Discussion
70-200 2.8 ED VRII
Got it yesterday and went out to play. (Along with AFS 1.7 teleconverter)
It's built like a tank (one of those big Russian Ba5tards, not Shermans)... unfortunately it weighs as much.

Astonishing piece of kit. Best zoom I've ever used by a mile.
Some examples from yesterday: (I'll not post pics but a link as they are 1150 wide)
http://SteveCarter.com/random/LI.htm
The ship pic is taken with the teleconverter at full stretch.... about a mile distant.
Got it yesterday and went out to play. (Along with AFS 1.7 teleconverter)
It's built like a tank (one of those big Russian Ba5tards, not Shermans)... unfortunately it weighs as much.

Astonishing piece of kit. Best zoom I've ever used by a mile.
Some examples from yesterday: (I'll not post pics but a link as they are 1150 wide)
http://SteveCarter.com/random/LI.htm
The ship pic is taken with the teleconverter at full stretch.... about a mile distant.
dibbly dobbler said:
Nice work Steve, super sharp - love the Charlie shot as usual 
(horizon looks a wee bit off in the last one
)
I know it does, it's not though!
(horizon looks a wee bit off in the last one
)ETA - I've added one, I assume you mean the penultimate one? Diagonal lines always make the horizon look squif in my experience.
Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 13th October 13:45
GetCarter said:
I know it does, it's not though!
ETA - I've added one, I assume you mean the penultimate one? Diagonal lines always make the horizon look squif in my experience.
Yes I did mean (what is now) the penultimate one. No matter - great pics in any event and interesting to see the versatility of a lens with this range of focal lengths ETA - I've added one, I assume you mean the penultimate one? Diagonal lines always make the horizon look squif in my experience.
Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 13th October 13:45
Beardy10 said:
It really is a great piece of kit and you can certainly do it justice.....people say primes are better but blimey you must need to pixel peep to see it!
The trouble with looking at such great shots - and I especially like the superb colours in the first two or three - is that where GC operates you could probably get some images that were only slightly less impressive using 2 coke bottle bottoms hot-glued together and mounted on a used lager can. Well, GC could, unlikely that I would succeed.To add a high quality lens to the package is just being unreasonable.
In my view ... which is far more restricted of course being marginally suburban.
Edited by LongQ on Thursday 13th October 23:49
Simpo Two said:
LongQ said:
I especially like the suberb colours in the first two or three
Although with due respect to GC how much of that is lens and how much is processing?Being a Canon person all I can say is that I see similar traits from my 70-200 f2.8L II. It's always very good but when everything comes together it can be outstanding.
Edited by LongQ on Friday 14th October 11:57
Cheers chaps, and you're right - as I've said before, it's mostly location and light. I'm lucky to be able to be here all year round and take advantage of the (estimnate) 30 - 40 days per year of spectacular light (be it sun or moody), for when we get days like Wednesday, days where the horizon 20 miles distant is as sharp as a knife and the colours look like God has been on the pop and massiively 'oversaturated', any half decent tog would have to be a clot not to be able to take decent images.
As for primes... I nearly said that in my O/P. Using this lens 'looks & feels' like a prime TTL. The weight somewhat gives it away mind!
As for colour, sharpness, (and D3 noise).. this is a 1:1 crop (straight out of the camera / no pp) handheld, 15 mins after sunset - 1/50th sec f3.5 ISO 1250. The hill in the foreground is about 1.5 miles distant.

Clever kit.
As for primes... I nearly said that in my O/P. Using this lens 'looks & feels' like a prime TTL. The weight somewhat gives it away mind!
As for colour, sharpness, (and D3 noise).. this is a 1:1 crop (straight out of the camera / no pp) handheld, 15 mins after sunset - 1/50th sec f3.5 ISO 1250. The hill in the foreground is about 1.5 miles distant.

Clever kit.
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(the 'Charlie the Lookout' wins by a mile
)

