New lens day again on Friday.

fmw · Dec 4, 2006

This should complete the system. I decided to sell the last of my old nikkor lenses except for the 60mm micro Nikkor and use the proceeds to get one of these which should be here on Friday.

midget patrol · Dec 4, 2006

I don't know exactly which lens that is, but it looks long, fast, and expensive. Yummy.

Now you've got both extreme ends of the spectrum!

fmw · Dec 4, 2006

midget patrol said:
I don't know exactly which lens that is, but it looks long, fast, and expensive. Yummy.

Now you've got both extreme ends of the spectrum!

I think it will be yummy enough. In the film days I used fixed focal length lenses almost exclusively. Now I use zooms almost exclusively. It's a big change for me. This lens is the Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VR zoom. I have the 12-24 f4 at the short end and the 17-55 f2.8 in the middle. I feel very well equipped now.

Sw1tchFX · Dec 4, 2006

Did you really get the white one or is taht the best picture you could find? becuase someone on another forum said taht Nikon shooters that buy white Nikon lenses are the people who wish they shot canon or want to look like they shoot canon.

Who the heck cares? It's still an amazing lens!

fmw · Dec 4, 2006

Yes I got a white one. The theory is, I'm told, that the white reflects sun and helps keep the lens cool on warm days. That might prevent distortion caused by things expanding inside the lens. Or so the theory goes. It makes sense to me and the white one wasn't any more expensive. That was the reason. I've never owned or even used a Canon camera in my life but I think they are excellent. But I have no interesting in changing brands after 40 years as a Nikon shooter.

What is really interesting to me is the VR. Like you, I used to use the 80-200 f2.8 but I want to give the VR a try and I'm told this lens is every bit as good as the 80-200. If I don't end up liking VR at least there is a switch to turn it off. So that's how I went the way I did.

Sorry but it had nothing to do with Canon.

midget patrol · Dec 5, 2006

I was actually referring to the 10.5mm fisheye you just picked up. The 12-24 is a lens that I've only heard great things about.

If you still have your 80-200 f2.8 and you're looking to get rid of it... let me know.

fmw · Dec 5, 2006

I sold it already. I do have a AF 300 f4 ED to sell. My ebay buyer was a no pay.

The fisheye is excellent. It's easy to make a lens sharp when you don't have to correct barrel distortion or make it zoom and it is sharp as a tack. I made a print of an image I made with it this weekend and the detail is simply amazing.

The 12-24 isn't bad. My experience with wide angles has always been with single focal length lenses. I had 14, 18, 24 and 35mm wide angles with my 35mm system - and a 28mm shift lens as well. The zoom isn't in the same league with these lenses nor would I expect it be. I don't have any other experience except for a 24-50 Nikkor zoom which was bad. The 12-24 is better than that one and doesn't play in the same game as the fixed lenses. So I guess I'll just say it isn't bad. There aren't many wide angle options for small sensor digitals so you use what you can get. I'm willing to bet there are better WA's on the horizon.

fmw · Dec 5, 2006

I did find an image I've posted here on TPF that was taken with the 12-24. This shot was made at the 24mm setting and is pretty close to full frame. Sorry there are no straight lines near the edges to judge possible pincushion distortion but the corners are bright and sharp enough. Like I said, not bad.

nakedyak · Dec 5, 2006

ha, that white is totally Nikon users trying to look like Canon users :-D

fmw · Dec 5, 2006

nakedyak said:
ha, that white is totally Nikon users trying to look like Canon users :-D

If only I had known, I would have ordered it in black.

Sw1tchFX · Dec 5, 2006

fmw said:
If only I had known, I would have ordered it in black.

I wouldn't worry about it. I honestly don't know how much of a difference the white would make, but I think that high-end Olympus telephotos are white and so are pentax and Minolta ones, so I guess it makes sense that heat could be an issue. All I know is that in the summer, my 35-70 and 80-200 get pretty toasty when in the sun.

Iron Flatline · Dec 5, 2006

It looks very space-age. I just got the Canon equivalent - 70-200mm IS L - and I think it needs a NASA sticker.

Because, ya' know, chicks really dig space stuff, I'm told...

fmw · Dec 6, 2006

Iron Flatline said:
Because, ya' know, chicks really dig space stuff, I'm told...

Ah well. That wouldn't be much of a motivation for me. I stopped chasing chicks a long, long time ago. My wife, at least, is happy about that.

Who knows, maybe they will have red ones or blue ones in the future. Those should be ultra chick magnets, no?

JIP · Dec 6, 2006

I really wanted the white but the Nikon reps told me it would be hard to get and I did not want to wait I guess I couldn't be too picky when I got it for $1100.