At mid-range apertures (f/5.6 to f/11), the consumer grade lenses are often
very close to the pro lenses. Indeed, after watching Galen Rowell run around
Patagonia with an FM-10 and the light, plastic cased 80-200 f/4-5.6 AF-D
lens, I decided to do some experiments of my own. Galen's got the right
idea: if you don't need the fast apertures, this lens is quite a good
performer.
Where the pro lenses come in handy is in the pre-sunrise and post-sunset
hours, and in situations where you want to use a shallow DOF to isolate
something from the background. Also, if you use graduated filters, as I do
much of the time, you'll much prefer a lens where the from filter ring
doesn't rotate on focus (e.g., the pro zooms).
These days, I tend to carry the 20-35mm f/2.8 and the 80-200mm f/4-5.6 when
hiking. If I really want to go light, I substitute a 24mm for the wide angle
zoom.
Thom Hogan
Executive Editor, BACKPACKER Magazine
author, The Nikon Field Guide (Silver Pixel Press)
www.bythom.com
