I picked up a Nikon 70-200 f2.8 AF-S VR II about two months ago to replace my aging 80-200 f2.8. My first impression of this lens is it's absolutely fantastic. Its very comfortable to hold and feels incredibly solid (after all it's a metal body). The fact that it's weather sealed its nice as well and I've used it in light rain with no problems at all. The auto focus is incredibly accurate and fast every time. Shots that I missed were pretty much all my fault. The color is amazing out of this lens and pretty much blows the color away in every other lens I have.
One of the negatives I found (that isn't really a negative) is it has a slight vignette around the edge. Its not very pronounced and in my opinion gives a nice look to the photos. The other thing is, because it is an all metal body and it has a lot of glass in it (21 elements in 16 groups), it weighs in just under 3.5 pounds. This might not sound like much but when you put it on a body and shoot handheld for a few hours it really burns out your arms. This is easily fixed by using a monopod.
You might not believe it but this lens is a rather versatile lens. I've used it to shoot everything from full length portraits to landscapes and sports. The 70-200 (like my 80-200) is pretty much my go to lens to shoot anything. It's wide enough to get a full scene but has the zoom to get details.
Overall its a fantastic lens and highly suggest anyone thats in the market pick one up. Check out the video below and some of the sports photos I've taken.
