Anyone Using the Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8?

There's usually pages of the older AF push-pulls on eBay for as low as $300-$500. For stills, that model has sort of a "mojo" people just loved (and I dig it for fashioney-stills myself) Always feel like that one just has some "soul", regardless of sharpness.

it would be a beast for video since it doesn't have a tripod mount. All of these Nikkors are heavy and unwieldy hunks of metal - get one with a tripod mount! Personally, for a video kit I'd go with a cheap Series E 100mm 2.8 (just a remarkably beautiful lens - never tested it for sharpness, all I know is it gives an insanely sweet image and it kicks butt for video) and something like the 180 2.8 if I needed to go long regularly. it's tough enough keeping a DSLR settled down when focusing.
 
Michael Carter said:
Series E 100mm 2.8 (just a remarkably beautiful lens - never tested it for sharpness, all I know is it gives an insanely sweet image and it kicks butt for video) and something like the 180 2.8 if I needed to go long regularly. it's tough enough keeping a DSLR settled down when focusing.
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I own both lenses and can say that the 100mm e-series is ok but it seldom gets mounted. Like the other E series lenses, they are not up to par with the AI/AIS glass in terms of feel. Sure they are sharp enough for video and have decent glass, but I wouldn't want to deal with them for serious work.
 
I had the AF-D (2 ring version) for a while and it was great. Lovely images - There was a very warm feel to most of the things I shot with it and I think it had just the right amount of flare - sometimes I want my Canon L lenses to flare a bit more for certain shots, but this one always felt right.

The main reasons I sold it were that A) I was stating to take more stills so I wanted AF on my EOS bodies, & B) The tripod foot is very small and can sometimes allow the lens to wobble a bit more than it should - not a problem for stills but it was for video - I couldn't touch the focus ring without getting all sorts of jitters, even when locked down fully.
 
Efexone said:
I own both lenses and can say that the 100mm e-series is ok but it seldom gets mounted. Like the other E series lenses, they are not up to par with the AI/AIS glass in terms of feel. Sure they are sharp enough for video and have decent glass, but I wouldn't want to deal with them for serious work.
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MAybe I have a "good" one, but that 100 has given me video and still images that just have tons of soul & mojo - color rendering, sharpness, the works. Focus feel is fine. Maybe a Zeiss would kick its ass, but I probably paid sixty bucks for the thing...
 
Yeah, I'm definitely wave the banner for the Series E lenses.

For the prices, I don't think they can be beat.

I own all of them and love them.

The 70-210 f/4 is one of the best ones and is the same optics as the Nikkor 70-210 f/4 AF and very very close to identical to the 80-200 4 ais

The 100mm and the 28mm are my two favorite primes from the set.

The tie for second place goes to the 50mm and the 135mm.

The rest of the series is good, the other one really worth mentioning is the 75-150mm 3.5

The 35mm and the 36-72mm are alright, but nothing to write home about. That said, the entire series, 8 lenses, can be had for under $500.

It's a steal for a lens set.
 
Michael Carter said:
MAybe I have a "good" one, but that 100 has given me video and still images that just have tons of soul & mojo - color rendering, sharpness, the works. Focus feel is fine. Maybe a Zeiss would kick its ass, but I probably paid sixty bucks for the thing...
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Ha - I got mine for free. Its minty fresh too - Yet it just doesn't feel right. Maybe I'll give it another go on the next couple of shoots.
 
I'll add to Homestar's comment, regarding the 28mm - it's a dynamite my-first-DSLR-prime lens. Everyone's like "get a 50", but it's too damn long on an APS (but they're cheap and plentiful I suppose). The 28 gives you a nice "normal-ish" lens on APS with good focus feel and a small size. F2.8 looks fine on it (I've tested it against a few other affordable 28's and it did great when pixel-peeping).
 
I buy the 28mm whenever I see them come up for sale locally for cheap.

I've usually given them to friends at the price I bought it at just to spread the love.

It's one of my favorite lenses.

Perfect on APS-C
 
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