If you had to sell one.

[IronMaskDuval]

If you must sell one, sell the one that will bring the most profit, and avoid anything that must be sold at a loss. The 60mm macro was obtained at a good price,m and I know the 105mm Lester Dine was; Lester Dine lenses were made by Kino Precision, a Japanese optical company which used to sell its products under the Kiron brand. Kino Precision was always regarded as a company that built lenses a bit better than most other smaller Japanese manufacturers. A select few "Kiron" zooms were exceptional performers back in the late 1970's and early 1980's--some of the best obtainable, at any price. I seem to recall they had a 70-150 and also a 70-210 with a matched 2x teleconverter, and both were VERY highly-regarded, but that's been over 30 years ago, so I might be off a bit.

The difficult part is getting the full potential sale value; e-Bay is the place to do that I think. I know the Lester Dine would probably bring the most "profit", since you obtained it well below typical market value on eBay.

The other side of the coin is this: when a person is able to get a super low price on a used lens, the difference between purchase price and typical market selling price can be thought of as "savings". If you are going to be in the photo hobby--realize that it's NOT a really cheap hobby. If this is for the long haul, consider the great deals on the 60 and 105 macro lenses as FUTURE SAVINGS money. SO..cut back on crap purchases for six months, STOP BUYING new photo gear and explore what you have, and then start putting money in the bank.

And--the year of laser hair removal the wife went out and bought? I agree, I think that's a way of her feeling SHE was "equalizing" things a bit by treating herself to something she wanted.

Fair enough, I think I'm done buying gear anyway. I just need a tripod, and I think I am good to explore where I am at. I'll keep that as future savings and keep all of my lenses. Easy enough.

 

[KmH]

The D7100 you have has the AF motor/Screw-drive system in it.

Sell the 55-300 and consider buying a well cared for used Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens
The version in the link is known as a "2-ring" 80-200 f/2.8. Nikon has been making the lens since 1997. (2-ring: focus ring and zoom ring)

There is an earlier 1-ring (focus), push/pull to zoom version Nikon made from 1993 to 1997. I recently bought a very clean copy of the '93 to '97 1-ring 80-200 f/2.8 for $300 including shipping. I bought the lens from a private seller.

Here is some history info about Nikon's 80-200 f/2.8 lenses - Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 History

 

[IronMaskDuval]

The D7100 you have has the AF motor/Screw-drive system in it.

Sell the 55-300 and consider buying a well cared for used Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens
The version in the link is known as a "2-ring" 80-200 f/2.8. Nikon has been making the lens since 1997. (2-ring: focus ring and zoom ring)

There is an earlier 1-ring (focus), push/pull to zoom version Nikon made from 1993 to 1997. I recently bought a very clean copy of the '93 to '97 1-ring 80-200 f/2.8 for $300 including shipping. I bought the lens from a private seller.

Here is some history info about Nikon's 80-200 and 7-200 mm f/2.8 lenses - Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 History

Thanks, KMH. I have been thinking about replacing that 55-300, and I think I may have looked at the 80-200 before, but it was the push pull. There is a push pull here on Craigslist. Is there an advantage with either or?

 

[KmH]

I think turning a ring to zoom, or push/pull to zoom are just 2 equal ways to accomplish the same thing.

Optically, which is what counts the most, the 2 are essentially identical.

I would buy the replacement and then sell the 55-300 myself, rather than sell the 55-300 and then buy a lens to replace it.

 

[manicmike]

I agree with KmH. Sell the 55-300 and get an 80-200 2.8. I've had the two ring and a push pull. They were both optically great and focused quick. If you get the push pull make sure to get the D version as I believe there was a version before it that wasn't quite as good. Personally, I'd also sell the 60mm macro as you already have a 105.

 

[Derrel]

The D7100 you have has the AF motor/Screw-drive system in it.

Sell the 55-300 and consider buying a well cared for used Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens
The version in the link is known as a "2-ring" 80-200 f/2.8. Nikon has been making the lens since 1997. (2-ring: focus ring and zoom ring)

There is an earlier 1-ring (focus), push/pull to zoom version Nikon made from 1993 to 1997. I recently bought a very clean copy of the '93 to '97 1-ring 80-200 f/2.8 for $300 including shipping. I bought the lens from a private seller.

Here is some history info about Nikon's 80-200 and 7-200 mm f/2.8 lenses - Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 History

Thanks, KMH. I have been thinking about replacing that 55-300, and I think I may have looked at the 80-200 before, but it was the push pull. There is a push pull here on Craigslist. Is there an advantage with either or?

I've owned two of the "one ring" or "push-pull" 80-200 AF models, both the early style. The advantage is LOW cost, and "light weight"; that version weighs about 15 ounces less than the heaviest of the models, and it does not have any kind of tripod mount from Nikon. A pound might not seem like a lot of weight savings, but it is if you carry it very far. THe other advantage is that it's easy to adjust the focus and the zooming with just ONE, single ring to worry about. In this way, the "one-ring" models are more like the earlier two decades' worth of zooms, which mostly all used one ring.

Optically, I'm not that sold on the one-ring style 80-200 lenses for high-resolution digital use, but...they are reallllllly affordable. If there's an issue, it's loss of image quality at the longer end, more color fringing than you might like, light fall-off, and decreased sharpness at close range, making the one-ring model not the best portrait type lens. But, these retail here in town for around $350 or so at PPS when they come in...of course some of these are twenty year old lenses, and they are a bit clunky in operation; the limiter switch is funky, and the switch that goes from Auto to Manual focus can be a bit balky on ones that have been used hard and heavy.

 

[IronMaskDuval]

The D7100 you have has the AF motor/Screw-drive system in it.

Sell the 55-300 and consider buying a well cared for used Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom Nikkor Lens
The version in the link is known as a "2-ring" 80-200 f/2.8. Nikon has been making the lens since 1997. (2-ring: focus ring and zoom ring)

There is an earlier 1-ring (focus), push/pull to zoom version Nikon made from 1993 to 1997. I recently bought a very clean copy of the '93 to '97 1-ring 80-200 f/2.8 for $300 including shipping. I bought the lens from a private seller.

Here is some history info about Nikon's 80-200 and 7-200 mm f/2.8 lenses - Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 History

Thanks, KMH. I have been thinking about replacing that 55-300, and I think I may have looked at the 80-200 before, but it was the push pull. There is a push pull here on Craigslist. Is there an advantage with either or?

I've owned two of the "one ring" or "push-pull" 80-200 AF models, both the early style. The advantage is LOW cost, and "light weight"; that version weighs about 15 ounces less than the heaviest of the models, and it does not have any kind of tripod mount from Nikon. A pound might not seem like a lot of weight savings, but it is if you carry it very far. THe other advantage is that it's easy to adjust the focus and the zooming with just ONE, single ring to worry about. In this way, the "one-ring" models are more like the earlier two decades' worth of zooms, which mostly all used one ring.

Optically, I'm not that sold on the one-ring style 80-200 lenses for high-resolution digital use, but...they are reallllllly affordable. If there's an issue, it's loss of image quality at the longer end, more color fringing than you might like, light fall-off, and decreased sharpness at close range, making the one-ring model not the best portrait type lens. But, these retail here in town for around $350 or so at PPS when they come in...of course some of these are twenty year old lenses, and they are a bit clunky in operation; the limiter switch is funky, and the switch that goes from Auto to Manual focus can be a bit balky on ones that have been used hard and heavy.

So I'm guessing the 2 ring is around 500 and up then? If that's the case, I've also been looking at the sigma 70-200, which I can bargain to get for $500. I bought my first sigma the other day, and I've been pretty darn happy with it-- not only IQ but cost as well