The reason why many people or reviewers are not concerned about the “Made in” because it is just a personal preference, it is nothing to do with the quality of the product as long as the brand name is Nikon, plus Nikon start making their products in Thailand very very long time ago, it’s not something new. Even the great D850 was made in Thailand. And the whole world praised that camera and never was an issue where it made in.
It’s a promise. It shows if the company cares about its products, or more about its profits; customers or cash. As was said over 400 years ago, there’s always a way to make a product a little worse and a little cheaper, and there will always be someone to buy it. I care where my stuff is made; others don’t, and for those who do, I report it. Thanks!
@@KenRockwellTV To this day I haven’t seen yet anyone actually care where the D850 was made in. I doubt very much it would make a difference if D850 was made in Japan. And Nikon made a whole lot of money from the D850 and everyone pretty much all the customers loved it. If you care then that is your personal preference but don’t say if it made in Thailand then it is not a quality product because the D850 and the other great products the prove that Made in Thailand is not less quality than made in Japan.
Ken would give this lens a positive review if it was a blind test, but "Made in Thailand" automatically means that the lens is bad. (No, I'm not Thai.) You are (of course) entitled to your opinions based on nation of manufacture, but I'd rather see an objective analysis of the lens rather than an indictment of the country of manufacture. And saying that this lens is inferior to the older F mount lens is simply ridiculous. C'mon, Ken.
I suspect that he is basing this judgment call on decades of experience with lenses made in all of these different countries, and having heavily abused all of those lenses. So, there is likely merit to his inclination to dismissal. Having said that, indeed you can't judge a book by its "printed in" label, and with the latest-and-greatest MFG technology I think Thailand is likely a perfectly acceptable place to have high-grade professional equipment made. The bottom line is, only time will tell, and we may very well hear about these lenses breaking just a little bit more than the legendary flagship 70-200's of yesteryear, or we might not...
I agree that it being offshored is irrelevant. (Ken Rockwell is not exactly an international economist. On the 70-200 f/4: new lenses just "funnel more money to offshore businesses like Nikon from our American and European economies" - emphasis on "our".) But Ken's point stands: The lens is plastic, the tripod collar doesn't come off, that OLED screen turns off, and there's no VR switch. Some of the other ergonomic improvements and the incredible optics may make up for it for some, but not for others. That's a fair point.
Not made in Japan. Got it. Hate to break the news to you....Japanese manufacturing is not what it use to be in terms of quality. Like in the US, many things that use to be made here have been outsourced to countries that are less expensive to manufacturer. Doesn’t necessarily mean the quality has dropped. Also, it goes to reason that if this is plastic, as you said multiple times (like repeating it yourself), and it weighs more than the old 70-200mm lens, that would suggest that the glass in the new Z lens has some superior optical properties.
Had the 70-200 FL for a couple of years and sold it to buy this lens. Don't understand what you mean by less professional than the FL version. I have tried both and this feels much more professional and i do see better results (on the zii and yes i had the adapter for the zii to use with the FL version), specifically in terms of sharpness (slightly better than the FL), has no cromatic aberration and minimal flare in comparison. Also focus much closer. The length and weight is the same...so i don't get your conclusions? This is a btter lens than the FL...no doubt whatosover. Sounds like a weird review for someone that used both lens.
It's indeed a little weird. I'm looking into this lens and watched a lot of reviews. Even people who dislike nikon said the autofocus was insanely fast and accurate and you say the opposite. A little confusing, like your comment if you can't get a sharp picture it's not the camera maybe it's not the camera haha :p
@@marclyrette7936 trust me. I photograph over 30 weddings and do over 50 photoshoots a year. I have used both the FL lens and S lens extensively. The S lens is way better...specially on the sharpness.
@@miguelponte8594 thanks for the feedback. I sold all my gear including a FL 2 years ago and are rebuying some gear and was leaning toward the S. But that video didn't match what most of the video said so I was wondering
I was excited about the Canon at first, when I saw how short and stubby it was, and indeed, it's quite a bit lighter and balances quite a bit better. However, both the hood and tripod collar for the Canon are ridiculous, I suspect they may have just borrowed the enormous hood from the 100-500 RF, it utterly dwarfs the lens in terms of the diameter of the hood, and makes it take up way more space in your camera bag. Also, the Canon changed its zooming throw, and now requires two good cranks of a full hand-grip, even with my large hands, whereas the older Canon 70-200's (and Nikons) with their closer, easier zoom rings could be racked from 70-200 with just a flick of your pinky finger without changing the rest of your hand-holding grip on the lens. All in all, not a total win for Nikon, as I would have liked to see it be lighter and shorter, indeed, but certainly a lot of annoyances to go along with the Canon, and I would honestly just go with the Tamron 70-180 2.8 (when it eventually becomes available for these mounts) instead, *IF* I cared about size/weight as much as some people seem to. In either case, both the Nikon an the Canon (and the Tamron) utterly destroy the Sony 70-200 2.8 GM, for what it's worth; it has become very clear that Sony needs to make a mk2 70-200 2.8 ASAP, and considering the size & weight of their current model, I doubt their mk2 will be any lighter or smaller than this Nikon; it'll probably be just as expensive, or moreso, too. I never had a problem with the Nikon tripod foot, I always just took off the included one and then used that exposed 1/4-20 screw to attach a smooth, slim, low-profile generic RRS plate with nice rounded edges (MPR-73) and doing that has spoiled me to ALL tripod feet, because it gives me access to Arca-Swiss clamping yet is literally just a few extra mm of girth to the lens overall. Don't care where the lens is made, in fact all-metal lenses never saved me any coin; when they impact nice and hard the metal permanently warps and then it's aluminum grind shavings everywhere, and a $600+ repair; with high-grade plastic externals, even the hardest impacts seem to be absorbed no problem, and the external barrel parts just keep their shape perfectly. Totally happy with high-grade plastic externals surfaces, as long as the guts inside are strong. TLDR, get the F-mount FL 70-200 if you really appreciate that SLR feel and functionality, with the focus distance window and "real" manual focus ring, etc...
Hi Ken . I’m using z8 with 70-200 ed fl version and I’m loving it except when using the VR mode it seem like sensor shift a little bit when press the shutter button but if using sport mode it doesn’t do that . Do you have any of that experience with z9 or z lense ? Thank you .
Sounds perfectly normal. The sensor and optical VR are moving all over the place and depending on your settings will reset their “normal” position after each shot or shutter press to optimize the range over which they can shift. Thanks!
I wished Canon zoom was internal, I still believe if your doing sports the Nikon will hold up better in a collision, or ball hitting it. And the elements seem to be more weather resistant. There is pressure from sports photographers for Canon to change it back to the previous design.
Agreed; Canon gave us what most people want (smaller size and weight) and knows the guys who need durable will keep using the pro EF lenses rather than the plasticy RF.
It's a very good lens and the images are excellent... however I absolutely hate the location of the zoom ring being at the far end of the lens vs where the current focus ring is... those need to be switched.
Silly question are the Ken Rockwell that does the reviews on all brands of cameras on the net ? As if you are standing reviews I was reading about the 45 Techihara tell me I actually trust your reviews as they are very in-depth I’m looking a a 45 made buy Chamonix and I was looking at the Techihara I’m addicted to film , I can only shoot on a tripod as I only have one working arm and hand unlucky for me it’s my right hand but I work round it Best Regards
Thanks! The Linnof Technika is a heavy precise German metal camera that’s been made for over 100 years. Mine is from 1956. The Tachihara is a very lightweight wooden Japanese camera. I don’t know of a Technihara.
So it’s becoming apparent to me that although you can get away with a slower lens on a mirrorless camera - i.e. you don’ really need large apertures for most shots and since the viewfinder is electronic the image is always bright for composing etc - but, a lens with an aperture of f2.8 or larger - especially one with a constant aperture - will autofocus faster and more accurately on any camera.
Not really. try a teleconveter or two on the Canon Mirrorless and it doesn’t slow down. You’re still thinking DSLR. Everything is completely different on Mirrorless.
Great channel Ken! You should create playlists for different brands. Thank you for your reviews, and don't mind those who can't stand strong opinions and enthusiasm
Mr Ken, I hav 24-70 2.8E series, am confused on what to buy between FL or Z S series 70-200mm, considering d future, am using DSLR for d NOW . Please, i need your ADVICE
Ken I very much respect your very unbiased comprehensive real world review As we have discussed before, these modern lenses are superb optically but being unhappy with plastic made Thailand build is unwarranted, as long before it ever fails, it will be out of date as technology is speeding up so much these days and digital cameras are probably never going to become collectable classics All the very best for 2021
When I first heard about this lens and its incredible near-focus range I was excited - now I see how it misses a lot switches that I would like to have and also not including a arca-swiss mount is kinda sad... I personally use the G2 version of Tamrons version on my Z6 with FTZ and I am really happy I didn't wait for this lens. Nikon probably has to save a lot of money, so I can understand some of their choices - for the price thou, it is kinda sad. Thanks Ken
There are numerous programmable switches that can be used to serve a variety of functions, as well as programmable rings, such as turning on and off VR. More adaptability over "personality".
Mr ken, am using 24-70mm 2.8E series on My DSLR, and still having passion of buying 70-200 FL & some of my colleagues are telling ME to buy Z s series for d FUTURE sake, am CONFUSED . what's YOUR ADVICE to ME NOW 15:08
Honestly I moved to Canon back in 2012; I’d look to the same rather than throwing more money at Nikon. The FL is an extraordinary pro lens, while the Z lens is made overseas and impress me less than the FL. I’m unsure what’s important to you or why you’d be buying new Nikon, but if you like items that feel good in your hand, the FL is much sturdier. All have great optics. Does this help?
Would love your advice. I would like a non $2K super zoom I can use with my Z50 to take photos of my boys playing baseball & football. I would like a decently fast lens. I’m ok using the FTZ adapter. I’m so tempted by this lens but over $2K is more than I can spend. I have the AF-P 70-300 VR but want something faster. Thank you Ken.
The Z50 is crappy for action, its autofocus is too slow and you'll probably be pulling your hair out. Stick with the 50-250mm that you should have gotten as part of a kit when you got the Z50. THis AFP is the fastest focusing lens Nikon makes www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/70-300mm-vr-afp.htm
@@mrmdpgh Having reviewed the Canon RF 70-200 2.8 myself, I can say that it will neither "break immediately" when bumping it, nor does it "suck" tons of air in or out, either. Don't know how they did it, but it's quite mitigated and built like a tank; I'd pit it against any pro lens any day in terms of surviving nasty situations.
@@MatthewSaville It is an external zoom and is not immune from the issues that design brings. It is smaller, which is nice, but there is no way it is as sturdy as an internal zoom lens.
Thanks Ken, great video. Been reading your reviews for years. I sold a 300mm f2.8 VRII and a 400mm f2.8 af-s ii because of how slowly they focused on the Z6 with the FTZ adapter. The Nikon Z 70-200mm f2.8 s is on the way and I'm hoping focus speed isn't terrible. Really would like some longer glass to come along for mirrorless.
Hi Stephanie, see my written review for the details: www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/z/70-200mm.htm#compared Canon is a great made in Japan lens that’s super compact and whose tripod collar comes off for handheld use. Nikon’s lens is a step down, offshored to Thailand and with a collar that doesn’t come off making hand holding sloppy, and Nikon’s lens is way too big. Both are ultra sharp. Thanks!
This one has better image quality, can take teleconverters and you can bet your bottom dollar will be more weatherproof. Canon is smaller, and made in Japan (Which means nothing)
Ken, if you had neither the older 70-200 FL (all metal build) or the new Z 70-200 S (nor the FTZ adapter) which would you buy to use on your Z9? How concerned should I be with the plastic incorporated into this lens? Thank you 🙏
@@KenRockwellTV Thanks for the reply…honestly I’ve never felt a light/plastic lens felt right on any camera… but I haven’t held this Z lens, haven’t shot with it, haven’t carried it in my bag for a year or more to see how it holds up in real world conditions. I’d be curious to know if there’s any data on breakage, returns or a general inability to last now that it’s been in peoples hands for a year. Isn’t that what matters? Rather than gold bling/looks? Can it perform? Yes, it’s sharper than the FL Will it last? That’s the still unanswered question. I’m less concerned with it being made in
The older FL version looks much better, also some $600 cheaper. Nikon is catching on and starting to discontinue supporting those great f mount lenses. Picture your brand new Z9 mounted to a cheap looking plastic lens. 🤔 I compared your online reviews using the D810 with the 70-200 FL to the one with the Z7 using the 70-200 S lens. I thought the D810 with the 70-200 FL lens was better. The FL came with a 5 year warranty too. Bottom line is too much plastic for such pricey lens. At least Nikon could have kept the gold trimming..
That’s typical for all close focusing zooms these past ten years. It’s how they are deigned to focus so close. You do get your full 200mm at infinity where you need it.
@@KenRockwellTV Thanks for taking the time to answer my friend. I am personally still using my Nikkor 80-200 2.8 ED AIS and a 12 mm tube in order to close focus.:) I would also like to add that when it comes to optics there is no free lunch.While the Nikkor 80 200 2.8 ED AIS can only close focus to 8 feet, At least it is 200 mm at 8 feet> Just saying :)
Where are you getting this info? That was the case with the VRii 70-200 but I thought it was corrected with the FL version and this S version, with there being little no focus breathing.
You spend $2600 and it looks like a Tamron or Sigma that's made in China for less than half the price. Nikon should just raise their prices $200 like Sony and Canon and bring the gold & "Made in Japan" back. WTF Nikon.....
Hi Ken It’s a shame these top end expensive lenses are not made in Japan Although the images are superb as was expected , there is once again nothing exciting to get photographers using other brands to come across All the very best and great presentation
So, if this lens was manufactured in Japan, it would be better? Can you demonstrate that the lens would be better if it were manufactured in Japan? How? Why? Nikon sets the manufacturing standards and the lenses conform to the Nikon standards regardless of the manufacturing site. The country of manufacture has become a mindless talking point. It's irrelevant but seems to have become a measure of lens quality. The only variable that changes if a lens is manufactured in Japan is the PRICE! Run some blind tests on lenses manufactured in different countries; they are all the same.
@@genewhitney5993 hey there I can’t disagree with you on that It’s just that if I’m paying a lot of money for essentially a professional and expensive product I would prefer to see made in Japan from a pride of ownership basis only If you bought a Leica and it had made in China I’m sure you wouldn’t be thrilled
@@ronaldsand3000 What is exciting about a "made in..." label? (And, what else could possibly be exciting about a 70-200mm f/2.8, besides being sharper and/or offering better autofocus? Would it be exciting if it were cheaper? To me, it's exciting enough that the lens isn't $3K USD.) If you're paying a lot of money for a professional product, you would expect to see it made in a factory that has extremely high standards. You may not realize it, but you're being prejudiced (almost racist) against Thailand by implying that they can't possibly do as god a job as Japan could. Your statement about Leicas being made in China just shows your actual preferences/priorities: you like luxury names, for reasons besides just product quality--the prestige that name/place brings. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, if you're wealthy and have lots of money to spend on bragging rights, but most working pros are just trying to pay their bills, not make a fashion statement. If Nikon has to get things made in Thailand in order to stay competitive in today's market, then so be it. Better this than they become the next Pentax...
@@MatthewSaville can’t argue with anything except the implied inference of me being racist Whether you believe or not there is a lot of prestige and well earned pride attached to brand names and place of manufacturer
Hi Ronald, top-end lenses are made in Japan or USA or Germany or Switzerland, etc. This Nikon Z lens is not a top-end lens; it’s just and expensive consumer item. Thanks!
What a joke. A 2700+$$$ lens made in thailand ?? no wonder Nikon's sales are going down and the company is about to go bankrupt. Lens making in Japan is considered to be craftsmanship, workers have to train their skills for years. Canon lenses that are made in Japan are made by people who train and study fo years, and are supervised by senior lens craftsmen, and it's a well paying job that workers take pride doing for the rest of their lives. There is no way off-shored lenses with cheap labor and human exploitation can match them. Again thank you Ken for always pointing out were the lenses are made. No other reviewers on youtube has the courage to do this, specially the big channels.
Lenses made at the Nikon factory in Thailand are made to Nikon's specs with quality control. Historically, Nikon made lower-end stuff in Thailand, but recently that's changed. If they couldn't get top quality out of the factory there, they wouldn't use it. Almost every review of the lens has said that it out-performs the F-mount version. And the F-mount version was considered to be one of the best (if not THE best) 70-200 ever made. The real question right now is: with the $1900 price for the F-mount, is it worth it to spend $700 more for the Z-mount version? ("fortunately" for me, I can't afford either right now, and by the time I can, the price difference will be about $200)
@@t185bear that's what a Nikon salesman would say. Nikon's thailand factory is for making low end lenses. It has always been the case and it still is. Nikon now makes their expensive lens in thailand because they want to cut cost. Basically this new Z 70-200 is a low end zoom lens with the price of high end lens. Quality control and standards are not the same between thailand and japan factory. Nikon used to be a great camera brand but now they making things like Sony. It's just sad. The sales number are speaking for themselves. People don't want to buy more expensive products with worse quality and materials.
@@automaticimprovements6957 you want to provide any evidence that Thailand "still is" where they only make low end stuff? No one (except maybe here) is saying that the 70-200z is a "low end zoom lens" And, yeah, the sales numbers speak for themselves. The lens has been sold out since it was released and will probably still be sold out for the next 3-4 months.