libertinephotography's reviews

  • Nikon 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S VR Micro Nikkor

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Image Quality, Shallow Depth of Field Wide Open, Very Good Bokeh
    Shallow Depth of Field Wide Open, Sometimes my Autofocus (on all my cameras) Searches a Bit

    This is my favorite lens in my collection. I am always amazed by the results of it on any of my cameras. Although, it is decent for macro work, I actually prefer it as a portrait lens. The focal length makes composition a snap, and the bokeh leaves nothing to be desired. Great lens!! My only criticisms are that, when wide open, its depth of field is really tricky to get right when doing macro work (for portraits, that's actually an asset), and for some reason, every once in a while, the autofocus has to strain a bit to find its mark. Normally, I would assume this was teh camera's fault, but it has happened on several of them that I have attached this to.

    reviewed August 29th, 2008 (purchased for $780)

  • Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Light, Inexpensive, Fast
    Construction, Not great Bokeh

    This lens is a no brainer. It is so cheap that everyone should have one in their bag; unless of course you can afford the 1.4. Amazingly, Nikon has gone far beyond what they needed to for a $110 lens. You get much more than you pay for in this case. Don't let the "Made in China" label disuade you. Only real problem, is the construction. This lens really feels delicate, but I must admit that it has held up rather well.

    reviewed August 29th, 2008 (purchased for $109)

  • Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G AF Nikkor

    7 out of 10 points and recommended
    Inexpensive zoom, Good focal range
    Some vignetting, Some flares

    For the price, it is a good, walking around lens. I actually use it on my N80 or N6006 with B/W film, and the images are pretty acceptable. On my D50 or D300, or with color film, I have gotten very mixed results. Skip it, unless you just want something cheap to knock around with on vacation.

    reviewed August 29th, 2008 (purchased for $42)

  • Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G AF Nikkor

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    Sharp, Inexpensive
    Slow autofocus that searches, Need tripod for best results

    This is a working man's telephoto zoom. It is super inexpensive, and the results are not bad. But sometimes you get what you pay for; in this lens, its downsides are an obnoxiously slow and loud autofocus, and the fact that it is best suited for tripod use, in order to take true advantage of that 300mm range. Go for it, if you want something to try shooting this focal length on, but don't buy one if you expect to use it for sports or other fast action settings.

    reviewed August 29th, 2008 (purchased for $139)