Has anyone compared this lens to the 70-300 VR between 70-200? I always shoot from a tripod and rarely us VR. Are the optics of this lens significantly better than the 70-300 at middle apertures? I understand that the 70-200 is a different class of lens, but is it really better?
IMHO the 70-300VR is not so hot on 24-36mp sensors, at least not my copy. It's not terrible, but certainly nowhere near as good as my other lenses so I've been looking forward to this 70-200/4.
Lloyd Chambers did some comparison shots and the new f/4 seems to hold up well against the 2.8 VR II except maybe in the very extreme corners, so I'm optimistic. Will probably be picking one of these up before the spring but have no immediate need now.
As for the collar, it doesn't look like the lens is really all the big, but the weight could be a factor especially if it's at all front heavy. I definitely won't be getting the Nikon collar though. I'm sure Kirk and Really Right Stuff will have Arca-compatible versions available before too long.