Nikon 80-200mm 2.8 ED 1 touch

I used the Nikon 80-200mm 2.8 ED 1 touch 35mm SLR Lens for the first time back in 1990 and was

amazed by the clarity and warmth of the transparencies this lens produced. After 14 years of faithful service, I still have a grin in my face whenever a fresh set of Kodachromes

arrives at home from Paris! Neverteless, it is a very heavy lens (1300 gr) and requires strong and steady hands to deliver the best. If you have them, buy this lens now!

I have been back into photography after a 20yr break and wanted to get Nikon equipment this time around instead of the old pentax screwmount stuff I had used years ago. I bought a N70 and N90s a few months later and a battery of Tamaron, Vivitar and Sigma lenses from 19-35mm zooms, two mid range zooms to a 400mm APO. I tried to save money and avoided Nikon lenses because of the price but found I was starting to get paying part-time jobs that needed higher end equipment and faster apertures. When I would shoot bands in nightclubs and some clubs frowned on using flash, I was stressed using long exposures with my f3.8/4 wide angle and f5.6 telephotos. I finally decided to get a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 since I needed the zoom and fastest aperture available.

I shopped for 3 months on Ebay and most of the prices for used 80-200 f2.8 AF seemed to be between $640 to $800 and was going to get a Tokina or Sigma MF lense when a friend told me about a camera store near him that sold new and used Nikon equipment. I called and asked about those lenses and the saleman told me he had 2 in stock starting at $499. When I got there I expected to find beatup used junk with scratches and pieces missing. To my pleasant surprise I found both Nikons to be in near mint condition with hoods, caps and case. I tried the lenses out on a N90s they had available and the image was stunning. Sharp, clean, smooth Af and not as heavy as I thought. I bought it and rushed home. This lens is unbelievably sharp and fast for its size. I had a shoot that night and it was the greatest night of club shooting I had. I never realized how much contrast, clarity and speed I was missing. The next day I shot this same band in a warehouse recording studio with minimal lighting and got some great shots as well without using my sb-28 flash in some shots to gave the gritty atmosphere of the hard working musicans prepping their next album. Though I had my 19-35 f3.5 wide angle zoom, I used the 80-200 for 80% of the photos. I am sold on this lens and highly recommend it to anyone for almost any occasion from sports, portraits or indoor events. I have sold off all my lenses except for my wide angle zoom and this one and I am saving for a 20-35 Nikon f2.8 zoom.

view my photos with this lens at www.echoes.ws

This is a "pro" lens that every serious amateur should have!

It is big and a bit heavy, but it's worth the extra effort of toting it around. It focuses much faster than I can for the most part, and it is sharp enough for 16x20 prints. I wish Nikon had made a petal-type lenshood for it... oh, well. The 2.8 is a real help when you use a polarizing filter that eats up two stops of light. Price is down to about 800-900 US dollars these days which makes it a terrific bargain.

This lens, and the later 2 touch and AFS lens are the lenses that made Nikon zoom lenses popular to the prime lens crowd. It is a heavy lens but it balances nicely on my N90s and even better on the F5. It is SHARP, CONTRASTY, and does not have noticeable distortion. It is invaluable for times and places where you need a zoom but will not sacrifice quality or speed. This lens has followed me all over the United States and Europe and I consider it one of my favorites. It might, and I add might, be a little less sharp than my 180 2.8 EDIF D but not by much if any. It is another almost perfect lens. What the heck, for the purposes of this review, it is perfect!!!