Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens

Many of you who were lucky to enjoy Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G  IF-ED VR lens, knows that this is one of Nikon's best telephoto zoom lens. Even though, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G lens has a glitch, and it's about the sharpness of the image borders. Even though, the center of the image is absolutely perfect. This lens was announced in 2002, and it was the first choice for Nikon photographers who search for sharp in high contrast telephoto zoom lens from Nikon.

The New Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G VRII

On 2009 Nikon has introduced a replacement for the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G  IF-ED VR lens, with the new AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II. so you can only tell the difference between the two by the 'VR II' name. Nikon engineers were working very hard in order to provide photographers with the ultimate telephoto zoom lens. As told by Nikon engineers, the new AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VRII was completely re-engineered, in order to correct some of the flaws that were in the older lens, to allow it to provide much better image quality and to be smaller in size as well.

The older version - 70-200mm f/2.8G  IF-ED VR

The new Nikon 70-200mm VR II incorporates Nikon's new vibration reduction technology (VR II), which enables photographers to use shutter speeds up to four steps lower, in comparison to three steps lower in the older version. For some photographers to big improvement and a will come upgrade.  NIKKOR 70-200mm ƒ/2.8 VR II has a new optical design wave seven ED glass elements inside the lens. As the previous model, it uses a silent wave motor also known as SWM, for quiet and smooth auto-focus operation. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VRII has an aperture diaphragm, which utilizes nine blades to allow photographers to achieve a natural a more pleasing bokeh (background blur).

Here is  a video about the older Nikon 70-200mm ƒ/2.8G AF-S ED-IF legendary lens from Nikon Help Online:

Nikon 70-200mm 2.8G VR II lens weights 1540 g (3.4 lb). It's 209 mm long and 80 mm high. So you can see that it is smaller than the previous model. Everything is good news for photographers who have waited to replace the older version lens because some of its flaws, and a great opportunity of photographers who have planned to buy telephoto zoom lens, to purchase it now. Just don't forget that you can buy the older model for a cheaper price now.

So now, all we have to do, is to wait for the lab testing of the new Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 IF-ED VR II lens and see how it's compared to the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G  IF-ED VR lens. If Nikon was able to fix some of the flaws, which were on the previous version, we are looking here at one of the best Nikon telephoto zoom lenses ever. The external from filter size is 77 mm, so you can use your previous filter if you decide to upgrade,  instead of buying a new one and even used a circular polarizing filter. The lens comes with supply accessories like 77 mm snap-on front lens cap and a rear lens cap, a bayonet hood (HB-29) and a soft pouch that will help you protect your lens from scratches.

Related articles and review:


Nikkor Nikon 70-200mm VR Review (older version) - A test report about the older Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm VR lens by photozone.com

Ken Rockwell Nikon 70-200mm VR Review (older version) -  Ken Rockwell's in-depth review about the older version of Nikon 70-200mm legendary lens.

Thom Hogan Nikon 70-200mm VR Review (older version) - Tom Hogan reviews the 70-200mm f/2.8G IF lens with images and explains about it positives and drawbacks.

When reviews about the new lens will be available, I will post them here.