Steve, I have the 200mm. F4 AI Nikkor, and am extremely fond of it. It is sharp, has little distortion, good contrast and color qualities, and is also light and easy to carry when hiking or traveling. It has the added advantage of being extremely good for close-up work with extension rings. So far as I know, its optical formula was not changed in the AIS version. As for the zooms you mention, my own preference is for the 80-200 F4.5 AI lens. For a very small sacrifice in lens speed, it is significantly lighter and less bulky than its F4.0 successor. It is also supposed to be a bit sharper, but I doubt you could tell the difference without a powerful loupe. Hope this helps! Richard Mendales University of Miami
