Nikkor 80-200mm or Tamron 70-200mm? I’m in pursue of a 70 or 80-200mm f2.8 for my hummingbird photography. Nikon has the 80-200mm and Tamron has the 70-200 VC. Both are f2.8. To my...

Boris Ekner Loc: From Sweden, living in Guatemala

I’m in pursue of a 70 or 80-200mm f2.8 for my hummingbird photography.

Nikon has the 80-200mm and Tamron has the 70-200 VC. Both are f2.8.

To my understanding, both produce very sharp images. But rumor has it that the Nikkor might be a bit slower regarding its autofocus.

Is there anyone here who has experience to share from both lenses while shooting very fast objects?

Angmo

Boris Ekner wrote:

Iâm in pursue of a 70 or 80-200mm f2.8 for my hummingbird photography.

Nikon has the 80-200mm and Tamron has the 70-200 VC. Both are f2.8.

To my understanding, both produce very sharp images. But rumor has it that the Nikkor might be a bit slower regarding its autofocus.

Is there anyone here who has experience to share from both lenses while shooting very fast objects?

Nikon 80-200 2.8. D. Elinchrom strobe, shutter at 1/5000.

Seems to work just fine to me. This is a 25 year old lens, not even a newer model. I am sure the new ones are as good or better.

Hummers don’t fly at night. The strobe overpowered the sun.

No experience with other brands though.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Boris Ekner wrote:

I’m in pursue of a 70 or 80-200mm f2.8 for my hummingbird photography.

Nikon has the 80-200mm and Tamron has the 70-200 VC. Both are f2.8.

To my understanding, both produce very sharp images. But rumor has it that the Nikkor might be a bit slower regarding its autofocus.

Is there anyone here who has experience to share from both lenses while shooting very fast objects?

I have the Tamron 70-200 G2 on a Nikon and love the performance.

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

Angmo wrote:

Nikon 80-200 2.8. D. Elinchrom strobe, shutter at 1/5000.

Seems to work just fine to me. This is a 25 year old lens, not even a newer model. I am sure the new ones are as good or better.

Hummers don’t fly at night. The strobe overpowered the sun.

No experience with other brands though.

For long shots I use the Nikon 50 to 300mm F4.5 lens and I shoot sports with it. It keeps up with runners coming straight at me or volley ball shots and I catch a lot of baseballs going over the plate with it. Made a few coaches hate the ref after they looked at my shot in a couple of sports. Nikon keeps up with the Ice HockyI shoot and it moves fast ducked a few pucks that came at me. I just worry about the sticks more than the pucks because I get down next to the players when I shoot it. On my other camera since I use 2 Nikons at a time to avoid changing lenses, I change cameras. I use the Nikon 18 to 154mm f3.5 to 4.5. It also seems quite fast enough for focus. I avoideed the 80 to 200 only because of the extra reach a 300mm gives you. For soccer I use a 100 to 400mm f4.5 Sigma. It does a great job and I got it with a computer attachment to do updates with. Only thing I do not like about it is the zoom turns the opposite direction that the Nikon zoom turns.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

IMO, The smaller/lighter lens elements of a 70-200 f4 will move faster for AF.

..

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

imagemeister wrote:

IMO, The smaller/lighter lens elements of a 70-200 f4 will move faster for AF.

..

It might be a toss up with the larger aperture on the F2.8. My experience does not include comparing the two, but I have used the new FL version and it is possibly the fastest focusing lens I have ever used - coupled with a fast focus system like a D500, D850, D5 - I would guess than the F4 is fast, but the F2.8 may be faster. I wouldn't be surprised if the SW motor in the higher end lens is a bit beefier as well, just to move all that glass. It would be a mistake if it wasn't.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Gene51 wrote:

It might be a toss up with the larger aperture on the F2.8. My experience does not include comparing the two, but I have used the new FL version and it is possibly the fastest focusing lens I have ever used - coupled with a fast focus system like a D500, D850, D5 - I would guess than the F4 is fast, but the F2.8 may be faster. I wouldn't be surprised if the SW motor in the higher end lens is a bit beefier as well, just to move all that glass. It would be a mistake if it wasn't.

Yes, I should have qualified my statement with - "in good light" .....

..

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Boris Ekner wrote:

I’m in pursue of a 70 or 80-200mm f2.8 for my hummingbird photography.

Nikon has the 80-200mm and Tamron has the 70-200 VC. Both are f2.8.

To my understanding, both produce very sharp images. But rumor has it that the Nikkor might be a bit slower regarding its autofocus.

Is there anyone here who has experience to share from both lenses while shooting very fast objects?

Either the original Tamron 70-200mm or the G2 version will run circles around the older Nikkor 80-200mm.

The Nikkor lens requires a camera with a built in focus motor. The screw drive focusing is slow, and is slower on lesser bodies. It also suffers from flakey focusing at minimum focusing distances (around 6 feet). It is however a very sharp lens.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

I’m not familiar with the Tamrons, but the discontinued Nikon AF-S 80~200 f/2.8D IF-ED focuses faster than the other versions, and will autofocus with any Nikon DSLR. The current version keeps up at 8 frames per second with my F5. Not sure how it would perform with, say, a D5.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

RWR wrote:

I’m not familiar with the Tamrons, but the discontinued Nikon AF-S 80~200 f/2.8D IF-ED focuses faster than the other versions, and will autofocus with any Nikon DSLR. The current version keeps up at 8 frames per second with my F5. Not sure how it would perform with, say, a D5.

The AF-S version of the 80-200mm f/2.8 is not recommended under any circumstance! The focusing motor was a defective design, and all spare parts to repair the lens were used up many years ago. It is not reliable.

Fotomacher Loc: Toronto

Boris Ekner wrote:

I’m in pursue of a 70 or 80-200mm f2.8 for my hummingbird photography.

Nikon has the 80-200mm and Tamron has the 70-200 VC. Both are f2.8.

To my understanding, both produce very sharp images. But rumor has it that the Nikkor might be a bit slower regarding its autofocus.

Is there anyone here who has experience to share from both lenses while shooting very fast objects?

I have no experience with 3rd party lenses but I did use the Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8D for many years. It is a solid;y build lens and have excellent IQ, but the AF is mechanical and depends on the in-body drive motor. It is not as fast as the motorized lenses. That said, it is many times more durable. I kept it until I traded it for a Nikkor AFS 70-200 f/2.8G VR2 which I think is much better than the Tamron/Simla versions. And would recommend a good used Nikkor lenses vs 3rd party.

ervinada Loc: Hollywood, Florida

You might also want to consider the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 APO DG HSM OS - extremely fast AF on my D850 and D810 and exc. picture quality at all apertures.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Boris Ekner wrote:

I’m in pursue of a 70 or 80-200mm f2.8 for my hummingbird photography.

Nikon has the 80-200mm and Tamron has the 70-200 VC. Both are f2.8.

To my understanding, both produce very sharp images. But rumor has it that the Nikkor might be a bit slower regarding its autofocus.

Is there anyone here who has experience to share from both lenses while shooting very fast objects?

I got a brand new - never been sold Nikon 80-200mm lens from KEH for $680, and it works fine. A new Tamron 70-200mm will cost more, so and decide what's more important to you. Will spending more money really get you better results? I had Nikon 70-200mm lens, but I couldn't justify walking around with a $2,100 lens, so I sold it. I'm guessing a lens that's ten years newer would have the edge in focusing speed. That's never been an issue for me, though.

70-200mm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAAeoB1F7nI
http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/roundup/lens-roundup/best-70-200mm-tele-zoom-lenses-64789
https://petapixel.com/2015/03/28/just-the-lenses-the-great-200mm-shoot-out/
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=that+nikon+guy+70-200mm
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=687&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=946&CameraComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0

80-200mm
https://www.dpreview.com/products/nikon/lenses/nikon_80-200_2p8d
https://kenrockwell.com/nikon/80200.htm
https://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/nikon/80-200mm-f2.8d-ed-af-nikkor/review/
http://www.opticallimits.com/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/252-nikkor-af-80-200mm-f28d-ed-review--test-report

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Boris Ekner wrote:

I’m in pursue of a 70 or 80-200mm f2.8 for my hummingbird photography.

Nikon has the 80-200mm and Tamron has the 70-200 VC. Both are f2.8.

To my understanding, both produce very sharp images. But rumor has it that the Nikkor might be a bit slower regarding its autofocus.

Is there anyone here who has experience to share from both lenses while shooting very fast objects?

I have owned a Nikon 80-200 for years and enjoyed the results. Nice thing is you can pick up a mint in the box one on ebay for a song. Some of the sharpest shots I have ever shot was with this lens.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Apaflo wrote:

The AF-S version of the 80-200mm f/2.8 is not recommended under any circumstance! The focusing motor was a defective design, and all spare parts to repair the lens were used up many years ago. It is not reliable.

Not everyone has need for autofocus in that focal length range. For those, I would not hesitate to recommend it.