Nikon 200mm f/2G AF-S ED VR II Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

by Nikon

• Fast, Prime Telephoto Lens
• Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization
• Automatic Tripod Detection Mode
• Nano Crystal Coat
• Super ED Glass Element

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.9 x 4.9 inches ; 6.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0042X9LBK
• Item model number: 2188
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 13, 2010

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

An exciting update to the NIKKOR line is the new AF-S NIKKOR 200mm f/2G ED VR lens, an incredibly quick f/2 telephoto lens that incorporates Nikon’s Vibration Reduction (VR) II Image Stabilization system which provides up to four stops of correction to assist in creating blur-free images while shooting hand-held or for when capturing D-Movie video content. The addition of Nano Crystal Coat optical coating minimizes internal and external flare – especially when subject are backlit.  For those who like to mount their lenses on a tripod, there’s Nikon’s Tripod Detection Mode which allows users to keep VR image stabilization on and active. Its large maximum aperture not only allows you to shoot in situations where there is very little light, it also allows you to isolate your subject against an otherwise busy background by limiting its depth-of-field making it ideal for shooting indoor or outdoor sports, nature, portrait and fashion.

Sample photo taken with the Nikkor 200mm f/2G AF-S ED VR lens.

Fast, Prime Telephoto Lens
Upgraded, fast, f/2 prime telephoto lens with Nikon VR II image stabilization and Nano Crystal Coat produces razor sharp images under the most demanding conditions including indoor sports, wildlife or portraiture.

Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization
Vibration Reduction, engineered specifically for each VR NIKKOR lens, enables handheld shooting at up to 4 shutter speeds slower than would otherwise be possible, assuring dramatically sharper still images and video capture.

Automatic Tripod Detection Mode
Engages VR image stabilization when mounted on a tripod to minimize camera shake that occurs at shutter release.

Nano Crystal Coat
Further reduces ghosting and internal lens flare across a wide range of wavelengths for even greater image clarity.

Super ED Glass Element
Super ED glass excels at eliminating secondary spectrum and correcting chromatic aberration and offers low refractive index and lower dispersion. Also Super ED Glass is more resilient to rapid temperature changes.

3 Extra-low Dispersion (ED) Elements
Offers superior sharpness and color correction by effectively minimizing chromatic aberration, even at the widest aperture settings.

Three Focus Modes
A/M mode joins the familiar M/A and M modes, enhancing AF control versatility with fast, secure switching between auto and manual focus to accommodate personal shooting techniques.

Internal Focus (IF)
Provides fast and quiet autofocus without changing the length of the lens, retaining working distance throughout the focus range.

Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM)
Enables fast, accurate and quiet autofocus.

Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC)
Enhances light transmission efficiency and offers superior color consistency and reduced flare.

Rugged Construction
Featuring enhanced dust and moisture-resistance, magnesium die-cast barrel construction and a protective meniscus front lens.

Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
Renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image areas.

Fully compatible with Nikon Teleconverters
Full functionality with Nikon TC-14E II, TC-17E II, TC-20E II and TC-20EIII Teleconverters.

MTF Chart

Product Description

This fast, f/2 telephoto lens renders shallow depth-of-field with beautiful background blur (bokeh), and is ideal for photographers seeking to freeze movement with fast shutter speeds in low lighting conditions. Additionally, Vibration Reduction II, Nano Crystal Coat and the inclusion of the A/M focusing mode are now employed helping to produce razor sharp images under the most demanding conditions. FEATURES: Fast Prime Telephoto Lens - Upgraded, fast, f/2 prime telephoto lens with Nikon VR II image stabilization and Nano Crystal Coat produces razor sharp images under the most demanding conditions including indoor sports, wildlife or portraiture. Automatic Tripod Detection Mode - Engages VR image stabilization when mounted on a tripod to minimize camera shake that occurs at shutter release. Super ED Glass Element - Super ED glass excels at eliminating secondary spectrum and correcting chromatic aberration and offers low refractive index and lower dispersion. Also Super ED Glass is more resilient to rapid temperature changes. Three Focus Modes - A/M mode joins the familiar M/A and M modes, enhancing AF control versatility with fast, secure switching between auto and manual focus to accommodate personal shooting techniques. Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) - Enables fast, accurate and quiet autofocus. Rugged Construction - Featuring enhanced dust and moisture-resistance, magnesium die-cast barrel construction and a protective meniscus front lens. Fully compatible with Nikon Teleconverters - Full functionality with Nikon TC-14E II, TC-17E II, TC-20E II and TC-20EIII Teleconverters. Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization - Vibration Reduction, engineered specifically for each VR NIKKOR le

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Big, heavy and beautiful June 7, 2011

By Jockeroo

Amazon Verified Purchase

I have owned this lens for about a month. This weekend, I photographed Special Olympics aquatic events for about six hours. I used this lens for four hours. I took about a thousand pictures and I do have some observations from that photo shoot. Today, I calibrated this lens as well as a Nikon 300mm 2.8. I also calibrated three teleconverters with both of the lenses - a 2.0iii, 1.7ii and 1.4ii. I also have some observations from that effort. This lens is noticeable (BIG). No one ever questioned that I was a sanctioned photographer when I was using this lens. On a few occassions, the size of the lens acted as a conversation starter. Be ready to interact with others regarding the stares, comments and conversation. The lens is heavy. I did not use a monopod. I hand held it or braced it on my knee. It is manageable if you pull it up for a few shots and then put it back down. It comes with a nice wide strap that substitutes for the camera strap when this big boy is attached to your camera. The strap keeps the weight bearing load on the lens and not the camera. Even though the strap is nice and wide, I found myself either using two hands to hold the camera and lens at rest in between shots and I sometimes carried it on my shoulder when walking long distances. When Shooting swimming events it is hard to get the focus right....all the water splashing around makes for autofocus nightmares which results in more throw aways than keepers. However, I think there were more keepers than when I used my 70-200 2.8 in prior years photographing this same venue. The extra light pulled in by the lens is perfect for indoor sports. On a Nikon D300, I was able to shoot the aquatic events using Shutter priority set at 1/400 second, ISO 800 and let the aperature float between 2.0 and wherever it wanted to go - usually no higher than about f4.0. The lens has really nice saturated colors and great contrast. The shallow focus when shooting at 2.0 gives awesome separation. However, 2.0 gives such a shallow depth of field that a swimmer's face at 20 feet will not all be in focus. The magic happens when you get the right part (like the nearest eye) in focus and the trademark out of focus area creates such a nice painterly effect. Bottom line, if you are willing to put in the time and effort to get enough keeper shots (chimp a lot), the shots that are good are really nice.

Regarding the comparison of how the teleconverters worked on the 200 2.0 and the 300 2.8, the 200 was less fussy. The exposure compensations necessary to dial in the focus on the teleconverters with the 200 were just small tweaks. Factory settings were not far off with the 200 2.0. On the other hand, the 300mm was more of a project. All the teleconverters needed a lot of compensation and even with a compensation of +20, the 2.0iii was not quite dialed in. The other two teleconverters did eventually calibrate within the -20 to +20 settings. I did a few comparison shots between the 200mm with the 2Xiii tele vs. the 300mm with the 1.4 teleconverter. Obviously, the focal lengths were close (400mm vs. 420mm) but not exact. When comparing the best photo from the 200 2.0iii combination against the best sample from the 300 1.4, I could not distinguish any difference in image quality (sharpness or contrast). Bottom line, the 200mm 2.0 has the advantage of being a better low light lens, in my non-scientific test, shows very similar results to the 300mm 2.8 when using any of the teleconverters that allow similar focal length comparisons and so the only advantage to owning the 300mm is if the intent is to use the larger teleconverters to gain even more magnification. However, the copy of the 300 2.8 I tested would not accept the 2Xiii teleconverter within the calibration range whereas the 200mm 2.0 accepted all three teleconverters with minimal corrective adjustments.

The 200mm 2.0 is a really nice lens. It is in the exotic lens category as are all the Nikon lenses above 300mm. It carries a large price tag. It is a cool piece of engineering. I consider it a benchmark lens. It is definately a specialized lens but it does also show itself to be versatile when used with teleconverters. In my book, it is a coin toss between it with a 1.4 tele and the Nikon 300 2.8 when it comes to image quality.

In summary, this lens stands tall in the Nikon line-up. It is not for everyone. However, if you shoot indoor sports, live where cloudy weather is the norm or shoot night-time lighted sports, it is definately a lens you want to consider having in your bag of tricks. I am glad I took the plunge and purchased mine.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What a magnificent photographic tool. May 21, 2011

By deepsnapper

I've been a photographer since 1976. I've never had a lens that imparted such a beautiful look to an image. The Hasselblad Zeiss 250 mm f/4 comes close. The ability to separate subject from the background is as good as it gets. The sharpness can be breath-taking. Same can can be said for the bokeh. It is big and heavy, but you can shoot confidently hand-held. A monopod would be a mandatory accessary if you are going to be shooting for an extended length of time.

With the right lighting and posing, you can produce the prettiest head-shots of people you've ever seen.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great lens for sport photography January 15, 2012

By sdone

I have had this lens for a while, but just returned from Hawai'i where I used it photographing the surfers on the North Shore of Oahu. Wow! What a spectacular lens. It is one superlative work of art this lens. Although heavy and not for the faint of heart, this lens is worth carrying to any event where you want detail and fast action. When used with Nikkor teleconverter for even greater focal length it still has plenty of light to spare. We watched whales from the shore and even when they appeared as just a speck on the photo, when enlarged with PhotoShop and Genuine Fractals, I had great shots of breaching humpback whales. One could even see their eyes and the barnacles on their chins. It is a very heavy lens and requires a tripod, at least in my hands. I have many Nikkor lenses and would never buy anything but Nikkor lenses for my D3s since they are what really make the photograph. I have not found that being a prime lens is of any detriment to its use. Of course I grew up using prime lenses, so this is not a big issue with me. Some may find the fixed focal length to be a major stumbling block, but I do not. I have other prime lenses which I use frequently, the 50mm f1.2, the 85mm f1.4 and the 105mm macro. So, I find prime lenses not to be a big issue.

I read with interest the review commenting on use with photographing people with minimum depth of field. I have not yet tried this, but it sounds intriguing. I do like using this method of photographing people when I want to separated them from their environment and take advantage of a minimum depth of field. I am sure this lens has many uses that I have not yet discovered.

Certainly a major issue with this lens is its price, but that is true of all large lenses and this is not a small lens by any stretch of the imagination. One may look at the pictures of it and imagine a smaller lens, but this is a behemoth. Being an f2 lens, it is a very large lens. Although only 200mm, the fast lens makes it very large and one should be aware of that before purchasing it. Would I say it is worth the price? I suspect so, since it seems to do everything they say it will and certainly can do everything I expect and more.

As with all Nikkor lenses this is an exceptional piece of workmanship. It is made in Japan and of the highest quality. I do not think there is a better lens of this type made, but I cannot really speak for other manufacturers, inasmuch as I have only used Nikkor lenses. I can only speak for the photographs that it makes and they are wonderful.