Few lenses have been as eagerly anticipated as Nikon's flagship AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 GII ED telezoom and even at £1999, orders have flooded in. In this exclusive preview, we see how it matches up with its predecessor

Resolution; Low distortion and flare; Fast aperture; Handling throughout

Price; It's heavy

Nikon's long-awaited successor to its 70-200mm F2.8 VR was always going to be held up to very close scrutiny when it finally saw the light of day. Because while the original was a superb lens on DX cameras, it suffered from some well-publicised optical defects on full-frame cameras which became...

Excellent image quality on both DX and FX formats; especially at 200mm; Superb build quality with dust and moisture sealing; Excellent optical image stabilization; Excellent autofocus with manual override

Pronounced focus 'breathing', i.e; widening of the angle of view on focusing closer, Reduced maximum magnification compared to previous version, Somewhat susceptible to flare with direct light sources in or close to the frame, Poorly-designed lens hood - too shallow, and with curved ends, Slightly...

I was very pleased to give this lens as a gift to my friend, who is a student; he is earning 2 Certificates in Photography before he enters a degree program in Photography at an international university.

Quality is outstanding

Cost may be prohibitive for many university students

Beach Camera provided the lens on time and in great condition. This lens is hands down one of the best zoom lens for action photos for either day or night time photography. It is bit heavy but any decent Sport zoom is going to be.

Nikon's 'Mark II' 70-200mm telezoom fixes the problems suffered by the previous version on full frame bodies, while updating to the latest and greatest VR system. It's an equally accomplished performer on both DX and FX that will satisfy the most demanding of photographers.

Professional shooters and advanced amateurs demanding the finest optical performance available in a telephoto zoom;

Anyone who values portability and convenience over all-out image quality;

Far better than the VR I for FX body. Sharper wide open at 200MM. Vignetting is less obvious and of little concern. AF is very fast and right on sharp.

Sharp

Heavy

Nikon has produced more than half a dozen high-speed, tele zooms since the early 1980s. The first with Vibration Reduction- the full-frame 70–200mm f/2.8 VR of 2003-was an instant classic, lauded for its high-speed autofocus, VR, and attractive styling.

Nikon's entry into past universal 80-200mm f/2.8 lenses started back in 1978 with a manual focus, push-pull lens checking in at 4 lbs. Ten years later the autofocus model arrived sporting ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass; '92 marked the "D" package.

Was a little reluctant to shell out the best part of 2 grand on this lens, but boy was it worth it! The Pros say that good lenses improve your photos. Couldn't agree more. Love it. Sharp, big constant aperture and is just a top quality item. Only downside?

Nikon's pro zoom is a stunning beast of an optic, with consistently excellent results across the focal range

Consistent high resolution

Fiddly M/AF switch