Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/4G ED VR £1,250/$1,400

Bein g a stop slower isn ’t all ba d

At 850g, this own-brand Nikon lens is barely more than half the weight of the others on test and is much smaller. As such, a tripod collar is only offered as an optional extra, and the filter attachment thread is a modest 67mm. Like the big boys, though, it benefits from fully internal zoom and focus.

Mod cons include highly effective VR (Vibration Reduction) with automatic panning detection and an additional ‘Active’ setting for shooting from a vibrating platform. There’s also an autofocus range limiter switch and posh glass that includes three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, one HRI (High Refractive Index) element and Nano Crystal Coatings.

Performance

This lens is something of a quart in a pint pot when it comes to image quality. Sharpness and contrast are spectacular, even when shooting wide-open, exceeding the sharpness of some f/2.8 lenses when they’re stopped down to a matching f/4 aperture. Autofocus is fast and unerringly accurate.