Close Range Focal Length: Nikon 70-200mm f/4G ED VR versus Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

I started with field shots with the 70-200mm f/4G ED VR, but ran into some questions, now in process of investigation.

For starters, the two Nikon 70-200mm zooms differ markedly in focal length at close range.

Cropped portion of test scene, downsampled