On another note....
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Nice resolution, from edge to edge. Is that a true Nikkor, or one from

another mfr. that they put their name on? I'm looking for a similar
lens.


Max, as far as I know Nikon only rebadges the 70-300G lens and some of
their Chinese built lenses have poor build quality, but most others are
true Nikkors. The 18-200VR seemed too good to be true, but it does have
some issues. Distortion at the wide end,

They all have that. 18mm is really at the short end of wide angle,
bordering on a fisheye. That said, I have seen a 14mm lens with almost no
distortion, but it also costs over $3K and weighs a bloody ton.

some light falloff in the
corners and it's not as sharp as my 1700 dollar 70-200VR lens of
course.

Of course not. But for 99% of applications it's pretty tough to beat at the
price. I paid over $1200 for a single focal length 300mm Nikkor lens about
20 years ago. It's superb, but I almost never use it anymore, thanks to
being long, large diameter, and too bulky to carry around. I use it to
photograph astronomical stuff almost exclusively now, which means it never
leaves my yard. Modern, compact, inexpensive zoom lenses have all but
replaced dinosaurs like my old 300.

But for general photography and a travel lens it's the best
lens on the market. My copy is sharp and contrasty. Bokeh is somewhat
poor, AF is very fast. It's a small lens, but it more than doubles it's
length when zoomed to 200mm. It's also capable 1:4 lifesize close focus
at 12 inches!!! It's really an amazing lens. Cost is around 750.00.
They are very hard to get with a long waiting list at present.

Our local camera store has two of 'em, but the price is a bit higher. I'm
not in a hurry, so I may wait. I've been scrutinizing that lens for a
while. Nice to talk to someone who has one.

Max

On another note....
 

Our local camera store has two of 'em, but the price is a bit higher.
I'm
not in a hurry, so I may wait. I've been scrutinizing that lens for a
while. Nice to talk to someone who has one.


Just remember it's not a "pro" lens, though I suspect a lot or pros
will buy one anyway. My 70-200VR is a lot like your 300mm. It's huge,
but the sharpness at 2.8 is amazing and the bokeh is beautiful. This
was shot with it for that creamy background (and the 18-200vr will not
pull this off of course)...

http://members.aol.com/bobsprit/images/parkbaby2.jpg

But I can't carry that monster of a lens everywhere I go. This angle
makes it look more manageable than it is...

http://members.aol.com/bobsprit/images/aagrip1.jpg

I also ordered a Tamron 90 Macro, which is an amazing portrait lens and
superior to the Nikon versions.
My main reason for the 18-200 was as a lens for the boat. Remember that
a DSLR has a crop factor of 1.5, so the 18-200 actually acts like a
27-300mm. I had a Tokina 12-24 for a while...gave it away, and will
probably buy another.


RB
35s5
NY

On another note....
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Our local camera store has two of 'em, but the price is a bit higher.
I'm
not in a hurry, so I may wait. I've been scrutinizing that lens for a
while. Nice to talk to someone who has one.


Just remember it's not a "pro"

. . . nor am I.

lens, though I suspect a lot or pros
will buy one anyway. My 70-200VR is a lot like your 300mm. It's huge,
but the sharpness at 2.8 is amazing and the bokeh is beautiful. This
was shot with it for that creamy background (and the 18-200vr will not
pull this off of course)...

http://members.aol.com/bobsprit/images/parkbaby2.jpg

But I can't carry that monster of a lens everywhere I go. This angle
makes it look more manageable than it is...

http://members.aol.com/bobsprit/images/aagrip1.jpg

I also ordered a Tamron 90 Macro, which is an amazing portrait lens and
superior to the Nikon versions.

Interesting. Last time I chatted with my local Nikon guru, he said that
many of the newer Nikkor lenses are made by Tamron, and some other mfrs.
His claim was that only the most expensive Nikkors were made by Nikon any
more. I have a 70mm lens that I've used for portraits. It's an older Zeiss
(I have to use an adaptor to use it with my Nikon body) and its superior to
any other lens I own, except my other Zeiss (180mm) and a really old Leitz
that just sits in its case, never used.

My main reason for the 18-200 was as a lens for the boat. Remember that
a DSLR has a crop factor of 1.5, so the 18-200 actually acts like a
27-300mm. I had a Tokina 12-24 for a while...gave it away, and will
probably buy another.

Do all digital SLRs have that same factor? I wasn't aware of that.

I've got an old Minolta fisheye (4mm) that I have no use for, but wish I
could use it with my Nikon body. I can't find an adaptor for it, and would
like to sell it and buy something around 12-24 for those wide-angle shots
that I can't get with any of my current lenses. Maybe Ebay.

Max

On another note....
 

Interesting. Last time I chatted with my local Nikon guru, he said
that
many of the newer Nikkor lenses are made by Tamron, and some other
mfrs.


Well, most sites on Nikon agree that Nikon makes Nikon. The 24-120,
18-200 and 80-400 are all pricey items and all look the same so they
are likely made by Nikon. A few lenses look odd, like the 70-300G and
the Chinese built 50mm 1.4. I suppose it really doesn't matter as long
as it's all good stuff...and it usually is.

Do all digital SLRs have that same factor? I wasn't aware of that.


Nikon is using the smaller sensors which created the 1.5 crop factor.
Canon has cameras with full 35mm sensors and no crop factor. The DX
line of lenses from Nikon and other lens makers are designed with the
crop factor in mind. I like the Nikon approach. It means that so-so
lenses become better lenses since the Nikon system doesn't use the
outer portion of the lens. Even poor lenses can be sharp closer to the
center. So a lot of folks are getting great shots with Nikon D70's
fitted with 200 dollar lenses!

I can't find an adaptor for it, and would
like to sell it and buy something around 12-24 for those wide-angle
shots
that I can't get with any of my current lenses. Maybe Ebay.

Ebay is usually the way to go...I'm selling a Minolta zoom there right
now! It's a 70-300 F/4. The Tokina 12-24 is a great lens, but you can't
use it on your film camera. You'll need to look at the Sigma 12-24
(around 600 bucks) which is a great lens.


RB
35s5
NY

On another note....
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Interesting. Last time I chatted with my local Nikon guru, he said
that
many of the newer Nikkor lenses are made by Tamron, and some other
mfrs.


Well, most sites on Nikon agree that Nikon makes Nikon. The 24-120,
18-200 and 80-400 are all pricey items and all look the same so they
are likely made by Nikon. A few lenses look odd, like the 70-300G and
the Chinese built 50mm 1.4. I suppose it really doesn't matter as long
as it's all good stuff...and it usually is.

While we might prefer to believe that Chinese stuff is all of questionable
quality, the fact is that some of it is exceptionally good.


Do all digital SLRs have that same factor? I wasn't aware of that.


Nikon is using the smaller sensors which created the 1.5 crop factor.
Canon has cameras with full 35mm sensors and no crop factor. The DX
line of lenses from Nikon and other lens makers are designed with the
crop factor in mind. I like the Nikon approach. It means that so-so
lenses become better lenses since the Nikon system doesn't use the
outer portion of the lens. Even poor lenses can be sharp closer to the
center. So a lot of folks are getting great shots with Nikon D70's
fitted with 200 dollar lenses!

I can't find an adaptor for it, and would
like to sell it and buy something around 12-24 for those wide-angle
shots
that I can't get with any of my current lenses. Maybe Ebay.

Ebay is usually the way to go...I'm selling a Minolta zoom there right
now! It's a 70-300 F/4. The Tokina 12-24 is a great lens, but you can't
use it on your film camera. You'll need to look at the Sigma 12-24
(around 600 bucks) which is a great lens.

Guess I should have explained--the lenses I've been describing are for my
Nikon 35mm film body. But I'm looking for a wide angle zoom for my digital
Nikon SLR.

Max

On another note....
 

A cute kid. In spite of the danger they might inherit your bad
manners, I suggest you get busy and have more.

On another note....
 

Max, read this when you have a moment. It's a shootout between the wide
angle zooms on the market.

http://www.nikonians.org/html/resour...out/index.html

I used the Tokina and Nikon, but I bought th Tokina for being sharper.
I plan go also try the Sigma 10-20.


RB
35s5
NY

On another note....
 

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Max, read this when you have a moment. It's a shootout between the wide
angle zooms on the market.

http://www.nikonians.org/html/resour...out/index.html

I used the Tokina and Nikon, but I bought th Tokina for being sharper.
I plan go also try the Sigma 10-20.

Thanks for the link. I haven't read the whole thing yet, but cut to the
summary. Pretty much as I expected, except for the Tamron. Even with the
criticisms, these lenses are vastly superior to similar lenses of twenty or
even ten years ago. You can't go wrong with any of 'em.

Max

On another note....
 

Pretty much as I expected, except for the Tamron. Even with the
criticisms, these lenses are vastly superior to similar lenses of
twenty or
even ten years ago. You can't go wrong with any of 'em.

Nope, and I tried the Nikon and bought the Tokina. I rarely used it, so
I gave to a friend...and now I miss it so I may try the Sigma. I don't
shoot a ton of wide angle though, so it's not high on my list. Things
have come a long way and you where it really shows is with cheaper
lenses like my 28-200G Nikkor which is capable of Macro, shows no CA
and is ultra sharp...almost as sharp as a 50mm prime!

RB
35s5
NY