GREAT GLASS

Though Jordan uses his current 70-200mm lens for about 90 percent of his work, he's had a nagging issue when he shifts the focus point from the center. It's particularly a problem when he changes from horizontal to vertical shooting with the adjusted focus point not able to attain consistent sharpness.

He's sent his lens in a number of times for repair and while it works when he first gets it back, the problem eventually resurfaces. So trying out the new VR II was a revelation for him.

All faulty focus points aside, we both noticed more consistent sharpness with the new model versus the old. Nikon says the VR II technology in the new lens will let you hand hold it at four stops slower than normal—compared to three stops for the previous model—and while we generally felt this to be true, these sorts of claims are pretty arbitrary. In real world shooting circumstances, I was able to get impressive sharpness and attractive background detail from the 70-200mm VR II in non-flash candlelight portraits shot at 1/15th of second at ISO 400.

That kind of performance also gave me the confidence I needed while shooting the soccer final in less than ideal stadium lighting. For Jordan, it means he can take more risks in his portraits which, for the most part, are done on the street in natural lighting.

The new 70-200mm VR II creates splendid "bokeh," or background blur behind your subject, most likely because of the lens's 9 rounded diaphragm blades. I also saw very little to no color fringing even when I shot the lens wide open. This was attributable, most likely, to the lens's seven ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) glass elements which feature a new optical formula that also cuts down on vignetting.

Meanwhile, ghosting and flare were almost non-existent in our testing which can be attributed to the potency of Nikon's Nano Crystal Coat on the lens. We also got excellent corner sharpness when we needed it.

Last of all, Nikon's Silent Wave motor lets you be pretty stealthy with this lens, particularly for candids. If people can ignore the 70-200mm f/2.8's honking size—especially with the lens hood on—they might not even know you're there at all.