I did not read every post but here is my two cents.
I shoot a D700 and the 70-200 VR1 combo quite a lot. It works fantastic. I shoot wake boarding and waterskiing out of the back of a boat with it. I shoot birds using a 2x tele on a tripod with it and I shoot humans in a small studio with it. It is a great way to give your subject some space and still get the head shot you want. If I can only take one lens, that is the one I grab. I love it and it can out perform me most of the time. I used to buy the newest and shiniest stuff but it never made me a better photographer, just a photographer with more expensive equipment and less money in my pocket.
My vote would be an 85mm, f1.4. I'm surprised you don't already own this lens. It's a Nikon portrait classic that really shines on an FX body. You need this lens in your kit. It can be used indoors and out.
I also own the 70-200mm VRI. I've tried to convince myself that I need to upgrade to the VRII, but I can't reconcile spending the extra $1,000 to upgrade. The vignette and FOV issues are all hype with little substance IMHO. Remember all those great photos and all the praise given to the VRI over the years?
Im late to the party but you have made a great choice. I had bought the Canon variation, a 70-200 F2.8IS a few years ago to help me improve shots of my daughter on the football field at halftime or in the gym(a dancer then). I am still a little surprised that it has become my most oft used portrait lens. And. I would RATHER use the 70-200 than anything else I have currently or previously owned......including an 85 F1.8 (swapped to Shima for a 50 F1.4). I use a 1.6x crop sensor camera body....and would LOVE to be able to pair it up with a full frame sensor.
Someday!
Tips....
-Do NOT trust focus and recompose. Instead, choose the appropriate focus point for your composition.....too prevent soft focus.
-WAIT - momentarily with the shutter half pressed before pushing it home. This gives the stabilization gizmos time to spool up and do their thing.
- Watch your shutter speed! - Yes its stabilized but....Faster shutter speeds will still yield a sharper image - especially when hand held.
- Use that Wide Aperture! - get the bang from your buck. Open that sucker up and get that bokeh
-Compress - Repeating lines can REALLY compress at long focal lengths. Can be VERY dramatic.
-Use the longest focal length that you have room for....:D That is, shoot at or near 200mm unless your back is against a wall. This will REALLY show off what that lens is capable of.
-Want more? - Using a seated pose and landscape orientation will help you get full body length shots at maximum focal length......netting some super sweet depth of field. IOW- do what ya gotta to get your subject in the frame, get yourself as close as possible, AND use the long end of that lens.
Ugh - if you guys keep talking about this and sharing the yumminess I can see I'm going to wind up caving to that behemoth zoom sooner rather than later!! At least the Canon 70-200 2.8 is Mk I still turns up used quite a lot
I do know that if I go to FF this year (which is the hope/plan, Canon releases permitting), I will probably want the extra length; outdoors, my most-used lens is for sure the 135L (which, despite the awkwarndess as I back out the door to the street, I even use indoors sometimes!) and I would miss the compression and bokeh the 1.6x factor gives it when used on a 7d.
I have an outdoor shoot booked for next month - maybe I'll rent one and see....
Jeff, how far away were you standing in most of these shots?
Alex, congrats on the new glass - I'm sure you'll be putting it to awesome use!
Ugh -
Jeff, how far away were you standing in most of these shots?
Well I have another limiting factor....
I use the STE2 to trigger my flash. The book says 30 feet, but I have pulled it off at over 30 feet. Id say up to 40/45 feet in daylight.
After dark things get dicey with no light to focus by....and too much distance for the STE2's focus assist. Gotta work closer then.
Heres one at 150mm and F3.2. I remember being shocked that the flash would fire at this distance. I had backed away and into the street for the shot. Surely at least 40 feet away. Note the full park bench, and full length pose(although seated) plus room for even an 8x10 crop. All that at 150mm with a shoot through flash.
Alex,
My 70-200 VRII is my most often used portrait lens. Funny thing is I almost never have the VR turned on, and I usually add some negative vignette in post on portraits anyway. I have an 85 f/1.4 and I very seldom use it. I just like the 70-200 so much on the FF body. I think you got yourself an awesome tool for a great price, my friend.
John :
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
Comments
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If your AP dept has approved the funds for a VR2, that may be your best bet.
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I shoot a D700 and the 70-200 VR1 combo quite a lot. It works fantastic. I shoot wake boarding and waterskiing out of the back of a boat with it. I shoot birds using a 2x tele on a tripod with it and I shoot humans in a small studio with it. It is a great way to give your subject some space and still get the head shot you want. If I can only take one lens, that is the one I grab. I love it and it can out perform me most of the time. I used to buy the newest and shiniest stuff but it never made me a better photographer, just a photographer with more expensive equipment and less money in my pocket.
Have keyboard and opinion.
Senska Photography
My vote would be an 85mm, f1.4. I'm surprised you don't already own this lens. It's a Nikon portrait classic that really shines on an FX body. You need this lens in your kit. It can be used indoors and out.
I also own the 70-200mm VRI. I've tried to convince myself that I need to upgrade to the VRII, but I can't reconcile spending the extra $1,000 to upgrade. The vignette and FOV issues are all hype with little substance IMHO. Remember all those great photos and all the praise given to the VRI over the years?
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
www.CottageInk.smugmug.com
NIKON D700
Moderator of the People and Go Figure forums
My Smug Site
Have you seen the horrible vignetting? Unusable on FX.
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Crap....now I am going to have to throw away a couple hundred thousand portraits that I took with it
Enjoy your new purchase!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21695902@N06/
http://500px.com/Shockey
alloutdoor.smugmug.com
http://aoboudoirboise.smugmug.com/
Sound advice here !
www.CottageInk.smugmug.com
NIKON D700
Someday!
Tips....
-Do NOT trust focus and recompose. Instead, choose the appropriate focus point for your composition.....too prevent soft focus.
-WAIT - momentarily with the shutter half pressed before pushing it home. This gives the stabilization gizmos time to spool up and do their thing.
- Watch your shutter speed! - Yes its stabilized but....Faster shutter speeds will still yield a sharper image - especially when hand held.
- Use that Wide Aperture! - get the bang from your buck. Open that sucker up and get that bokeh
-Compress - Repeating lines can REALLY compress at long focal lengths. Can be VERY dramatic.
-Use the longest focal length that you have room for....:D That is, shoot at or near 200mm unless your back is against a wall. This will REALLY show off what that lens is capable of.
-Want more? - Using a seated pose and landscape orientation will help you get full body length shots at maximum focal length......netting some super sweet depth of field.
F2.8 185mm
F2.8 110mm
F2.8 200mm
F2.8 200mm
Jeff
-Need help with Dgrin?; Wedding Photography Resources
-My Website - Blog - Tips for Senior Portraiture
I do know that if I go to FF this year (which is the hope/plan, Canon releases permitting), I will probably want the extra length; outdoors, my most-used lens is for sure the 135L (which, despite the awkwarndess as I back out the door to the street, I even use indoors sometimes!) and I would miss the compression and bokeh the 1.6x factor gives it when used on a 7d.
I have an outdoor shoot booked for next month - maybe I'll rent one and see....
Jeff, how far away were you standing in most of these shots?
Alex, congrats on the new glass - I'm sure you'll be putting it to awesome use!
Well I have another limiting factor....
I use the STE2 to trigger my flash. The book says 30 feet, but I have pulled it off at over 30 feet. Id say up to 40/45 feet in daylight.
After dark things get dicey with no light to focus by....and too much distance for the STE2's focus assist. Gotta work closer then.
Heres one at 150mm and F3.2. I remember being shocked that the flash would fire at this distance. I had backed away and into the street for the shot. Surely at least 40 feet away. Note the full park bench, and full length pose(although seated) plus room for even an 8x10 crop. All that at 150mm with a shoot through flash.
Jeff
-Need help with Dgrin?; Wedding Photography Resources
-My Website - Blog - Tips for Senior Portraiture
My 70-200 VRII is my most often used portrait lens. Funny thing is I almost never have the VR turned on, and I usually add some negative vignette in post on portraits anyway. I have an 85 f/1.4 and I very seldom use it. I just like the 70-200 so much on the FF body. I think you got yourself an awesome tool for a great price, my friend.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.