Gear > My lenses > Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-ED

80-200mm f/2.8AF-ED

Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-ED

Optically this lens is unsurpassed and the same optical design is still sold today. This 80-200mm f/2.8 AF was Nikon's top pro zoom from 1988-1992. The same optics, with different mechanics, are still made today. It is build extremely rugged and weighs about 1.280gr. The AF is slow and uses a slotted drive screw so it can't autofocus on the cheapest DSLRs. 187.964 Were made until 1992.

I bought this one in 2019 for €250,00 online in perfect condition. It has serial number 324283 and was produced in Januari 1991 in Japan.

“Extremely sharp, even wide open”

It is unbelievably sharp, even at f/2.8 only the corners lose a bit of contrast, although, zooms are normally not used for purposes where this really matters. Because of the slow AF I would not recommend to use this lens for sport photography. There are 3 locks for limiting the range on focus distances, which is pretty helpful.

Zoom is push-pull by moving the 65mm rubber ring forward and backward over a distance of 28mm, the lens doesn't extent while zooming.

I'm glad I bought this lens, although I don't use it very often, but when I do it give me perfect results and is comfortable to handle. The AF speed is the only issue, being a landscape and urban photographer, I can live with that.

“A must-have for film photographers”

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16 elements, 11 groups