The Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR II is a seriously expensive lens. The cost is down to its professional build quality and its constant f2.8 maximum aperture, which, in a lens with this focal range, is quite an achievement. And don’t forget that this is a full-frame FX-format lens (though it can also be used on DX bodies, of course).

The result, though, is a telephoto zoom which makes no concession to either size or weight. The length means you have to be fairly careful how you handle it in crowds and confined spaces, and the weight makes the tripod collar essential. In fact, there are two tripods sockets so that you can choose the one which gives the best balance with the body you’re using.

It might be bulky, but this 70-200mm is straightforward to use. The focussing and zoom mechanisms are internal, so the length doesn’t change as you zoom, and the autofocus system has been updated to keep up with the latest camera bodies – and it does focus surprisingly rapidly for a lens of this size and range. There’s also a switch on the side to restrict the focus range to 5m to infinity, which should speed up the responses when your subjects are further away.

Nikon’s also upgraded the VR system, and another switch on the size toggles between Normal and Active VR. Normal mode is for normal camera shake from shooting hand-held, and it automatically distinguishes between static and panning shots. Active mode is for situations where there’s much more movement, such as when you’re being thrown around in the back of a truck on safari.

The zoom ring is nearest the camera and has a good, even movement. Next is the focus ring, which is also good, and is coupled to a distance scale under a perspex window. But there’s also a third ‘ring’ at the front of the lens with no apparent purpose. The manual simply refers to it as ‘Rubber grip’. You get a big, deep, petal-style lens hood too, though it may not always be needed because this lens seems very resistant to flare and has excellent contrast, even at maximum focal length.

In fact the test chart figures don’t really do it justice because the default sharpening levels of the D3s used for the test are pretty conservative, which does reduce the calculated resolution values. With real-world subjects it’s obvious straight away just how good this lens is. It’s consistent across the whole zoom range and it’s sharp from edge to edge. And what the test charts don’t reveal is the eye-popping clarity of the contrast and the depth of the colours.

The resolution is good even wide open (and the shallow depth of field will make it look even better), but peaks at around f5.6 to f8. Our lens dipped quite sharply at f11 at all focal lengths, which is odd, but when you’ve got a lens this fast and this good at large apertures, you may not be down at that end of the range very often. A combination of excellent optics and the chromatic aberration suppression built into the camera body meant that there was no colour fringing in any of our test shots.

This lens is a worthy successor to Nikon’s original 70-200mm f2.8, boasting numerous enhancements to bring it up to speed with Nikon’s new FX-format digital bodies. It’s fantastically expensive by amateur standards, but pretty much par for the course in the pro telephoto market. The constant maximum aperture makes it a great hand-held/available light lens for sports and nature photography, and as long as you can handle its size and weight it could tackle candid and documentary photography too.

Final Verdict The Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR II delivers excellent build, handling and image quality, but at a price. Think of it as a professional investment! OVERALL

Our lens reviewer, and technical expert, Rod is a veritable photographic encyclopaedia. His illustrious CV has seen him write for many mags, websites and journals.