O
Well-known member
As this Thread has grown to consider most Nikon-fit Telephotos for wildlife photography - Here follows a bit more about Nikon's Telephoto Zooms: Good to read the 180-400 f4E TC14 being noted above, with queries about reviews. One way to rate this telephoto zoom, and with the newer 120-300 f2.8E SR is they are basically Prime-Good". Image quality of Nikon's zoom lenses has advanced remarkably over the past 4 decades, since they launched the successful 80-200 f4AIS (1981) and 80-200 f2.8AIS (1982). Back in the 1980s, not many of us could afford the expensive 80-200 f4AIS, now the even more exotic 200-400 AIS. It's took 2 decades until Nikon launched the 200-400 f4G VR AFS (upgraded to VRII in 2010).
The primary progress has been in the Holy Trinity of the f2.8 'Three Dragons' (14-24,24-40,70-200), which has peaked in the latest Z-mount models The 70-200 f2.8S is not markedly better than the 70-200 f2.8E FL, which Thom Hogan concluded outperformed all Nikon's primes, with only 2 exceptions (105 f1.4E and 200 f2G). the new 120-300 f2.8E SR and 180-400 extend this relam of Prime-Good realm. This is not only according to Brad Hill, who also a big fan of this lens, and the dissection and MTF comparisons by Roger C and Aaron C at LensRentals underscore its general excellence, notably:
"First, like every law, Roger’s Law that Zooms Are Never as Good as Primes has at least one very expensive exception. At one of its focal lengths. This zoom is ‘prime good’ at 300mm.
Second, we learned that the Nikkor AF-S 120-300mm f/2.8 lens is spectacularly good optically, particularly at the long end, which is probably the most important place to be spectacularly good optically."
more on history of Nikkors in the 1001 Nights series
eg https://imaging.nikon.com/history/story/0067/index.htm
I hear you, I came from the last of the 80-200 2.8 D amazing, straight into the FL 70-200 under Thom's suggestion.
NOW a warning, don't drop or knock the lens hard if the VR is actually working on your 70-200 FL, 24-70 VR........you will need to call 911.
Bottom line, I have found the 70-200 2.8 FL to be simply just insanely remarkable.
Mind you I do like the 80-200 2.8 D especially on the D850, and I could happily still live with one only if I had to.
These new zoom lenses are all great but gee mortgage the house material, their not for everyone's budget.
I keep a streamlined F2.8 trio with a 200-500 and a 300 2.8 VR II, I have some Zeiss and smaller lenses, I like to rent exotics when needed, its a tax deduction as well.
Only an opinion
Oz down under