As far as the 70-200mm, yes, the field of view issue is on subjects that are at closer distances. While it is not such a big deal for portraits, it is definitely not good for wildlife photography. Remember, the further away you stand from the subject, the larger the depth of field. Subject isolation is an important part of wildlife photography and it seems like if you stand close enough, you are not getting as much magnification. For small birds, this is a problem…

But you are right, the 70-200mm with a TC would be a much better bet than the 70-300mm lens for wedding photography.

Your great review is how I found your website! It was very informative. I’m considering the newer 70-200mm on a D300s. I figured the lower magnification ratio might not be as bad on a DX sensor. I understand it’s more of an issue at closer focusing distances than further away (say of a bird)? The rest of the improvements seemed to outweigh the one disadvantage on the new lens. I suspect that combined with a 1.4x or 1.7x TC when necessary for more reach would be more useful at weddings than the variable aperture 70-300mm, especially in a dimly lit church. No one local rents them up here for me to try out for a day or I’d rent all three and have fun. The hold on my credit card would probably max it out anyway though, haha!

As far as the 80-400mm lens, I heard some rumors about a possible 100-500mm VR lens coming out later this year, which would be an awesome lens for bird photography. Too bad Nikon can’t keep up with the lens updates, as so many lenses are long overdue for updates…