I am a big believer that you do not need the latest and greatest equipment to make good pictures. Better equipment is good to have but so are things like vision, experience, training, technical expertise and a mastery of the basics are also a bonus. Most sane photographers will acknowledge that the good ol' 70-200mm f2.8 is a "must-have" lens. It is the perfect zoomable portrait lens and for the last year, I've gotten by with an old Nikkor 80-200 f/4 that was made sometime in the 1980s. I'd bought on eBay in 2020 for $105 and it was worth every penny. The construction is solid (lots of metal) and the lens was light enough to not be a burden when using. It was (is) a good lens, at least as it relates to image quality), but I was missing some shots due to having to focus manually. Spending close to $1,000 (or more) for a newer VR lens in the 70-200mm range was not an option, but fortunately, all the suckers running to the latest and greatest has made one gem very attainable: the Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 AFs! I bought it from KEH (the second lens I've bought from them) and was bolstered by the 30-day warranty that came with it. I planned to give it a hard workout as soon as I got it and I did just that. The first place I took it to was Yanks Air Museum and then Planes of Fame Air Museum, both in Chino, CA.
I won't pretend that the lens is super-portable. It weighs about as much as a Volkswagen Beetle does (well, it feels like it, any way), but that weight is reassuring. Also, its build quality is second-to-none. It looks and feels like...QUALITY! And it is. The focus isn't super-fast, but it's fast enough for shooting still objects and even slow-moving objects. The lens focused accurately and I was very happy with the pictures that resulted. I have posted a few of them here. I am even more excited to take this lens on my trip in April. That is going to be the ultimate test and indeed the primary reason why I bought the lens. Pictures to follow...in April.
My summation. As sharp as anything. I suspect the latest $2200 70-200mm is even sharper but only the nerdiest nerd with extra time would be able to tell. My next lens will be similar
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