Is the Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 a good match for a Nikon D7000 DX body?
Asked 11/7/2011
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I’m considering a Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 for use on a Nikon D7000, mainly for sports, event candids, and some video work. I’ve seen advice saying not to pair this lens with DX bodies and to buy the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR instead, but that lens is much more expensive. Is there any real reason to avoid the 80-200mm f/2.8 on a D7000? More generally, are there drawbacks to using an FX lens on a DX camera?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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The 70-200 isn't specifically better for DX cameras than the 80-200 -- it's probably a better lens, and it has AF-S and VR, which are both nice, but there's nothing about it that makes it a better fit for DX cameras.
Your friend might be incorrectly assuming that the D7000 has no in-body focus motor (thus requiring AF-S lenses such as the 70-200 for autofocus), because none of the D5x00 or D3x00 cameras have one.
I should also note that Nikon briefly made an 80-200 AF-S lens that would work fully with all Nikon DSLRs, but the current model of 80-200 is simply AF.
Originally by user378. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user378
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — the 80-200mm f/2.8 can be a perfectly reasonable choice on a D7000. There’s no inherent problem with using an FX lens on a DX body; in fact, DX can hide some edge/corner weaknesses because it uses only the center of the image circle.
The main point of confusion is autofocus compatibility. Some Nikon DX bodies lack an in-body focus motor and need AF-S lenses to autofocus, but the D7000 does have a focus motor, so the AF 80-200mm will autofocus on it.
Why do some people recommend the 70-200mm instead? Because it’s generally a better lens overall: faster/more accurate autofocus, better contrast, and added VR. Those are real advantages, especially for sports and handheld work, but they don’t mean the 80-200 is a bad DX match.
So the tradeoff is simple: the 70-200mm is superior, but the 80-200mm is still a strong option if it fits your budget. Just make sure you know which 80-200 version you’re buying, since AF-S and non-AF-S versions differ in focusing behavior on some Nikon bodies.
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