The Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED is the fourth generation of the well-known and legendary Nikon zoom. The first version incorporated the push/pull zooming style without a tripod collar and it had that annoying rotating front barrel. The second version received a slight improvement over the first with the addition of the “D” micro-chip that provides distance information and the non-rotating front barrel, but it still lacks the tripod collar. The third version has been completely redesigned to have a very useful tripod collar and separate focusing and zooming. This one has been regarded as one of the best zoom lenses made by Nikon. With the AF-S version, Nikon redefined this legendary lens to a whole new level, the first and foremost being AF response and silent operation. But there is more...

Cosmetically, the AF-S version is slightly longer and bigger than the third version. It is also heavier. The third version has 16 optical elements with 3 being ED glasses. The AF-S version has 18 optical elements with the additional 2 being ED glasses, making a total of 5. Looking at the schematic diagram, the AF-S version appears to have been completely redesigned optically to take advantage of the Silent Wave Motor technology and to produce unsurpassed image quality. The AF-S version uses an internal focusing mechanism (IF), meaning the front glass elements do not rotate while focusing, only the internal glass elements move. Unlike the third generation, this is a super improvement, because the front glass element is completely sealed to the barrel, thus resisting any moisture or dust from entering. I always worry about carrying my 80-200mm lens (the third generation) uncapped in the middle of a wind-blowing sand or dust, since I don’t use a UV/protective filter.

I have played with this lens for a few months, and I must say this lens is a real gem. It has a beautiful finish, the look of a first class with the touch of that distinctive gold ring on the front barrel. The lens has focus-mode switch M and M/A. At M/A mode, it allows an instant MF override anytime during autofocus. The zooming ring is well damp, but very smooth to turn. The focusing ring is also very smooth to turn, and has no dead turn in M/A focus-mode. I really love this feature. The lens operates in complete silent mode. I can hardly believe my ears and eyes seeing out-of-focus subjects brought into focus at lightning speed by this lens with little or no effort. The lens also has 3 autofocus lock buttons placed between the zooming and focusing rings, just the right place where your fingers rest and can easily reach. This button lets you lock in focus without pressing the shutter release button. This turns out to be a very useful feature. With my F100, I use its custom function CS 4-1 to disable the AF operation from the shutter release button and only press it to take the picture. I have used this lens with my F100 to shoot a stage performance. With its tripod collar removed, this lens balances beautifully with the F100. With the light-weight of the F100 (w/o the MB-15 of course), the center of mass of this duo seems to be exactly at the middle of the lens, exactly where your hand is. This well-balance feature yields a superb handling and performance. This lens has an unusually broader aperture ring. I personally like this more than the previous versions, due to its easy access, especially for someone with large fingers. Plus I mostly use aperture priority, and change the aperture via the ring; an old habit I can’t seem to break, even with my F100 I still use this style by using its custom function CS 22-1 to disengage the front command dial.

I have used the third version (AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED w/ Tripod Collar) extensively before the AF-S version. Although I have never really made critical comparison between images produced on slides by these two lenses, I have noticed great improvements in optical quality for shots of close focusing distance produced by the AF-S version. At the short telephoto range (80mm-105mm), the AF-S produces consistently sharp images throughout its aperture range. It also performs quite well at the 200mm-end, more or less the same as the non AF-S version, though this could be hard press, unless you look through a microscope to see any differences in image quality produced by the two lenses. The pleasing out-of-focus elements, particularly at f/4, f/5.6 or f/2.8, is no doubt better than the non AF-S version, obviously due to the rounded diaphragm, making it a perfect lens for portraiture. But at wide open at the telephoto setting between 135mm and 200mm, the outer edge of the frame is a little bit underexposed (I estimated to be about 1/2 stop), due to light falloff. On the contrary, I find this so-called “flaw” to be my great advantage when shooting portraiture, where now the subject is at the center of attention. Stopping down the lens by just one stop, this light falloff disappears almost completely. And for landscape photography, I can safely say people don’t shoot at f/2.8 anyway, and therefore the problem of light falloff presents no problem at all. In terms of barrel distortion, at the 80mm-end it is quite small, very small to be of any notice with the naked eye. The pincushion at the 200mm-end is also hardly noticeable, with an overall performance better than the third generation. Flare is very well control, with its huge but impressive lens hood.

Based on my short experience with this AF-S lens, I would say its overall optical performance is slightly better than my non AF-S version. However, its silent and AF mechanical operation are far superior. This is where the Silent Wave Motor technology does at its best. During my short experience with the AF-S, I mostly used it with the tripod collar removed and shot hand-held. And let me say that this lens is a real pleasure to hand hold without the tripod collar. One real draw back for me was that it was too heavy. With the tripod collar on and mounted onto my tripod, changing format from horizontal to vertical was a bit stiff (not quite as smooth as my non AF-S version). I had to do this with a bit of force. This stiffness may disappear with repeated use.

The two lenses are currently on the market, selling side by side, each is intended for a buyer with different needs (and/or budget). The AF-S version is about $1250 after a $200 rebate (mail-order from photo stores in NY, for example). The non AF-S is about $700 after a $200 rebate. So, which one is the best buy? To answer that question, I will list the pros and cons between the two lenses.

The Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED has:
PROS:
1. Silent Wave Motor
2. Lightning AF speed
3. Instant MF/AF override during AF operation
4. Convenient 3 autofocus buttons
5. Slightly better optical performance overall
6. Removable Tripod Collar (a great feature!)
7. Look of a first class—do you really need this to impress people?

CONS:
1. Price at almost twice the non AF-S version ($1250-$1500)
2. Big and Heavy—bigger and heavier than the non AF-S one
3. Tripod Collar operation a bit stiff—but may smoothen with repeated use or with lubricant

The Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED w/ Tripod Collar has:
PROS:
1. Already outstanding optical performance
2. Priced at about half the AF-S ($675-$900)
3. Lighter and smaller than the AF-S
4. Smooth operation on Tripod Collar

CONS:
1. Moderate AF speed (already seems fast with F5 & F100)—this should belong in “PROS”.
2. Non-removable Tripod Collar (but can be rotated out of the way if needed)
3. A bit noisy (acceptably quiet with F5 and F100, but loud with F4, N90s is OK)

For me, I have decided to keep my non AF-S version, because 1) I don’t really need lightning AF response for my shooting style. 2) It is just too heavy for me; I’m not ready for that yet. 3) It is too much to spend for those extra features, while I’m already satisfied with the optical performance of my non AF-S lens. But let me assure you, that if you have the money to spend on something like this, it is one thing I’m sure you will never regret.

Let me say one thing about Nikon’s strategy which I seem to have noticed. They put their lenses in place well before introducing their top-of-the-line camera body. The event of the Nikon F5 was a prime example. Nikon put all their lenses with “D” technology and AF-S with Silent Wave Motor on their long-telephoto lenses long before the introduction of the F5. And when it came out in fall 1996, it took the world by storm! The F5 has all the lenses to show off its high tech performance. I noticed the AF-S 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED has ten electrical contacts on its lens mount. The non AF-S version has only five. I checked my F100, and it has only eight. The F5 also has eight. I don’t know about the D1 series, because I haven’t had the chance to handle one, but presumably it may have eight or nine electrical contacts. But lets focus on the traditional 35mm film SLRs. The king of the SLR (F5, of course!) has only eight. Well, I (we) can only suspect that the successor of the F5 will soon be “imported from the future” to take advantage of the extra two electrical contacts on the AF-S lenses. Having said that, then, buying the new AF-S version seems to be a very logical and an excellent investment. It may well “prepare” you for the future Nikon bodies, while at the present time you are already benefiting from its superior optical quality, its ultra-quiet operation, and handling.

--Paul



Recommended: Yes

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