[cyclohexane]

I've actually already talked to Drake about this. The 70-200 is way out of his price range, and even an old used 80-200mm f/2.8D AF is pushing it; he wasn't interested in the push-pull version. The AF-S speed is most noticeable when using a body with slow screwdrive motor; a body using the old high-end screwdrive motor can actually drive small lenses faster than lenses using the AF-S SWM, but it was real hard on the lenses, and not as accurate as the current one found in the D2/F6 bodies.

VR, used correctly, improves focusing. The trick is, activate VR and let it settle before focusing (disable shutter release focusing; use AF-ON or AE-L button, depending on camera), and then the AF speed won't be any different than without VR on. VR's handy for lowlight AF, because the stabilized image will give the AF CCD (or in the D2 bodies, the three CCDs) a bit more contrast to work with, and your AF should be a tad more accurate.