Did This Just Replace My Legendary 200mm f/2?! ????

I put my legendary Nikon 200mm f/2 head-to-head with a modern, lighter, far more affordable challenger to see what makes sense in 2026!
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The Nikkor 200mm f/2 has long been one of my favourite lenses of all time — iconic, rare, and capable of a look that’s hard to replicate. But it’s also extremely heavy, long out of production, and increasingly impractical for many photographers to own or use regularly.

In this video, I put that legendary heavyweight up against the modern Laowa 200mm f/2 alternative designed to be lighter, more affordable, and far more usable for today’s photographers. This isn’t a lab test — it’s a real-world comparison focused on portrait photography, handling, image character, and practical shooting considerations.

I cover how both lenses perform in actual shoots, how the difference in size and weight affects the way you work, and whether a modern 200mm f/2 can realistically deliver the kind of results that made the original Nikon such a legend. For photographers interested in portrait lenses, telephoto compression, shallow depth of field, and high-end optics, this is a comparison that genuinely matters.

If you’ve ever wanted the look of a 200mm f/2 but found the cost, size, or rarity unrealistic, this video explores whether that dream focal length is finally within reach — and what you might be giving up (or gaining) along the way.

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