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Hi guys,

I have read several threads regarding the availability of this lens and thought I would share with you there may be chance this lens is again more readily available.

Yesterday I ahad an automated email from BH advising me this lens was in stock, both "grey" stock and US.

low and behold this morning as I write this they are once again out of stock.

Could be a trickling of lenses globably or at least I hope so for all of you looking for one.

regards,

Paul

LostDingo wrote:Hi guys,

I have read several threads regarding the availability of this lens and thought I would share with you there may be chance this lens is again more readily available.

Yesterday I ahad an automated email from BH advising me this lens was in stock, both "grey" stock and US.

low and behold this morning as I write this they are once again out of stock.

Could be a trickling of lenses globably or at least I hope so for all of you looking for one.

regards,

Paul

LostDingo,
Yes, they were there for a moment and disappeared in the next.
Worldwide backordered status is over 10k, Nikon Japan can't fullfill the demand due to their internal technical problems, + the popular of this lens since the D70 and D2 series released, it seems to me 8 out 10 are looking to own this glass.

It's a real shame for those who are able to purchase now but miss the opportunity.

Must be "quick draw" with the trigger finger on the Credit Card

LostDingo wrote:It's a real shame for those who are able to purchase now but miss the opportunity.

Must be "quick draw" with the trigger finger on the Credit Card

LostDingo,
It was AU$1850.00 at Oct. last year, will it come back at that price, I say: yes, it'll once stock of it is healthy, or people sick of VR
Yes, it's a real shame also for those who hesitated in holding the purchase back too long due to think of its price will drop under AU$1850.00 mark.

Personally I think it's overly hyped

For $1.5-2k difference you can get the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 and if you have decent handheld technique you can pull off sharp shots. Optically wise I'd say it's close to on par with the 70-200VR. Build quality is probably not as durable as the 70-200VR but for $1.5-2k it's a lot cheaper and is available. If I had a spare $1-1.5k lying around to fill a void in this region I'd be most likely going this lens. Either that or the 80-400VR, but seeing as that's in shortage too then I'd most likely go the Sigma.

kipper wrote:Personally I think it's overly hyped

For $1.5-2k difference you can get the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 and if you have decent handheld technique you can pull off sharp shots. Optically wise I'd say it's close to on par with the 70-200VR. Build quality is probably not as durable as the 70-200VR but for $1.5-2k it's a lot cheaper and is available. If I had a spare $1-1.5k lying around to fill a void in this region I'd be most likely going this lens. Either that or the 80-400VR, but seeing as that's in shortage too then I'd most likely go the Sigma.

kipper,
Well said!
Sigma 70-200 = AU$1070.00 vs Nikkor 70-200VR= AU$2600.00

Quality photos = can't tell the difference much.
Built quality = look solid in both side

Damm it!!!!
sixteen hundred OZ bucks difference and no avalability of the Nikkor 70-200VR.

Need one to shoot urgently? = Sigma
Loss value down the track? = Nikkor, once it's back in stock and healthy/ Sigma, not much due to the small investment, resale value may be $800.00 -$900.00 after 12 months with well care of it.
People or your client won't or never can't tell you which photo is taken by Sigma and which one is taken by Nikkor, do they care? NO.

Biggest annoyance with the sigma 70-200 is on a non-pro body it can tend to focus hunt a LOT more than the VR, which pretty much never does. That coupled with its whining focus motor noise and its harder looking bokeh makes it belong in the price bracket that it is in, in my opinion.

Heath Bennett wrote:Biggest annoyance with the sigma 70-200 is on a non-pro body it can tend to focus hunt a LOT more than the VR, which pretty much never does. That coupled with its whining focus motor noise and its harder looking bokeh makes it belong in the price bracket that it is in, in my opinion.

HB,
Have you tried the new ones lately? No noise as you mentioned, perhaps your ex D70 need to be tuned up
Few members on this board have this lens and attached it to their D70 with stunning sharp pics + magnificient captures.

If it's in your case, while you can't get the 70-200VR and you need it or similar focal lenght to shoot, what are you gonna to do? give up the job? tell client that you don't have the lens which they want you to shoot? or rob someone who you know they have the lens?

Whilst I am glad that I bought my Nikkor 70-200VR when I did, I have to admit that it is the least used lens in my bag.

Oneputt wrote:Whilst I am glad that I bought my Nikkor 70-200VR when I did, I have to admit that it is the least used lens in my bag.

You have to put it in the safe! someone is chimpimg

Oneputt wrote:Whilst I am glad that I bought my Nikkor 70-200VR when I did, I have to admit that it is the least used lens in my bag.

That statement speaks volumes John. Not owning one, I can't comment but from what others say this is a wonderful piece of glass. that being said, if it doesn't reside on the front of a camera then it's not fulfilling its role. Bit like having a Ferrari parked in your garage; a lot of money tied up in something that's just not practical to drive every day.

I've been saving pennies and will have to get rid of some soon. I was pretty set on aiming for the VR but maybe the Sigma+2.0TC might just be the right way to go. That way I could probably upgrade my legs as well and still be on the right side of the balance sheet...

But dare I risk Gary's ire in allowing Sigma glass anywhere near my camera??? What a dilemma....

Heath Bennett wrote: its harder looking bokeh makes it belong in the price bracket that it is in, in my opinion.

That's what made my decision to pay the extra bucks (got it for $2025.) for the VR a no-brainer

Cheers
Marc

Heath Bennett wrote:Biggest annoyance with the sigma 70-200 is on a non-pro body it can tend to focus hunt a LOT more than the VR, which pretty much never does. That coupled with its whining focus motor noise and its harder looking bokeh makes it belong in the price bracket that it is in, in my opinion.

You must have a old one, my Sigma 70-200/2.8 rarely hunts and is certainly quiet. Do you have the EX HSM model?

Chris

cordy wrote:

Heath Bennett wrote:Biggest annoyance with the sigma 70-200 is on a non-pro body it can tend to focus hunt a LOT more than the VR, which pretty much never does. That coupled with its whining focus motor noise and its harder looking bokeh makes it belong in the price bracket that it is in, in my opinion.

You must have a old one, my Sigma 70-200/2.8 rarely hunts and is certainly quiet. Do you have the EX HSM model?

Chris

Perhaps he found and tried the old one, it was produced before he was born

cordy wrote:

Heath Bennett wrote:Biggest annoyance with the sigma 70-200 is on a non-pro body it can tend to focus hunt a LOT more than the VR, which pretty much never does. That coupled with its whining focus motor noise and its harder looking bokeh makes it belong in the price bracket that it is in, in my opinion.

You must have a old one, my Sigma 70-200/2.8 rarely hunts and is certainly quiet. Do you have the EX HSM model?

Chris

A friend has the non-HSM model. No-doubt it would make a difference for the speed and noise. Good point. HSM is only available for Nikon and Canon however...

Birddog114 wrote:

cordy wrote:

Heath Bennett wrote:Biggest annoyance with the sigma 70-200 is on a non-pro body it can tend to focus hunt a LOT more than the VR, which pretty much never does. That coupled with its whining focus motor noise and its harder looking bokeh makes it belong in the price bracket that it is in, in my opinion.

You must have a old one, my Sigma 70-200/2.8 rarely hunts and is certainly quiet. Do you have the EX HSM model?

Chris

Perhaps he found and tried the old one, it was produced before he was born

Thanks for the compliment Birdy, however I am actually older than you. My face has been well preserved over the years through surgery. However take one look at my hands and the awful truth becomes apparent. So damned wrinkled

Heath Bennett wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:

cordy wrote:

Heath Bennett wrote:Biggest annoyance with the sigma 70-200 is on a non-pro body it can tend to focus hunt a LOT more than the VR, which pretty much never does. That coupled with its whining focus motor noise and its harder looking bokeh makes it belong in the price bracket that it is in, in my opinion.

You must have a old one, my Sigma 70-200/2.8 rarely hunts and is certainly quiet. Do you have the EX HSM model?

Chris

Perhaps he found and tried the old one, it was produced before he was born

Thanks for the compliment Birdy, however I am actually older than you. My face has been well preserved over the years through surgery. However take one look at my hands and the awful truth becomes apparent. So damned wrinkled

Oh yeah, now I discovered you're the second oldest man on this board Oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Heath, I can't really comment on the hunting issue when attached to a probody as I've only ever used the 70-200VR on the D70 with a TC1.7IIE. With this combo I found at times it hunted. However I put these down to many factors, mostly user related

1) Moving targets (sensor hitting background and subject)
2) Low contrast areas
3) Moving close to min focus distance

Also I wasn't overly impressed by focussing speed on the D70. I also know somebody who sent his back for a refund due to slow focussing on the D2X.

The Sigma 70-200mm HSM only hunts pics and not the focus.

Next week Glen and myself will be doing a comparison test with the Sigma and the VR on both a D70 and D2Hs but I can say right now that the Sigma is ffffffffffffffiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggg fast

HB,
What you should do is, coming down for the mini meet and play with all two lenses with as many shots in many difference lighting, subjects, setup and do the comparison with the photos at the end.
You'll be surprised with your new findings

I've already made my mind up, Chris I'm going to join your Sigma club!
I can't justify the high price and rarity of this lens at the present moment, I'll gain a wide angle lens out of the funds and maybe next year I'll upgrade to the VR when stocks are normal as well as the price.
There might even be a 70-300VR on the horizon by that time as well
Birddog - You have an email.

Paul wrote:I've already made my mind up, Chris I'm going to join your Sigma club!
I can't justify the high price and rarity of this lens at the present moment, I'll gain a wide angle lens out of the funds and maybe next year I'll upgrade to the VR when stocks are normal as well as the price.
There might even be a 70-300VR on the horizon by that time as well
Birddog - You have an email.

Paul,
Good move!!! and you'll enjoy it!

Paul wrote:I've already made my mind up, Chris I'm going to join your Sigma club!
I can't justify the high price and rarity of this lens at the present moment, I'll gain a wide angle lens out of the funds and maybe next year I'll upgrade to the VR when stocks are normal as well as the price.
There might even be a 70-300VR on the horizon by that time as well
Birddog - You have an email.

Ahh the Sigma club is growing, soon we shall weed out these nikkor only mushrooms.. heheheh

Is there anywhere in Melbourne you guys would recommend where I could get a look at the sigma lens?

I'd be interested in this side by side comparison... when is it taking place ?

Alpha_7 wrote:I'd be interested in this side by side comparison... when is it taking place ?

Right here Craig!

MCWB wrote:

Alpha_7 wrote:I'd be interested in this side by side comparison... when is it taking place ?

Right here Craig!

Thanks MCWB! I guess it shows I should of been sleeping not posting last night... Thanks!

No problems, I had trouble finding it too actually!

I'd seen it before.. but didn't put two and two together at the time

It's funny that some one actually had money left at a Minimeet, I thought most left with wallets empty and great new toys to play with

We went through that before, the Sigma is good but take it on a bumpy ride to take pictures and we'll see who's got the most keepers. I sure do not regret having paid extra for the VR, as many times I used the 70-200 in awkward situations and came out happy which might not have been the case otherwise
Cheers,
Gerard

At the end of the day. I still love my Nikkor 70-200VR eventhought I haven't used it much lately, I'm trying to put lot of my efforts on the primes, but once again, the VR is still proving more keepers in handholding techniques, especially when you're sitting on the planes or boats, or other places, where the monopods and tripods can't be setup or with the restriction in using them.

glamy wrote:We went through that before, the Sigma is good but take it on a bumpy ride to take pictures and we'll see who's got the most keepers. I sure do not regret having paid extra for the VR, as many times I used the 70-200 in awkward situations and came out happy which might not have been the case otherwise
Cheers,
Gerard

Couldn't agree more Gerard

The following pics were taken whilst travelling at speed. The first is shot straight on, but the other two are at 90° to the direction of travel.





Sigma 70-200mm

They are sharp sir, but it is bright sunlight! High shutter speed negates VR.

The Sigma is great, esp. for the price. The Nikon is great too. No-one should regret either decision.

I agree HB - but what I was trying to show was that you can take pics from a speeding car without VR, even when when you are at 90° to the direction of travel. BTW I have nothing against VR - I just like a challenge

Chris, those shots were taken at 2pm Saturday, I think it is a 60km zone, are you implying Doug was breaking the law and speeding there?

Birddog114 wrote:

LostDingo wrote:It's a real shame for those who are able to purchase now but miss the opportunity.

Must be "quick draw" with the trigger finger on the Credit Card

LostDingo,
It was AU$1850.00 at Oct. last year, will it come back at that price, I say: yes, it'll once stock of it is healthy, or people sick of VR
Yes, it's a real shame also for those who hesitated in holding the purchase back too long due to think of its price will drop under AU$1850.00 mark.

I know this is an old thread but I was wondering if there has been any update on the situation? I recently borrowed a 70-200VR from a friend for a few days and fell in love with it right away. This didn't come as a surprise since I've had my eye on one for quite some time but only more recently have felt that I can justify the cost...

The cheapest I can find in Australia (without special deals like here) is $2850 from EuropeanCameras.com. I've been quoted up to $3670 by other dealers... I can't believe I missed the $1850 offer last year. Any ideas when it might reach even near that price level? Around $2000 would be great because then I could also probably get a 1.7x TC

A couple of questions for Birddog or any owners (sorry if these have been asked before):

1) With these great deals, what is the warranty situation? Do they come with Australian/Worldwide warranty (are they grey market?)

2) Has anyone bought one of these lenses and tried to get it serviced by Maxwell? Usually I wouldn't be so worried but the VR is a pretty complex lens so I really want that peace of mind...

Thanks for any help,

Stephen

90% of 70-200VR on this board are grey stock (import), members purchased from me or from somewhere else.
Warranty is depending on, my stocks is returned to me as usual.

I didn't hear or know anyone returning the 70-200VR for service as yet! the lens are quite solid and reliability.

When and will stock will return to normal status? No answer from Nikon.
Stock is selling around the world are Nikon NOS.

Thanks for the quick response Birddog!

Just to clarify - are you saying that for all the lenses you sell, any warranty issues are handled by you? Is it still the standard 1-year warranty? Who actually does the repair work? (sorry so many questions but this is a big purchase for me so I want to get it right ).

As for the reliability and build quality - I can well believe it - the one I borrowed had recently gone crashing to the ground after the tripod it was sitting on fell over... My friend was horrified and sent it in for repairs but they sent it back saying it was just fine. I wouldn't have known it had fallen over if it wasn't for the cracked lens hood. Nikon quality

Having said all that, there's still Murphy's law...

Cheers,

Stephen

If you purchase anything through Birddog and something goes faulty than you can send it back to him and he'll sort it out for you.

If it is grey stock from HK supplies than Birddog will send to HKH for Nikon HKH to repair if it's maxwell stock then he'll send it to Maxwell Australia to repair.

Either way Birddog will take care of you.

Hybrid wrote:Thanks for the quick response Birddog!

Just to clarify - are you saying that for all the lenses you sell, any warranty issues are handled by you? Is it still the standard 1-year warranty? Who actually does the repair work? (sorry so many questions but this is a big purchase for me so I want to get it right ).

Warranty issues will be resolved by supplier, by the way to repair locally or send it back to them. Who's the repairer is another story, I don't need to know. Even Maxwell does not repair the DSLR themself, outsourcing is the way.

As for the reliability and build quality - I can well believe it - the one I borrowed had recently gone crashing to the ground after the tripod it was sitting on fell over... My friend was horrified and sent it in for repairs but they sent it back saying it was just fine. I wouldn't have known it had fallen over if it wasn't for the cracked lens hood. Nikon quality Having said all that, there's still Murphy's law...

If you happened to witness one of our member accidentally dropped his Nikkor 18-70 on the the concrete and bitumen without any damage. You'll be surprised.

If you sent the lens back for service and no fault found, what do you expect Maxwell or any service to do with it.

Thanks huynhie and Birddog, this is helping me clear things up a lot

I have one more question and I hope you won't be offended:
If I did buy the lens or have to send it back to you, what sort of protection do I have as a buyer/owner that I'll get my lens back as promised?

Please don't take this the wrong way, I have no doubt that you are trustworthy but it is a big bad world out there and I'd feel silly if I didn't check all these things...

Thanks,

Stephen

Stephen I had the same questions as you, when I first purchased my D70..

Birddog may not handle your warrenty problem fi st hand, but he as well most others here will help as best they can..

remember if grey import stock, it will need to return to place of purchase for repair..ie HongKong.


]I have had no problems so far, my D70 went to maxwells for repair with receipt and all was good. I expect the same fom HK except for the extra postage..

MATT PS I would love the 70-200VR but good things come to those that wait and it may be worth the trouble to be patient.

PPS I shouldnt psot while drunKK

Hybrid wrote:Thanks huynhie and Birddog, this is helping me clear things up a lot

I have one more question and I hope you won't be offended:
If I did buy the lens or have to send it back to you, what sort of protection do I have as a buyer/owner that I'll get my lens back as promised?

Please don't take this the wrong way, I have no doubt that you are trustworthy but it is a big bad world out there and I'd feel silly if I didn't check all these things...

Thanks,

Stephen

What protection are you after?
And please check on this board, how many member disappoint with the services?
The SALE or Bargain on this board is solely used for qualified members and it's not my business in selling these to public. I only support qualified members who deserve the benefits and privileges.
More infos on FAQ, and in Information which I recommend you to take time to read them, prior to commit "a suicide" in your lust.

Perhaps there's too much Bundaberg Rum up there

Stephen,

Ordinarily, I would offer some element of sympathy towards your fears and misgivings, and certainly with respect to most of the traders with whom might be dealing, whether on eBay, or in person.

Indeed, we're aware of one major Sydney Nikon retailer from whom a camera was purchased, and which subsequently required warranty service. When the unit was returned directly to Maxwell's - the only official Oz distributor for Nikon - they rejected the warranty claim due to the camera being a grey import!

Again, this was from a major, prominent Sydney Nikon retailer..

Coming back to your question, I've been dealing with Birddog since the very commencement of this forum: he is one of our foundation members, and I'm quite sure that there are many members who consider him (and his family) to be at least a part of their family.

Sydneysiders, and any interstate members who come to Sydney, are warmly welcomed into his home on regular and frequent occasions, and not only is his hospitality legendary, so too is his generousity. Recently, while my D70, and Leigh's D70, were both in at Maxwell's for some warranty attention (Leigh's camera purchased through Birddog) he generously lent us his D2H for however long we needed a replacement camera.

Would you care to name another dealer, anywhere in the word, that offers that sort of service?

Care to nominate a dealer who will have, on site, the following lenses for you to play with at your liesure? - 80-400VR, 70-200 VR, 200-400VR, to mention just a few of the vast array he makes available to us.

Hell, these days it's difficult enough to find anyone in a so-called camera shop these days who even knows how to properly use a camera.

Let me simply now suggest to you that buying through Birddog is probably one of the least riskiest purchases that you'll ever make.

That said, purchasing through Birddog is privilege, earned by community partiticipation here, and until one qualifies for this and is so "promotoed", it's a privilee that remains moot.

Hybrid wrote:If I did buy the lens or have to send it back to you, what sort of protection do I have as a buyer/owner that I'll get my lens back as promised?

Please don't take this the wrong way, I have no doubt that you are trustworthy but it is a big bad world out there and I'd feel silly if I didn't check all these things...

Well for a start, he's not going to say, 'oh actually mate, I'm a dodgy geezer, better steer clear of me' , but in all seriousness, if you stick around here, you'll see that Birdy is the real deal. I'm sure you'll fine many people (like Gary above, and me here) that will vouch for him to the nth degree. Fear not mate.

Hybrid wrote:I have one more question and I hope you won't be offended:
If I did buy the lens or have to send it back to you, what sort of protection do I have as a buyer/owner that I'll get my lens back as promised?

That is a hard question to answer...you buy a lens through B&H..you send it back and you don't get it back....what happens?

A Pro from the Courier company decides to keep it

Maybe you can buy a ticket to Sydney and join one of the many meets?

Birddog - Sorry, I missed that FAQ somehow... It all makes a lot more sense now after reading that. Please accept my apologies if I offended you (not my intention at all - I was just being paranoid...). As for the Bundaberg Rum - I don't drink it but maybe there's something in the air (or water?) up here

MATT - thanks for the encouragement and info - glad to hear you've had good experiences so far.

Gary - I appreciate you taking the time to explain everything and give your reassurances. I understand that this is a priveleged service so I didn't mean to sound presumptuous. This is an awesome forum and I hope to be visiting (and posting) a lot more often this year.

MCWB - haha, that's true... Thanks

Shutterbug - I guess that's what I was getting at... when it's a big company like B&H or a courier company, you have much more chance of tracking down issues like that. I just didn't express that very well... As for the Sydney meets, I'd really like to attend one eventually if I can...

Cheers,

Stephen PS: sorry about the delayed replay... 2006 has been all-go.