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05/04/2008 12:03:09 AM · #1 |
| Good purchase? I think I'm liking it so far, minus the fact that it's MF. Seems very sharp and is lovely fast. Wide open though it seems not just soft, but fuzzy. Is this just me? |
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05/04/2008 12:58:43 AM · #2 |
You got a bargain.
I have both the manual 180 ED and the AF 180 ED IF. Both are awesome lenses. I like the MF better for birds and moving things, and the AF for sports.
I greatly enjoy shooting with any of the older manual Nikkors, even though my S3 Fuji does not meter with them, and will only shoot full manual with the non chip lenses.
Camera stability is upmost in getting the most out of the longer lenses like that. If you want to hand hold sharp shots with the 180, you have to shoot above 1/500 or so to get that sharpness that the lens can deliver. Wide open, there may be a little overall softness that you will notice. A good monopod will make a big difference with shake.
There are many shots in my portfolio shot with the 180 since about Jan 1 08.
I check this site to see how to choose the older Nikon glass;
Naturfotograf/Bjorn Rorslett
The going prices on flea Bay are a good guide line about how popular/desirable the different lenses are as well. Be aware that the original box adds a lot to the price there in most cases.
Show us some shots.
Good luck, and happy clicking.
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05/04/2008 03:25:43 AM · #3 |
Wow, how much did the AF version run you?
And as of now, I cannot find the cable to hook up my D300 to the PC (just moved), but I took at least 1 good shot with it today. Too bad I can't get it off the camera :(
Oh yeah, and I'm not a premium member so I'd have to link to Flickr. |
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05/04/2008 10:49:55 AM · #4 |
The AF 180 had a focusing problem, I think with the gears inside it. It was not well advertised on flea Bay, and due to the problem, I bought it for $187.50 US total cost. By just messing with it, it now auto focuses from infinity to close nicely, but gets hung up a bit if I focus close and then out toward infinity. It works fine for what I got it for, sports, and wild game shots, as long as I remember to not touch the shutter button until I bring it up to compose the shot.
The AF is as sharp as the manual model, and I like the IF (internal focus) feature, as it helps prevent the lens from ingesting dust and dirt.
Here are a couple of shots using the manual 180. The second is a 100% crop. The original and crop are not edited in any way except for the crop. The 3rd was shot with a monopod, and using an 11mm extension ring. It is about 1/6th of the original image.
[thumb]675904[/thumb] [thumb]675905[/thumb] 
Here is a shot of my grandson Robbie, shot with the AF and cropped to about 1/6th of the original size. Adjustments, shadows, levels, color temp, sharpened a little. Shot with a monopod. Settings, 500@2.8, iso 400, late afternoon daylight.
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05/04/2008 02:03:10 PM · #5 |
I think you'd like the AF version of the lens. Here is a image from the last series I took with the lens. It was at a high power rocket shoot in Eastern North Carolina. Almost all of the images on my Flickr
space for this event were at F2.8. I like this one best out of the group. It's almost full frame while most of the rest have been cropped to about half the frame of a D200. The lens is not an AFS super focus speed demon, but it does every thing I need it to do. I need something longer, maybe 300mm. So mine is still FORSALE, just PM me for price and details.
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05/04/2008 06:34:27 PM · #6 |
First couple decent shots:
Birds
Ben
Neither are sharpened at all, which impressed me. The one of my friend Ben had icky colors so I BW'd it. Other minor tweaks were done to each as well. |
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