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Nikkor
200mm f/4 AI-S
Weight:
19oz
Filter Size: 52mm
Filter Size: 52mm
A simple
lens with
nothing fancy inside, but due to superb design it offers outstanding
performance. While most lenses have a lot more fancy features like ED
glass and IF, most are also not sharp when shot at maximum
aperture. The Nikkor 200mm f/4 AI-S is incredibly sharp wide
open
with lots of contrast too. In fact it hardly improves when stopped down.
Taylor
Cavin, South Branch Feather
Nikon D200, Nikkor 200mm f/4 AI-S @ 1/800 f/4 ISO 200
I'm about thirty yards away from Taylor; the only loss of detail is from pushing the image +1.15 in photoshop.
Nikon D200, Nikkor 200mm f/4 AI-S @ 1/800 f/4 ISO 200
Similar in size but slightly smaller than the Nikon 75-150 Series E
Nikon D200, Nikkor 200mm f/4 AI-S @ 1/800 f/4 ISO 200
I'm about thirty yards away from Taylor; the only loss of detail is from pushing the image +1.15 in photoshop.
Nikon D200, Nikkor 200mm f/4 AI-S @ 1/800 f/4 ISO 200
Similar in size but slightly smaller than the Nikon 75-150 Series E
It
looks like a faster lens than it is.
On a DX format camera the 200mm f/4 AI-S makes an incredibly
cheap and sharp 300mm f/4.
Build: 10/10
- Absolutely
beautiful, real traditional Nikkor AI-S quality. I love the
built in lens hood and wish Nikon still made them.
Handling: 8/10 - Not much to talk about here, but I wish the focus ring had a longer throw.
Performance: 10/10 - For what it has to offer you can't ask for much more.
Value: 9/10 - For only $100 on the used market this is a gem.
Overall: 7/10 - A wonderful lens but very far from versatile.
I believe in cropping with your feet for normal photography, but that's often not physically possible in kayaking, and a true hindrance to this lens. Even on FX this lens is a bit long for normal use and the issue is compounded on DX. I also find that when shooting telephotos I tend to follow focus, which makes AF a very desirable trait. It's a great lens but often rendered redundant by zooms of the same range.
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Handling: 8/10 - Not much to talk about here, but I wish the focus ring had a longer throw.
Performance: 10/10 - For what it has to offer you can't ask for much more.
Value: 9/10 - For only $100 on the used market this is a gem.
Overall: 7/10 - A wonderful lens but very far from versatile.
Practicality for kayaking: 7/10
I believe in cropping with your feet for normal photography, but that's often not physically possible in kayaking, and a true hindrance to this lens. Even on FX this lens is a bit long for normal use and the issue is compounded on DX. I also find that when shooting telephotos I tend to follow focus, which makes AF a very desirable trait. It's a great lens but often rendered redundant by zooms of the same range.
Other links: