Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 History © 2008 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. I get my goodies at Ritz, Amazon and Adorama. It helps me keep adding to this site when you get yours through these links, too. Thanks! Ken. July 2008 More Nikon Reviews Nikon has made half a dozen completely different f/2.8 tele zooms. Every pro has at least one of these on one of his cameras. Since it's so popular, its limitations are what set the limits of performance of the Nikon system for pros. Therefore Nikon redesigns it about every five years to stay competitive. All of them use ED glass and every one of them has supreme image quality. All the AF lenses take standard 77mm filters. With few limitations, all these lenses work with all pro Nikon cameras made since 1959. Note the particulars of each lens and see Nikon Lens Compatibility for details with your camera. |
Lens | Dates | Zoom | Close Focus | AF Speed | Tripod Collar | Optics | f/min | AF Lock Buttons | Focus Limiter | Filter | Length | Weight | Number Made |
80-200mm f/2.8 AI | 1978 | Ring | 8.2' 2.5m | none | comes off | 12/9 | f/32 | none | none | 86mm | 196mm | 1,700g | prototype only |
80-200mm f/2.8 AI-s | 1982-1988 | Push-pull | 8.2' 2.5m | none | fixed | 15/11 | f/32 | none | clutch | 95mm | 223mm | 1,900g | 1,600 |
1988-1992 | Push-pull | 5' 1.5m | slow | none | 16/11 | f/22 | none | Ring, Full | 77mm | 176mm | 1,280g | 175,000 | |
80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D | 1993-1997 | Push-pull | 5' 1.5m | slow | none | 16/11 | f/22 | none | slide switch | 77mm | 187mm | 1,300g | 170,000 |
1997- today | Ring | 5' 1.5m | fast | fixed | 16/11 | f/22 | none | slide switch | 77mm | 188mm | 1,300g | 250,000 still in | |
1999-2004 | Ring | 5' 1.5m | fast | comes off | 18/14 | f/22 | 3 | Electronic switch: Full or 2.5m-∞ | 77mm | 207mm | 1,550g | 65,000 | |
2003- today | Ring | 5' 1.5m | fast | Foot comes off | 21/15 | f/22 | 3 | Electronic switch: Full or 2.5m-∞ | 77mm | 215mm | 1,430g | 190,000
still in |
Timeline 1978: Nikon showed a prototype of the first 80-200mm f/2.8 ED. It was never sold or seen again. It took an 86mm filter, as did the 18mm f/4 of its day. Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 ED AI-s. enlarge. 1982-1988: Nikon offered its first production manual focus 80-200mm f/2.8 ED AI-s, the world's fastest zoom for a 35mm camera. It takes a huge 95mm filter, and weighs over 4 pounds (1.9kg)! It takes the HN-25 screw-in spun anodized alumnium hood. The tripod collar rotates but doesn't come off. There is also a clutch lock on the focus/zoom ring to lock the lens at any combination of focus and zoom. It's Nikon's only production f/2.8 zoom that stops down to f/32. Nikon sold very few of these because it cost four times as much, and weighed over twice as much, as the 80-200mm f/4 AI-s. Another very significant reason you probably will never see one of these is that the 80-200mm f/4 was just as sharp, and focused twice as close. The 80-200mm f/2.8 ED AI-s is an extraordinary lens, but the 80-200mm f/4 was far more practical. In January of 1987, B&H Photo Video advertised it for $2,350, which is over $4,500 in 2008 corrected for inflation. For you collectors, the 58mm f/1.2 Noct, which sells today among collectors for over $3,000 used, sold for only $830 new. Nikon sold over 10,000 of the relatively common (among collectors) Noct-NIKKOR, but made less than 1,600 of these. Don't worry, you don't want one of these beasts. They only focus to 8.2 feet (2.5m)! Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 ED AF. enlarge. 1988 - 1992: Nikon introduced its first autofocus pro zoom, the 80-200mm f/2.8 ED AF. You can identify this version by its big multi-position focus-limiter ring. It takes the HN-28 screw-in metal crinkle-coat hood. It is optically excellent, but autofocus is slow. This lens and the F4 of its time just couldn't focus anywhere near as fast as the Canon EOS system, so sports pros went to Canon and have only started coming back in 2007 with the new D3. (Sorry; no photo until I get to borrow one.) 1993 - 1997: Nikon updated the mechanics and added the "D" feature, which like all modern Nikon lenses couples the focus distance to the camera for even better 3-D Matrix metering. It is especially effective for use with flash. The N90 was the first camera to use this distance information, and all Nikons use it today. It takes the HB-7 bayonet hood. It looks the same as the original AF version above, differing only that: 1.) The aft barrel (the rear part with the focal length markings) is crinkle-coat instead of smooth. 2.) The multi-position focus limiter ring is replaced with a simpler and easier to use Limit/Full slide switch. Many of these switches fell off, leaving a hole in the lens which otherwise works swell throughout the entire focus range. 3.) The forebarrel is extended so the overall length is longer, and filters now screw into the fixed, extended front barrel. With the original AF lens, the front group and filter ring rotated and extended as focused. With this first AF-D lens, the filter stays put while the front group wiggles around inside the lens barrel. 4.) Says 1:2.8D on the identity plate instead of just 1:2.8. This lens was Nikon product number 1985 NAS. Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 ED AF-D (New). 4.) 1997 - present: In this "new" AF-D version, Nikon added: 1.) Much faster autofocusing. 2.) A built-in, non-removable tripod collar. 3.) Zoom is now a separate ring instead of push-pull combined with focus as every previous production lens has been. The optics are still the same as the excellent original AF version of 1988, and used the same HB-7 bayonet hood as the previous D version. Unless you want VR or shoot a D40, D40x or D60, everyone ought to have one of these, since you can buy them brand-new for only about $900. Nikon 80-200mm ED-IF AF-S (tripod collar removed). enlarge. 1999 - 2004: Nikon completely redid the optics and added an internal AF motor in this AF-S version. It sold for $1,500 when new. As an AF-S lens, it works great on even the D40, D40x and D60, and since it has an aperture ring, all manual focus Nikons made since 1977, and all of them back to 1959 if you have a coupling prong added. It takes the HB-17 plastic bayonet hood. Nikon also added focus lock buttons, which are a huge convenience. It has a removable tripod collar, which most people remove for hand-holding as shown above. Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 ED IF VR G AF-S. enlarge. 2003 - present: Another completely new design, this 70-200mm lens adds: 1.) Slightly expanded zoom range to 70mm. 2.) Image Stabilization (VR) for sharp hand-held shots in dimmer light. Nikon gelded (removed) the aperture ring to save money, which renders this lens useless with manual-focus cameras. That's the "G" in the model name, and it's a handicap, not a feature. It takes the HB-29 plastic bayonet hood.
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