What you actually get out of VR is highly susceptible to your handling and whether or not you’re moving when you use it. We weren't able to save any images, but from a very quick test Nikon's claims of a 5-stop vibration reduction don't seem entirely unreasonable.

The collapsible design does have advantages like compact storage (and Nikon makes a few such lenses) but the Nikkor 70-200G and E models are both internal focus and internal zoom.If you don't shoot much action with the 70-200/4, I think it can produce excellent results with a very pleasing overall rendition. On the other hand, I would definitely move it to “Infinity-3m” when you know for sure that your subjects will never get closer than 3m (i. cousin, the new lens features an improved Vibration Reduction system which Nikon claims should be able to deliver up to 5 EV of stabilization, potentially allowing you to get sharp pictures at shutter speeds as low as 1/6 sec at 200mm.

A reduced size image (within 1024 x 1024 bounds) is provided to be more easily viewed in your browser. There's no official word on exactly how weatherproof the new lens is, but there's the usual rubber gasket around the mount, which makes a water and dust-resistant seal between camera and lens.The speed difference between the two modes is negligible, and Murphy’s law will ensure you that when you’ll encounter a situation where you might need the full range, you’ll have the limiter on. I suggest to repeat the test at f/4 to get a meaningful comparison insofar as lens quality is concerned.

There is a little bit of field curvature on the wide end, but it is off the center, so it should not be noticeable. VR you will find that the length differences between the two 70-200mm versions isn't a lot while the 24-70mm is a much shorter lens. So the combination of smooth and short distance means I can almost reliably move focal length with just a touch of my thumb, a bit unusual for Nikkor designs, but very welcome. It has been very infrequent, is easy to fix and is on a stack with two "adapters" so it hasn't been a big issue. In one case -the hyper-focusing on one single suject- and in the other one - the attempt to take a 360o picture - we're talking here of sorts of specialization in photography that have both their raison-d'etre but are second to main considerations: the quickness, the sharpness, the stabilization, the flare issue, the reliability in the long term of one lens.

If you think photography is expensive, try getting into HDSLR video and have a look at Zacuto or Red Rock Micro rigs. It starts out fairly low at 70mm, but the effect quickly increases, with 135mm producing the highest amount of 2.