desmobob's reviews

  • Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED AF Nikkor

    7 out of 10 points and recommended
    Inexpensive, lightweight, large zoom range.
    Focus off at short end?

    First of all, I have an AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8, which is just wonderful... but very large and heavy. I picked up the cheap 70-300mm for a walk-around lens. I also have an older 70-210mm f/4-5.6D, which Mr. Rockwell raves about (which Nikkor doesn't he rave about?). The 70-300 has a reputation for performing poorly from 200-300mm.

    I'm thinning the herd and just did a head-to-head with the 70-210 and the 70-300 and was surprised at the results. At 70mm, the 70-300 was dismal in sharpness. But at 90mm and 135mm it equaled the 70-210 and had much better color. At 200mm, the 70-210 seemed better. And though there were no photos from the 70-210 to compare with at 300mm, the 70-300mm results were pretty nice.

    I've read of some 70-300mm lenses having a focus error at 70mm. I'm guessing this might be the issue with mine. Still, I'll pick it over the older 70-210 for overall results, zoom range and convenience.

    reviewed March 21st, 2022 (purchased for $310)

  • Nikon 24mm f/1.8G ED AF-S Nikkor

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Very sharp on my D750; great wide open and excellent stopped down at all.
    Purchased used and needed calibration by Nikon service

    This lens is wonderful but possibly best not purchased used... My used copy looked like new but would not produce truly sharp images; my AF-S 18-35G was sharper at 24mm. I sent it to Nikon for repair ($210 + shipping) and now it is wonderfully sharp. Reading lots of reviews shows that more than a few folks have had back-focusing issues with this lens. I ended up spending almost as much as on a new lens.

    Anyway, I'm very happy with the lens and it has quickly become a favorite. I like the 24mm focal length as it seems to be the widest that still provides a "normal" and not unnatural view. This lens is somewhat expensive but its performance helps you forget what you paid for it!

    reviewed March 14th, 2022 (purchased for $650)

  • Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED AF-S Nikkor

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Wonderfully sharp, compared head-to-head with my 1.8G primes in the same range (24, 35,and 50mm) with great color and contrast.
    I can find no fault with this lens other than the somewhat slow speed, which won't be an issue for a modern DSLR capable of clean shooting at higher ISOs.

    I bought this lens as a convenient walk-around lens to pair up with a AF-S 28-85mmG VR. As an old-school shooter, I don't expect too much from a "consumer zoom" more than convenience. Well, this lens performs on par with the pro zooms or faster 1.8G primes in its range.

    It may lack speed, but with a modern DSLR like my D750, ISO can be bumped up quite a ways without sacrificing image quality. This helps the lens do the work of a much more expensive fast pro zoom without the investment or the weight in your camera bag.

    I think this may be the best value Nikkor I own.

    reviewed March 14th, 2022 (purchased for $747)

  • Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF Nikkor

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Plenty sharp, even wide open.
    Heavy, older push-pull models have no tripod mount, slightly later versions have flimsy tripod mount. Also, the early non-D versions have pretty slow focusing speed.

    This lens has been in the Nikkor line up for a very long time and there's a good reason for it. It's one of those lenses that has that certain something that makes its performance much greater than lens tests would suggest. I consider it one of the all-time great Nikkors.

    Most people are set on using 85mm and 105mm primes for portraits, but many portrait specialists utilize this lens.

    reviewed March 27th, 2022

  • Nikon 180mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF Nikkor

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Sharp, fast, has a certain beautiful image quality.
    Heavy, slow focusing.

    I have a large selection of Nikkor glass from the 1960s on up to some of the latest AF-S offerings, and the AF Nikkor 180mm f/2.8D ED IF is a lens I don't think I'll ever part with. It was the first Nikkor I ever purchased that surprised me with its results... the images from this lens were noticeably impressive and stood out somehow. I consider it one of the legendary Nikkors!

    reviewed March 28th, 2022

  • Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-S Nikkor

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    Fast. Uniform sharpness across the frame as it's stopped down just a bit. Pleasing IQ and nice bokeh. Silent autofocus.
    Not quite as sharp when shot at wider apertures but it takes some very close pixel-peeping to see that.

    I have seven different Nikkor 50mm lenses; three MF and three AF versions, f/1.2 through f/2. I think they're all very nice and each has it's stronger areas and maybe some weaker points.

    The f/1.8G really impressed me and I was hoping for the f/1.4G to do the same, but it hasn't really done that so far. I guess what I mean is that it performs as well as I expected, where the f/1.8G surprised me by performing better than expected considering its budget price.

    It's certainly a nice lens and I could be very happy with it being my only 50mm Nikkor. It might be the one that I'd say is the most consistent overall performer.

    I really hope for Nikon to update/improve the 50mm F mount f/1.4 lens one more time, but I fear it won't happen with the Z mount stuff moving to the forefront.

    reviewed April 7th, 2022 (purchased for $347)

  • Nikon 50mm f/1.2 AIS Nikkor

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Effects at f/1.2
    Focusing at f/1.2

    Hard to nail focus with wide open. Even using the AF assist dot in my D750's viewfinder, the tiny bit of movement while focus is indicated will result in front or back focusing that can leave the desired area of the frame out of focus. It is shocking how narrow the DOF is when shooting at f/1.2.

    This lens is unique in that it's almost like having two lenses in one. It's performance at f/1.2 through f/1.6 is of lower contrast, a tiny bit soft around the edges, and sometimes producing a pleasant "glow"... nice effects for portrait shots.

    But stopped down to f/2, it changes like a switch has been thrown... the contrast pops back up and the sharpness comes on strong. From f/2 and smaller, it's impressively sharp and the IQ is great.

    I have seven different Nikkor 50mm lenses, MF and AF, from the pre-Ai f/2 to the newest "G" models and this one is the most distinctive and fun. If I could only keep just one, this one would be it!

    reviewed April 14th, 2022 (purchased for $350)

  • Nikon 35mm f/1.8G ED AF-S Nikkor

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Very sharp stopped down just a bit, but plenty sharp wide open. Sharpness at f/5.6 and f/8 is excellent and all you could ask for. Fast and silent focusing, compact and light weight.
    58mm filter size (not really a big deal as the Nikkor 50mm G lenses are that size too). Some fall-off when wide open corrected in-camera or in post.

    35mm is a focal length I didn't find myself using frequently, but I now often find myself keeping this lens on the camera vs. a 50mm. I'm always impressed with the image quality and this encourages me to use it more. It is super-sharp and if you get caught having it mounted when you really needed a 50mm, you can likely crop your way out of the situation. :-)

    Priced much lower than the 35mm f/1.4 and at least its equal in image quality! I sold my AF Nikkor 35mm f/2D when I got this 1.8G.

    reviewed April 21st, 2022 (purchased for $526)