Nikon Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S VR Lens

Sure it's heavy and long. But, Nikon hit a homerun with this lens. I researched for a long time before I decided on this lens. Buying it before I even saw it was not a mistake. It's a horse of a lens that will get any and all jobs done and the photos are outstanding. I knew that when I went pro I would need to equipment to back it up and this was my first lens to go with my new D2H. I have had this lens for almost 2 yrs and have never regreted the price I had to pay. Sure there are more cheaper lens but for quality photos that my customers have come to expect I needed a quality lens. I will have this same lens 20, even 30 yrs from now and I can count on it still giving me the same outstanding results it does to this day. It's very quick to focus and when photographing drag cars leaving the line that is a definite requirement. My photos look as though you could step right thru the picture and there you are! Customers are astounded by the clarity of every picture. So, if you are trying to decide which lens to purchase, stop and give this one a good long hard look. I guarantee you will never be disappointed.

The Nikkor 70-200 VR has a well deserved and established reputation as the defacto standard lens used by a large majority of pros, as such it is well worth the investment and holds its value well due to the high demand for this outstanding performer.

The VR feature totally eliminates all user shake throughout the entire focal range which will extend the usabilty for older photographers by years.

If you do any type of action protography, this is THE must have lens.

Being a Nikon D70 owner I was tempted by swith for the lately issued D300. But a voice inside me was telling "invest on lens, body came and go", so I decided to stick to my old body camera and go for the 70-200: the result was AWESOME. such pro lens turn the best from your gear and the shallow dof turn your oterwise falt and common image in advertising- like shots (since shallow dof is very often used to put enphasis on the product advertized and put everything else out of notice).
So my advice is:go for it, go for pro lens, your out-of-date body camera will face new orizons, as much as your photographic skills

This lens is absolutely the best lens I have used from Nikon or Canon. It is superior in construction all metal not plastic, it weights closer to four pounds when you attach your filters. The tripod mount is reinforced and much stronger than the 80-200mm lens which were commonly known for the tripod breaking from the weight of the lens. All of the pictures I have taken with this lens and my F5 camera combo are superior to any photos I have taken with my Canon cameras and lenses which cost two to three times the price of this lens. After using this lens for a year I decided to sell my Canon cameras and use Nikon begin using Nikon exclusively without any regrets. I purchased a new Nikon D200 camera which is like a dream come true, this lens is 105mm-300mm on a digital camera making it the perfect lens for portraits and telephoto work. Hands down this lens will satisfy the perfectionist and is so easy to use that the amateur photographer can use this lens with outstanding results like a point and shoot camera. The lens does all the work for you such as focus and metering and the continuous f/2.8 allows for all of your pictures to be brighter and colors more vivid to astound your expectations. As a professional photographer I need equipment that is visually impressive and must be reliable to make money consistently every week. Nikon's claim that the VR (vibration reduction) allows for three f stops faster operation when it is hand held, however I have found that this is very conservative on their part because I use it mounted on a tripod which eliminates any lens movement and I achieve best results this way. I have used this lens with the Nikon TC-20E II 2x teleconverter AF-S at f5.6 on my D200 which equates to 600mm with outstanding results it just doesn't get any better. If you have Tiffen filters use them with this lens and see for yourself that you can't find a better priced lens in any price range. I want to buy the Nikon 600mm lens next to add to my collection before I go to Africa next year to photograph elephants, rhinos and lions. If you can't afford the price to by this lens new then I recommend you buy this lens on eBay to save yourself some money so you can have the best of the best! Go to nikon.com and look at this lens to do your own research and read reviews posted on the net by Nikon users and you'll agree with me completely. Have fun and record your memories for a life time for children to share and enjoy with their kids like I do with mine.

I tell you one thing. There is a reason that this lens is dubbed the best lens that Nikon ever made. I was working with a 18-200 and thought that the focus was fast until I stepped into the realm of this lens. This is by far the fastest focusing lens that I own, other than my 12-24, but that doesn't count. As far as bang for your buck, you aren't going to get this lens for cheap, I paid dearly for mine, but I got what I wanted, white lens from Japan.
If you are considering the 70-200 2.8, do it, you will love the DOF and the fact that you are at 2.8 throughout you range. I love it, it is not small, it is about twice the length of the 18-200, but you have to think at 200mm it lets in 4x the light ! That is the difference between having to adjust color and having to explain later why your shot is so dark. In girth, you are looking at about the size of the 70-400, but in looks, if you go with white, you win. Even though it isn't Canon, you win.
Bottom line:
This lens is not cheap, nor will it ever be cheap, it isn't small, if you want small, you should get a 50mm prime, this lens is not light, if you want light get a disposable camera, but if you want a lens that looks good, feels, good, shoots good, and has lightning fast AF, this is the one for you.
Last words:
This is a workhorse lens, but you had better be able to shoot worth a darn to back it up. When you whip this lens out, it says " I know what I am doing, don't talk to me, get out of my way ". I love it!
Get the white one!
This lens makes a really cool afterburner sound when it has VR on

I had the opportunity to borrow this lens from a colleague of mine to shoot some photos of my nephew's baseball game. I was absolutely astonished by the results. The images were amazingly sharp at both ends of the 70-200 spectrum.
I decided several weeks later to take the plunge and purchase one for myself. Let me tell you, this is probably the single most satisfying investment I have made in the world of digital photography. The build quality is well above par and even though it's quite heavy, the weight is well worth the extraordinary images it can produce. The quick-release tripod collar is extremely useful. I have found that the lens can get quite hot after extensive shooting, but this is only a minor downside.

A great lens for a variety of purposes, and sharper than most. A+!