70-200mm f2.8 EX DG Macro (1 Viewer)

[solentbirder]

70-200mm f2.8 EX DG Macro - Any users?

Anybody using this lens for general nature/wildlife photography? Any experiences good or bad?
Cheers
John

 

[Duke Leto]

Will only say that I bought one, sold it after 3 months to go towards the Nikon 70-200vr and glad I made the swap

 

[postcardcv]

I have the earlier (non macro) version of the lens and really like it. I don't use it much for bird as 200mm is often far too short, but it is a great general purpose lens. It takes a 1.4x tc very well and is still very useable with a 2x, though you'll need to stop down a bit to get the best out of it with the 2x. If you want a good all-rounder which can be used for birds then this lens with tc's is definitely worth a look (it's great for portraits/candid shots). If your main aim is bird shots then the 100-300 f4 may be a better bet.

 

[gordon g]

I have one of these which I use as a general purpose lens. It has good sharpness, colour and contrast, and a reasonably quick AF. As Peter says, it is really a bit short for birding, although I have used it with a 2X TC with some success.
For every day uses it is my first choice of lens. I have done side-by-side comparisons with the canon L series equivalent and didnt find that great a difference (certainly not enough to justify the massive price difference!). It isnt a lightweight lens for it's focal length, but I find it easy to handle.
I would agree with Peter's recommendation too - if you are after a lens for birding/non-close-up nature, then I would get something longer.

 

[solentbirder]

Thanks everyone. I was considering it as a general purpose lens rather than a dedicated bird lens. The fact it'll take a 2x convertor and still autofocus looks like a nice bonus.

 

[postcardcv]

Thanks everyone. I was considering it as a general purpose lens rather than a dedicated bird lens. The fact it'll take a 2x convertor and still autofocus looks like a nice bonus.

it is a very good general purpose lens - it might be worth looking for a secondhand non-macro version - it should be a lot cheaper and seems to get better reviews.