellent for sports & available light photography - Easy to handhold

a little heavy - but that applies to all the fast telephotos

Very nice lens. Fast, sharp - great for sports.

Customer Service

none needed

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 300mm f/2.8

- Very clear image
- Excellent short depth of field with aperture is set wide open (f2)
- FAST Glass! Can photo indoor using existing light
- If flash is required, I use it as fill-in light
- Beautiful telephoto lens
- Great for indoor sports arena action shots without the use of flashes!

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- Heavy!
- The built-in lens hood could have been designed with a better lock.
- Could have better weather protection designed into lens when used during sporting events in inclement weather.

Great fast lens for indoor sports action without using flash.

Customer Service

None... since obtained in early 1980's

Similar Products Used:

None

Extremely sharp wide open and at the wider apertures, which is what this lens is designed for. Portraits with this lens yield incredible out of focus backgrounds. With a TC-14, you get a 280/2.8 which also yields incredible results. Color reproduction is fantastic. WONDERFUL LENS!!

Heavy, but manageable to hand hold for short periods. The built-in hood could benefit from a lock in the in position.

Incredible lens, period. Indespensible for sports and portraiture, this lens is a must have if you can find one at a reasonable price.

Similar Products Used:

None

Very sharp at f/2
Alot of money over 180mm f/2.8 for one stop but worth every penny.
Ideal for indoor sports.

It would be nice if the lens could handle screw-in filters in filter drawer.
The lens is heavy.

A wonderful lens especially for indoor sports. It produces sharper images wide open than the famous 300mm f/2.8 and the 400 f/2.8 It does not perform as well as the 300 when using the TC-14B teleconverter. I learned something about this lens recently from reading of all things, the owners manual. 52mm glass filters can be inserted into the gel filter drawer after removing the metal ring around the filter. I bought a number of extra gel filter holders from KEH for $14 each and now I have an assortment of glass filters in the holders for quick changing. I hate using gels!

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 AIS
Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 AIS
Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 AIS