Digital Camera Lenses Nikon

Nikon 50mm f/1.2 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-03-01T10:43:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 50mm f/1.2 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Professional photographers make Nikkor lenses their lenses of choice. Nikon is committed to every aspect of lens manufacturing, maintaining clarity, sharpness, focusing accuracy, range and reliability.This product is designed for the use with Nikon AIS.
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Technical Details

- Fastest normal manually-focusing Nikkor lens.
- Provides bright viewing, even under dim light conditions.
- Takes popular 52mm filters.
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Nikon 200mm f/4.0D ED-IF AF Micro-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-03-01T06:58:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 200mm f/4.0D ED-IF AF Micro-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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200mm D-Series micro lens for Nikon cameras
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Technical Details

- 200mm; F/4.0; Micro lens
- D-Series; Uses 62mm filter
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"Top of the line if you can find it" 2009-06-08
By D. Sano (oakland, ca usa)
I've been looking for this lens for several months, and then one day noticed it was available on Amazon from Ace Photo. I have and use the 60mm micro (mostly for table top, product shots) and the 105mm VR (fantastic lens too), but wanted the reach and love the tripod collar, as on my 70-200. I did order and try the Tamron 180mm, loved the reach, but images were flat, lens felt cheap and plastic, so sent it back. So far I enjoy this lens, and use it on a D80 and D300 for the reach. Have not tried it yet on my D700, but suspect great results on full frame too. Very satisfied with the purchase. May be expensive, but after trying Tamron and Sigma lenses, I'm sticking with Nikon. Highly recommended.

"Excellent lens" 2008-08-26
By Geoffrey Zhang (The Netherlands)
This is an excellent lens which gives you a sharp photographic image. But it is a little bit heavy.

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Nikon 105mm f/2.0D AF DC-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-28T12:22:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 105mm f/2.0D AF DC-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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This prime lens has defocus control which offers new creative possibilities for shallow depth-of-field portrait photography. Photographers can fine-tune the foreground or background image area, creating unique blurred effects. Built-in lens hood.
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Technical Details

- Portrait lens with Nikon's exclusive Defocus Control
- Change the appearance of out of focus elements so that they appear softer or coarser
- Rear focusing for fast AF operation
- Fast, medium telephoto lens featuring Defocus-image Control
- Rounded diaphragm opening makes out-of-focus elements appear more natural
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"one of the most amazing lenses I have owned" 2009-04-03
By David Hofmann
As a pro photographer for many years I have had the chance to try a large amount of lenses. This lens is one of my all time favorites.

It is already very sharp even wide open and from 2.8 on it is simply brilliant. The vignetting even at f/2 is less than other lenses in that range. The AF is quick and if used with a a D3 or D700 or D300 or newer camera it is also very quiet.

The magic of this lens is the wonderful bokeh (quality of the out of focus areas). My main work is portrait photography and I end up using this lens for the majority of my work.

The DC control is often not understood well. It "over-corrects" the spherical abberation of the lens to the front or back. As a result either the front or back of the subject will appear slightly softer. In reality the effect is subtle and since you will have to adjust the DC control ring each time according to your aperture setting *and* you will have to refocus each time you touch the DC ring, I end up not using this feature at all.

The overall built quality of the lens is excellent and solid. Manual focus is smooth. The built in lens hood is useful and locks in.

I have compared this lens to different 105 mm lenses and this one is the best lens in that range you can get. I would highly recommend getting this lens before Nikon decided to discontinue it.

There is one slight con to this lens at least when shooting with a D3. I noticed that only the 5 center AF points are accurate with this lens. When I used outer the AF points, the focus is slightly off in my photos. I have verified this with lots of tests. It is not a big deal for me as I use the center AF points all the time when I do head shots and portraits anyway. And yes it is only with this lens, all my other lenses are accurate with all AF points, so my camera is definitely calibrated correctly. Other photographer using this lens have confirmed my findings.

Again this is no issue for me and it is my most used lens for portrait work. The look of the photos is just wonderful, smooth and the subject seems to pop.

Many examples of my work with this lens can be found on flickr user: childish_david

"Why isn't this lens in more bags?" 2009-03-16
By Orlando Gonzalez (Iraq)
This is easily the best portrait lens in production today. It is also the sharpest lens I have ever used. I currently own the 17-35mm, a 70-200mm VR, and other sharp prime glass but this one is hands-down THE best. The DC control is not difficult at all to use. I keep hearing people complaining about how "tricky" it is to use and how it has a high learning curve and bla, bla, bla. I honestly don't understand their claims. Bottom line is...if you can do simple math; you can use the DC ring. Period. The 85mm f1.4 seems to be more popular but it is NOT better. It is not a portrait lens wide open either due to its shallow DOF. This 105mm is massive and sings on a D700. The built-in hood is very convenient and simple to use.

This masterpiece will definitely rock any DX body out there and shows no signs of vignetting on FX (just like my 70-200mm VR should but doesn't.) It produces almost three dimensional images....really shocking indeed. If you crave cream-cheese bokeh...almost oil-painting like.....get this thing. I will take mine to the grave as it will never ever leave my side. Any serious portrait shooter should own this classic. A MUST have.

"More lens than most people can handle" 2009-02-03
By J. Thompson (Orlando, FL USA)
This is an absolutely amazing lens. It takes unbelievable pictures with sharpness and bokeh that will knock your socks off; optically, it's probably one of the best three Nikon lenses available. The bokeh isn't just creamy - it looks like an oil painting. Virtually every picture properly shot reminds me of the paint scenes from "What Dreams May Come" with Robin Williams - it's that amazing. Frequently, I don't understand how a lens can make things look the way this lens does. It does more than record reality - it enhances it.

In my opinion, this lens outperforms the 85 1.4, in the right hands. And there's the key - this lens is probably too much for all but the most dedicated photographers. You really have to know what you're doing to get the most out of this lens. For a number of reasons, dilettantes are likely to get inferior images; most importantly, at this focal length, if you aren't using the right shutter speed, even a tiny bit of camera shake will kill your sharpness (the weight of this lens doesn't help, either). This lens is one stop slower than the 85, so in any given situation, your shutter speed is likely to be twice as long if you're trying to maximize background blurring (although the DC more than makes up for that if you know how to use it). And the extremely shallow depth of field can be hard to handle; I almost always manually focus with this lens because autofocus, while fast and accurate, just doesn't allow this lens to perform to its true potential. Finally, more than any other lens I use, and for reasons I don't fully understand, the viewfinder is NOT a completely accurate representation of the final picture you will get from this lens, and that takes some getting used to. Neither the viewfinder nor the LCD is capable of rendering the subtle patterns of light that this lens can generate. There's a certain luminosity to the pictures that is only first appreciable when you can actually look at the RAW file on a good monitor, and it's breathtaking, but you're not always expecting it. So, you have to know how this lens behaves while you're shooting with it, and that takes more practice and dedication than most people are willing to devote - they want to mount a lens and start snapping away.

For those who are agonizing between this and the 85 1.4: the 85 1.4 is, in my opinion, a much more forgiving lens because it doesn't have the sheer unbelievable resolving power that this lens does, especially in the borders. The 85 1.4 allows even inexperienced photographers to take contrasty, eye-popping shots with nice bokeh (once they can learn to deal with the depth-of-field issues, of course). This lens can do better, because it was designed to, but you really have to know exactly how to handle it - it's a nightmare in the hands of those who don't really know their camera. It's also a good bit heavier than the 85 and hangs off the body a bit more - the picture doesn't really illustrate the heft of the lens. On the other hand, it doesn't have the 85's more persnickety lens hood - it has a retractable lens hood that is much more convenient and can't get lost or scratch the lens body.

If you're a very serious amateur or pro, you will absolutely love this lens and you will enjoy the process of learning its intricacies. It's especially nice for portraits, its intended purpose, but of course has the optical quality to do everything well (except macro - it has a rather longish minimum focusing distance). If you're an amateur who wants a general-purpose lens to take great pictures, this lens will only amplify your shortcomings and bring you frustration, so I recommend you stick with the 85 1.4 if you have this much cash to spend. If you want a walkabout lens, I'd also go with the 85 - this lens is a bit heavy for that in my opinion, though both are a bit long in focal length as a general purpose lens for my taste. I prefer a 35 or 50 for that, depending on what I plan to shoot.

EDIT: As everyone always says, this lens is primarily for portraits. Its resolving characteristics do in fact make it great for portraits of women and children (the majority of portraiture clients in my experience). For men, I prefer the 85/1.4 or even the 50/1.4 if you're dealing with an interesting face. I have used it on men on occasion, but only when I'm going for the particular effect that DC provides. Most men don't imagine themselves the way this lens will render them.

"Absolutely breathtaking" 2008-07-15
By Shawn Chen (Cupertino, CA USA)
This is one of my favorite lens in my arsenal and certainly my best for portraits. I prefer this lens over my 85mm f/1.4.

Pros -

- A sharp prime lens

- Fast at f/2, sharp even in the corners

- Fast AF (faster than 85mm f/1.4) and nearly as fast as my AF-S lenses

- Defocus capability - it does work but need some playing with

- Solid Nikkor construction/metal body with rubber rings - there's no mistaken it's a high-end Nikon lens

Cons -

- Less contrast than say a newer lens with nano-crystal coating (or more ED lenses) but arguably more favorable for people/portraits

- It's a tad pricey but you get what you pay for

I use this as a walk around lens frequently, particularly on a normal day when I'm not lazy. Prime lens helps me with my photography training and more awareness around composition. This lens balances superbly with my D300.

"Fast, sharp, tough" 2008-02-10
By James Krall (San Juan Island, Washington)
I bought this several months ago to fill a gap and I got it for $300 cheaper than the 85 1.4. They're comparable in many respects and you really can't go wrong with either lens.

The DC 9(distortion control) is a bit tricky. I've not used it much, the bokeh is creamy enough without it. It's a beautiful lens. I wish I could say more about it, you know, make an educated comparison between it and the 85 1.4, or the legendary 105 2.5, but I can't. I know that it handles like a cadillac and I look for opportunities to use it. (I shoot theater with it. I use its fast 2.0 aperature to selectively focus on one person at a time.

I'm very pleased with it and will not part with it.

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Nikon 135mm f/2.0D AF DC-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-27T21:15:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 135mm f/2.0D AF DC-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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This high-performance, medium telephoto features Defocus Image Control allowing for control of the degree of focus in the foreground or background.
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Technical Details

- Portrait lens with Nikon's exclusive Defocus Image Control
- Control the degree of spherical aberration in background or foreground elements for more creative control.
- Rear focusing for fast AF operation
- Large maximum aperture for shooting in low light.
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"Amazing is an understatement" 2010-01-26
By M. N. Mehta (MA, USA)
This is a fantastic portraiture lens if you can get a good copy. This was my second copy, and is significantly sharper than my first. Pretty darn sharp at f/2 but absolutely Japanese kitchen knife sharp from f/2.8 onwards. I dont shoot this much higher than 5.6 - defeats the purpose IMO. The color rendition is fantastic and the bokeh amazing, as others have mentioned.

I also own a 85 1.4 and a 105 2.8 vr and at 2.0 this is even sharper than both of those on my D90, and is at par with the 85 1.4 in the beauty of the photos.

Build: old school Nikon crinkled finish. I wouldn't be surprised if tanks were made out of the same metal. The hood extends out and is a little fidgety if you try to slide it out or back down without an even distribution of pull or force. This may not make sense until you actually try to do it (as I found out when I got the lens).

The weight of the lens is a personal issue, depending on what you are used to. It feels very sturdy in my hand, and not particularly heavy.

As a point of reference the front element is not as sunken in as the 105 DC so may be easier to damage it if you prefer to not use a filter. The DC effect takes A LOT of work to master, not a feature that you will pick up overnight, but is icing on the cake if you can master it.

This is a tough lens to find - so if you like portraits, i.e. half body/headshots, then pick it up when you can, it doesn't come in big quantities and doesn't seem to stay in stock long. Second hand ones are now trading for $1500+ so it may go the way of the 28 1.4...

The only thing missing is VR, but if I can keep my shutter speed above 100, its smooth sailing!

"Amazing lens at a good price" 2010-01-11
By G. Lee (New Jersey)
With everyone giving steller reviews about this lens, I want to talk a little about what this lens is not. I have tried this on a variety of bodies, and they all produce exceptional pictures. On DX body and therefore 200mm equivalent, it's pretty fast considering its size but it doesn't really shine because there are other options. On FX body, it creates a very unique partnership.

I believe there is certain myth about the Defocusing Control feature. I had tested the effects on bokeh in very controlled environment and frankly unless I am blowing up a 12MP photograph to 100% crop, I cannot tell much of the difference! This doesn't mean it is useless, but I misled myself when I first acquired the lens thinking it can turn a rather unavoidable harsh background into swirled soft ice cream. Of course, the soft focus works well, but honestly there are so many ways to make a picture "soft" do I really need to spend $1000+ on a lens for that effect? Marketing people make me cry sometimes. To me, the DC feature is worth about $50...

However even if I ignore the DC ring for a second, this lens produces beautiful and sharp photos. I pretty much own all of Nikon's best lens line-up (in the similar class I have 85mm 1.4, Carl Zeiss 85mm 1.4, 50mm 1.4, and all the constant aperture 2.8s). Yet when I have a special occasion and the distance I need to work with I will always pack this lens with me. It renders beautiful colors, and creates ultra-sharp subjects (that are in focus of course). The AF speed is respectable and the accuracy is dead-on. I rarely shoot at 1.4 unless I am indoors with very low light, so to me this f2 lens is perfect for me.

I always recommend this to people if they are uncertain whether they will like a certain prime lens. Just take a cheapo zoom lens and set it to the length you wish to evaluate and fix it there. Shoot around all day and see if you can get used to the length and the working space. 135mm is an odd length, therefore one may find it inconvenient. However, I don't think anyone on this planet can argue about the quality of pictures this lens produces.

"Nikon 135mm f/2.0d AF DC-Nikkor" 2009-04-09
By R. Alex Johns
Pros:

Ideal long portrait lens on full frame

good medium telephoto on DX

Cons:

not af-s.

tends to require a half click to the forground from nutral on the dc ring for maximum sharpness(havent been abel to confirm if this is typical or just my copy).

An excelent lens. wonderfull bokeh for portraits and incredibly sharp. maximum quality is generaly at f 2.8 and down and f4 f5.6 is were your gonna want to be. with dc incredible bokeh can be achived at even f5.6.

My only caution is that this lens is highly specialized and is designed for a large studio or out door. On DX it is too long for portraits and to short for wildlife smaller than a cat. for DX users a 85mm f/1.4 is more usable. Definatly a must have for FX portaiture but keep in mind its a thousand dollars in the camera bag for a lens that isnt going to get much play time.

"Superb medium telephoto lens which will last an entire career" 2009-04-07
By Scooter (United States)
This lens is not just a specialty 'portrait lens' but a superb piece of optical excellence from Nikon, and a lens that you can buy now and use for an entire career or lifetime of photography. It is among Nikon's sharpest lenses ever produced, with sharpness exceptional even wide open at f/2 in the corners. Autofocus is extremely fast on a D300 or D700. At f/2 the bokeh is gorgeous, close to that of the famed 85mm f/1.4, but more interesting as the 'defocus control' (not a good term for the actual function but Nikon's choice) allows you to do the following things:

- leave it at the same aperture at which you are shooting (i.e. if you're shooting at f/2 or f/2.8, then set the DC ring at f/2, or f/2.8 in either direction) to get beautiful bokeh and a sharp subject; in this case, your bokeh will be more pronounced either behind or in front of your subject (assuming there are things in front of the subject which are out of the depth of field or focal subject). An example: a row of flowers in a garden in front of the subject, with focus on the subject set, and shooting aperture of f/2.8 = setting the DC at f/2.8 "F" ("front") causes the flowers in front of the subject to have 'more bokeh' than normal, whereas setting it at "R" ("rear") causes the same for the rear row of flowers (although this is a bit harder to see unless you're at narrower apertures where you usually don't get that much creamy bokeh).

- set it beyond or below the aperture you are shooting, to gradually 'defocus' the subject that is already in focus. Now this sounds like anathema to anyone who wants "sharp" photos from lenses (as "sharpness" is one of the big selling points) but for portraits specifically, a tack-sharp shot is in fact not always what you might want. For older, more 'mature' subjects which may have the various blemishes, wrinkles, lines, etc. which would be very pronounced and distinct in a tack-sharp lens' focus, a slight change of the DC ('defocus control') ring allows for the ever so slightest (at one stop different from your shooting aperture) to a much more soft 'defocus' of the subject. In other words, if you're shooting at f/2.8, setting the DC at f/3.5 or more (either "F" or "R" - I found "R" to be a bit nicer) will gradually place the subject of the portrait ever so slightly out of focus - or 'soft' focus, as the old lenses and filters would create - and make the subject very attractive without any of the unwanted details that one wouldn't want in a portrait enlarged to, say, 11x14 or whatever size.

The wide f/2 aperture allows for beautiful bokeh and tack-sharp shots without manipulating the DC ring, if you're not interested in 'soft' focus, and the f/2 aperture is exceptional for low light photography, whether at night, indoors or outdoors, or in a low-light setting such as a theater, sporting event indoors or outdoors, etc.

Some say this lens is 'hard to use' because of the DC ring; once you take a few sample shots with it and experiment with one subject, you'll start to get a feel for the types of settings that you find most pleasing, and use those in the field. Or, you can just not change the DC ring at all and enjoy the extreme sharpness, superb bokeh and extraordinary color rendition from this ultra-pro-quality lens.

The construction is solid, tank-like and built to last a photographic lifetime; the price is not trivial, but it is about right for this level of lens, and as a one-time investment, it's justifiable given the shots you will get from it. There is no VR, of course, so it's important to use good technique to get the sharpest shots (i.e. try to limit camera shake, use fast shutter speeds, etc.) at this 135mm focal length. On a DX camera the focal length converts to about 200mm so this is superb for portraits outside (basically at the same length as the non-DX 200mm f/2 pro lens which sells for $5k). However, the long focal length means that the slightest camera shake at slower shutter speeds may impede sharp photos; I try to stay at 1/100 or faster when handheld to avoid this (and in low light, the f/2 wide open will allow that if you have your high ISO set on a newer model that gives usable images even at ISO6400). Now on a tripod for portraits this lens has to be best in its class; the difference between the 85mm f/1.4 may be only 50mm in focal length, but the effects that this lens can produce with some judicious use of softening the subject's focus really stand out in enlarged shots, particularly those of weddings, etc. where tack-sharp isn't always the aim, and even a slightly "dreamy" or "romantic" mood is the goal. It focuses quite close for this focal length and aperture, so both head-shot-only close-ups and head-and-shoulders portrait shots from farther away (even full body shots, if you're far enough) are possible. It's nice as a medium telephoto or quasi-macro lens outside, as well, for flowers and other nature shots, as the focal distance works well.

Ergonomics: excellent. The built-in hood is a little clumsy but very convenient, and doesn't ever get in the way. The weight is perfectly balanced and feels terrific on my D700. The rubber focus ring doesn't move when focusing, and is perfect to grip with the left hand (assuming a right-handed camera shooter). There is no case included with the lens in the box, but a Nikon soft lens bag for $15 or so is a good investment - get a big one like the CL-S2, as this lens is rather large (not much smaller than the 70-300mm VR). The recommended nylon hard case is a bit bulky and not really necessary if you already have a camera bag or backpack that holds a few lenses - just get the soft case to protect it from scratches, etc. inside that bag.

"135mm - Under Rated" 2008-07-22
By A. Crowe (Calif)
I have shot Nikon lenses and cameras since 1969. At that time I had the Non-AI Nikkor 135mm. Just a great lens for a short to medium Tele. with my old and venerable FTn. Bokeh was sweet. Some of the best shots I had taken were with this lens.

A few months ago I needed a med. tele. for both machinery and portrait shots. As I researched the Nikon lens array I kept coming back to the 135mm f2 DC. You see, this is a lens that is fantastic as to sharpness and does a marvelous portrait and is capable of scenics and interior architectural shots at the same time. I do not rate it as highly for portraits as I would the 85mm f1.4. I would give the analogy that if you had a 300 foot board (the 85mm) and cut off 1/4" (you now have 299'3/4") then you have the 135mm f2.

The largest misconception I have heard of this lens is that the DC affects DOF; it does not. It affects the CoC (circles of confusion) in front of or behind the critically focused subject. In other words, it gives you bokeh "choices" front and back of subject.

This is one of the greatest lenses with this amazing speed that Nikon has come up with.

It is equivalent to a 200mm lens on my D300 given the sensor crop (Cmos). It is FF (full frame) on my F5. It works beautifully for portraits as it is so sharp. On the other hand, it is superior in the field for landscapes or stationary subjects. It is a bit heavy at almost 2 pounds but I shoot with it in every aspect of my photography. So versatile.

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Nikon 18mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens

2010-02-27T18:51:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 18mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens

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Ultra wide angle lens with Aspherical lens element and rear focusing capability / Center to Edge Sharpness / 77mm Filter Size
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Technical Details

- Lens Construction - 13 elements in 10 groups
- Aspherical lens element
- Minimum Focus Distance - 0.85 feet (about 10 inches)
- Attachment/Filter Size - 77mm (filters and hoods are optional)
- Dimensions (diameter x length) - 3.2 x 2.3 inches
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Nikon 45mm f/2.8 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (Silver)

2010-02-27T04:53:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 45mm f/2.8 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (Silver)

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Built-in CPU for Nikkor information exchange / Compatible with all P-Type Nikkor SLRs, and F3HP, FM3A and FM-10
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Technical Details

- Compatible with all exposure modes of CPU-controlled Nikon SLRs (P-Type Nikkor), as well as F3HP, FM3A and FM-10
- Special silver finish matches silver FM3A & other select SLR cameras
- Includes matching HB-35 lens hood, NC filter, plus front & rear lens caps
- Seven bladed rounded diaphragm produces more natural out-of-focus highlights
- Lens construction - 4 elements in 3 groups
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"A future classic" 2007-01-15
By The Great CD Swindle (Monaco)
A wonderful lens designed with foresight and understanding of the needs of photgraphers not found frequently these days. Designed for manual focus but with data connection to digital bodies it is a robust, smooth, tiny lens which is sure to become a future classic.

"Sneaky little lens" 2006-11-10
By Adam North (Sydney, Australia)
This beutiful lens almost makes you fell that you have a old silver Hasselblad lens on your Nikon.Very portable.

VERY SHARP!

"Great lens!" 2006-02-23
By R. Marotz (MN United States)
Based on so many reviews praising this lens for its ability to render smooth out-of-focus elements (boke or "bokeh"), I picked one up with high hopes. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed when trying to shoot flowers and finding the background harsh and distracting, even moreso than my 50mm f/1.8D. I was told by a few people that my lens was likely a lemon, though after some investigation, I determined that much of the praise for the boke came from the rounded aperture blades, which produce a rounded out-of-focus highlight rather than a heptagonal one (as in the case of the 50mm Nikkors). Apart from this, the background smoothness is limited by the same limitation inherent in the 50mm primes, which is the correction for spherical aberration.

However, stopping the lens down to f/4 overcomes most of the harshness in out-of-focus blur you see wide-open.

I thought I would get that bit of information out in the open as the vague praise of its boke is a bit misleading (tessars aren't really known for their boke anyway). However, that is not all there is to the lens (we can't obsess only about what's not in focus!), so let me mention a few more things!

The 45/2.8P can produce amazing colors. I would say the color saturation, while natural, is the highest of any lens I've used. This is the main reason I like this lens so much. Further, contrast, tonal gradations, and shadow detail produce a very pleasing overall image.

When in focus, the 45/2.8P is very sharp, even at wide apertures. Some will say it's sharper than the 50s, some will say it's not as sharp as the 50s. I would say they're roughly comparable.

Distortion is very low, flare and ghosting are tame overall, and light falloff is noticeable at wide apertures but often contributes to the relatively undefined "look" people like so much from this lens.

The 45/2.8P is, I think, the smallest 35mm lens Nikon makes (or made, they are discontinued now). It is built better than the AFD 50s, its compactness and relatively good build quality inspires a sense of confidence. The manual focus ring feels very nice and is enjoyable to use, as long as you don't need AF.

On the whole, I think this is a fantastic lens, even though it's not the "boke lens" I was originally expecting. Many photographers will say that the best lens is the one you have with you, and the 45/2.8P, with its combination of compactness and superlative image quality, can be a hard lens to not have with you. Is it worth the price compared to the 50s? In truth, for many people probably not. The differences in image quality are seen in subtleties, which may not compensate for the relatively small aperture and lack of autofocus. However, although I am not made of money, I don't consider purchasing it a mistake at all!

"Great lens ... bad price." 2005-12-19
By Jerry Jackson Jr. (Cincinnati, OH United States)
The 45mm f2.8P is one of the best primes you can get for the Nikon mount. That said, the lens design is old (cheap) but yet Nikon expects you to pay more for this lens than the 50mm f1.8D?

The bokeh on the 45mm is great ... but you can argue that the bokeh on the 50mm f1.8D is just as good ... and the 50mm f1.8D is MUCH cheaper.

Sure, it's manual focus unlike the 50mm F1.8D which has autofocus ... but that's just another reason that this lens should be priced at less than $100.

Anyway, if you LOVE manual focus prime lenses and feel the urge to buy this you probably won't be disappointed ... but you will be paying more than you need to for a fast lens.

"One of Nikon's Best Lenses" 2005-07-01
By John Kwok (New York, NY USA)
I've heard a well-founded rumor that this 45mm f2.8 Nikkor lens is an exact carbon copy clone of the 45mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar which was made for the Contax/Yashica SLR camera system. Furthermore I had heard that this lens was made by Kyocera in the same factory which had made the Japanese Carl Zeiss lenses. I'm not sure if either rumor is true, but the 45mm f2.8 Nikkor lens is a classic Tessar design. Regardless of its origins, this lens is truly an exceptional performer and is a nice companion to a Nikon FM3A body if one wishes to do some discrete street photograhy with this camera or one of its predecessors in the Nikon FE/FM series. True, it is more expensive than the 50mm AF Nikkor lenses, but what you gain is better image quality and, I suspect, better mechanical quality too.

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Nikon WM-E80 Wide Converter Lens for Coolpix 8800 Digital Camera

2010-02-26T23:04:00.001-08:00

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No Adapter Required
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Technical Details

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"Seriouly Limits Camera Functions" 2007-04-09
By A Taichi Practitioner (New York, NY USA)
Quite a bit of the camera's functionalities are lost when this converter is attached to the camera, with only limited zoom, flash, landscape mode, etc. Of course, navigating the layered menu to switch the lens settings whenever the lens gets attached or detached gets a bit annoying as well.

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Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-26T22:12:00.001-08:00

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Ideal mid-range zoom lens for architecture and portraiture / ED Lens Design offers Extra Definition with virtually no distortion
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Technical Details

- 28-70mm mid-range zoom lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture for Nikon digital SLR cameras
- Molded-glass aspherical lens for minimized distortion, higher resolution, and superior contrast
- M/A switch for quick transitions from AF to manual; 2.3-foot minimum focusing distance
- 9-blade rounded diaphragm opening makes out-of-focus elements appear more natural
- Measures 3.5 inches in diameter and 4.9 inches long; weighs 33 ounces; 5-year warranty
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"returned without a problem" 2009-09-08
By Myles A. McGuinness (San Diego , CA USA)
I returned this lens but without a hitch. It made a strange sound when focusing, quality was solid just could get past the noise factor.

"I don't understand anything less than a 5 star review for this lens." 2008-11-17
By Kate Stokes (Atlanta, GA)
I'm sorry, I just can't understand ratings that aren't 5/5 for this lens. It flat out rocks. Let me just get a few things straight regarding this lens vs. the newer 24-70mm lens that replaced it:

1. This lens is more stout than the 24-70mm, yes, but it is also noticeably shorter which to me is preferable. This means it has a nearer/lower center of gravity and is easier to manage for long periods of time. The 24-70mm is basically like handling a telephoto zoom (i.e. 70-200mm or 80-200mm) with its center of gravity further out, harder to handle for long periods and easier to knock into people with.

2. The 24-70mm is a very sharp lens. I understand that. This lens is at least as sharp, however, and in my opinion slightly sharper. This becomes important in point number 3 below.

3. This lens can be picked up for roughly 2/3 the price of the 24-70mm. To me that settles the issue. Now, if the 24-70mm had VR then maybe it would be a different story but it doesn't. Again the 24-70mm is harder to handle, longer, no sharper and costs at least 50% more ($1,000-ish vs $1,5000-ish)

I hope I have made a good case for getting one of these over the newer 24-70. This is a top notch solid professional battle ready piece of equipment here. Don't listen to the talk of it being "too big" or "too heavy." First of all, as I said it's much easier to maneuver than the longer 24-70, and second of all the heaviness of this lens is overrated. If you are coming from a kit lens yes you will find it heavy. If you are used to shooting with pro glass this will not seem extraordinary heavy. It is in line with professional Canon and Nikon glass I have used over the years in terms of weight. Unless they decide to put VR on the 24-70mm I am not going to take another look at it while I can still find these for 2/3 the price.

"The perfect wedding & portrait lens for DX" 2008-07-28
By Carl E. Feather (KINGSVILLE, OH USA)
Ancient by the standards set with the 24-70 and 14-24, this lens was once the standard mid-range zoom in the Nikon line. I got mine in 2003 when it was the only constant aperture lens available in the Nikon line in this range.

Compared to the 14-24, it's not as sharp, colors are more muted and flare is worse. Neverthless, it remains the lens I use for my engagement and portrait sessions on my D300.

The lens has a look that I can only describe as more "organic" than the new lenses. The subtle softness is actually a benefit for portraits. It has wonderful bokeh, as well. The lens is well built -- mine fell onto concrete and survived to complete a wedding -- nevertheless, $400 in repairs were necessary due to damaged internal drive parts.

If you shoot portraits on DX you should look at this lens. The range is perfect -- 42mm for full length to 105mm for close facial shots. If you shoot nature and landscapes, the 24-70 is a better choice.

"Excellent quality, very sharp, heavy and very expensive" 2008-02-07
By Miguel A. Rodriguez (North Bay Village, Florida United States)
I have owned this lens for about four years now, and it is my favorite lens. It is built like a tank, very solid construction and very heavy. For maximum sharpness, I recommend using the lens at F/8 for most situations however; at constant f/2.8 the pictures are very sharp also. It does excellent at weddings and studio portrait photography. Distortion is not a great concern however, you may have to use a little distortion correction in Photoshop, or what ever software application you use to edit your pictures, when shooting at 28mm. Distortion at very close range, especially when shooting tall buildings is noticeable. The lens has a tendency to flare very easily including at night. Nothing that can't be fixed in Photoshop but, flare can be avoided by paying a little more attention. I rate this lens 9 out of 10. I will love to see this lens in a VR version in the future.

"Great Lens!" 2006-06-12
By R. Cunningham (Michigan)
I have owned this lens for 2 years and it is by far my most used lens. This is saying quite a bit because I also own the Nikon 28 1.4 and the 85 1.4. Both of those two are outstanding, however the zoom is much more convenient to use.

It is heavy but on the D2H it balances very well.

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Nikon 35mm f/1.4 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-26T22:06:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 35mm f/1.4 Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.
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Technical Details

- Large maximum aperture of f/1.4
- AF-S 35mm lens a fast, single-focal-length lens with normal picture angle
- Well-balanced design realizes both high MTF performance and natural-looking picture blur
- Newly developed optical system effectively corrects sagittal coma flare and coma aberration
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"Only non-AF lens I own !" 2007-11-16
By C. Peter Jorgensen (Vermont, USA)
The 35mm f1.4 Nikkor is the only non-AF Nikon lens I own and I've had it for many years, perhaps 20 or more. I've been shooting professionally a photojournalist since 1960 and haven't retired yet. I own perhaps 12 Nikon lenses and 4 bodies, including an F5, F6, and D-200 and have a D3 on order. All my lenses are current versions except this one which I've always said I would never sell because of its quality and speed. It also has that elusive "bokeh" when shot at f1.4 that just brings great eye appeal to any subject matter. [I was looking for something else when this item caught my eye and felt I had to add a comment because it is one lens I treasure.]

"Great lens" 2007-04-11
By Lovblad (Geneva, Switzerland)
This was and is a really great lens. The optics are great. I bought one cheaply more than ten years ago and it remains great value for money.

"Nikon's fastest manual focusing wide angle lens" 2005-07-19
By John Kwok (New York, NY USA)
The venerable 35mm f1.4 AI-S Nikkor lens is optically unchanged since its introduction in the early 1970s. It was one of the lenses prized by photojournalists, and remains popular with them today. An excellent performer, even wide open, this lens was among the first Nikon made with its CRC lens technology, or in plain English, with floating elements, for optimal performance even close up. It was also the first Nikon wide angle lens with multicoating. This lens holds its own against the Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux-R and the recently discontinued Contax Carl Zeiss 35mm f1.4 Distagon (However, having used both this lens and the Zeiss Distagon, I believe that the Zeiss lens is optically superior.). I am surprised that Nikon has not yet introduced an autofocusing version of this lens; I suspect that one major reason is that there hasn't been sufficient interest in one from professional photographers.

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Nikon 35-200mm f/3.5-4.5 Zoom-Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-26T13:12:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 35-200mm f/3.5-4.5 Zoom-Nikkor AI-S Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Professional photographers make Nikkor lenses their lenses of choice. Nikon is committed to every aspect of lens manufacturing, maintaining clarity, sharpness, focusing accuracy, range and reliability.PRODUCT FEATURES:Ideal as an all-in-one lens system for travel application;Provides full aperture viewing and light metering.
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Technical Details

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"hmm,." 2007-09-09
By Angel Lotti
its a great lense..althoughi have the minolta version, its VERY good. the range is OK. its not the best, but it will do if your an amateur taking photos around the house or the city. its a great product and trust me, the magnification is WAY WAY better than the stock lense. i bought my minolta x700 that came with the stock lense and this lense for only 90 dollars since it is used. i loved it overall. looks very professional

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Nikon FC-E8 Fish-Eye Converter Lens for Nikon 4300, 4500 & 5000 Digital Cameras

2010-02-26T08:17:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon FC-E8 Fish-Eye Converter Lens for Nikon 4300, 4500 & 5000 Digital Cameras

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Originally developed for scientific or industrial applications, Fisheye lenses are now also widely used in advertising, commercial and general photography. Fisheye lenses create a dramatic effect, showing the viewer the world as a fish might see it. With coverage up to 220? - virtually seeing backwards - Nikkor Fisheye lenses can add a new dimension to your photography.For special effect photography, as well as a variety of scientific and industrial applications, the Fisheye lens FC-E8 for Nikon CoolPix digital cameras is ideal. All-encompassing 180? fisheye coverage records everything in front of the camera, and produces a circular image on the film. Bright f / 2.8 aperture for dim light or fast shutter speeds. Close-focusing is now down to 33cm (1 foot), full-aperture viewing and metering. Easy filter interchange; 5 filters are built into a revolving turret inside the lens.
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Technical Details

- For use with Nikon Coolpix cameras
- Approximately 183 degree coverage. Can be used as a full frame or circular image lens
- For use with CoolPix 900/950/990, to use with the CoolPix 880 requires an optional step-down ring
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"A Very Versatile Lens for the P5100" 2009-08-17
By Dreux Sawyer (West Orange, NJ USA)
Due to its superior quality, this lens also performs admirably as a super wide angle lens when used with a tighter zoom angle. Zoomed all the way out, it becomes a traditional fisheye lens, and despite not being listed as so, is an essential accessory for the P5100. It's like having several lenses in one. Once you have the Nikon UR-E20 Adapter, this and all the 28mm mount lenses become available to you. Due to it's versatility, it's a bargain even though pricier than third-party brands, which earns it five stars. If you're a serious P5100 photographer, you won't be disappointed.

"Fun with Glass" 2002-12-02
By J V V (Los Angeles)
A truly fun piece of glass and I use it as both a toy and a tool. I love to shoot people and objects with it and see what the distortion does to the image, but it's also incredibly useful when you have no room to work or back up. I found it especially useful in the confined spaces of aircraft cockpits. But that fine thread to mount it on the camera drives me nuts! Especially when I'm in the confined space of something like an aircraft cockpit. But I always put it in my kit when on the road.

"Big bang for the buck!!! And a cool toy to boot." 2002-02-16
By Richard C. Drew (Oak Lawn, IL USA)
Slipped right on the CoolPix 995. Almost slipped onto the floor as well - the lens cover is nice, but held on by friction between a felt strip inside the cover and the side of the lens. It's second nature to pick it up by the lens cover. And the lens falls right out. Be warned! I caught mine just in time and spend 5 minutes cleaning off finger prints. This is a common complaint from people I know who own this lens. The rear lens cover is a pain - not fully threaded and a pain to get on. Enough of the 'bitchin.

The lens itself is great. I had a Tiffen wide angle on my old Kodak DC290 - this Nikon is far superior. The camera has two Fisheye lens presets that adjusts and locks the camera's settings for optimum results. The resulting photo can be dark if taken indoors (the flash is automatically disabled) - but a few seconds in PhotoShop increasing the contrast and brightness fixed it right up (try that with a film camera!)

For [this price] you can't beat this lens. If you plan on doing panoramic or full room shots, get it. Example: I stood my tripod in a corner facing the center of a room. It captured EVERYTHING, floor to ceiling, wall to wall, except what was directly behind the camera. I then import the resulting image into a panoramic editor, output a Quicktime VR file (takes under 20 minutes total), and have a virtual view of the room. Cool. Plus everyone who sees it asks "is that a lens?!?!"

"Durable Lens" 2001-10-17
By J. Sullivan
This summer while taking wide angle photos with this converter, I set my camera with fish-eye and small tripod on an unstable rock. As I set the timer, I watched in horror as my camera and converter fell off the rock and another 50 feet down a rocky slope. I thought all was lost, and my vacation ruined. To my amazement, the Nikon fish-eye converter and camera still worked! The glass was pretty scratched up, but I was still able to take photos with it. Because it's digital I was able to touch up the scratch marks on the photos when I got home. I've since bought a new Nikon Fish-Eye replacement, but I continue to be amazed at its durability.

"Cool Lens" 2001-07-27
By CJinJax (Jacksonville, FL United States)
You'll love this thing. Nikon quality is amazing. This lens gives a great effect to your pics. If you photograph inside rooms, you can get the whole room in the picture, a full 180 degrees. Takse the two 180 's and combine them in your computer to 1 sphere and you have a full 360 degree room view. Awesome for real estate agents or for just having fun. Awesome potential.

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Nikon 200mm f/2G ED-IF AF-S VR Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-25T12:52:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 200mm f/2G ED-IF AF-S VR Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.PRODUCT FEATURES:Fast f/2.0 capability which effectively allows subjects to be given more emphasis by throwing background elements out of focus;Exclusive Silent Wave Motor enables ultra-high speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and powerful super-quiet operation;VR operation offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 3 stops faster. In addition, active vibration mode selection possible for use in active situations such as a moving boat, car or plane;New Super ED glass excels at eliminating secondary spectrum and correcting chromatic aberration and offers low refractive index and lower dispersion. Also Super ED Glass more resilient to rapid temperature changes;M/A mode enables instant switching from autofocus to manual with virtually no lag time even during AF servo operation;VR performance with Automatic detection of panning;VR On/Off mode available;Internal Focusing (IF) design for smoother focusing;Electronic Focus Preset Operation;Rounded diaphragm blades (9 blades) for natural blur;High Performance Nikon Super Integrated Coating offers superior color reproduction and minimizes ghost and flare;New G design enables aperture selection from select 35mm AF SLR and DSLR camera bodies and incorporates distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes;Fully compatible with D1X, D2H, D100, D70, F6, F5, F100, N80, N75;Fully compatible with Nikon TC-14E II, TC-20E II and New TC-17E II Teleconverters;Focuses as close as 6.2 feet;Detachable hood (HK-31) and rotating tripod collar.
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Technical Details

- Included accessories - Attachment-type filter holder (with 52mm NC); Front cap (new); Strap (LN-1); Hood (HK-31); Semi soft case (CL-L1)
- Fast f/2.0 capability which effectively allows subjects to be given more emphasis by throwing background elements out of focus
- Exclusive Silent Wave Motor enables ultra-high speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and powerful super-quiet operation
- VR operation offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 3 stops faster. In addition, active vibration mode selection possible for use in active situations such as a moving boat, car or plane (on/off)
- New Super ED glass excels at eliminating secondary spectrum and correcting chromatic aberration and offers low refractive index and lower dispersion. Also Super ED Glass more resilient to rapid temperature changes
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"Worth every pound (of the 2.9kg) - feedbacks vs the 300mm f/2.8" 2009-12-17
By Shawn Chen (Cupertino, CA USA)
It weights as much as the af-s 300mm f/2.8 (gen 1) but is about 2.5" shorter in length. The primary lens is the same size, and it's a chore to lug around. 10lbs to be exact with a D700 and a battery grip. The personality of the lens, e.g. sharpness, bokeh, is similar to the 105mm DC Nikkor f/2, except it has faster focus, able to shoot a couple of stops faster with VR, and has a 200mm focal length.

It's sharp wide open at f/2 and insanely sharp from 2.8 and beyond under non-challenging lighting conditions. The quality of the optics makes it somewhat more bearable to lug around, but it's dimension is unconventional--stubby and shorter than the other Nikon super telephotos. Ironically, it doesn't balance as well as the af-s 300mm f/2.8 for me. Without a tripod or monopod, I tend to shoot with the camera on my shoulder and arm extended. The 'stubby' 200mm f/2 is harder to grip and balance, but optically it creates the same creamy bokeh as the 300mm albeit a tad sharper. To the very point, it's more comfortable to balance the camera with a 300mm on my shoulder and arm (w/o tripod/monopod) than the 200mm.

I seldom shoot sports, instead I shoot a lot of candid shots of people, particularly children, and the 200mm is absolutely a marvel. Once you're a believer, you can't settle for anything less. Few lens I own can get the level of sharpness I like wide open, and the 200mm f/2g is the sharpest of the lot. (85mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.4, 60mm f/2.8, 105mm f/2, 300mm f/4, 300mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8)

"Best of the best" 2008-04-28
By Felix Gumby (kearney, ne United States)
I purchased this lens in order to take advantage of the 2.0 f-stop in horribly lit hs gymnasiums. This lens paired with my D2Hs is outstanding. It has to be the best volleyball lens in existence.

The only drawback is that it weighs a TON (better start doing your push-ups!). But, when you see the shots it produces, the weight is no longer a problem. I used a 70-200VR prior to this purchase, and it is/was a great lens, but it isn't even in the 200's class.

If you shoot basketball or volleyball this is a great lens. . . if you can afford it. If you can't, . . well, you only need one kidney.

Update, I have now paired this lens with a D3. . . OUTSTANDING.

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Nikon 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S VR Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-25T12:37:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S VR Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Super Fast Telephoto AF-S Lens with Vibration Reduction and new Nano-Crystal AR coat. Nikon's exclusive Silent Wave Motor enables ultra-high speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and powerful super-quiet operation. Vibration Reduction (VR) technology offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 3 stops faster. In addition, active vibration mode selection possible for use in active situations such as a moving boat, car or plane and provides VR performance with Automatic detection of panning. Internal Focusing (IF) design for smoother focusing. Exceptionally high optical performance; compatible with both 35mm and digital SLR models. Three ED glass elements effectively compensates for magnification and virtually eliminate chromatic aberration Meniscus protective glass element to overcome internal reflections from digital imaging sensor.Focus Mode switch enables quick response to changing situations with quick-switching between M/A (Manual-Priority Autofocus) and M (Manual Focus) modes. AF operation switch enables easy selection of settings. Focus Preset function instantly recalls a preset focal point. Focus Limiter switch limits AF-servo movement to a selected shooting distance range.
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Technical Details

- 300mm
- F/2.8 Extra low dispertion
- G-Series lens
- Internal focus
- Auto Focus
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"Extremely fast lens" 2010-02-15
By R. Adams (Paradise Valley, AZ)
I am blown away how fast the auto focus is on this lens. I knew this was going to be a great lens before I got it. I knew it's top pick by pros around the world. But the auto focus speed of this lens is just mindblowing.

Of course, as others have said, it has nice Bokeh (something to be expected with a 2.8), it's glass produces crisp and clear images at F5.6 through F16. It works great in low light and paired with a Nikon D3s, is an amazing setup.

"Outstanding bokeh, strong colors" 2009-04-20
By Julie Neal (Sanibel Island, Fla.)
My family just spent two weeks with this lens photographing wildlife, hand-holding it all day. It does get heavy after a few hours, but except for a sore shoulder or two we have nothing to complain about. My daughter, 15, held it better than her parents, so we gave her the bird work. For me, the value of the lens lies in the quality of the blur it creates. Much like the similar Nikon 600mm, it will frame your subjects in an abstract setting that is as smooth as a watercolor painting. Also, no other lens I've used takes advantage of that "C" autofocus setting so well. For example, we were able to shoot grazing antelope from the back of bouncy, moving truck and get the fur in focus in every shot.

"Awesome Lens" 2008-08-08
By A. J. Davies
An amazing lens by any standard. Sharp as a tack, Ultra quick AF, beautiful Bokeh wide open. Fabulous and expensive. Oh and don't buy it off Amazon, get it from B&H.

"Amazing Lens!" 2008-02-11
By Brett L. Colvin (UT USA)
The price tag on this lens is steep, but I needed something that would track birds in flight during uncertain lighting conditions hand held, and still provide sharp images. This lens is about the largest Nikon prime that doesn't require the support of a monopod or tripod. I use it with a Nikon TC17eII, and have found perhaps a very slight softening wide open at f/4.8, but no noticeable degradation if stopped down at all. Even wide open it produces amazingly sharp images w/ the TC! This combo produces a 510mm f/4.8 for much less investment than a 500mm f/4, and it can be hand held.

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Nikon WC-E63 Wide-Angle Converter Lens for Nikon 4300 & 4500 Digital Cameras

2010-02-25T12:34:00.001-08:00

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The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality. Nikon manufactures an extensive range of accessories that are meticulously designed to enhance the performance of Nikon products. Nikon's accessories are manufactured to the highest standard and provide great reliability and compatibility.WC-E63 Wideangle Converter lens reduces focal length of the camera's lens to x0.63. This low-distortion type converter features 4 elements in 4 groups.
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Technical Details

- 4 lens elements in 4 groups
- 24mm equivalent lens (0.63x magnification)
- For use with Nikon CoolPix digital cameras
- Requires UR-E3 adapter ring to work with Coolpix 775/UR-E4 adapter ring to work with Coolpix 885
- Not for use with Coolpix 2500
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"WC-E63 wide angle lens for Coolpix 990" 2007-06-17
By PAP (North Carolina)
The WC-E63 wide angle lens gave me just what I was after, a wider view for my Coolpix 990. It screws on without the need for an adapter. It takes a little getting used to and its big and bulky but it is a good lens. The flash is obstructed so lighting is a concern. All of these issues were described in the purchase info so it wasn't a surprise. The price was great for a genuine Nikon lens and includes lens caps and a carry bag.

"Capture all that you can see" 2003-01-14
By John W. Turner (Ipswich, MA USA)
If you are finding that your 3x zoom is going in the opposite direction of what you want then get this wide angle lens.

I was impressed with the quality of the images that this lens can produce. There is very little distortion except when used at very short focal lengths.

The only downsides are the size of the lens, the weight, and the fact that it blocks the optical viewfinder.

"effective on NIKON Cameras for large areas of photo effort" 2002-05-11
By (uSA)
While is a small room during a dake-bonoist clicking session I am able to take photos of many people even when I've fairly close to them in proximity. Other Dake-Bonoist have expressed satisfaction with this lens as well.

"Loving it." 2002-04-03
By Susan E. Slattery (Hinsdale, MA United States)
Hey Andy, from Patterson: I also love my CP 990 (refurb unit, the camera is, though).
Re: your wide angle: did you set the camera to "M", then hit Menu, then scroll to Lens and select "Wide Adapter"? If you didn't, THAT'S why your 990 wouldn't focus!
Everyone else, I don't have this wide adapter yet, but I'm sure it's just as nice as the fisheye I DO have. (And the wide angle is on my wish list.)

"Excellent lens!" 2002-04-03
By
On a Coolpix 775 (with the required adapter) this is one formidable-looking device, but it delivers clear wide-angle views. There is some distortion around the outer edges, but that is to be expected for a lens in this price range. It definitely expands the CP775's horizons. If you want to shoot wider vistas give this lens a try.

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Nikon 24mm f/3.5D ED PC-E Nikkor Ultra-Wide Angle Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras

2010-02-24T19:17:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 24mm f/3.5D ED PC-E Nikkor Ultra-Wide Angle Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras

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Wide shifting and tilting range (shift: ±11.5 mm; tilt: ±8.5°)
±90° lens revolving capability for versatile tilt/shift effects
Maximum reproduction ratio of 1/2.7 (at 0.21 m/0.7 ft.)
Three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements for superior sharpness and color correction by effectively minimizing chromatic aberration
Three aspherical lens elements minimize various types of lens aberration
Nano Crystal Coat virtually eliminates internal lens element reflections, effectively reducing ghosting and flare
High-performance Nikon Super Integrated Coating delivers superior color reproduction while substantially reducing ghosting and flare
Rounded 9-blade diaphragm for more natural appearance of out-of-focus image elements
Lens aperture can be preset by using aperture ring and aperture stop-down button
With the Nikon D3 and D300, auto aperture control with electromagnetic diaphragm is possible

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Technical Details

- Lens construction: 13 elements in 10 groups (with three ED glass elements, three aspherical lenses,
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"Not perfect, but I'm impressed." 2008-12-25
By Coronet Blue (California)
I previously reviewed this lens. I now have second one and it appears the first was either defective or they vary wildly. Lens #1 came from eBay, due to Nikon's "we're backordered, but don't buy gray" policy. Naturally I wanted a lens with US warranty but Nikon US had none. As usual, they were all over Hong Kong but not one in the USA. So I bought a USA one used/mint condition to get a lens that Nikon would service if necessary. Cosmetically, the lens was flawless but something was amiss so please disregard my previous review.

Lens #2 is quite good or great, depending on what you want it for. The photo I see most often is a field of flowers with the lens tilted. I don't have much interest in tilting a 24mm lens but from what I see, its great for this and image quality should be super.

For architecture, the shifting is a bit of a different story. In theory, its possible to shift this lens 11.5 mm when the camera is oriented vertically. In practice, you can do this if the top of your subject occupies only the top center of the frame. If you are a critical user and your subject fills the entire top of the frame you'll probably find the top corners disappointing. (As with the previous lens, f/13 seemed to be best when shifted although f/11 was very close).

The good news is that if you restrict your shift to about 8-8.5mm the corners clean up, the illumination falloff disappears and things are sharp everywhere. If this sounds bad, it really isn't because previous Nikon PC lenses have a similar limitation where you can physically shift them further than advisable. (When the camera is horizontal you can shift as much as you want).

Mechanically, the lens is sound. Its a little front heavy and movements have to be locked which irks me because this is all due to the tilting business which adds size, weight, cost and complexity. But Canon started this and its tit for tat.

If you have a use for one of these and take the time to test it out I think you'll be pleased. Its hands down better than the Canon 24 TS (version 1) and ridiculously better than the Nikon 28PC. I still have to see if it can beat the Olympus 24 shift but haven't gotten around to it yet.

By the way, with regard to the comments that this is a "very technical" lens that takes practice or tutorials to master, nothing could be further from the truth. You point it at the subject, tilt or shift as neeed, focus, lock the movements down, lock the mirror up and trip the shutter. If you want to make things complicated you can read about Scheimpflug but since you get both visual confirmation and auto exposure, its hard to see how you could make a mistake.

"Best 24mm tilt/shift lens yet" 2008-07-11
By Lloyd L. Chambers (Portola Valley, CA USA)
Shift lenses are headed in the right direction, getting better and better. The Hartblei/Zeiss offerings out out of the reach of many (price) but Nikon's current offerings include the 24 f/3.5, a 45mm f/2.8 and an 85mm f/2.8. Canon has a similar line. Discontinued are Nikon's 28/4, 28/3.5 and 35/2.8 PC-Nikkors (no tilt). Schneider's 28mm PC-Super-Angulon remains available for Nikon or Canon users. All of the latter lenses are "covered" in28mm Shift Lenses on DX frame.

The Nikon 24 T/S is a very nice handling lens and built to similar standards as the several-year old 85 f/2.8D PC-Micro-Nikkor. However, it now offers electonic aperture control, a boon for usability, but a disappointment for those of us who like to shoot Nikon lenses also on Canon via an adapter.

The good news is that optical performance is very high. Having used the Canon 24/3.5L T/S and the Olympus 24/3.5 shift (but not owning either at the moment) I can only hazard the following experience-based opinion: the Nikon offering appears to be the best yet available in the 24mm tilt/shift realm. Congratulations Nikon! A future in-depth report will have to speak to the details of this fine lens, but stitched images certainly are one good use of this lens, like this 19 megapixel example below.

The bottom line for me is that when the budget cooperates, the Nikon 24 T/S is a lens I want to own. I expect that the 45mm and 85mm offerings will afford even better performance.

"Nikon 24mm f/3.5D ED PC " 2008-07-05
By Stephen J. Schange
Takes a while to get the hang of using it, but you can do thing with it that no other type of lens can do.

"Absolutely incredible" 2008-05-02
By Judson Abts (Gloucester, MA)
Finally Nikon is doing it, making top quality TS lenses. I have the 85mm PC and now 24mm PC-e and my other lenses are just boring by comparison. Granted, you have to focus manually--not a huge problem at 24mm.

I can't say enough good things about this lens. at 3.5 its tack sharp. obviously it only gets better from there.

the dials on the side are a little smaller than the 85mm pc--that would be my only complaint on an otherwise fantastic lens!

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Nikon 16mm F/2.8D AF Fisheye Nikkor Lens

2010-02-24T14:16:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 16mm F/2.8D AF Fisheye Nikkor Lens

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Fisheye lens for Nikon cameras
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Technical Details

- Fisheye 16mm ; F/2.8
- D-type lens
- Auto focus
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"excellent for both FX and DX cameras" 2009-11-25
By Phillip Marsh (Texas)
The first Nikon digital SLRs were APS-C crop sensor cameras and my first fisheye lens was the Nikon 10.5mm f2.8. This is an excellent lens but defishing software leaves a lot to be desired so I used it only in true full fisheye mode with key subjects in the center 1/3 of the frame.

With the purchase of the D3 I added the 16mm f2.8 which is not considered to be as sharp a lens as the 10.5mm fisheye. But since getting the 16mm fisheye I have stopped using the 10.5mm lens entirely. I prefer the 16mm to the 10.5mm even on my DX cameras where it works like a very wide angle rectilinear lens. This small and lightweight lens on a D300 is a lot of fun and feels like I am using a point and shoot camera after hefting the D3 with the 24-70mm lens.

I like to use a fisheye lens for travel and can see few instances where the 10.5mm fisheye would have been preferred over the 16mm one on my DX camera. This is a great "little" lens and one that goes with me everywhere regardless of whether I take the D3 or the D300.

"16mm Fisheye Crazy wide!!" 2009-02-06
By K. Falls (United States)
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R32OKY777NJMOW Great Lens!! Great on a full frame camera. Super fast lens!!

"A True Fisheye Lens for Digital Cameras" 2007-02-25
By Ralph W. SCHARDT (San Jose, Ca USA)
This is a great lens for fun and creativity. Some call it an "armpit" lens as it gives you a 180 degree perspective. I find myself pulling this lens out of the bag more and more often as I see a landscape or object that deserves the wide perspective captured by this lens. Try taking photos of animals with it. Get close up and their noses come out large with the rest of their heads caught in a small wide-angle perspective - much fun. A photographer friend of mine shot cows with this lens, now be careful as you have to get pretty close, but his photos were hilarious! I highly recommend this lens. To save a couple of hundred dollars or so, find it used, but make sure it comes with the filters. My only complaint is the cap that Nikon provides with it. It slips off easily and since the lens can not fit a normal filter to protect the objective glass, you have a potential for scratching or at least getting the lens smudged - too much cleaning of glass is never good. I used double-sided tape inside the cap to help it stick to the built-in hood - seems to work - just make sure you trim the double-sided tape so it isn't touching the lens itself. Enjoy!

"Terrific standard fisheye lens" 2006-11-25
By RonAnnArbor (Ann Arbor, MI United States)
This is a terrific standard fisheye lens. Unlike many fisheyes, it creates a full-screen rectangular image. The filters that come with the lens are an added bonus. Wonderful and fun images can be created. Don't waste your money on the filter-type screw-on fisheye lenses that distort your image beyond all recognition and don't allow for correct metering or focusing. This has been a wonderful addition to my lens collection, and one that I frequently find myself pulling out of the bag for a special effect here and there - from a lying-on-the-ground in the forest photo, to a wrap-around view of the WDW castle...I mark it down one star only because of the price -- Nikon has several fisheye lenses, and all of them are overpriced for the limited use these lenses receive. Still, it is comperable in price to the 15/2.8 sigma fisheye with much better glass quality.

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Nikon TC-E3ED 3X Teleconverter Lens for Nikon 4300, 4500, 5000 & 8400 Digital Cameras

2010-02-23T15:06:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon TC-E3ED 3X Teleconverter Lens for Nikon 4300, 4500, 5000 & 8400 Digital Cameras

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TC-E3ED Telephoto Converter triples focal length of the camera's lens. It employs two Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements.
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Technical Details

- 3x telephoto converter lens for Nikon Coolpix digital cameras
- Compatible with the following Nikon Coolpix cameras: 880, 885, 990, 995, 5000
- Requires 25154 lens adapter ring with Coolpix 880; requires UR-E4 lens adapter ring with Coolpix 885; requires UR-E6 lens adapter ring with Coolpix 5000; requires UR-E15 lens adapter ring with Coolpix 8400
- Rear mount diameter: 28mm
- Front mount diameter: 72mm
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"This item enhances the existing lens" 2008-08-03
By Terrence Quah (Singapore)
I got this item wondering how good a converter lens might actually be, I expected degradation in the image because of the additional glass. I also wondered why Nikon would make me pay more by using ED glass. However, when I began to use the tele-converter more, to my surprise the tele-conversion actually makes the existing lens better!

The camera needs takes photos in low light, at faster shutter speeds, because the teleconverter lens enlarges the light-capturing surface of the lens and lets you take crystal clear shots in relatively low light.

If you are willing to spend on it, I am telling you without a doubt this buy is worth it.

"AWESOME." 2004-06-22
By
I take anywhere from 100-500 pictures in a month. i have used this lens several time. if you are looking to get close to you subject from far this one works great. picture quality is amazing and really is worth the money if you take enough pictues. Bottom line is if you get out enough and love nature like i do, this can't be beat with my nikon 4500.

"They will withhold the warranty and Info sheet" 2004-04-24
By Edward J. Daly (Washington D.C.)
So I thought it was a good deal till what appears in the mail;
a used lens...no warranty or data fact sheet, in a used box.
AMAZON...NEVER AGAIN!!!

"Wow... you really get in there..." 2003-06-24
By
This lens has allowed me to get all kinds of shots I used to miss. If getting in close matters, this lens matters. If getting the picture matters, Nikkor lenses matter.

Get this lens.

"Still waiting" 2002-12-18
By (Davenport, IA United States)
Ordered it 5 weeks ago and still haven't got it. I had to put in 1 star to get the review through.

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NIKON 14MM f/2.8D ED AF Ultra Wide Angle Nikkor Lens

2010-02-23T06:54:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap NIKON 14MM f/2.8D ED AF Ultra Wide Angle Nikkor Lens

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Includes NIKON's built-in CPU and distance signal features / Also features A-M switch / Built-in flower shaped lens hood
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Technical Details

- Hybrid aspherical lens elements and ED glass elements
- RF (Rear Focus) system for superior performance
- Rectilinear design provides straight line subject rendition
- Built-in flower design lens hood
- F-Stop Range - 2.8-22
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"Stunning lens" 2009-04-30
By David A. Young
This is an amazing lens. I was initially concerned about distortion that bulged from the center out to the edges but the lens does a fantastic job of dealing with it. This lens is one of the best additions to my glass collection.

"Wonderul Optics" 2009-01-26
By sketchalot (CT United States)
I wish they had a way to protect this lens, but then it wouldn't be this wide, would it? A wonderful lens. I'm quite happy with it.

"Excellent Lens but it doesn't allow for filters" 2008-05-17
By M. Andersen (NM, USA)
I purchased this item sight unseen. I did not realize that the lens was curved, like a fisheye lens. It will not take a protective UV filter or any other filter.

"Excellent lens - great for DX or FX" 2007-09-14
By FFN
Wonderful lens, fast focusing, high contrast, great saturation, light and solid. You get what you pay for.

"Superb, if you can afford it" 2003-07-29
By Andrius Uzkalnis (Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom)
This is an absolutely fantastic lens - light for its size, and fast focusing too (not that you often need fast focus for wide-angle shots, that is). Quite simply, once you get used to Nikon speed of focusing, even very marginally lower speeds of Canon feel like an eternity.

If you are even considering buying this product, you know very well already what it is and what it does. I just wanted to emphasize the AF speed and clear markings which, in my view, are better than on comparable products from other manufacturers.

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Nikon 300mm f/4.0D ED-IF AF-S Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-23T06:00:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 300mm f/4.0D ED-IF AF-S Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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This high-power 4.3x telephoto zoom is a versatile and lightweight answer to bringing family action closer. Fits all Nikon SLR cameras but optimized for automatic-focus models
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Technical Details

- Compact super-telephoto lens for travel, sports, wildlife, and stock photography
- Super-fast, super-quiet lens using Silent Wave motor technology
- ED glass elements for high-resolution and high-contrast images
- M/A mode allows rapid switching between autofocus and manual operation
- Nine-blade rounded diaphragm achieves a natural blur for out-of-focus elements
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"Incredibly sharp, even wide open. Fantastic lens." 2009-07-24
By Sam (USA)
I'm surprised that there are so few reviews for this lens.

I wanted a telephoto for years so I bought an old used manual focus Nikon 300mm f4 lens. I was able to get good sharp photographs when shooting outdoors in bright sunshine with the aperture closed down a few stops. But without the split prism focusing in less than very bright environments, I was never certain when I was in focus except by looking at the green dot in the viewfinder which is distracting while trying to keep your eye on a moving subject. Auto-focus is a must on a big telephoto.

I traded it in (the advantage of buying from a local camera store) and bought a new Nikon 300mm f4. Before leaving the store, I photographed a few items inside the store that had bar codes. I photographed hand held with the aperture wide open at about 1/100 second. I zoomed in on my D300 LCD and I could clearly read the tiny numbers at the bottom of the bar codes. The images were perfectly sharp.

I ponied up an additional $1K and bought it. Hey, it was my wedding anniversary and my wife asked what I wanted; this was it. I then took another series of photographs of a sharp barcode on a bottle. This time, I used a tripod for consistency. I do this test with each lens I buy. The only other lens that had this quality as the Nikon 85mm f1.4.

I could see no difference in sharpness or contrast regardless of aperture. I then photographed a house for sale sign up the street. The lens quickly and quietly locked in on the sign. Again, zooming in all the way on the camera's LCD, I was able to easily read the very tiny print at the bottom of the sign (at 200 ISO).

The lens is fairly lightweight so I didn't have any problem hand holding it. It weighs about the same as the Nikon Micro 2.8 lens (not sharp wide open). I don't think I could have held the 300mm f2.8 lens for very long. It would have been nice to have VR on the f4 lens.

Because the lens isn't heavy, by holding the lens hood with one hand and having a good body stance, I was able to take good shots as low at 1/100th of a second. Some photographers claim their photographs were taken hand-held as slow at 1/20 of a second but I find that hard to believe.

While the f4 model doesn't have VR (I love VR) and is only 1 fstop slower, it's about 1/4th of the price of the 2.8 and weighs so much less.

I love the 5 year warranty (I send in the warranty card via Certified Mail -- you only have 10 days so mail it in quickly) and I scan the filled in warranty registration card). Nikon just fixed, for free; not even any shipping costs, my broken 18-200mm gray market lens that was about 2 years old.

Lens actually comes with a soft case. I don't understand why other reviewers have complained about the tripod collar. It seems perfectly good to me. It's not solid metal like the old manual focus lens that I returned but it looks rugged enough for me.

Luckily, the price on the box wasn't changed with the recent 15 or 20% across the board price increase in Nikon lenses so I paid a few hundred less than anywhere on the Internet.

I tend to be very fussy; perhaps to a fault. It's my personality. I wind up returning or exchanging many (most?) items that don't live up to my expectations. But, I'm definitely keeping this puppy.

Some friends came over one night and they brought their young daughter who didn't like being photographed (2 year olds tend to be cranky). I used the 300mm lens so that she didn't have a camera in front of her face; I was about 10 feet away. Since all I had was a few lamps on, I had to photograph at wide open at f4. I was surprised that ever single eyelash was tack sharp. The lens had no problem auto-focusing in the dim light. What a lens!

"Exceeded expectations" 2008-12-16
By E. G. Kallen (san diego, ca United States)
Amazing results. I was considering the 300/2.8AFS VR.. but it costs a whole lot more ( ~$5K), and its too heavy to lug around. The 300/4 AFS is affordable and can be easily hand held. The images from this lens, obviously, cannot match the f/2.8 lens, but they are close. Everything considered, the AFS 300mm f/4 Nikkor is a better value than the 2.8 VR lens.

"rivals much more expensive lenses . . ." 2007-09-03
By lemmy shoyu (So Cal, USA)
Nikon's 300mm f/4 ED-IF AF-S telephoto lens is a excellent value and an excellent choice for shooting Sports, wildlife and portraits. At 3.17 lbs., it is very mobile and easy to hand hold. With extra low dispersion "ED" glass and fast, silent internal focusing, it is capable of producing photos that rival much more expensive lenses. When coupled with teleconverters, focus is not as sure and some shots may be missed while autofocus is hunting for the subject. For those needing additional range, after November 2007 Nikon will be introducing three new fast autofocus vibration reduction "VR II" super telephoto lenses:

AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR, AF-S 500mm f/4G ED VR and AF-S 400mm f/2.8G ED VR.

"Great Lens" 2006-06-23
By Barry R. Schirm
This is a superb lens, without the bulk or the much higher cost of the f/2.8 version. With the money you'll save, you can buy a replacement tripod collar for the lens from Kirk Enterprises, which is a vast improvement over the somewhat flimsy collar which comes with the lens.

"Superb 300mm f4 Nikon telephoto lens" 2005-07-16
By John Kwok (New York, NY USA)
This is the latest version of the Nikon 300mm f4 ED Nikkor lens, which is surprisingly relatively light and barely hand-holdable. Those photographers who don't need the additional speed or bulk of the 300mm f2.8 Nikkor, will find this lens quite reliable for nature, landscape, and especially, sports photography. In its latest incarnation, the 300mm f4 ED Nikkor now can focus very fast and accurately, due to Nikon's Silent Wave autofocusing technology. Without question, this is one of the finest 300mm lenses available now. If I was still using Nikon equipment, I wouldn't hesitate adding this lens to my kit.

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Nikon 28mm f/3.5 PC-Nikkor Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-23T05:59:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 28mm f/3.5 PC-Nikkor Manual Focus Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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this lens is design for controlling your perspective for building,landscape,and interior shooting
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Technical Details

- shift lens
- to keep your lines straight
- manual focus
- perspective control
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"Great lens for architecture and landscape photography" 2005-08-11
By John Kwok (New York, NY USA)
Nikon remains one of the pioneering manufacturers with respect to perspective control lenses of which this 28mm f3.5 PC Nikkor AI-S lens is a fine example. This lens retains a manual lens diaphragm, which means that lens apertures must be opened and closed via stop-down metering. In plain English, it's not nearly as automatic as most other Nikkor lenses - both manual focusing and autofocusing - when it comes to setting the desired aperture and taking the photograph. But those who are interested in both architecture and landscape photography will appreciate the fact that this lens will adjust apparent distortions by manually shifting the lens angle via its tilt and shift feature (For example if you came up close to a forest and photographed with a regular 28mm lens, the resulting image would look as though the forest was "falling down"; instead with this perspective control lens, any photograph of the forest will show that it is still standing erect.).

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Nikon 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-22T06:03:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.PRODUCT FEATURES:The world's first AF-S VR super-telephoto 200-400mm zoom lens;Combines four fixed focal length super-telephoto lenses into a single compact super-telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor lens;VR operation offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 3 stops faster;Two VR Modes: Normal mode or Active Mode for when taking pictures with extreme movement;Automatically detects when photographer is panning and compensates;Compatible with AF-S Teleconverters: TC14E (II) and TC20E (II);Exclusive Silent Wave Motor enables ultra-high-speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and powerful super-quiet operation;4 Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements minimizes chromatic aberration and provides higher resolution and superior contrast;Minimum focus distance of 6.2 feet at all focal lengths;Internal Focusing (IF) design for smoother focusing and great body balance;M/A mode enables instant switching from autofocus to manual with virtually no time lag even during AF servo operation;No power consumption during manual focus operation;Rounded diaphragm (9 blades) for natural blur;Nikon D-type design provides precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes;Detachable tripod mounting collar provided.
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Technical Details

- Vibration Reduction (VR) operation offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 3 stops faster. Two VR Modes - normal or active
- Compatible with Nikon TC-14E II, TC-17E II and TC-20E II Teleconverters. AF operation only with TC14E II.
- Exclusive Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables ultra-high-speed auto focusing with exceptional accuracy and powerful super-quiet operation.
- 4 Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements minimize chromatic aberration and provide higher resolution and superior contrast.
- Minimum focus distance of 6.2 feet at all focal lengths.
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"An absolute jewel of a lens... if you only buy one long lens, it should be this one." 2009-10-14
By Rodolfo Paiz
Conventional wisdom says that primes (lenses of a fixed focal length without the ability to zoom) have better optical quality than zooms, and that's almost always true. But in a few rare cases, zooms can be better than the available primes (see Nikon's incredible 14-24/2.8 for an example), and in others the difference in quality is so small that it becomes functionally irrelevant. So it is with this lens.

Both Canon and Nikon have phenomenal "long guns" in their lineup: 200/2, 300/2.8, 400/2.8, 500/4, 600/4. Each of these is bigger, heavier, and more expensive than the last, with the 200/2 and 300/2.8 being roughly 6 pounds and $5,000 while the 600/4 is closer to 11 pounds and $10,000. And they all deliver amazing image quality with near-instant autofocus performance... but none of them can zoom. And to cover the 200mm to 400mm range, you'd need to spend $18,000 and carry around nearly 22 pounds. You'd get lenses with larger apertures and could either shoot faster or in less light... but if you can live with f/4 (and I can absolutely live with it, even for wildlife in Botswana or airshows at dusk), then you can get that range for $6,000 and 7 pounds, or add in a 1.4x TC-14EII teleconverter to get a 280-560 f/5.6 lens that is still stunningly sharp.

If you're making enough money to buy the primes, and you don't miss the ability to zoom, and you're willing to carry two or three big primes around with you (along with 2-3 bodies to put on them), then this lens may not be attractive to you. But for everyone else, who either cannot or will not pay $18,000 and carry 22 pounds of glass, this lens is a bloody godsend. The image quality is incredible, the AF performance is extremely fast, and there is not much of a difference in either IQ or AF from this lens to any of the big primes. A little, yes; but not a lot. And no other zoom on the market, from any company and at any price, can offer the speed and quality this one does.

I've used this lens since 2007, on three different bodies: the D200, D300, and now the top-of-the-line 24-megapixel beast of the D3x. Even on the D3x, this lens provides more resolution than what the camera can deliver. Don't try this lens if you can't buy it... it's absolutely addictive. The one thing to keep in mind if you're moving into the "big guns" is that 7 pounds does not sound like much, until you're holding it up with your left hand for a few hours, a foot away from your face, and trying to hold it steady. Even with VR, long lenses do take some practice, some strength, and some technique; so get lots of practice, and don't expect to be able to get the very best possible quality from this (or any comparable) lens in your first few days or weeks with it.

"Very Pleased!" 2009-05-03
By Edgar H. Tan, MD (Global)
I have been eyeing this lens for quite a while when it was still being sold at $4900 at adorama (imported) free ship and then suddenly I saw the price soaring to $5900 to my disgust for my inaction. Patiently I continued to scout from amazon when I saw this lens posted at $5119.95 + $30 shipping fee from Cameta....and without blinking an eye I ordered and was very pleased to own this very fine performer in my arsenal now.

It is very fast, sharp and hmmm should I say heavy too?? I am very pleased with amazon for this and I can't complain at this time.

"Simply amazing" 2009-03-21
By Dee Woltereck (Vancouver, WA)
This lens is incredible!!! I have been researching long lenses for several months now, my choices were between the Nikkor 500mm f4 and this piece. I had to ask myself how often I'd be shooting at 500mm? or 700 with a 1.4 TC, not very often unless I travel and currently that is out of the question.

Having owned this piece for 3 weeks now and having shot roughly 3000 images I have to say that I don't regret this purchase one bit. The focus is fast, the image quality is incredible, the drop in filter and the memory set a very nice feature, the VR is a dream and I managed to shoot images which I would have otherwise not been able to get.

The only drawback is that it is pretty heavy, my shooting style, mostly wildlife, hand held, birds on the wing, had to change a bit. Oh and a good tripod is a must!!!

"Worth every penny!" 2008-09-01
By R. McLaughlin (Angelus Oaks, Ca)
I purchased this lens a few days ago and now I see what all the fuss was about. I could have had the 80-400 but it focuses way too slow. Dreadful. I guess I have been spoiled with the AFS lenses. Well this one will not let you down.

THE GOOD:

The lens is balanced, you notice that right away. You can hand-hold the lens and it is not front-heavy like the 600/4 is. You point it somewhere and it will not try to leap out of your arms like a hyperactive terrier.

The build is very nice. None of the ugly cheap plastic on the barrel as you see on inexpensive zooms. This is well made, in Japan. No expense was spared.

The results are phenomenal. I zoomed in on the laptop and the image was pixelating and still retained sharpness! I will only hand-hold this lens but I am 6'4 and 240lbs.

THE BAD:

Amazon recommends Tiffen filters. I say stick with Nikon because the filter is part of the optical calculation (you need a filter and cannot shoot without one). Yes they cost more but this is not a time to get cheap.

It is heavy. It needs a very wide strap, like for a mailbag. Nikon should have included one if you ask me.

It needs the TC-14E II. The lens is a 200-400 zoom on my D700 but with a 1.4x it becomes a 280-560mm. Once you break 500mm a whole new world opens up for you.

Now I thought of the 300mm as well, and used to own one when the F5 came out. But I always used a TC to get to 600mm. This way I keep image quality and have many options for focal length. The results are worth every penny!

"One awesome lens!!!!!" 2008-02-06
By D. Holt (laurel, md USA)
I have had this lens for about 4 months or so and just love it to death. If you have the money or not and you love wildlife photography then this is a must have lens. Lens works like a champ and takes sharp pictures. Work's very well with the Nikon TC-14E II converter and I would like to try the TC-17E also with it. I have mostly been using it to shoot Eagles in flight and have got some very nice shots. I would recommend and nice heavy duty carbon fiber tripod and the Bogen / Manfrotto 3421 Heavy Duty Gimbal Head.

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Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens (Silver)

2010-02-22T04:37:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens (Silver)

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Zoom lens that fits all Nikon SLR cameras but optimized for autofocus models / 58mm filter size
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Technical Details

- 6 elements in 6 groups
- Nikon F bayonet mount
- Zoom range covers wide-angle to moderate telephoto focal lengths
- Includes lens cap
- 58mm filter size
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"Nikon 28-80mm lens" 2009-11-27
By Richard S. Yates (Papillion Nebraska USA)
Seller was great. Would not hesitate to use again. Perfect condition as advertised. Quick service. Five stars.

"Nice Basic Lens" 2009-05-07
By C. Forrey (Los Angeles)
This was bought as an exact replacement of the lens that came with my mom's Nikon D50. Somehow, she or one of my sisters broke a piece off of the original to where it wouldn't stay attached to the camera, so I found this lens for her. It isn't the fastest, but the pictures are clear and crisp. 28-80mm is a good range for versatility at family functions or any situation where you need to take a lot of pictures in different settings and don't have time to be changing out lenses. It's definitely worth the $60 (including shipping), unless you're doing some high end professional jobs, or if you just have that discerning eye, in which case you wouldn't be reading this post anyway, you would have skipped this lens altogether. All in all, for what it is, it's definitely worth the money. If you want something a little faster, look for an f/2.8 or smaller. When you see 2 numbers after the f/, that means it's variable and you lose speed when you zoom in on something. A highly recommended lens, in my opinion, is the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8. It's a fixed lens, meaning you can't zoom, but you can capture some beautiful images once you get used to it.

"TRULY VERSATILE NIKON LENSE" 2008-10-24
By 1st Still Productions (West of the Mississippi)
Have worked with Nikon Nikkor lenses for many years; this lense is awesome. If you are looking for professional results, then this is the "glass" for you. Excellent for portraits; just about any photography event you're tasked to fulfill. Cherish it and keep it well maintained by having it professionally serviced/cleaned on a regular basis. Truly a versatile Nikon lense.

"Amazing Lens" 2008-09-17
By J. L. Roberts (kentucky!)
Pondering about which lens to buy? Well, this one sure is one of the best for under $250! This lens is top notch quality for it's 28-80mm capablitiy, well worth the price.

"Good backup lens" 2008-08-04
By W. Freund
I picked up this lens (reconditioned) as backup standard zoom while my primary lens is in the shop. I use it on a D40. I would have given the lens a 4th star except on the D40 the auto-focus does not work (it clearly states this in the documentation). It is a good low-cost backup lens and I really like the macro functionality. It is a very good value for $45.

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Buy Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens (Silver) Now

Nikon 180mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-21T15:13:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 180mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Professional photographers make Nikkor lenses their lenses of choice. Nikon is committed to every aspect of lens manufacturing, maintaining clarity, sharpness, focusing accuracy, range and reliability.PRODUCT FEATURES:High-performance telephoto lens;ED glass elements offer high-resolution and high-contrast image even at maximum aperture;IF (Internal Focusing) technology for fast AF operation;Perfect for news, sports, action and astronomical photography.
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Technical Details

- Lens Construction - 8 elements in 6 groups (1 ED)
- Picture Angle - 13 degrees 40 minutes
- Minimum Focus Distance - 5 ft.
- Maximum Reproduction Ratio (Macro Setting) - 1 - 6.6
- Attachment / Filter Size - 72mm
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"Wow!" 2009-11-20
By Shane Wolcansek (Boiling Springs, SC)
I bought a group of lenses and had no intention of keeping this one. I popped it on an old D50 to test it out and simply fell in love with the optics on this thing. I don't really have a true use for it, but I think I might have to find a way to keep it. This is the only prime lens I have ever gotten my hands on and I can see why they demand such high prices.

It is rather antiquated technologically which is why I almost gave it a 4 star but the glass is what you pay for. I am actually considering selling my D60 and promoting my D50 body just so I can keep this lens. In reality I need a more capable body anyway, but investing in this kind of glass makes more sense in the long run.

"A sleeper in the Nikon line" 2009-08-12
By Carl E. Feather (KINGSVILLE, OH USA)
This lens is legendary, but due to its sloooooooow focusing, doesn't have much value to sports shooters these days. It is a great lens for landscapes and portraits on FX and could make up for any issues with the 70-200 on FX, which frankly, I feel are way overblown. At any rate, if you need a fast medium tele and can't afford the 70-200, this is worth a look. No VR and no AFS make it very antiquated, however. The sharpness and bokeh are superb, however. Look for a used one.

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Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AutoFocus Zoom Nikkor Lens

2010-02-21T07:40:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AutoFocus Zoom Nikkor Lens

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A compact 24-85MM f3.5-4.5G AF-S lens / One aspherical & one ED glass element / 67mm filter size
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Technical Details

- Wide to telephoto 3.5x zoom lens ideal for landscape, full-length portraits, travel and portrait photographs
- Silent Wave Motor enables ultra-high-speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and powerful super-quiet operation
- M/A mode for quick switching between autofocus and manual focus operation
- Seven-blade rounded diaphragm achieves a natural blur for out-of-focus elements
- Internal Focusing technology for smoother focusing and a better balanced handling
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"One of Nikon's bestlens ever! Always on my D300 camera." 2009-12-03
By Ronald L. Laible (usa)
I just wanted to add that this lens is not at all cheesey as compared to some of the latest lens on the market today IMO. The build quality can be compared to the more expensive Prosumer lenses that run close to the $600.00 mark then to the Nikon 18-55mm, 55-200mm and 70-300mm for example. "Now those are "cheesey." I also want to mention that this lens is Quiet. So quiet that you can't tell it's actually focusing. The last point is that these lenses are discontinued now and only available thru the Used Lens market and the demand is growing every day. Do yourself a favor and get one soon before they are impossible to find. There is no better consumer lens you could put on your Nikon Digital Camera. Even the D40-D60 & D5000. You'll be glad you did. Simple operation, looks great & the pictures it can produce are fantastic.....period.

"Sharp, fast focus, nice contrast/color and inexpensive Bought used full of dust now" 2009-10-01
By Mark C. (Sacramento CA)
2nd review. I bought this lens used but was like new except after a month of use it was full of dust. My guess is since it is over 5 years old perhaps the dust seals have worn out and now it allows lots of dust in. If not for that I would of kept it but it sucked in so much dust in such a short amount of time I was shocked. 1st review-This is another great lens from Nikon. I now own all three, 10-24mm, 24-85mm and the 80-200mm lens. This focuses pretty well, very fast, with an f Stop of 3.5-4.5 I do have to up my ISO at times inside but with the D90 that is no problem. This is a nice lens and I would get it over the faster 2.8 Tamron given the choice due to its accuracy, quickness and reliability.

"Best all day lense" 2009-02-02
By Klaus (Cologne/Germany)
I bought my D80 12 months ago. The Tamron 28-75 2,8f came with it, which I returned after 200 test shots due to low contrast and serious missing sharpness. I used my ~20 years old 37-70mm 'til June when I bought this one. Since I am more then happy. The 24-85 mm is what it is, the 2,8 is in daily life more a 3,5. This lense is sharp, fast, bright, perfect in handling, delivers perfect images. I own some older Nikon lenses as my 1st SLR was a Nikon, this is my No1-all-day lense. All other is to blame at the person using the lense ;)

"Excellent, sharp, quiet and fast zoom lens" 2008-11-11
By Francisco Solareslarrave (DeKalb, IL)
This was my very first AF-S zoom... and it got me addicted to the line. Don't be fooled by the plastic look of this lens: the optics are great, but would be even greater if the distortion at the wide end were a bit less noticeable. However, at a maximum aperture of f3.5, this lens (especially, like in my case, with fast film) performs in most environments and conditions. Besides, it's small (compared to other zooms), has a fast and quiet AF with any Nikon body, and does deliver good colors and sharp outlines. There may be other types of lens with additional features, but this one, with its closest focusing distance of just a few inches, works in all environments and for almost any purpose.

"Very good lens." 2008-05-14
By imagesbymonroe.com (Washington DC)
I use this lens on my D80 and its a great lens and has great color. This and my 18-200vr are my walk around lens. When photographing not needing the longer distance this is my choice over the 18-200vr.Its a full frame lens that is a perfect fit on a DX camera. Very sharp!

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Nikon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens

2010-02-21T07:24:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens

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Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.PRODUCT FEATURES:New Nikkor cosmetic design;3 Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements for minimized chromatic aberration;3 Aspherical lens element for low distortion;Rounded diaphragm to make out-of-focus elements appear more natural;G Type DX Nikkor is designed exclusively for use with Nikon SLR models where aperture is controlled from body;Nikon D-type design provides precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes;High-performance Nikon Super Integrated Coating offers superior color reproduction and minimizes ghost and flare;Fully Compatible with D1X, D1H, D100, F5, F100, N80, N75, N65 and N55;World's lightest 28-200mm lens;Shortest closest focusing distance (1.3 ft at 200mm) of any 28-200mm lens;Internal focusing for smoother focusing and better body balance.
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Technical Details

- Ultra-compact, lightweight G-type 7.1x zoom lens with 62mm filter attachment size
- Shortest closest focusing distance of any 28-200mm lens: 1.3 feet at 200mm
- Three aspherical lenses and three ED glass elements for higher optical performance
- Seven-blade rounded diaphragm achieves a natural blur for out-of-focus elements
- Nikon D-type design provides precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes
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"Watch for sample variations" 2009-02-20
By Glenn Carpenter (Golden, Colorado)
I have owned and used two copies of this lens. The first was remarkably sharp, at all focal lengths, just as other reviews had led me to expect. Unfortunately it was a used copy with a significant undisclosed flaw on the front element, so I returned it. The replacement, although cosmetically perfect and identical in every other regard, suffered from completely mediocre optical performance.

I have no way to tell which was the outlier in terms of performance, but certainly, one was very good, and one was not particularly good at all, so it seems that there is at least some significant sample variation among these lenses, and a prospective owner might be well-advised to thoroughly try a sample of this lens before purchasing it, in order to ensure that it performs well enough to meet his needs.

Miscellaneous notes:

- The "good" sample I had was capable of producing images that were very sharp at almost any focal length and aperture. While some lenses might have an edge under some conditions, the 12mp sensor of my D90 did not reveal any flaws that concerned me at all: I would have been happy to use it at any aperture at any focal length. It was therefore superior in image quality to any other telephoto zoom I have owned or used, including Nikon's 55-200mm VR and 70-300mm VR lenses. I'd give it four stars, not five, due to other disadvantages mentioned here in comparison with other available lenses.

- The "bad" sample I owned had significant visible aberrations at almost all apertures and focal lengths. It was fairly sharp at f/11 across most of its range, but still not perfect, and needed to be stopped down all the way to f/11 to give even that level of performance. At f/8, f/5.6 and wide open it was significanly soft over large portions of the image area, worse at each aperture through the maximum. I'd give it two stars, which might be a bit generous.

- This lens does not have VR. Unless you intend to use the lens on a tripod all the time (more on that later), or shoot only in good light, I would urge any buyer to consider a lens that does have this feature instead. VR really does work superbly to allow the use of moderate and even slow shutter speeds at long focal lengths, and I would no longer consider buying any telephoto lens without VR unless I had some very specific requirements or intended it only for tripod use. VR really does allow you to get photos you could not get any other way, and is probably more important for most uses than small differences in sharpness.

- Both my samples had a fair amount of wobble in the barrel, which is a double-extending design. This doesn't bother me except that wiggling the barrel while looking through the viewfinder at long focal lengths causes the image to move around significantly in the finder. This is a problem for tripod use, where it is desirable to have the camera, lens and tripod head act as one very solid block of mass in order to damp vibration. Physically de-coupling the camera and head from the front of the lens (and consequently, from the image plane) invites imprecision. At very high or low shutter speeds this will not be a problem, but in the range of 1/focal length - 1sec or so, excessive vibration is almost guaranteed by this design. I would consequently avoid this lens for critical tripod use.

- This lens has a plastic lens mount. I wouldn't worry about this at all. Like the newer 55-200mm VR, the plastic mount contributes to a very nice, low-friction feel as the lens is mounted and un-mounted, and it seems likely to virtually eliminate wear on the camera's own lens mount. The only potential problem is in using the lens with a very heavy camera, if you are in the habit of picking the camera up by the lens. I doubt this would be a problem for most of the smaller cameras, but if using the lens on something like a D3 one would want to be careful to avoid this.

- This is a high-contrast lens. It uses three ED-glass elements, which undoubtedly contribute to this and allow the lens to render colors more vibrantly than even some other very good lenses I have used (my 35mm f/2 and 85mm f/1.8 primes come to mind).

- This lens has very good close-up performance. At 200mm it is good enough to allow a Matchbox or Hot Wheels toy car to nearly fill the DX frame, sufficient to obviate the need for a dedicated macro lens for some users.

- Be careful not to confuse this lens with the "D" version. The "D" lens does not focus close and is not this lens' optical equal. I don't believe it uses any ED elements and it has much slower focus. It sells for considerably less, except when a buyer gets confused as to which lens he is buying and pays "G" money for a "D" lens. The "D" has an aperture ring, the "G" does not.

- Unfortunately, Nikon does not really offer a telephoto zoom that does everything I want, at any price. If you can live without VR and get a good sample, this is optically the best among those I've used, and the extended range at the wide end is very useful. I could recommend it quite highly, with the important caveat that, apparently, not all samples are up to snuff.

Other Lenses:

I've had the opportunity to own and use many different Nikon lenses and have posted my impressions of some of them here on Amazon. For those interested, here are short summaries. I have used all these lenses on Nikon DX-sized DSLRs, most recently my current D90. Refer to the full reviews for further detail.

Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AF-D: *** Competent, sharp lens is a good fit as a bargain DX "normal" prime. Slow f/2.8 max aperture poor. Very inexpensive in used market.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 HSM: *** Poor focusing consistency and below average large-aperture acuity combine for disappointing real-world performance. Fast max aperture, very capable if used with appropriate care.

Nikon 35mm f/1.8 AF-G: ****1/2 Terrific lens at a bargain price. Not without flaws, but excellent in all important respects. A pleasure to use.

Nikon 35mm f/2 AF-D: **** Sharp, especially at large apertures, moderate contrast. Classic "normal" lens for DX but consider new 35mm f/1.8 AF-S instead.

Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF-D: *** My sample was unacceptably poor at large apertures. Perhaps a below-average sample. Focal length not ideally suited to DX.

Nikon 85mm f/1.8 AF-D ****1/2 Very good short-to-moderate telephoto on DX. Acceptable at large apertures, very sharp stopped-down, moderate contrast. Potentially excellent for portrait use.

Nikon 16-85mm VR ***** Very sharp at all settings, excellent contrast, very useful zoom range including true wide-angle at 16mm. Excellent VR. Best-kept secret for DX users.

Nikon 55-200mm VR **** Very good lens, very good sharpness and contrast, no fatal flaws. Cheap feel and feature-challenged, but has effective VR. A bargain.

Nikon 70-300mm VR *** My sample had very poor performance above 200mm, good to very good elsewhere. Good contrast, generally very good focus performance. Good sports/action lens. Not good where critical sharpness is desired. Possibly a below-average sample.

"GREAT LENS" 2007-05-29
By Steven J. Mcguinness (GA United States)
This is an excellent general purpose lens. This lens is always on my D80 camera. Whether I want to shoot group of people close up or pull in a shoot from farther away, this lens will do it all. For longer shots I use a 70 - 300mm on special occasion, but normally I use the 28 - 200mm.

"The Third Choice" 2007-03-10
By Scott Peterson (Center of the U.S.)
If you want to get an ultra zoom, which despite their problems in quality arr useful if you want to carry only one lens, most people's first choice is the Nikon 18-200mm; if you can find one and afford it. The second is Tamron's 18-250mm lens. The last is one of the 28-200mm (Don't touch the 28-300mm lenses) like these. This Nikon is by far the best.

The reason why they're 28-200mm is because they were intended for film; where 28mm was a wide angle. For digital, with the automatic cropping because of the small sensor size, 28mm is at best normal. You will miss the 18-28mm range, so it's best to either have the cheap 18-55mm handy or get a 12-24mm if you can afford it.

This lens does gives good pictures, with barrel distortion at the wide end and occasional low contrast pictures where the back light overpowers the image, a problem I've seen in several ultrazooms. However, for most shooting conditions it gives what you need.

The only real limitation to this lens is the zoom motor, it's the old style drive gear using the camera's internal motor. It's slow, somewhat noisy like a small can opener, and D40 owners are out of luck. The lens won't work on this camera.

"A fantastic Lens for Nikon D50/D70 Cameras" 2006-09-22
By Brian Andonian (Plymouth, MI USA)
If you are like me, you really can't afford the 18-200MM VR Lens. Besides, the VR lens is sold out everywhere at this time. This 28-200 lens is really spectacular. Forget about people talking about barrel distortion, keystoning, etc. The images really speak for themselves. The human eye can accomodate small optical errors. Besides, who cares? The images from this lens are simply astounding. The lens is lightweight, very compact, sharp, and is an amazingly good value.

I simply cannot find anything wrong with this lens. Just buy one and you will see.

"Great general purpose lens" 2006-01-02
By M. J. Redd
After I bought the D50--my first DSLR--I went on the hunt for a good all-around lens. I was upgrading from a fixed lens system with 10X optical zoom, so I would settle for nothing less than a lens with 10X zoom equivalent. Luckily, with the D50 having a 1.5x crop factor, a 200mm lens would fit the bill fine. I found this lens on Amazon, and things fell into place. The online reviews were usually very good, and doing a search on pbase.com for shots taken with this lens revealed some pretty impressive results. And best of all, the price didn't break the bank. I've since taken over a hundred shots with this lens at all focal lengths, and overall, I'm quite impressed. These are my finds.

As others have stated, the focus motor isn't exactly silent or quick. Thankfully, though, it isn't obnoxiously loud or slow, either. The motor noise is easily tolerable--unless you're spoiled by silent wave motors--and the focus speed only becomes an issue when it has trouble judging the subjet's distance. Then, of course, you wish the lens was a silent wave motor type, but the speed isn't unbearably slow. I haven't missed any shots yet because of it. When in doubt, set the focus switch to "Limit" to prevent it from scanning the entire focal range when you're using the long telephoto, or just switch over to manual focus if your hand is faster. Once it gets a good lock on your subject, the lens will very quickly compensate for recomposition if the change isn't drastic. Nine times in ten, the autofocus is sharp and right on the money. There is a slight falloff in image sharpness at 200mm, but it's nothing to pout about.

The ED elements result in shots that are virtually free of chromatic aberration. I say virtually because there is still minute color fringe on contrasting elements in the shot, in the right light conditions. Hey, no lens is absolutely free of it, and it's a drastic improvement over the aberration on many fixed lens systems.

Though the lens isn't macro rated, it might as well be. With a minimum focusing distance of just over a foot at full telephoto, who needs a macro lens?

My only real beef with this lens has been flare. I've gotten what I call "rainbow flare" when I compose the shot with brightly reflecting metal surfaces or when shooting in the sun's direction, but it's a non issue in all other situations. Again, it's impossible to find a lens that's completely free of it. Use the included lens hood to cut down on stray light rays. I surmise a polarizer filter would also help substantially with this problem.

Being a nature photographer, my true test for this lens will be shooting through the glass in zoo enclosures with a polarizer. It generally isn't a light hungry lens, but I haven't tried it with a polarizer yet. With any luck, I'll still be able to nail blur-free shots at maximum telephoto.

All in all, I am very happy with this lens. It provides all the reach I need, is easily portable (it's a wee bit heavy, but at least it's not a telephone pole on my camera body), and the optics are great. If only Nikon had built image stabilization into it, this lens would be darn near perfect.

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Nikon WC-E68 Wide Angle Converter Lens for Coolpix 4300, 4500, 5000, 700, 800, 880, 885, 900, 950, 990, and 995 Digital Cameras (#25105)

2010-02-21T05:37:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon WC-E68 Wide Angle Converter Lens for Coolpix 4300, 4500, 5000, 700, 800, 880, 885, 900, 950, 990, and 995 Digital Cameras (#25105)

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The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality. Nikon manufactures an extensive range of accessories that are meticulously designed to enhance the performance of Nikon products. Nikon's accessories are manufactured to the highest standard and provide great reliability and compatibility.Using the WC-E68 wide-angle converter, the focal length can be reduced to no less than 19 mm (35 mm equivalent).
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Technical Details

- Angle of View Coolpix 5000: Approx. 99 degrees Coolpix 995 and 950: Approx. 82 degrees Coolpix 990: Approx. 81 degrees Coolpix 900s/900: Approx.84 degrees Coolpix 885/880: Approx. 81 degrees Coolpix 800: Approx. 82 degrees Coolpix 700: Approx. 84 degrees
- Combined Focal LengthCoolpix 5000: 19mm(35mm equivalent) Coolpix 995 990 950 900s 900 885 880 800: 26mm (35mm equivalent) Coolpix 700: 24mm (35mm equivalent)
- Minimum Range:Coolpix 5000: 10.6 in. Coolpix 995/990: 5.51 in. Coolpix 950: 5.91 in. Coolpix 900: 3.15 in. Coolpix 885: 3.94 in. Coolpix 880: 6.30 in. Coolpix 5000:Coolpix 800: 5.51 in. Coolpix 700: 5.12 in.
- Dimensions: 2.60 x 1.31 inches
- Weight: 6.7 ounces
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"You better be sure this is the item you need" 2007-07-04
By Dorothea L. (Sunnyvale, CA United States)
I will never buy any camera item on Amazon again. You can not beat talking to a real person to make sure you are buying the right item. I have a Nikon Coolpix P5000 and this lens and adapter were supposed to be a fit for my camera. Well, they were not! About 8 hours later, after talking to the folks at Keeble and Shuchat Photography, I tried to cancel the order but it was too late. So, I refused the shipment and ended up getting only $30.00 back from my $75.00 purchase (including shiping, restocking fee). I couldn't be happier with the lens from the local camera store. I then when back and bought a speedlight from them.

"Extends the view" 2007-06-04
By ET (Salem, NH)
I bought this after seeing the price at Amazon. It is a discontinued item but for the price (or even 3x the price), go for it! I have a 24mm on my 35mm film camera (Minolta) and used it all the time. I find I use this lens (26mm equiv)quite a lot. It's a little bit of a pain to attach/de-attach/reset menu, but if you like photography, you'll like this. Excellent optics.

"It is good wide lens but not enough" 2007-05-26
By RICARDO FROM CARACAS (Caracas-Venezuea)
I bought it because I read that it did not gave any distortion when you photographed straight skyline.

It is not true, you always get the horizon curved and that is a real pain.

Same when you want to photograph a high rise building, you will get a curved line.

Please do not buy if you are very serious about it.

ALso I tried to return it and I could not get any answers from Amazon. Beware.

"Surprised!" 2007-03-08
By Peter W. Valentine (Fontana, Ca)
Must be a mistake!

Dollar for dollar, this lens rates as possibly best among the many accessories I've purchased for my camera. I have the CP4500, which I bought about 4 years ago and although I have several other digital cams, including DSLR, the 4500 is the most used. It seems that a few years ago only the expensive version of this lens was available from Nikon, so I alternatively bought other (far more expensive than this one) brands. They were clumsy to use and produced disappointing picture quality. This lens is great! Built well and pic quality is excellent! Very happy to have found it, even so long into owning the camera. I can't say how it compares to the expensive version but for the money, it can't be beat.

Pete V

"Cant Beat It for The Price" 2007-03-05
By SneakyBurrito (Orlando FL)
I bought this lens on an incredible sale. Including the adapter, which you have to purchase seperately, I spent right around $50.00. Many of my friends have larger, fancier, Nikons (the D-80's etc.) and are spending $600.00 or more on fisheye lenses. None of us are professional photographers. For what we do, my Cool Pix 5000 and this $50 lens take shots comperable to theirs. The bennefit of mine is it is much more compact. The lens does add quite a bit of wieght to the camera, but it is still much smaller and lighter than than a regular digital SLR. Very easy to use and assemble. Comes with a protective sack, though I think a sturdy carry case would have been nicer, still for $50.00 I'm not complaining.

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Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5D ED-IF AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-20T03:52:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5D ED-IF AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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An ultra-wideangle zoom lens, the AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5D IF-ED offers high-performance features in a compact body. In addition, it boasts the shortest closest-focusing distance in its class - 0.33m throughout the entire zoom range. It is ideal for photojournalism and other general photographic needs.This new lens also features ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass and aspherical lens elements in a new optical design for superior optical performance. The AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5D IF-ED is a significant addition to the AF Nikkor lens lineup, offering photographers enhanced shooting flexibility for a wide range of applications.
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Technical Details

- ED glass element reduces chromatic aberrations providing superior optical performance - even at maximum aperture
- Focus distance of 1 foot to infinity is ideal for landscape, snapshot, candid, environmental, close-up and full length portrait photography
- Nikon D-type design provides precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes
- Internal Focusing (IF) design for smooth and fast autofocus
See more technical details

"Quality and price" 2010-02-02
By Roebear (PA, USA)
Have had the lens for a few years and probably 15,000+ images on 3 Nikon cameras. No repairs or apparent wear, it is tougher than it looks, even dropped it once, no problems.

Excellent color rendition, contrast and sharpness for the price. While the build and quality not quite up to the pro lenses, you get quite close to their quality for half the price, especially with digital cameras.

Beautiful lens allowing a great variety of shots from family gatherings to landscapes, it serves as my prime lens unless I am going for the greatest possible detail such as large landscape prints but that is not

to say this lens will not provide snappy 8 x 10 and larger, it does!

I wish it had a little more range than 18-35, but then I always want more, but could not get it with this kind of performance and price.

"Wide but distortion" 2009-08-27
By Maik Dobiey (Peru)
I got my 18-35mm just yesterday and used it today for real estate. I bought it used for 200 USD so there is no chance I would regret it. I use it on a Nikon D700 FX so it gets REALLY wide. The lens is pretty sharp even in the corners, though you will notice that they are less sharp especially wide open. The build quality is mediocre and it feels like most cheap plastic zooms from Nikon. If you are a haptic it is not so nice but if you are looking for something light weight it is great. I handle my glas with care no matter if it is plastic or metal so I don't really worry. I use it with a Hoya UV filter which does not cause any vignetting/dark corners. The only problem is that this lens hast quite some distortion at 18-24mm. I tested the Nikon 20-35mm before which has almost no distortion but is not as wide, costs more, weighs more and is not as sharp. So this lens is probably the best compromise if you don't want to spend a lot of money on a 17-35mm or even 14-24mm.

"Good lens for price" 2009-02-07
By Oracle DBA
Lightweight lens at a reasonable cost...

Quite sharp, a bit of distortion though.

Overall not bad.

"A sweetheart! A versatile performer, solid and fun to use!" 2006-03-10
By Roger J. Buffington (Huntington Beach, CA United States)
This is just a plain sweetheart of a lens. It covers the useful 18-35 mm range (which is 27-52mm on a Nikon digital SLR, which is a VERY useful range). This lens costs less than half the price of the (expensive) professional Nikon 17-35, and does almost as nice a job. Sufficiently nice, in fact, that most amateurs will not discern much, if any, difference. While not built like a tank, I think that the quality of construction on this one is excellent, and more than adequate for enthusiastic amateurs and even some pros.

On a Nikon digital SLR, which will use the center portion of this lens (due to the size of the sensor in the SLR) you can expect excellent, even spectacular results. This is a fabulous lens for landscape and nature shots, portraits, or just plain walking around taking pictures. Someone who only wanted one lens that was not a telephoto could do much worse than to select this excellent, versatile lens. This one is great for parties, vacations, and the works.

The images I have shot with this lens have all featured superb contrast, are very sharp, and have beautiful color rendition. There just is not a lot not to like about this lens. I give it 4 stars for overall performance, but 5 stars for value and price/performance. Some lenses just get it all together and work and become keepers. This is one of those.

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Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8D AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-19T21:24:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8D AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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35-70mm D-Series Zoom lens for the Nikon
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Technical Details

- 35-70mm ; F/2.8
- Compatible with: D-Series
- Auto focus Feature
- Uses 62mm filter
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"Great lens" 2009-10-27
By Mcdonald Mirabile (Arlington, VA)
This is my first experience with a push-pull lens, and I'm not a big fan. That said, it's a very minor aspect of the whole lens, which I rate 5 stars. Look for this lens 2nd hand, keep a filter on it, and you're good to go.

"Best bang for your buck!" 2009-09-23
By Michael Makabenta (Canoga Park, CA United States)
I wanted a good mid range zoom that offered speed and low light capability for action photography. I shoot mainly martial arts and in our studio the lighting can get a little tricky. I did my research and dreamed of buying the Nikon 24-70mm at $1800 or the 28-70mm f2.8 at about $1400. What I discovered is that this lens the 35-70mm f2.8 was Nikon's best mid range zoom for over a decade throughout the 90's. Also, at a fraction of the price (bought mine used for $320) offering the same optical performance and image quality as the lenses mentioned above. I just couldn't resist. Yes the lens is a little old school with the push/pull type zoom. Also, it doesn't have the zoom range, but for the money who cares? The macro feature is kind of cool but I don't really use it. This a great all around carry lens and I consider it pretty light compared to the others mentioned above. Don't get me wrong this lens is built like a tank and it's reassuring knowing that there's nothing but quality Nikon glass inside. If money is an issue this is the best bang for your buck!

Just an update to the review I recently covered an NBA basketball game. It was the Clippers vs Pacers. To my surprise I was given a full press pass and was allowed to sit on the floor under the basket with the pro photogs. Needless to say this lens more the exceeded my expectations. Super fast focusing and was able to capture all the action.

"marvelous" 2008-11-13
By Andreas Gailus (Minneapolis, MN United States)
Marvelous lens. It is wonderfully sharp and gives colors depth and density rather than lollipop saturation.

"One of my favorite zoom lenses...." 2008-10-20
By A. Baker
I've posted a bunch of images taken with this lens here on this page. I am a big fan of prime lenses and very picky about the image quality. I have been seriously taking picture for 40 years and this is my first zoom lens that I purchased and I am not disappointed.

Although I saw quite a few very good reviews on the new Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 ED IF lens which can cover more area, After serious considerations, I still will not letting this one go. The full size images look a lot better than the ones that got shrinked (re-sized) and posted here. If I need to cover more area, I will use my 20mm lens for that.

Other than the optic quality, the lens is very well built. It feels heavy given that it doesn't look that big. I usually carry two cameras. This one is now attached to one of my cameras at all time.

"Excellent lens for the price" 2008-04-21
By Arturo Donate (Tallahassee, FL)
Superb image quality, amazing sharpness, excellent contrast and colors. Focuses quickly on my D50 and with little trouble. The macro mode works great and is a nice addition. The focal range makes it nice for a walkaround lens. Sharp even at f/2.8.

My only complaint is the weight of it, the lens is a tank. But all the good things definitely outweigh the bad. Well worth the $$$.

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Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF Autofocus DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

2010-02-19T21:21:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF Autofocus DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

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Lens making is an art - Nikon artisans craft Nikkor optics from the finest materials, taking pride in adding their intellect and technique to bring the world's finest lenses to life. They push the leading edge of lens making, harder and harder, in their effort to provide the "glass" that makes the world's greatest pictures.PRODUCT FEATURES:Designed for Nikon D-Series digital SLR;Design enables a combination of wider angle-of-view with optical characteristics that are optimized for Nikon digital SLR camera sensors;2X Zoom ratio and variable angle-of-view from 99? at 12mm to 61? at 24mm;Comparable to that of an 18-36mm lens on 35mm size sensor format;Nikon design that produces a smaller image circle (the size of the image that is projected by the lens on to the sensor) enabling smaller lens diameter, and optimal image quality from center-to edge-to-corner on the image;Exclusive Silent Wave Motor enables ultrahigh-speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and powerful super-quiet operation;2 Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements for minimized chromatic aberration;3 Aspherical lens element for low distortion Internal Focusing (IF) design for smoother focusing and great body balance;M/A mode enables instant switching from autofocus to manual with virtually no time lag even during AF servo operation;Nikon D-type design provides precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes;Rounded diaphragm to make out-of-focus elements appear more natural;DX Nikkor is designed exclusively for use with Nikon Digital SLR models;11.8 close focusing distance throughout zoom range.
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Technical Details

- 12-24mm autofocus zoom lens with f/4 maximum aperture for Nikon digital SLR cameras
- 2 Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements and 3 aspherical lens elements for superior optics
- D-type design provides precise distant information for flash and ambient light exposure
- Rounded diaphragm makes out-of-focus elements appear natural; 11.8-inch close focus distance
- Measures 3.2 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches long; weighs 1.07 pounds; 5-year warranty
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"Was decent until 10-24mm came out" 2009-11-25
By Christopher OConnor (Queens, NY)
Mannnnnnnnn, you should see all the returns on this lens. Don't get my wrong. This is a good len but the 10-24mm is far better investment.

"Was I unlucky?" 2009-11-24
By M. Henri De Feraudy (France)
Maybe I landed on a dud but mine had trouble focusing on one side, so I took to Nikon and they repaired it and told me they added a ring inside (!!!). It still isn't that sharp especially on the sides. This is rather disappointing given the money I spend on it.

It feels quite lightweight and plasticky.

On the positive side it is very low on flare.

"Excellent performer, though a bit pricey!" 2009-10-30
By Jehan Ghouse (Hebron, KY, USA)
Solid performer on the D300s. Excellent image quality: clarity & sharpeness (FYI I am a pixel peeper!!). Slight barrel distortion at 12 mm which I believe is normal for ultra wides and easily correctible in post processing. The SWM motor makes for fast and silent focusing. Overall, I am very pleased with the performance. Pricey though...which is the reason for 4 stars vs. 5. Fantastic service by Amazon!!

"Wonderful lens" 2009-09-21
By KE (Chicago, IL)
My favorite lens. This lens received great reviews from [...] and I certainly agree. Well worth the money.

"Met My High Expectations" 2009-07-12
By Ervin J. Vice (Seattle, WA, USA)
The 12-24 focal range is ideal for the kind of photography I like to do, and I've had the Tokina 12-24 for over two years and was very pleased with it, but I love Nikkor optics. So when the opportunity came to trade in some old lenses for a new copy of the Nikkor 12-24mm f/4, I took it. I'm glad I did. I've been running this glass through some long, intense photo shoots and - what can I say? - it has met my high expectations. It focuses quickly and flawlessly, the zoom ring is smooth, and the overall feel is solid. It also balances well on my D300. It is slightly smaller and lighter than the Tokina, which helps. I love it. Get it.

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Nikon 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-19T06:27:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.PRODUCT FEATURES:Wide to telephoto 3.5x zoom lens ideal for landscape, full length portraits, travel and portrait photographs;Maximum reproduction range (R: R) at 85mm is ? (1: 2) Life Size;Filter attachment does not rotate during focusing or zooming;Fast f/2.8 maximum aperture at 24m setting is ideal for available light shooting or slow/rear flash sync techniques.
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Technical Details

- Wide to telephoto 3.5x zoom lens ideal for landscape, full-length portraits, travel and portrait photographs
- Fast f2.8 maximum aperture at 24mm focal length
- Provides maximum 1:2 reproduction ratio from 35 to 85mm
- Hybrid and molded-glass aspherical lens elements for higher optical performance
- Nine-blade rounded diaphragm achieves a natural blur for out-of-focus elements
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"BEST PROSUMER LENS OF THEM ALL" 2009-11-22
By Ronald L. Laible (usa)
I HAVE HAD THIS LENS ON MY NIKON D300 AND IT IS THE BEST ALL AROUND LENS THAT I'VE EVER USED IN 30 YEARS. YOU CAN JUST LEAVE IT ON THE CAMERA AS IT HANDLES MOST OF YOU PICTURES FROM CLOSE UP MACRO WORK (WITH A FLIP OF A SWITCH) TO FULL BODY PORTRAITS TO LANDSCAPES. I PERSONALLY THINK THE BUILD QUALITY IS EXCELLENT WITHOUT GOING OVERBOARD. AT 20 OUNCES IT'S LIGHT ENOUGH TO CARRY AND STRONG ENOUGH TO LAST FOR YEARS. IT LOOKS LIKE A PRO LENS AND IT WORKS LIKE A PRO LENS AT LESS THAN HALF THE PRICE. WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FROM A LENS THAN FAST FOCUS, TACK SHARP, GREAT LOOKING, EASY TO USE, WELL BUILT AND PROPERLY PRICED. I'VE HAD THEM ALL, 18-55 AFS VR, 28-70 F/3.5-4.5 D, 28-85 F/3.5-4.5, AND THE EXCELLENT 24-85 F3.5-4.5 AFS G, 35 F1.8, 50 F1.4, 60 AFS G F/2.8 AND THIS IS THE BEST PROSUMER LENS OF THEM ALL. STOP READING ABOUT IT AND START SHOOTING WITH IT. YOU'LL BE THRILLED WITH THE PICTURES!!!

"A very good lens for mid-range zoom" 2009-11-20
By RonAnnArbor (Ann Arbor, MI United States)
This is a very good lens for mid-range zooms. Those of us who kept the lens around from our SLR days can happily use it on digital equipment. It's meant for full-frame cameras, but it works on DX as well (though I am not sure 36 - 128 is a useful lens on DX). On my D700 for instance, it is a true 24 wide to 85 zoom.

The lens is fast and sharp. It renders colors well. I do find some lens flare apparent without a standard UV filter -- buy one. A tiffen UV filter, for example, will set you back 20 dollars, and is worth it. Note that the lens hood on this lens is pretty much useless. It doesn't stay latched, and is more bother than it is worth. I have long ago stopped using lens hoods on my lenses -- using your hand for shading the three times out of 1000 that you might need a hood does the trick just as well.

The fast 2.8 aperture speed allows for creative shots, and it's generally usable along it's entire 2.8 -4 low-end aperture range.

For Full-frame cameras, this is a dream lens. It is sharper and faster than the 24-120 VR kit lens, and it doesn't need the VR at these speeds. It is also light, and makes for a great travel lens. I do a lot of event shooting, and it's great to use this small lens -- while the 24-70 2.8 is the current top of the line standard zoom for Nikon, it also costs three times as much, does not have a Micro function (NIkon's name for macro) and weighs three times as much. The 24-85 is much better for extended walk-around shooting, be it landscapes, everyday shots, or events.

You will not be disappointed with this lens -- though you might still crave that 24-70 2.8 in the longrun.

"Great All-Purpose Lens for FX DSLRs" 2009-07-31
By Russell K. MacDonald (Richmond Hill, GA (near Savannah))
I bought this lens new about six months ago to use on my D3, and have used it now for four weddings.

It is not quite as sharp as my 24-70mm f/2.8, when wide open, but when stopped down one stop, it is tach sharp. It is also much lighter which helps a lot at a long event, and it has more reach, making it great for parties and receptions.

It autofocuses very quickly with the screw drive in the camera, and I never miss any action shots due to focus lag. It won't focus on some of the low-end Nikon DSLRs because they lack the drive screw.

I don't recommend this lens for DX cameras, because 24mm is not usually wide enough on DX for many reception and party shots. In my opinion, the 16-85mm VR DX or even the 18-70 DX lens would be a better choice for a DX camera.

The 24-85mm is also a very nice light weight travel lens for an FX camera.

"good but some flaws" 2008-12-27
By H. Su (U.S.)
This lens is good for macro.

it belongs mid-range zoom lens, not wide enough or not tele enough.

for portrait, it is not clear but good for some people as it doers not show too much details, seems the AF did not work perfectly with my D80 camera except you use manual. kind of pain.

hope to have a Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens to take place of this one.

"Great lens but not long enough" 2008-11-22
By Valente Riolo
I returned this lens cause it was not long enough for my needs otherwise, I would have kept it. Nice and sharp, light and well priced. I ended up buying a Tamron 24-300mm. An okay lens for my needs but not as sharp as the Nikon. (It was also about $100 less with the rebate)

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Nikon TC-17E II (1.7x) Teleconverter AF-S for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-19T06:15:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon TC-17E II (1.7x) Teleconverter AF-S for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Nikon TC-17E II is the first teleconverter to offer 1.7x performance. Designed exclusively for use with AF-S and AF-I lenses, the AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II completes the Nikon lineup of 1.4x, 1.7x, and 2.0x compact teleconverters.With dimensions of just 66 x 31.5mm (2.6 x 1.2 in.) and a weight of only 250g (8.8oz.)(approx.), the AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II allows focal length to be extended by a factor of 1.7 times while retaining a sense of overall comfort in the hand. Many such teleconverters can also have a detrimental effect on the speed of the lens, however the AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II makes available f-stops only 1.5 stops slower.The AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II also has the ability to communicate with the signals from most lenses. Furthermore, it supports the convenient Nikon Vibration Reduction (VR) function, has a design that is consistent with the current TC-14EII and TC-20EII, and Eco-Glass is also used.This product is designed for AF-I & AF-S Lenses only.
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Technical Details

- Adds Photographic Versatility - 1.7X Focul Length - Compact - Lightweight!
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"so much probablem with AF" 2009-11-11
By Gyong (United States)
This lens is the least used in my lens collection, but when I use it, I usually use it with 70-200mm VR. No doubt it gives decent extra reach, but most of the time it gets used it gives me focusing problem, where electrical connection don't get good connection. if I twist TC back and forth with len release button activated, it some times work and sometimes don't. it could get really frustrating. my 70-700mm VR once in a while does the samething but anywhere near as this TC. Also images are some what soft, I rather crop using 70-200mm lens than use this TC.

"Nikon TC-17E II" 2009-07-13
By Charles
Works great with my 70-200 vr, but is a little soft wide open at 320mm. Excellent performance at f7.1, so it needs plenty of bright daylight for optimum results. It is a good compromise for extended telephoto performance but rather slow for low light, evening and "magic hour" photography.

"Excellent results" 2009-06-22
By S. Benning
The TC-17E II is a nice way to add additional reach to a 70-200 2.8 vr.

I can see not loss in image quality with the teleconverter in place and even when using a D80 the autofocus does not seem to slow or hunt more than usual.

"Perfect Match!" 2009-05-02
By Roberto Abdala Selmen (Mexico City, Mexico)
I bought this TC to be matehced with my 70-200 VR Nikkor lens. They are a perfect couple. I reached 340 mm focal length, and all the functions of my lens are reproduced by the TC. I made the right choice!

"Great Option to extend range" 2009-02-04
By Bart L. Segall (Hallandale Beach, Florida)
Always wanted a bit more punch from my 70-200 2.8 VR. I could get an off brand 200-5-- zoom or add the teleconverter. I added the teleconverter and never looked back. Very little given up in sharpness. Small and easy to use. F stop loss is manageable. Great choice and enabled me to stay with Nikon Brand

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Nikon TC-20E II (2.0x) Teleconverter AF-S for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-18T12:05:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon TC-20E II (2.0x) Teleconverter AF-S for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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2.0x AF Teleconverter for use with Nikon AF lenses for Nikon SLR cameras
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Technical Details

- When mounted between the camera and the lens, this adapter increases the focal length by 2.0 times
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"Good enough." 2010-02-05
By Ralph Shipp (Frederick, MD United States)
I've read mixed reviews for this teleconverter and there is now a newer model available. I can tell you I'm going to keep this TC-20E II. I'm happy with the results when I use this device with my D700 and my 70-200 F2.8 VRII lens. I only use this in good light but when I need the 400mm reach this baby comes in handy. I don't often need this reach so buying a Nikon 200-400 zoom for $6,000 isn't going to happen! For now I'm happy with the TC-20E II.

"I was surprised..." 2009-12-28
By Jim Mcculloch (Austin, TX USA)
I was prepared to send this doubler back if it worked as poorly as the 2x Kenko Teleplus pro, which had significant chromatic aberration and softness issues with my 70-200 f/2.8. But I delighted with the quality of this glass. I can see almost no degradation of optical quality when used with the 70-200. With my D300 I can shoot hand held at ISO 800 in reasonable light with acceptable noise at f/5.6. Overall performance was way better than what I expected. A keeper.

It's worth noting that the reviewers who found this lens unacceptable did so because they had not verified that it would work with the lens they hoped to use it with. I understand the frustration there, but that is no reason to give the teleconverter a bad review. This is a terrific product when used with the correct lenses.

"Increases zoom with no visible quality loss" 2009-06-14
By Pamelot (WashingtonDC)
This review will be short and sweet. I used this for one of the first times today at an outdoor swim meet. I was using a Nikon D200 with the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. I used the same camera/lens last summer, but without the teleconverter. Today, the teleconverter allowed me to get great close up shots of the swimmers. The quality of the pictures was every bit as nice as the pictures I took last summer without the teleconverter. If you've got the right lens and you want more zoom, I highly recommend the TC-20E II teleconverter.

"NOT FOR ALL AF-S LENSES!!" 2009-01-02
By Dubarnik (Converse, TX USA)
I read the product review that said to be careful because the teleconverter doesn't fit all Nikon lenses and took it to mean that it only fit Nikon lenses with the AF-S mount. Made sense to me - there are other types of lens mounts and this teleconverter doesn't work with them. I didn't think I needed to check the the detailed specs on the Nikon website because I have a D40x that only uses AF-S mount lenses and the teleconverter is for AF-S lenses! Right? I mean, come on, look at the name of the darn thing!! BUT NO! The teleconverter works with some AF-S lenses, not all. Not the AF-S lenses I have.

The detailed specifications for this teleconverter need to be listed on the product page! The way it's sold now amounts to false advertising. I'm returning it.

One last note, the AF-S lenses that the teleconverter does work with are very expensive - the cheapest being about $1500.

"Works Very Well With The Right Lenses" 2008-05-12
By T. Nguyen (Houston, TX)
I bought this for my D300 and 70-200 2.8 VR. It works very well. The auto focus and the vibration reduction are not hindered at all by the TC. This increased my range from 300mm to 600mm @ 5.6, all with Nikkor quality, vibration reduction for $430, are you kidding me? If you can find a better Nikkor lenses at this focal range with VR for $430 please share it with us. Oh BTW, for the reviewers who bought this TC and found out that it does not work for your lens, please be patience and work on your reading skill.

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Nikon AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR

2010-02-18T11:09:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR

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DX-format medium telephoto Micro NIKKOR lens is ideal for extreme close-up and general photography / Autofocus / Uses 52mm Filters Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) - For fast, accurate and quiet autofocus. Internal Focus (IF) - Provides fast and quiet autofocusing without changing the length of the lens, retaining subject working distance throughout the focus range. Rounded 9-blade diaphragm - Renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image elements. May come with 52mm Snap-on front lens cap (LC-52); Rear lens cap (LF-1); Bayonet hood (HB-37); Flexible lens pouch (CL-1018)
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Technical Details

- Compact, DX-format Micro NIKKOR Close-up Lens
- Close focusing to 0.9 feet
- Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization - Vibration Reduction
- Extra-low Dispersion (ED) element - Offers superior sharpness and color correction
- Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC) - Enhances light transmission and offers superior color consistency
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"this is same lens as Nikon 85mm f/3.5G AF-S DX ED VR Micro Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras" 2010-01-12
By P. Shepard (ARKANSAS)
There are numerous reviews for this product-- at: Nikon 85mm f/3.5G AF-S DX ED VR Micro Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

this is a duplicate entry for the exact same lens that has been here from day one. This 2nd entry (worded different, but same lens) has been up for just a few weeks (Jan 2010). maybe Amazon will catch on that they have the exact same lens listed in two different postings.

Just saw this & am trying to point you (fellow potential buyers) to where there are some helpful reviews. that's all.

BUT, IF YOU WANT TO BUY IT & THIS LISTING IS CHEAPER PRICE... by all means...

regards,

Pablo

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Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens (Black)

2010-02-18T11:05:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens (Black)

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This is an ideal lens for Nikon SLRs that control aperture from Command Dial. Its compact size makes this lens the perfect companion to the N65 and N80 SLR cameras. Aspheric element assures high quality and sharp images.
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Technical Details

- 6 elements in 6 groups
- Nikon F bayonet mount
- Zoom range covers wide-angle to moderate telephoto focal lengths
- Includes lens cap
- 58mm filter size
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"Nikon 28-80mm lens" 2009-11-27
By Richard S. Yates (Papillion Nebraska USA)
Seller was great. Would not hesitate to use again. Perfect condition as advertised. Quick service. Five stars.

Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-17T12:32:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.PRODUCT FEATURES:Versatile and ultra-compact with a powerful focal length range of 55-200mm designed exclusively for Nikon DX format SLRs, this is an ideal 3.6X zoom lens for portraiture, sports or wildlife;An excellent companion to the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED;New compact rod-type Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables ultra-high speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and super-quiet operation;Nikon Super Integrated Coating minimizes ghosting and flare to provide even higher contrast and more vivid images, even in challenging light conditions;Two ED glass elements achieve minimized chromatic aberration and superior optical performance;Focus Mode switch enables quick-switching between A (Autofocus) and M (Manual Focus);9-blade rounded diaphragm for more natural out-of-focus highlights.
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Technical Details

- A Nikon Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass element delivers superior optical performance.
- Internal Focus (IF) provides fast and quiet auto focusing without changing the length of the lens.
- Focus as close as 1.47 ft throughout entire zoom range.
- Non-Rotating front element provides for convenient use of circular polarizing filters and the Nikon Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System.
- A compact Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables fast and quiet autofocusing, along with quick switching between autofocus and manual operation
See more technical details

"NIKON 18 to 135 lense" 2009-12-19
By R. Coventry (Camden, Delaware)
Bought a new D80 it came with a 18-135mm lense. Have had problems with the lense and camera making connection. To the point when I had a one of a kind shot and the unit failed me. NOT GOOD. Today I noticed that the lense aperature is not shutting down. Took the lense off camera and can see a few fingers hanging down. I take very good care of my camera and am distressed - MAD - this is happening. I have had the camera for over 1.5 years. The lense should not fail like this.

"Very sharp lens from Nikon" 2009-10-09
By D. Brodsky
This lens is sharp and light and provides you with 7X zoom. Excellent walk-around lens. The built quality is not great though with its plastic mount. Lacks VR. But excels in sharpness, so if you like sharp and you like the range, this is the one to get.

"SHARP 7.5X consumer zoom" 2009-09-26
By James H. Slater II (Charleston, SC)
I've been using this lens for about 10 months. I use it on my D60. I mostly use primes because they are so much faster (better for low light) and they are far sharper than any zoom that I can afford. So for any camera I own, I usually have one zoom that will do the job when no primes can. This lens fits that role nicely.

This lens has what many negative reviewers say: Pincushion distortion at the extreme wide end and vigneting at the extreme tele end. However, the image sharpness and color rendition is really good with this lens at every focal length and if you use NIKON Capture NX2 the distortions at all focal lengths are removed perfectly (that is the great thing about using an image editor made by your camera manufacturer...). This is consumer grade so it is SLOW. Use outdoors during the day or use the flash.

I paid $200.00 for this lens brand new...I know I got a great deal and I don't regret it at all. The construction is basic consumer grade (plastic city...)so I think a reasonable price for this lens is [...] ...TOPS. If you can find a great deal grab it. But be careful mounting and unmounting and try to avoid dropping the lens or your camera with this lens attached! You are paying for LOTS of glass here! It is difficult to make a lens sharp at every focal length on a zoom this wide but they did it really well.

Bottom line: this lens could be cheaper due to build quality but the zoom range, extreme sharpness at every focal length (for a consumer zoom), and good color rendition make it worthy of a 4 star review in my opinion.

And oh yeah, someone said something about bokeh in these reviews...Anyone who is buying this lens and is complaining about bokeh just doesn't know enough to know better. If you want bokeh get a fixed focal length lens with a wide aperature (f1.4 or f1.8). I know of no zooms under $1,000.00 that have decent bokeh. Lenses to try for better bokeh: Nikon 35MM f1.8 DXS G ($[...]), the 50mm F1.4G ($[...]), the Sigma 50mm 1.4 HSM ($[...]) or the BADASS 85mm 1.4 (BIG effin' bucks). You get what you pay for and you should be paying for GLASS to get great shots NOT cameras!

"Impressive for a kit lens, destined to be a kit lens" 2009-06-25
By Bowser Marzenai (Nevada)
It's difficult to write this review without substantial bias and background, but the best way to write this review is to speak from experience.

I got this lens with the Nikon D80, which many people have cited (somewhat accurately) as among the most notorious for soft images. (I do have objections to that, and I do say that a great prime lens such as the 50mm f/1.8 produces very sharp images.) The camera I received had focus problems; after fixing them, the problem was somewhat corrected, but I'm willing to consider the possibility that I got a bad copy of the lens.

While problems can vary from copy to copy, some problems are bred by design. The pincushion distortion is prominent all the way down the barrel. It's most noticeable in cityscapes and any other subject material composed of straight lines, and after five months and more than 2,500 pictures, I see the distortion in some of my nature photography, as well. As you've likely seen in the customer image gallery, the lens does perform well in spite of (and, in a few cases, because of) the distortion. But more often than not, the distortion is less than aesthetic; while there are lenses that barrel-distort an image for aesthetic effect, this is not one of them.

Unfortunately, Photoshop can't adequately fix many of the images that suffer from the distortion. There's only so much distortion that can be corrected, and the 18-135mm lens frequently meets or surpasses that limit. The easiest pictures to correct are those in which the subject is far away, but if the images have objects in the more immediate foreground, I can't fix the image well without significantly distorting those objects.

Nevertheless, there is minor compensation at the very least. A feature under CS3's Filter > Distort > Lens Correction compensates for some of the distortion. For total control, I use Edit > Transform > Perspective, and I use the "Switch between free transform and warp modes" to bring up a grid that enables me to "pull" sections of the image. But there's only so much an image can be corrected without making it worse, and the lens tend to produce images that surpass the limit.

The bokeh in this lens is a significant issue, as well. The lens does a poor job blurring the background; spots of light are not blurred out smoothly, and many highlights show a great amount of detail. To my eye, it's the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. My prime lens produces good bokeh, and using it as a comparison to the 18-135mm has helped me understand how critical bokeh is to a picture. Fortunately, Photoshop can compensate if I add a mask, completely blur out the background image, and paint over the parts of the image that are supposed to be sharp. But it's frustrating to have a lens that doesn't get good bokeh directly after I fire the shutter. There's only so much an image can be doctored before it becomes blatantly obvious.

Chromatic aberration is a minor issue with this lens, especially in low-light situations. For example, one of my lightning pictures shows a considerable blue fringing around the power pole and a lot of red fringing around the lightning strikes. But when it comes right down to it, chromatic aberration borders on splitting hairs, especially since the optics were never destined to be professional-caliber. Plus, chromatic aberration is nicely remedied by Photoshop's RAW tools, and uncorrected aberration is not obvious when I zoom out the image, anyway.

Because I received this as a kit lens, I investigated this and other lenses well after buying the camera. I learned most of the pros and cons just as I was shooting pictures. One of the major pros is the focal length; the low 18mm and the high 135mm zoom appear great practically and logistically. Another major pro is the width; not many kit lenses boast of a 67mm diameter. Perhaps the biggest pro in my book is the minimum focusing distance; eighteen inches on a zoom lens gives me a useful macro to work with.

Granted, this lens has a lot of great features that look appealing on paper, but the cons can render those features null and void. The lens works great as a kit lens and outperforms many kit lenses on the market, but if you have the opportunity to buy the camera body separately and purchase a higher-quality lens down the road, you will likely consider the extra money well spent.

"Great Value for the price." 2009-06-13
By P. Cappiello (Virginia Beach, Va. USA)
So now you've got your Nikon DLSR and you've read the books and seen the videos. Wow your camera does all sorts of things. Three months later you are still taking all kinds of great pictures but you notice that 95% of the time the camera is in Auto mode. Welcome to the real world of photography. And that bag with all that stuff you just had to have ? Yeah, six months later you see that only dorks and noobs carry that crap around. So you only want one lens on your rig and some kind of filter- lens caps are silly too when outside. So which one lens ? Well The Nikon 18-200 would be the way to go, but maybe you don't want to drop $600 on a lens. So the next choice is this lens. At half the price its a great lens to leave on all the time. You won't miss the reach of the 200mm that much. Just be careful when you buy from Amazon shopping. Half the places selling are selling gray market. refurbs, demos , used , etc. You gotta read the fine print. Have fun.

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Buy Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Now

Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

2010-02-17T05:45:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

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Ideal as a normal lens designed exclusively for Nikon DX format SLRs, this ultra-compact 18-55mm 3X zoom provides superb versatility in a wide variety of shooting situations.PRODUCT FEATURES:New compact rod-type Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables ultra-high speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and super-quiet operation;ED glass element achieves minimized chromatic aberration and superior optical performance;Hybrid aspherical element ensures high resolution and contrast;Focus Mode switch enables quick-switching between A (Autofocus) and M (Manual Focus);7-blade rounded diaphragm for more natural out-of-focus highlights;Nikon Super Integrated Coating minimizes ghosting and flare to provide even higher contrast and more vivid images, even in challenging light conditions.
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Technical Details

- Ultra-compact 3x zoom lens designed exclusively for use with Nikon Digital SLR models
- 18-55mm focal length
- f3.5-5.6 maximum aperture
- 7 elements in 5 groups; 1 extra-low dispersion element and 1 hybrid aspherical element
- Silent Wave Motor
See more technical details

"nice lens" 2009-06-17
By Enrique Choy (DUARTE, CA USA.)
I LOVE THIS LENS, EVERYTHING WORKS FINE. I AM USING IT IN NIKON D60, AND TAMRON 38/70 MM, AND SIGMA 70/300 FROMM PREVIUS F 60. THOU THEY HAVE TO FOCUS MANUALLY, BUT WORK FINE TOO. HAVE BEEN NIKON FAN FOR MANY MANY YEARS. (since 19550).

"Great all-round lens. Unbeatable image quality for the price" 2008-07-16
By Tiago Pedroso (Portugal)
This is a light & silent lens, with surprising image quality.

For this price, it's very hard to beat. I've also used the 18-70mm Kit lens, which has better construction, a longer focal range and is also a little heavier. They're difference in optical quality is noticeable, but not dramatically.

If you're on a tight budget, you won't go wrong with this lens.

"please with lens" 2008-07-14
By C. F. Owens (FL)
very pleased with camera lens, very lightweight, easy for everyday use use and does not add much to total camera weight, downside is that it is mostly plastic and not as sturdy. Pleased with product, arrived timely

"Nice and Small But Limited Focal Length" 2008-03-31
By Stujoe (Illinois, USA)
I got this lens with my D50 about a year and a half ago. It is a nice, small lens with pretty good IQ. Decently sharp, not a lot of distortion, good color and contrast.

I ended up replacing this lens with teh 18-135mm about 6 months later do to the focal length being a bit limiting on the 18-55mm and the 18-135mm being more useful in combination with the 70-300mm VR. I still have this lens, though, and occasionally use it when I want a small, light lens and know I won't need a lot of zoom.

"Nice lens" 2008-03-26
By Robert Prohaska
This lens is great. It's really inexpensive! And it's clear! As of now it's my walking around lens. I read tons of reviews before I bought it and for the price I don't think you will find a better lens.

And for a fast lens pick up the Nikon 50mm f/1.8. Again, super inexpensive, incredibly crisp and fast!

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Buy Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens Now

Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

2010-02-17T02:10:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

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Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.PRODUCT FEATURES:Nikon D-Type design provides precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes;Internal Focus (IF) design for smoother focusing and great body balance;2 Aspherical lens element for low distortion;G Type DX Nikkor is designed exclusively for use with Nikon SLR models where aperture is controlled from body;2 Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements for minimized chromatic aberration;Exclusive Silent Wave Motor enables ultra-high-speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and powerful super-quiet operation;New cosmetic design;VR operation offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 3 stops faster at 120mm;Rounded diaphragm to make out-of-focus elements appear more natural;First Nikon wide-angle zoom lens with Vibration Reduction (VR);Compact and lightweight.
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Technical Details

- G Type DX Nikkor is intended exclusively for NIKON SLRs where aperture is controlled from body
- 24-120mm Focal Length
- Maximum Aperture - f/3.5 - 5.6
- Minimum F Stop - f/22 - 36
- Silent Wave Motor enables ultra high speed, accurate and super quiet autofocus operation
See more technical details

"Good, but not great" 2010-01-17
By Busy Executive (Long Island, NY)
I admit to having a love-hate relationship with this lens...

I had the original non-VR version several years ago...now THAT was a soft lens. I sold it on eBay and went with Nikon's pro lenses, but admittedly missed the wide range of the 24-120. Sure, the 24-70 beats it in every conceivable way (it should - it's twice the size and three times the price!), but I found myself lacking that one lens I could comfortably stick on the camera and walk around with all day. For my DX camera, I have the 16-85 (which is also a very, very good lens), but until now, I had nothing similar for the FX body. But every time I stared to think good thoughts about the 24-120, I'd pull out some of the images I took with my older one, and the softness, distortion, poor flare control and so on would bring me back to reality.

Well, one thing led to another and I picked up the latest version of the 24-120, hoping that Nikon made some substantial improvements in image quality since my older version. I also own the very good Nikon 80-400 - also a 5:1 zoom ratio - and I've always been happy with the picture quality it gives me, so I hoped Nikon applied some of this same magic to the 24-120. That, and thinking maybe VR would be a help. Still, after living with the latest 24-120 for a while, I have to say it's been a really mixed result at best.

Yes, the performance of the latest 24-120 is better than the old one by a wide margin - but it's still no superstar. It's convenient, has the VR feature, not too big and heavy - but frankly, the images I get with it on both top end DX and FX bodies aren't all that much better than I get on my point-and-shoot. It's not any one thing, just that very few images I take through this lens have that jaw-dropping "pop" I get from my higher quality lenses. To be fair, there are situations where the 24-120 does an admirable job. I tend to like slightly soft and low contrast portraits, and the 24-120 makes this easy. Indoors with flash and f8 or so, the image quality is also totally acceptable. Outdoors, especially in any sort of partial or fully back-lit subject, and you start to wonder why you didn't just pull out that point-and-shoot.

Sharpness is okay at f8 through f16, and colors and contrast sort of depend on lighting. Darker scenes not back-lit at all tend to be more vibrant. I tend to keep a polarizer on the lens full time to help compensate. The VR system works well, and I can get fairly consistent results at 1/10 second or so at the short end of the zoom range. There's ample distortion at both ends of the range, but nothing you can't fix in Photoshop. In terms of construction quality, the lens is about what you'd expect from Nikon in this price range. It zooms and focuses smoothly and seems built to last a long time - even though not quite to the standards of the true Nikon pro glass.

Still, what are the alternatives? For DX, I'd recommend the 16-85 - no contest. But FX users can't seem to get this range in a single lens at any price. It takes at least the 24-70 plus one other lens (70-200, or possibly just the 105 would be my choice), and now you're into lens-swapping (or carrying two bodies) and several times the weight and cost.

I'd give it a cautious thumbs up, so long as you know what you're getting. This lens is all about trading image quality for convenience - not a bad thing, just be sure that's what you want.

"Much Disparaged lens has Sample Variation -- Good Lens = Great shots" 2009-11-18
By RonAnnArbor (Ann Arbor, MI United States)
This is a much disparaged lens by many on the Nikon Forums...but I am not sure how many of those complainers took the time to exchange their lens for a better one. There appears to be a tremendous amount of sample variation for this lens. It took me three lenses until I found one that is tack sharp --

And WOW!....On my D700, I use it for almost all my shots now -- and I've tried all the other "pro" lenses in this focal range as well, NIkon and 3rd Party.

I'm find the lens has great range for walk-around purposes and for event shoots. It renders colors brilliantly, and it is sharp with very little putzing around needed with your settings. Half of the shots at my website at RonAnnArbor at [...] in the D700 gallery are taken with the 24-120. I will bet you can't tell which were taken with it, and which were taken with the Nikon 24-70.

I would highly recommend this lens -- but I would also add the caveat that you have to be persistent. If you get a lens and it is soft - exchange for a new one, and try again. You will eventually find a really sharp lens that you will be very happy with. I am very happy with mine, even though I was also one of the original disparagers of the lens at first!....

"Sharp and versatile" 2009-09-03
By Nick (DC)
This lens came with my D700 kit. For the longest time, I did not have a term for comparison. I finally acquired a Nikon 80-200 2.8 (push-pull), which is supposedly much sharper than this lens (in the overlapping focal range). Surprise - it isn't! Even when pixel peeping, I could not see the difference in sharpness when shooting at the respective lens optimal aperture. Now, this lens is NOT as sharp as a prime (compared with a 50mm 1.8), but neither is the more expensive 24-70mm 2.8.

Pros:

- Good image quality for a 5x zoom.

- Reasonably wide on FX - it was definitely an eye opener after the 18mm typical wide end of most DX midrange zooms.

- good build quality for the money (except for the butterfly hood thread). I'd say this is solidly in the 'middle' class of the Nikon lens universe - in between the likes of 18-55, 55-200 DX on the low end and the fast zooms on the high end.

- VR works like a charm.

- relatively light for the focal range covered

- AF is fast and silent.

- Front element does not rotate - good for polarizing filters.

Cons:

- Visible distortion at the wide end.

- Won't replace wide angle and normal primes in terms of sharpness, but this is the compromise you make for flexibility.

- Slowish lens, but that's to be expected for the size / price.

My only regret is that I didn't buy this second hand - you can find them for around $300 on craigs or ebay - from people dumping them for no good reason. If you have one, I'd recommend holding on to it, it will improve its resale value once Nikon stops offering this as a kit lens.

"Good for what it is intended..." 2009-08-10
By R. Lanthier (Vienna, VA United States)
I was wary of this lens given the very strong negative reputation it had among DX and FX Nikon shooters. For the FX shooter, there just isn't a very compelling Nikon-made modern walk-around lens solution and the 24-120VR hits all the requirements: wide to tele focal length; stabilization; light; quick and quiet autofocus. Now, this lens is not fast and it gets slow rather quickly in the zoom range, but I have found the lens to be an excellent party lens, hiking lens, or general vacation lens. While I absolutely love my 24-70, it does get heavy, and at times you want that extra reach. I find the lens adequately sharp, and produces images with good color and contrast as well. Some have thought that this lens actually works better on FX sensors than DX ones (why this would be the case is not clear). Others have argues that with the release of the D700 Nikon tweaked the optics a bit so it performs better. So my advice is that if you are shooting FX and looking for that walkaround/ vacation/party lens, then give this a try. But do be aware of its limitations and don't expect image quality you'd get from the Nikon zoom Trinity (14-24, 24-70, & 70-200)

Is it the best? No! Is it as bad as its reputation? NO!!!

Enjoy.

"Best of Two Worlds" 2009-06-02
By J. Haynes (San Jose, CA United States)
Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

Since my photographic interest cover a verity of different genres' I was looking for a high quality lens that could accommodate my varied requirements providing wide angle, candied and personal one on one casual photos. Since my purchase I have had the opportunity to test this lens extensively and am delighted with the results. I have used it to take over 400 photographs ranging from landscapes at Yosemite and the Monterey coast to candied private gatherings and even shot a couple of advertizing layouts for one of my web sites. All in all I am pleased to say the lens lived up to and in some cases exceeded all my expectations. This lens, at around $700 +/-, is not cheap but in my opinion it provides great value when compared to the other candidates hanging in the rather pricy $2000 neighborhood. I should add however if your needs are more casual and you are using one of the excellent DX series (D80 to 300) Nikons there is another Nikkor lens at about half the price. It is the 18-135mm which I have also used extensively with very good results. For whatever it is worth, I would highly recommend both lenses depending on your needs and your budget.

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Buy Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus VR Nikkor Zoom Lens Now

Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-17T02:05:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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80-200mm D-Series Zoom lens for Nikon cameras
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Technical Details

- Superb 2.5x telephoto zoom for sports, portraits, and nature photography
- Fast and constant f2.8 maximum aperture through the entire focal range
- ED glass elements for high-resolution and high-contrast image even at maximum aperture
- Rotating zoom ring for precise zoom operation
- Nikon Super Integrated Coating ensures exceptional performance
See more technical details

"I have feelings for this lens, is that wrong?" 2010-02-16
By Just Some Dude (Seattle, WA USA)
If you are like me you read about all of the reviews out there before buying. I found that the majority opinion on this lens was very accurate. When you open your box the lens case is pretty cool, but then I just put it up on a shelf where I keep all my other Nikon boxes in case I need to sell it some day. When I took the lens out I admit my heart rate went up and it feels really good hefting this monster, I was grinning ear to ear. It is heavy and solid like everyone said. I immediately noticed the plastic ring for switching between manual and auto focus and it really does look out of place. I don't really care about the plastic threads for the filters, I treat my lenses better than I treat myself. But the plastic ring for manual/auto is just wierdly out of place, I wish they had made it out of the same metal the lens is made from. It's like asking Cindy Crawford to marry you with a tin foil ring. How do you say dumb in Japanese? Now that blunder aside, I was really nervous for my first shot as I had seen a few posts about "soft" focus on some rogue lenses out there. Mine was crisp and sharp and beautiful. Yes beautiful. I have since shot portraits, babies and stock photos with it and each time I am calling my wife over to the computer with the image zoomed at 100% "look at that honey, can you believe how sharp?!" Now, as to the weight, don't think for a minute that you can hand hold this in low light and get good results. Yeah yeah, if you crank your ISO into sandstorm mode maybe you can get the shot but it's not going to look pro. Or if you are an arteeest and want a little blur motion, then fine. But listen, I am 210lbs and can bench press you, but I was still a bit shaky after and hour of holing it up to my eye. You've got to tripod this baby. It's worth it though. My conclusion is that if you have a tripod and aren't going to be rough with the plastic ring, you should buy it, it has many applications. I give it 4 stars because it does hunt a little more than I like in low light and of course the stupid plastic ring, seriously, what were they thinking! Optics I give it 5 stars. In conclusion, if I could have my money back right now and walk away from it, I would not... I would buy it again. It's my new fav. Hope this helps you make your decision!

"Just great!" 2010-02-09
By Christian Schumacher
I've got it on my D700 and it's a fantastic lens for this price. So don't hesitate - buy it!

"Review from an Amateur" 2009-12-30
By Asad Joheb (TX, USA)
I am an amateur photographer,before I bought this I was using a 70-300. After getting this one I havent touched my 70-300 for last two months. As I have not used any other professional tele-zoom lens I cannot compare it. But the photos I took with it are sharp and clear. I am using it with D70s.

The only reason I am giving a four star to it is the speed of focusing. In low light sometimes it irritates when it hunts for locking focus and specially when I think about the grand I spent for it.

To be honest, I expected a heaven n hell difference between 70-300 and 80-200 before buying it, but I guess I have to spend $2300 and get a 70-200 to get that.

Bottomline, I am happy with this lens and I have started loving it. IMO it is sufficient to feed my amateurish photographic needs. If I go pro someday then definitely I will need an upgrade.

BTW,I bought a cheapo Quantaray 2x teleconverter for it, and it works fine with it. I was astonished to see AF works great, which I was not expecting.

"Is there a better lens for the price?" 2009-09-22
By Mark C. (Sacramento CA)
2nd review. After having this lens and using it for a while I had to add a few important points here. It is still great quality and sharp but using it without a tripod turned out to be difficult especially at longer focal lengths. There is no VR and unless you are always using one for longer shots you might have issues. Actually I am selling this and checking out the Nikon 70-300 VR. I can't handle this with longer focal lengths unless its always on a tripod which keeps it in my bag more often than it should be. This is a great lens, bokah is nice, fairly compact, great color, quick focusing, it is a bit heavy after a while but not close to the weight of the 80-200 VR's. I am really happy with this but am heading over to the Nikon 70-300 to see if all the great reviews are deserved and if it will substitute for this 80-200 for now. If you want to save on the price of the 80-200 look for a used one on B&H or Adorama. I saved $250 getting this used and it is like new.

"Worth the wait, and worth the price" 2009-09-14
By A. Mendez (Costa Rica)
I shelled out $990 for this lens, and had to wait almost 3 months on backorder. And it was worth every dime.

After almost a year of having the 80-200mm on my D80, I can see why it's rated as one of the best (if not the best) lens that Nikkor has produced.

The image quality is great. No aberrations, no visible distortion, even at the extreme zoom settings. Reflection control is wonderful. So far I haven't seen a single flare in my photos. DOF is top notch.... you have NOT seen DOF control unless you've tried the 80-200.

Nitpicks? A bit on the heavy side. Slow to focus. Manual focus is a little touchy when you're near the upper zoom range.

But still, I wouldn't trade this lens in for the world. This one's a keeper. Buy it and don't let go.

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Buy Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Now

Nikon 24mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-16T05:00:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 24mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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24mm D-Series Wideangle lens for Nikon cameras
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Technical Details

- Compact wide-angle lens construction
- Superb optical design for architecture, wedding, and landscape photography
- 84-degree (61-degree with Nikon DX format) picture coverage with edge-to-edge sharpness
- Close Range Correction system provides high performance at both near and far focusing distances
- Nikon Super Integrated Coating for minimized flare and ghost, providing good color balance
See more technical details

"Better than I thought" 2010-02-08
By Dr. Kovacs Peter
I use it only for a month now, but it feels great, looks great, but more importantly delivers nice pics. I use it on a D90, mainly for family shots and on excursions. Rarely replaced by other lenses. Only if its important to have tack sharp portraits. Than I change for my 50mm AF-S. All in all I like it a lot.

"Surprising Good Prime Lens" 2009-03-08
By K. Wong (Dublin, CA USA)
I was quite surprised of the close focusing capability of the lens on my Fuji S3 Pro, as well as the relative lack of distortion. The product was delivered on time at a good price.

"Great Wide Choice for a Digital Camera" 2008-08-17
By G. J. Huba (Culver City, CA USA)
When used on a Nikon D300 that applies a 1.5 multiplying factor to the length (this 24mm acts like a 36mm on a DX sensor), this lens is clear, collects lights well, and is extremely sharp. This is a great walk-around lens for scenery, touring, quick crowd shots, and snapshots. With this lens, if you can get the shot quickly and in focus, you will have something that can be easily edited (expecially cropped) in a photo-editing program. Highly recommended as a basic "on the camera all the time" lens.

Updated December 2009. Now used on a Nikon D700 full frame (FX) camera for a year. In this case the lens is a true 24mm unlike on the Nikon D300. Scenery is exquisite, and the lens is incredibly useful for pictures of large groups of people like some recent holiday shots of about 25 people working on cooking on a kitchen center island, or two-dozen kids sitting at a table while the candles get blown out. On an FX camera the lens is sharp, collects light well, is virtually always in focus as you would expect from a 24mm. You can get all the action in the picture without being too far away and if you get too much in, it is simple to crop the pictures. In addition to scenery outside, this lens is awesome for large groups of people where you either want to get many in the picture or you have to be up close because it is a party or historical site or museum. Why haul a 14-24mm zoom when this lightweight but solid lens has 90% of the functionality.

Updated February 2010. I do not use this lens on a daily basis. In fact I do not even use it every week. But, in spite of this, it is a lens I would never want to part with (I am pruning some of my current lenses to make room for a new purchase) even if it is not the lens used daily. When you want to take "place" pictures and get the big picture, this is the one that will get the shot and is light enough so that you still enjoy the location without backache. Landscape shots with it from Grand Teton and Yellowstone Parks capture the "hugeness" you feel in those places with clarity, color trueness, and lack of distortion. And the lens fits in the pocket of pants (without too much of a bulge). Carry this little gem and get the big picture. Works great for cityscapes too.

"Great event lens" 2008-08-02
By James Fryer (NY USA)
I have a slightly older version of this lens (pre D), but the important point I want to make is the same: This is a great prime lens for events and general shooting on a cropped DSLR. On a D70 (what I have) it acts like a 36mm with the crop factor. It is wide enough to take shots of groups but not so wide that you can't get a nice portrait.

But, this is for people like me who prefer prime lenses, most people will be much happier with a zoom, like the 18-55mm VR. The prime lens lets more light in so you can shoot without a flash more often. But, if you are going to shoot with a good flash like the SB-600, you will be better off with the flexibility of a zoom.

These AF lenses will not auto focus on a D40 or D60. They will auto focus on the D50, D70, D80, as well as the higher end pro models.

"Fast, perfect lens..." 2008-06-29
By Jennifer L. Griffith (Tucson, AZ)
This lens is a necessity when shooting with the Letus Extreme or Redrock 35mm adaptor!

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Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-16T01:06:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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Wide-Angle Zoom Lens from UltraWide to Wide Angle / F2.8 Maximum Aperture
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Technical Details

- 17-35mm wide-angle zoom lens with f/2.8 maximum aperture for Nikon digital SLR cameras
- 2 types of aspherical lenses (2 molded glass and 1 hybrid) and 2 ED glass elements
- 9-blade rounded diaphragm achieves natural blur for out-of-focus elements
- Silent Wave Motor (SWM) delivers quiet and accurate high-speed autofocusing
- Measures 3.2 inches in diameter and 4.2 inches long; weighs 26.3 ounces; 5-year warranty
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"A superb wide-angle lens for full-frame (FX) Nikon digital cameras" 2009-07-14
By 320Flyer (Minnetonka, MN USA)
I purchased this lens along with my D700 nearly 12 months ago. My choice was between this lens and the Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S. I went with the 17-35mm for the ability to use filters and have not looked back.

During that time I have had a blast enjoying landscape photography with the combination. The lens is exceedingly sharp --corner to corner-- particularly when stopped down from wide open. I have no use for 'prime' lenses within this focal range anymore.

Indoors the extreme angle-of-view and large aperture have been great for candids and other interior shots. Obviously, 17-35mm is not a desirable focal length for portraits.

Some have complained about corner 'sharpness' wide open, but the depth-of-field at f/2.8 is so shallow on FX that corner sharpness is a non-issue since objects in the corner are unlikely to be within the focal plane of the subject anyway. With the high-ISO performance of the D700, aperture selection is an artistic choice for DOF, not a necessity for low light. Stop the pixel-peeping and just enjoy the lens!

I have also found DxO Optics Pro (Elite) a priceless software tool with this camera/lens combination. I always shoot RAW images and use DxO to convert to TIFF or jpg. DxO includes both the D700 and this lens in their database; the result: noise-free images with perfect optical corrections. Amazing.

"Extremely sharp, high quality images" 2009-06-28
By W. T. Rogers (Chesterfield, MO USA)
This is a superb lens. I purchased it along with my D700 and the results have been very impressive. It's very well made; the zoom control is linear (evenly spaced on the zoom ring), and it's not as heavy as I thought it would be given the pro level of construction. Its a nice chunky size ... it fits my hand well, and is well suited size-wise to the D700 ... yet doesn't feel too big or heavy. I've been using it mostly on a tripod for landscape photography, but I think it will also be a great walking-around lens.

The included lens shade is pretty much worthless and is so wide physically that its a PITA in my backpack. The lens also comes with a beautiful hard case which I will never use. It would have been nice if Nikon had shaved $50-100 off the price and skipped this high quality but impractical part of the package.

Highly recommended!

"great!" 2009-01-18
By R. akrawi (MI, US of A)
an ultra high quality lens far superior than the canon counterpart, i actually have the canon 16-35L 2.8 II and bought this lens for my friend who has a nikon d700, i am totally impressed by nikon and especially there 5 year warranty on most of their lenses. if i did not already own canon lenses i would have defiantly switched.

"I received a Dud!!" 2008-03-31
By NJ
Check the quality control of this lens when you buy. Mine had severe front focus problems. Even when i selected the auto focus sensor the lens still had focusing issues . The lens was soft to F4. At F2.8 the images were incredibly poor. In my 20+ years of photography i have never seen a lens this bad. To make sure, i borrowed a friends 18-55VR. This $200.00 lens had better color saturation, contrast and accurate auto focus. Not only that, but it was sharper. To get the 17-35 as sharp, i had to stop down to F8. I tried to get another sample but they were out of stock, so i just returned it. I know a lot of people rate this lens 5 stars, and i understand that ever now and then you get a bad sample, but this lens had multiple problems. On the positive side, it is not as big and heavy as some people claim. It balances well on my D200, and the autofocus is fast. I will be looking into the 24-70 2.8.

"First Class Glass" 2008-02-28
By Fred Stevens (Portales, New Mexico)
This is a first-class professional quality lens. I am using it on Nikon F5, F100, and D200 bodies. I bought it in anticipation of purchasing an FX digital format successor to the D200/D300 DX-format cameras. It is extremely sharp from edge-to-edge, rendering crisp images with great color and contrast. Good low-light performance for natural people-pictures. On my film-based shoots, it is nothing short of spectacular. With digital, I am presently using DX-format cameras, so the focal-length range is reduced. But, when used with an FX-format digital, I expect equally exceptional results. This lens is considered both heavy and pricey by some. However, I find the weight promotes better stability with hand-held images. The price is right for what you get. I also like a depth of field indicator on the aperature ring for doing wide-ange shots employing hyper-focal distance techniques. You don't get this with the newer g-series lenses. If you can afford this lens and are going to go FX-format, buy it.

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Buy Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Now

Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-15T12:59:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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85mm lens for Nikon SLR cameras
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Technical Details

- 85mm focal length is considered the optimal choice for portrait work using a 35mm SLR camera
- F/1.4
- D-Series for Nikon mount cameras
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"For what it is, it is perfect" 2010-02-03
By Steven Janes (Germany)
If you are looking at this lens, you will probably already know what it is. Within the limitations of it's design, it is perfect and a real classic.

Having said that, it is what it is. Obviously it is a Prime Lens, not a zoom, so you have to want that. And also clearly it is an old design - no AF-S, no VR. But, you already knew that didn't you?

Bokeh, especially wide open, is wonderful... This is the reason people buy this lens.

Build quality could not be better. All metal construction. You could use it to hammer nails if the need arose. It also feels great in the hand (I have it mounted on a D700 with battery grip).

Only slight irritation (not worth deducting a star for) is the lens hood. It is a screw in design, not a quick bayonnet mount and can not be reversed for storage. When mounted it is slighly tricky to get the lens cap securely on (I had it falling off a few times). However, it is a good, solid metal hood so will also give some physical protection.

"Blown Away" 2010-01-19
By Glenn Carpenter (Golden, Colorado)
I didn't expect this lens to be so astonishingly good.

I've read all the reviews and all the tests, and I've used my share of older Nikon AF and AF-D lenses, and I expected a performance from this lens along the lines of what I'd experienced with other, similar lenses - just with the addition of the legendary bokeh that everybody seems to buy it for and the giant fast aperture.

Instead what I got is a lens that exceeds its spec sheet, exceeds the performance implied by every formal test I've ever seen of it, and exceeds nearly every expectation I had for it.

Here's why:

Any lens will tend to lose acuity as larger apertures are used. This is due to spherical aberration and occurs to very different degrees in different lenses, but occurs to some degree in every lens. Tests of this lens show this loss of acuity to a similar degree to that which occurs in its smaller f/1.8 sibling, which I found to be mediocre wide open, and to most of Nikon's older AF and AF-D primes, the performance capabilities of which I'm also familiar with and not always particularly impressed by.

Yet while those other lenses are indeed diminished in terms of image quality as their wide-open aperture is approached, the 85/1.4 doesn't seem to lose a thing in terms of the visual impact of its images no matter how wide it's opened up. Even wide-full-open at f/1.4, this lens gives stunning images with excellent sharpness, excellent contrast, and beautiful colors that leap right out of the image in full three-dimensional glory.

The reason, I suspect, has to do with the fact that the perception of sharpness in an image is not at all the same thing as pure optical acuity. Acuity is the element effectively measured by performance tests, which look at the loss of contrast on a tiny scale barely resolvable by a digital sensor. Quite different is what our eyes perceive when we look at an image. The "snap" we find striking when looking at a stunning photo has to do with color and contrast on a somewhat larger scale, and also with other factors in the image as a whole, such as the contrast between in-focus and out-of-focus parts of the image. Under close inspection at full magnification, it is clear that this lens, like any other, loses acuity at very large apertures. The overall color and contrast, though, the snap and pop that makes images look vibrant, alive and three-dimensional, does not diminish. That is extraordinary in an f/1.4 lens. It means that I can take a photograph of a colorful, detailed subject with this lens at f/1.4, and with another excellent lens at f/5.6, and the image made by this lens will have at least as much of those qualities, even viewed with moderate magnification, as the f/5.6 image will have. That is the reason this lens deserves its legendary reputation.

Of course, that f/1.4 image will also have the beautiful bokeh that this lens is famous for, and it will have a degree of de-focus (not the same as bokeh, which is the QUALITY of the de-focus) that can make the background meld into a soft blur of color mere inches from the plane of perfect focus. That of course is also what this lens is legendary for. Many lenses can create de-focus, though: wider, slower lenses can do it close-up, and longer, slower lenses can do it at similar distances - and some, to my eyes at least, have bokeh that is just as nice as the 85/1.4. What makes this lens remarkable is the combination of those qualities: excellent quality of bokeh, degree of blur controllable all the way to extreme at f/1.4, and a rendering of the in-focus part of the image that is just superb, and that loses not one whit of perceived quality even at wide-open aperture. That is a combination that will let you make magic.

It is not perfect. This lens' biggest optical flaw is something that is most commonly called purple fringing. This is a chromatic aberration that occurs in out-of-focus contrast transitions and can also, I believe, be called longitudinal chromatic aberration. It occurs because different wavelengths of light are focused slightly differently as they pass through the various lens elements, and it is very noticeable in certain types of images if you look closely. The lens is also susceptible to flare, so it's important to take care to shade the front element, if possible, when shooting into backlit scenes. These qualities do affect the usability of the lens to a degree, but this lens is a rather specialized tool, and knowing when to use it, and how to use it properly, should be considered a reasonable requirement for anybody who wishes to benefit from its extraordinary capabilities.

Perfection is one way to greatness, and there are lenses out there that come close to perfection without being extraordinary in any particular way. Some of those lenses are deserving of five-star ratings. This lens does the exact opposite, being extraordinary despite significant imperfections, and I give it five stars as well. It is utterly unmatched, probably by a wide margin, and probably at any price, at doing what it does well. Regardless of its relatively minor imperfections it is, with a capital "G," one of the Great Nikon lenses.

Notes:

- This lens has a near complete lack of any of the latest Nikon buzzword tech: there are no ED elements and no aspherical elements, it does not have Nikon's close-ratio correction (CRC) floating-element design, and of course it does not have AF-S focusing. It could probably benefit from all of those things, the first two of which would no doubt help with its issues with chromatic aberration. It does, however, have Nikon's excellent "SIC" lens coating, which I suspect is responsible, along with a good overall optical design, for its excellent performance in terms of contrast and color rendition, especially wide-open. Having fewer elements than the complex zooms no doubt helps as well, as each air/glass and glass/glass interface causes some attenuation in lens performance. The complex zooms with multiple ED and aspheric elements seem to need those tricks, while this lens gets by without them.

- Compared to the 85mm f/1.8D: In my humble opinion, there is no comparison. This lens suffers from none of the 1.8 lens' relative lack of contrast in comparison to Nikon's newer lenses: in fact just the opposite - it seems, if it's possible, even contrastier and more vibrant in its rendition of colors than even the best of them. That alone gives its images a subtle, but noticeable, bump in quality compared to the f/1.8. This lens' wide-aperture shots don't lose the punch that the 1.8D's do. And while I didn't personally find the 1.8D's bokeh to be particularly nice, this 1.4D does certainly live up to its reputation in that area, being equal to the very best. Even if you never shot this lens wider than f/1.8 it would be twice the lens the 85/1.8 is. These differences are modest but not small, and they show up in every image. The difference between greatness and competence is often subtle. Here, to my eyes, it is nevertheless very clear.

- This lens uses 77mm filters, which is very handy for most Nikon users as that has been the standard pro filter size for twenty years or so now. To get the most out of this lens you will really need to invest in at least one high-quality neutral density filter of 2-3 stops. This will allow you to shoot the lens in brighter conditions and still benefit from its control over depth of field. I have two 2-stop ND filters and sometimes use both of them together, which the lens handles well, although focusing can become difficult. Another good investment might be a very high-grade, multi-coated protective filter, which can be helpful in diminishing the flare that this lens can suffer from. I recommend Hoya's excellent "HD" filters, the best I've used at helping to control flare.

- Focus is very accurate on my sample. That is a very important consideration for a lens with such a narrow wide-open depth of field, and I've had more than one fast lens whose wide open performance was effectively ruined by inconsistent focus. While this is not an AF-S lens and consequently lacks the subtle, incremental ability to track motion that AF-S lenses tend to have, it is extremely good for still shots even at f/1.4.

"Rarely taking it off!" 2009-08-11
By Ro
I have been shooting with this lens for 5 months now and find this is my new favorite lens to shoot with. The 85mm is a little bit too long for me at one point or another when trying to frame my kid in tight area. I have been doing a lot of foot works since I got this lens. Just be prepare to do some exercises when you decided to purchase one if not shooting in a portrait studio.

One small detail that I had noticed though is that the len is "Made In Japan" but the lens' cap is "Made In Thailand." Could this be right? Nikon uses lens' cap from Thailand instead of manufacturing their own in order to save money?

"Expensive, but worth it since it's versatile" 2009-03-14
By nnsuch (USA)
I've had my eye on this lens for some time, but was very hesitant to spend the money on it. I bought it a couple of months ago and have used it almost exclusively on my D90 since then. This is a great lens, and I know it was the right lens for me to add to my photo gear right now.

I agree with previous reviewers, there are 2 main reasons to buy this lens. First, if you shoot in low light conditions this lens performs incredibly well. The other day I was at my kids' school taking some musical photos for the yearbook. The auditorium manager was out for the day, so we couldn't turn on the stage lights. We only used the house lights and a very small amount of background stage lights, so it was very dark and I wasn't feeling optimistic about getting some decent shots. But wide open, the lens was capable of producing sharp, clear, decently exposed images.

The other main reason to buy this lens is the bokeh, of course. It is very smooth and beautiful. However, this lens does take some practice and skill when shooting wide open. It is a very sharp lens even at 1.4, but there is no room for error with focus since the depth of field is so narrow.

One other thing that I really like about this lens is it's size and weight. It's hefty and well-built, but isn't too heavy or cumbersome on my D90. I feel perfectly comfortable walking around with this lens. Sometimes people suggest getting a 70-200mm before or instead of the 85mm, but for me this lens is a much better fit and more versatile. Yes, the 70-200mm also has great bokeh, has a more versatile range, and can be better for indoor sports. But it's size and weight are a major negative me. I wouldn't use a 70-200mm for casual portraits, or as a walk around lens, or everyday casual shots. In my opinion, the 85mm is great in all of those situations.

There are some negatives to this lens - it is a little too long on a DX body at times and there are some chromatic aberration and flare issues when shooting wide open.

If you are thinking about getting this lens, do your homework and figure out of this is a right fit for you. For me, it is a very versatile lens and a great performer and I am completely satisfied with it.

"Great for portraits but quite old." 2009-03-02
By Enche Tjin (Philadelphia, PA)
Nikkor AF 85mm f/1.4 has been hailed as legendary lens for Nikon DSLR or film camera. I think it is because of its unique characteristic but also its age. This lens has been around for thirteen years.

Image Quality and characteristic

Mounted in Nikon full frame camera D700, the lens is sharp at maximum aperture of f/1.4D, which is excellent. Stopped down to f/2.8, the lens become very sharp. But extreme sharpness is not what this lens is made for. It is primarily made for its ability in low light condition, and its ability to create a beautiful out of focus effect in background or foreground.

Because of those characteristic and its fixed focal length, this lens is ideal for portrait. It is also good for candid portraiture such as in wedding. For Nikon pro wedding shooters, this lens is one of must have lens.

Unfortunately, this lens suffers a bit from purple fringing in high contrast area (see sample pic below), it is also susceptible to flare, but not as bad as other lenses.

Auto Focus operation

Because Nikon 85mm f/1.4D does not have built-in motor focus like modern lenses (AF-S) lens, it relies on camera body to focus. It speed will also depend on the camera body. The more higher-end model such as Nikon D700, D3 or D3X will focus faster than the entry-level camera.

When mounted in Nikon D700, the lens focus very fast. Unfortunately entry level user such as Nikon D40, D40X and D60 only can use manual focus because the camera body doesn't have the capability to focus AF lenses. This lens also create some noise when focusing because lack of Silent Wave Motor.

In sport games such as basketball, the lens has difficulty in continuous tracking. It fails to lock on the object properly resulting in many blur image. I don't recommend it for sports.

Build Quality

Built quality of this lens is awesome, it is average in size and weight and very nice to handle. The focus ring is smooth. Closest focusing is 85cm, make it not very ideal for macro / close-up photography.

It will come with "metal" lens hood. Unfortunately the lens hood it screw in type and you can't reverse it for more compact storage. In spite of that, the lens hood is fully metal, so it is better than regular plastic type and a lot more durable.

Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D vso 85mm f/1.8D

Compare to f/1.8D version, This lens is 2.5 times more expensive, the cheaper lens is not as sharp as f/1.4D in its maximum aperture of f/1.8. At f/2.8, the sharpness is almost equal. The build quality is also a lot worse than the f/1.4D. But the 85mm f/1.8 is more compact and portable.

In Conclusion

You might want to get this lens because of several reasons:

* You frequently shoot at extremely low light condition which f/1.4D is often needed

* You are concern about artistic, especially smooth background blur.

* You are looking for the sharpest lens from edge to edge of the image. (The lens is designed to be sharp in the center "focus" and soft in the corner).

Don't buy this lens for indoor sports, it is better to get either f/2.8 telephoto zoom lens or lighting equipment.

check out www.radiantlite.com for other reviews

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Buy Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras Now

Nikon 28mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-15T06:31:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 28mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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28mm D-Series Wideangle lens for Nikon cameras
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Technical Details

- Compact, lightweight wide-angle lens for general photography
- 74-degree (53-degree with Nikon DX format) picture angle for candids, portraits, and travel photographs
- Nikon Super Integrated Coating for minimized flare and ghost, providing good color balance
- Exceptionally light at only 7.4 ounces
- 0.85-foot close focusing distance
See more technical details

"Fantastic" 2009-12-07
By G. D. Peterson (San Mateo, CA USA)
I have been searching for a wide angle lens for my Nikon D5000. This lens is perfect, and it is taking phenomenal pictures. The color and the level of detail are exciting. The lens seems to me to be a higher quality lens than other low price Nikon lenses. No auto-focus, but that is not a problem for me. Great pictures.

"Competent and inexpensive: bargain "normal" lens for DX" 2009-10-26
By Glenn Carpenter (Golden, Colorado)
This is an undistinguished but competent lens, a viable solution for DX users looking for a "normal" lens at a bargain price, and a useful and inexpensive wide angle for FX and film shooters.

It can not be said that Nikon spared no expense in the development of this lens. They spared plenty, settling on a minimalist, simple, proven optical formula, without the close-range correction (CRC) used in some of its more-expensive contemporaries, and with an unambitious f/2.8 maximum aperture. That last detail, in today's world of small-frame DX DSLRs, becomes the lens' single major drawback. Today's zoom lenses are good enough to equal the performance of a prime in most regards, making fast apertures the last remnant of fixed-focal-length superiority in the minds of most photographers, and a prime lens as slow as an f/2.8 professional zoom is left with comparatively little to recommend it. Yet that has ironically led to this lens' one significant advantage: it has remained cheap while prices for other lenses have risen significantly, and for those whose needs it meets, it can be seen as quite a bargain.

Its performance is perfectly respectable. In fact, wide-open at normal shooting distances, it is already quite sharp, something that can not be said for many fast primes, and it manages to provide crisp, modern, contrasty color renditions, no doubt thanks to state of the art - as of its introduction - lens coatings. It has the nice, rather frictionless focus feel that was common to most early AF primes, with the easy-to-reach, front-mounted focusing ring that was a welcome holdover from manual-focus days. Many newer lenses, with focus rings hidden from easy reach (behind the zoom ring, for example) are much more difficult to use when manual focus is called for, although most do have the advantage of allowing instant manual over-ride. Like any AF-D lens, the user of this lens must flip a switch on the camera body to disengage the focus motor and switch from auto to manual focus.

There is one other nice feature of this lens that holds up very well in today's DSLR world, and that it its 28mm focal length. While anything in the 28mm-35mm range can be considered a "normal" lens for DX, Nikon's own 35mm DX prime is a bit on the long side for many, and at 28mm this lens represents an excellent alternative. I've owned and used (and posted a review of) the 35/1.8G, and I love it, but in my opinion this is one of its drawbacks. I personally prefer the slightly wider field of view of the 28mm perspective, which in my experience is a bit handier for indoor photography in tighter spaces and a bit more natural-feeling as a "normal" lens for DX. Sigma's 30mm f/1.4 is another alternative, and faster, but I found my copy to be mediocre at wide apertures and would generally hold it to f/2.8 or so anyway, taking away much of its advantage of speed - and it is a much more expensive lens.

The 28mm begins to look like a very good choice when its workmanlike performance, its "normal" field of view, and its small size are considered against its very low current price. For DX users, this lens is not exactly a bargain when purchased new - it is more expensive than the 35mm/1.8G, for example - but used prices are a different story, and for photographers willing to buy used, it can be a bargain. For a DX shooter on a budget, who is looking for a "normal" lens and who does not already have a professional-level midrange zoom that offers an f/2.8 aperture, the 28mm can be a uniquely affordable and versatile tool for general photography. Combined with inexpensive standard and telephoto zooms, this lens can complete a modest collection of starter lenses that will leave very few types of photography off limits. In fact, somebody looking to start out in SLR photography on a budget could do a lot worse than to pick up a decent copy of this lens, a used Nikon D50/D70/D80, and begin making pictures limited in quality only by their own talents.

My rating of three stars for this lens should not be considered negative. I don't think a higher rating is justified, and I don't believe in rating lenses on a sliding scale depending on their price - a four star lens is a four star lens, whether it sells for $150 or ten times that. It is up to the reader to make their own judgement as to whether the price makes the lens a more or less compelling purchase. This lens does exactly what it is supposed to do, and it does it well. The basis for my rating is as follows: the lens performs competently, but not spectacularly, as a 28mm prime. By itself, that would probably justify four stars, but it's only fair to also take into account its very modest design capabilities. Its slow speed in particular, compared with other lenses of its type, reduces its appeal; and the lack of a sophisticated, highly corrected optical formula is a factor as well. This lens, while possibly a bargain and a fine choice for many photographers, is practically the definition of average in terms of performance, and that's how I rate it.

Miscellaneous notes:

- Vs. Nikon's 35mm f/1.8G: The 35/1.8 is a bit sharper, but the 28/2.8 is sharp as well. With mostly minor distinctions, these lenses do pretty much the same things on DX, and the 28mm can be picked up on the used market for much less than the 35mm sells for. The real distinctions between these lenses are the price, the speed, and the focal length. For many photographers the 28mm could be the better choice.

- Vs. Sigma's 30mm f/1.4: My copy of the Sigma was mediocre at wide apertures, removing most of its advantage over the 28mm Nikkor. It is much heavier, much more expensive to buy either new or used, and has very close to the same field of view. If speed is paramount, it is the obvious choice - otherwise the Nikon's price and overall performance make it the better buy.

- For FX: It's tougher to make an argument for this lens on FX. FX shooters are less likely to be bargain hunters, and there are better choices almost regardless of one's criteria for selecting a lens. I can envision a narrow niche for an FX shooter who wants an unobtrusive, lightweight lens and a moderate wide-angle view; and in such a case, this lens' low purchase price makes it a perfectly satisfactory option. Sigma's 30mm and Nikon's 35/1.8G are DX lenses and are therefore removed from consideration for FX shooters. The obvious alternatives on FX would be Nikon's 35mm f/2D or 24mm f/2.8D - but in reality, for most FX users the real alternative will be an f/2.8 midrange zoom.

- Buying new vs buying used: Good lenses tend to hold their value very well, and they last a long time. Consequently the market for used lenses is vibrant and relatively efficient. In the case of this lens, the disparity between the new purchase price and the current used market value is high, and I would advise any prospective purchaser of this lens to find a good used copy from a reputable source, such as many of the used vendors right here on Amazon. Be sure to price-check against other vendors to ensure you're getting a fair price, of course. Buying used avoids the large one-time depreciation from buying new and will probably allow the user to re-sell the lens at some time in the future with little or no loss of value. This is a good strategy for any cost-conscious photographer.

Other Lenses:

I've had the opportunity to own and use many different Nikon lenses and have posted my impressions of some of them here on Amazon. For those interested, here are short summaries. I have used all these lenses on Nikon DX-sized DSLRs, most recently my current D90. Refer to the full reviews for further detail.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 HSM: *** Poor focusing consistency and below average large-aperture acuity combine for disappointing real-world performance. Fast max aperture, very capable if used with appropriate care.

Nikon 35mm f/1.8 AF-G: ****1/2 Terrific lens at a bargain price. Not without flaws, but excellent in all important respects. A pleasure to use.

Nikon 35mm f/2 AF-D: **** Sharp, especially at large apertures, moderate contrast. Classic "normal" lens for DX but consider new 35mm f/1.8 AF-S instead.

Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF-D: *** My sample was unacceptably poor at large apertures. Perhaps a below-average sample. Focal length not ideally suited to DX.

Nikon 85mm f/1.8 AF-D ****1/2 Very good short-to-moderate telephoto on DX. Acceptable at large apertures, very sharp stopped-down, moderate contrast. Potentially excellent for portrait use.

Nikon 16-85mm VR ***** Very sharp at all settings, excellent contrast, very useful zoom range including true wide-angle at 16mm. Excellent VR. Best-kept secret for DX users.

Nikon 28-200mm AF-G *** Of two samples, one was excellent and one poor, so watch for sample variations. Very good contrast. Not ideal hand-held due to lack of VR. Not ideal for tripod use due to design.

Nikon 55-200mm VR **** Very good lens, very good sharpness and contrast, no fatal flaws. Cheap feel and feature-challenged, but has effective VR. A bargain.

Nikon 70-300mm VR *** My sample had very poor performance above 200mm, good to very good elsewhere. Good contrast, generally very good focus performance. Good sports/action lens. Not good where critical sharpness is desired. Possibly a below-average sample.

"Good for DX format, okay for FX" 2009-08-31
By HOV600R
DX side:

I wanted a nice normal, prime, fast lens for my DX-format camera. This was a strong contender due to a 42mm effective focal length with 1.5x crop factor. Turned out to be a decent performer. Provides good color saturation and good FOV. Performs better outdoors.

This lens lives on my Nion D70 now for the most part, but that's only because I have only one 50mm f/1.8 lens and I don't like changing out lenses too often.

FX side:

I figured I could use this with my film cameras as a wide angle for outdoor use. It works okay, but there's pronounced pincushion distorion at the edges of the frame through most apertures. I'm sure this can be corrected easily with Photoshop, but I prefer images to come out of the camera closer to the final product.

Overall - okay for DX format, not good for FX format.

"High-quality workhorse" 2009-04-30
By Paul Grupp (Troy, NY)
This is a great choice for a full-frame camera like the D700 or D3X. Nice and sharp, decent curvature and distortion, and high contrast in the face of backlighting that would give other lenses fits of flare and low contrast. It's a no-brainer at the price.

"A Wonderful Little Lens" 2009-03-09
By CC
This is my second copy of this lens. I sold my first one when I went digital and didn't think I would need it anymore. However I found zoom lens were sometimes to large or slow and found myself wanting a fixed prime lens for my Nikon D300. So I bought another one a few months ago and love it. It is the equivalent of a 42mm on my D300 and it stays on the camera most of the time. It is sharp, has beautiful colors and is lightweight. I use it mostly for landscape photography and set the aperture and focus manually for the greatest depth of field.

A very well made lens.

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Nikon 20mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2010-02-15T05:20:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 20mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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20mm D-Series Wideangle lens for Nikon cameras
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Technical Details

- Compact ultra-wide-angle lens construction
- Superb optical design for architecture, wedding, and landscape photography
- 94-degree (70-degree with Nikon DX format) picture coverage with edge-to-edge sharpness
- Close Range Correction for distortion-free pictures as close as 0.85 feet
- Nikon Super Integrated Coating for minimized flare and ghost, providing good color balance
See more technical details

"An Amazing Wide-Angle Lens at a Reasonable Price" 2010-01-08
By Justin Call (San Diego, CA USA)
When I originally purchased this lens I was using a DX camera body and was looking for something sharp, fast, and wide to replace my old kit zoom lens. While it was a competent performer, it didn't really set my world on fire. On a DX body it's just not wide enough to create wide-angle distorted close up photos where the wide aperture would come in handy. When shooting landscapes the wide aperture didn't present much use and even though it was very sharp, I didn't notice much difference from my kit lens as I was typically stopping down enough that both lenses produced sharp photos.

All this changed when I upgraded to a FX camera. With the full-frame sensor this lens comes alive producing amazingly wide-angled views with sharpness all the way to the corners. This is now my go-to lens for landscapes, architecture, panoramas, astrophotography, and abstract street photography. I really can't stress enough how great this lens is. I'm sure a lot of people looking at this lens are debating between this and the renowned 14-24 f/2.8 Nikkor. While that lens is undoubtedly better in most ways, I wouldn't discount getting the 20mm Nikkor if it's wide enough for your needs (which for most people I would say it is), especially at a third of the price. If you're a DX shooter and plan on staying that way, I would recommend getting one of Nikon's wider zooms (i.e. 12-24mm) instead as this probably won't be wide enough for your needs.

A big warning for FX shooters, you can pretty much forget about using a filter with this lens as even the thinnest filters will produce visible vignetting in almost any situation.

In summary here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

Amazingly sharp

Fast autofocus

Fast aperture

Very reasonable price for wide angle lens

Very wide angle on FX cameras

Built like a tank

Cons:

Not wide enough on DX camera

Can't use filters when shooting with FX camera

Won't autofocus on entry-level DSLRs (i.e. D3000, D5000, D40, D60, etc.)

"Like a small tank" 2009-11-21
By David Walker
I bought this lens to compliment my other prime lenses for my D700 and it is a very good performer. It is quick in focusing and the picture quality is very good. There is slight distortion at the edges but that's to be expected for such a lens. It is also built like a tank, has nearly the same weight as my 85 f1.4 but at 1/3rd the size (about the size of my 50 f1.8). Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase.

"Great Lens" 2009-10-26
By Douglas R. Michaels
Well to start off I am a professional photographer and I use this len's a lot since I receiving it. I bought it to use on a dx camera because for wedding's and event's I like the angle of a true 28mm so the 20mm on a dx camera come's close at about 30mm. I use this for all of my wide angle shot's I also prefer prime lens because I feel when I use a prime len's instead of a zoom I am more carefull in my framing and I feel less lazy. I also like the perspective that a wide angle give's when you get close and your foreground subject's are large and the background get's smaller so I wouldnt want to be able to zoom. I haven't found any problem's with this len's other than I wish it was a bit faster 2.8 get's the job done most of the time but I wish it was 1.8 or 1.4 it would make this lens so much more valuable to me but other than that this is a fantactic len's. If you are looking for a great wide len's that's faster than your kit zoom you should definitly get this len's and if your coming from having the 18-55 len's you ussually get it is only 3mm less wide which is nothing and it is alot better than f3.5. If you have a wide fast 2.8 zoom then I would say pass this up because you already have it in your zoom range and it s no faster than your len's that is why I wish it was a bit faster. the image quality with this len's is great I havent had any problem's with flaring. Yes there is some vinetting but it's a wide angle and it is not very much so where it bother's me It is built strong feels like a tank a little heavy but not so much so that I mind when I have it hanging on my neck for hours much lighter and more descret than a large fast zoom.

"Great wide angle focal length" 2009-08-09
By Mike in Salt Lake
I love the 94 degree angle I get with this 20mm lens. I owned one back around 1980 with my Nikon FE. It consistently produces sharp and contrasty shots with great colors. This newer model has Close Range Correction. It's a great piece of glass to have in your bag that doesn't take up too much space.

"Compact, put it all in the frame lens" 2009-03-11
By R. DeFilippo (Washington, DC)
I use the 20mm with my D80. My title highlights my two favorite features. I went for the 20 after I analyzed the first month of my shots with the kit lens were over 50% in the wider (18mm) range. With a prime I wanted high image quality, sharpness, simplicity and of course small package.

The 20mm gives you small size, great ability to 'get it all in' and in many cases delivers outstanding sharpness. [...]

If your doing snapshot style, group photo's of people or casual shooting I think you'll be better served w/ the 18-20mm portion of your kit zoom. This lens does require attention to deliver consistently sharp images.

With that caveat being said I can honestly say that in the 5 or so months I've owned it this is my go to, default lens... size matters! Happy Shooting!

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Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

2010-02-14T04:35:00.001-08:00

Buy Cheap Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

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Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.PRODUCT FEATURES:Compact 3 8X zoom covers portrait to wide view (76 at 18mm to 22 50' at 70mm);Three Nikon ED glass elements, plus aspheric element for low distortion and minimized chromatic aberration;Exclusive Silent Wave Motor for high-speed auto-focusing with accuracy and super-quiet operation;Internal Focusing (IF) for smoother operation and great balance;M/A mode for instant switching from auto-focus to manual Nikon D-Signal technology for enhanced flash and ambient exposure control.
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Technical Details

- Compact 3.8X zoom covers portrait to wide view (76' at 18mm to 22 50' at 70mm)
- Optimized DX lens design is compatible with every Nikon D-Series digital SLR cameras
- Three Nikon ED glass elements, plus aspheric element for low distortion and minimized chromatic aberration
- Exclusive Silent Wave Motor for high-speed auto-focusing with accuracy and super-quiet operation
See more technical details

"Nice Lens" 2010-01-31
By William H. Sellstrom Jr.
I'm a beginner but I think the lens is nice. It is easy to use, light weight and seems to produce good quality photos.

"pretty dang good" 2010-01-09
By Trev K. Pelzer
I bought this after looking for a walk around lens and so far have been very impressed. It is much sharper than the 18-105VR lens. The lens construction isn't hugely inspiring but the image quality more than makes up for it, especially considering I got this lens for $220 on Ebay. I would recommend buying a used lens which you can easily find for close to $200.

I just rented the 17-55 2.8 DX lens this weekend to compare to this 18-70 and after 20-30 comparative shots, I can't tell any difference. If a person were making large prints there might be a difference but for an everyday lens the 18-70 works great. I don't do a lot of low light work, so the 2.8 isn't a big deal. If the light gets a little low, just jack up the ISO with the 18-70.

Great lens!

"Excellent budget priced lens by Nikon" 2009-02-16
By Mohammad Hamidi (San Francisco, CA)
I purchased this lens after being unhappy with the kit lens that came with my d80 (18-55mm VR). While that kit lens produced some good pictures, I found the autofocus to be tooo slow for my personal taste. This lens (18-70) has no such problem. It autofocuses quickly, is quiet and the built quality is worlds better than my previous lens. I got the lens refurbished thru Cameta.com and works perfectly.

"If you don't mind Dirt INSIDE!" 2008-12-29
By Graphic Guru (Portland, Oregon)
This is a great lens for outdoor photography and works ok indoors with a flash. Also a good all-around starter lens. I purchased mine in a kit with my camera.

However when Nikon designed the lens they ignored the fact that every time the lens is zoomed in and out, it sucks in dirt and dust from the outside like a vacuum cleaner! After owning it for only a couple months, I started noticing dust inside all over the front lens group. Once contaminated on the inside, there is no economic way to remove the dust. Having it serviced by a Nikon authorized tech is cost prohibitive. Might as well buy a new lens. Too bad, otherwise it's a very versatile lens. If it weren't such a dust sucker, I would rate it 4 stars.

"Best General Use Lens" 2008-11-23
By M. A. Mckay (Texas)
This is the best general use lens I have ever used. The minimum focal distance surpasses most standard lenses. I would recommend this lens to replace any lens that is standard with teh Nikon D40.

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Buy Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens Now