DISCLAIMER: This review was carried out using a Nikon D7100 body. Results may vary with other bodies as the Nikon D7100 has no OLPF (optical low pass filter), which should make the images sharper than they would be if they were taken using other bodies. I do not represent Nikon or any other brand that might be showcased in this review. This review is written for THE FEAR and is of no significance to any sort of argument that may or may not ensue. I deliver this with utmost honesty and sincerity.
Hello, there.
A while ago, if you recall, I did a comparison review of the NIKKOR 70-200 f2.8G VRII vs the NIKKOR 80-400 f4.5-4.6G VR and I decided that the 70-200 f2.8 was the better choice for me.
Well, last Thursday I went back to Johan Photo & Electronics to try it out again.
This time, I compared it with the third party lens equivalent, Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD:
Feel
As usual, I do my comparisons based on a few factors that would influence me to choose one lens over the other.
The Tamron lens feels good in the hands, has excellent placement of the zoom ring and balances well with my D7100.
The body is built nicely and due to it being covered in mostly rubber (large focus and zoom rings), the grip is fantastic.
However, the feel of the NIKKOR lens is much better, albeit slightly heavier.
The placement of the zoom ring in the centre of the lens makes it a bit awkward to use as I usually shoot with a NIKKOR 55-300 f/3.5-5.6 VR that has its focus ring close to the front of the lens.
There is a sense of boastfulness and satisfaction when you hold the NIKKOR lens in your hands, which isn't really a good thing to consider but it does give you that extra confidence to go out and look for jobs.
Although the Tamron is a great lens in itself, I was more attracted to the feel of the NIKKOR lens.
Bokeh
It was a bit strange when I reviewed the photos I took when I got home.
We are used to hearing people glorifying Nikon (and Canon L) lenses, what with their premium price and exclusivity.
Therefore, I expected the NIKKOR to flat out beat the Tamron in terms of bokeh but I was shockingly mistaken.
Maybe the Tamron got lucky this time or maybe it is a fact that the Tamron produces slightly better bokeh.
Sharpness
I'll cut to the chase: NIKKOR beats Tamron hands down.
Hello, there.
A while ago, if you recall, I did a comparison review of the NIKKOR 70-200 f2.8G VRII vs the NIKKOR 80-400 f4.5-4.6G VR and I decided that the 70-200 f2.8 was the better choice for me.
Well, last Thursday I went back to Johan Photo & Electronics to try it out again.
This time, I compared it with the third party lens equivalent, Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD:
NIKKOR (left) vs Tamron (right)
Feel
As usual, I do my comparisons based on a few factors that would influence me to choose one lens over the other.
The Tamron lens feels good in the hands, has excellent placement of the zoom ring and balances well with my D7100.
The body is built nicely and due to it being covered in mostly rubber (large focus and zoom rings), the grip is fantastic.
However, the feel of the NIKKOR lens is much better, albeit slightly heavier.
The placement of the zoom ring in the centre of the lens makes it a bit awkward to use as I usually shoot with a NIKKOR 55-300 f/3.5-5.6 VR that has its focus ring close to the front of the lens.
There is a sense of boastfulness and satisfaction when you hold the NIKKOR lens in your hands, which isn't really a good thing to consider but it does give you that extra confidence to go out and look for jobs.
Although the Tamron is a great lens in itself, I was more attracted to the feel of the NIKKOR lens.
Bokeh
It was a bit strange when I reviewed the photos I took when I got home.
We are used to hearing people glorifying Nikon (and Canon L) lenses, what with their premium price and exclusivity.
Therefore, I expected the NIKKOR to flat out beat the Tamron in terms of bokeh but I was shockingly mistaken.
Nikon D7100 + Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 VC
f/2.8 | 1/250 sec. | ISO-2500 | 200mm
Compare this with the photo below and you see that the out-of-focus background is much smoother. However, this may be contributed by the fact that the sharpness of this lens is no way near the NIKKOR lens.
Nikon D7100 + NIKKOR 70-200 f/2.8 VRII
f/2.8 | 1/250 sec. | ISO-2500 | 200mm
Slightly rougher, the bokeh from this lens is still beautiful but not as smooth as the Tamron. This might be explained in the next section.
Maybe the Tamron got lucky this time or maybe it is a fact that the Tamron produces slightly better bokeh.
Sharpness
I'll cut to the chase: NIKKOR beats Tamron hands down.
Nikon D7100 + Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 VC
f/2.8 | 1/250 sec. | ISO-2500 | 200mm | 100% crop
Nikon D7100 + NIKKOR 70-200 f/2.8 VRII
f/2.8 | 1/250 sec. | ISO-2500 | 200mm | 100% crop
Some people rather not pixel-peep into this stuff but to justify why people put such a premium on the NIKKOR, it is undoubtedly necessary.
Even without looking at the two photos up close, you see that the Tamron lacks in sharpness and compared to the NIKKOR, it just seems funny.
Of course, sharpness is not the defining attribute in choosing a lens.
Heck, even professionals rather spend half the money they would on a NIKKOR and just buy a third party equivalent such as the Tamron.
But for those who want to sell their products, who want to have the cutting edge and who pay more attention to detail, this is definitely one thing to consider.
The Tamron is a great lens.
It has the same telephoto range as the NIKKOR and the same fixed large aperture of f/2.8.
It only has a very tiny bit less image quality than the NIKKOR but makes up for it in terms of pricing.
You save about a third of your money if you buy the Tamron instead of the NIKKOR.
For those of you who intend to have a f2.8 telephoto zoom but can't dish out so much cash just for one piece of gear, then by all means get the Tamron.
You will be content and be able to produce more wonderful photos compared to using a kit zoom, plus you will have the extra edge in low-light situations.
If you are willing to spend a lot more for the NIKKOR, make sure you have a contingency plan for your finance.
There is no sense in starving yourself or even go to desperate lengths just for a lens.
Remember that there is much more important things in life than man-made materials.
So, which one did I pick?
AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f2.8G ED VRII
Taken with an iPhone 5s and processed with VSCOcam.
I figured that since I'll be involved in this business for quite a while, I should just go all in.
A wise man once told me, "If you decide to die, then die completely,".
This, although it may not seem comprehensible, made complete sense at the time and so I took it upon myself to just spend the money and pray that I can make enough money to pay it all back.
It's wishful thinking and right now it does seem a little far-fetched.
But come the time I need to use this lens, I would be happy that I actually have it.
This is also due to my experience shooting the events at the end of March, where I was forced to bump up my ISO and sacrifice my shutter speed to get properly exposed photos.
Even correcting them in post didn't help, in fact, it just made the photos worse.
I felt disappointed with myself that I had to deliver below par photos.
Thus, I was determined to be more prepared come the next event and hence the decision to choose such a lens.
I just think of it as an investment in a long term plan.
By God's will, I will make the money back eventually.
Anyway, I wish I could do a more in-depth comparison of the two lenses shooting in a real-world situation.
There are other factors that are important to consider in choosing a lens like focusing in low-light.
The fact is I'm still a newcomer to the photography world and the occasional visits to the camera shop are what makes me feel a little better about myself.
I hope that I'll be offered more jobs in the future and I will surely keep on applying for jobs.
I also hope to collaborate with Johan Photo & Electronics into letting me use their gear for even better reviews.
If any of you ever want to look up and also try out some gear, head down to Johan Photo & Electronics, Plaza Angsana JB and tell Jacky that Firdaus sent you.
I guarantee that Jacky will happily cater to all your needs.
You can also check out our page QZ Photography and hire us for photography services.
E-mail us for our complete portfolio!
I've been having a lot of fun shooting this lens ever since I first tried it out.
I hope to share more shots using it and will upload them to my Flickr photostream.
In the meantime, you can check out all the FULL RES images from this review at my Flickr here.
"All in or nothing"
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