Older Nikon manual zoom lenses: push-pull

[Tracey Lee]

It seems like doing a search on eBay for older Nikon manual zoom lenses, I am seeing what appears to be the push-pull type. What the crap? Does anyone know how to tell if you are getting a regular zoom type?

[soundman1024]

Old MF push-pull lenses are handy for photographers for one reason..all the controls are on one ring. That makes them not so handy for us. And that's how you can tell, they'll have one ring for the zoom and focusing actions.

The 75-150mm f/3.5 Series E zoom lens is a push-pull style lens that is knocking on legendary image quality at a great price. I love mine. It is such a short zoom range I consider it an adjustable prime rather than a zoom. This lens does suffer from horrid zoom creep.

The 80-200 f/4.5 AIS is another high quality push-pull type zoom if I'm not mistaken.

[Tracey Lee]

I have the 35 - 105 s.5 I think. I do like the image it produces...fairly sharp and a decent compressed background but not too much zoom...it's just a pita to work sometimes.

[RogerBotting]

One lens worth looking for was the old Nikon 50-300 zoom.

[thisisapocalypse]

The 75-150mm f/3.5 Series E zoom lens is a push-pull style lens that is knocking on legendary image quality at a great price. I love mine. It is such a short zoom range I consider it an adjustable prime rather than a zoom. This lens does suffer from horrid zoom creep.


I must be getting old (and I'm not that old) - since when is a 75-150 a short zoom range? It's not a 10x superzoom like we've got nowadays, but still 2x in this focal length range is hardly short...I guess everything is relative!

[soundman1024]

I must be getting old (and I'm not that old) - since when is a 75-150 a short zoom range? It's not a 10x superzoom like we've got nowadays, but still 2x in this focal length range is hardly short...I guess everything is relative!

Well, I mean, most tele lenses baseline at 3x zoom anymore, 70-300, 55-200, 50-500, 80-400. Exceptions are the 70-200 (2.8x zoom, 40% more range than the 75-150) and the 200-400mm which is right at 2x. It's not a super short range like the 11-16mm Tokina, but given that I can typically cover it with a single prime I'd say it is short.

[damonb]

Beware that the push-pull type are prone to zoom creep, though this can be adjusted by a tech. But how often do you zoom in your shots? IMO a dolly always looks better than a zoom. You could get a great prime and a cheap dolly set for what a really good - or even a pretty good - zoom would cost.