FS7: This nikkor 80 200 F2.8 zoom good enough for 4K? And alternative for Sony 18-105

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Publimix

Veteran
Nice zoom but heavy, alternative F4 80-200 (non push pull zoom) difficult to find. Just bought the lens in Japan via Ebay, now suffering from 'after sell cognitive dissonance' Is it good enough???

Also trying to find an alternative for the Sony 18-105 Lens, nice lens but the distortion with 4K is too much. Any good (zoom) alternatives?
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Did you get the old 80-200 2.8 (push-pull) or this one: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=10124669&InitialSearch=yes&sts=pi

I've had the 2nd one for nearly 15 years and shoot 4K with it on my F5, it's as sharp as your going to get under the Zeiss version. I owned the push/pull one 20 years ago and was plenty fine for published magazine work. How it compares to more modern glass I cant really say. This website turns what could be sharp frame grabs/stills to mush so it's kind of hard to judge anything from the still you posted.
 
I have the one Fotojorno linked and I love it. Got it for about $600 on Craigslist, perfect condition aside from the Manual/Auto ring doesn't lock in place, so I just gaff taped it in Manual mode. That's something relatively common for that model, but the lens itself is awesome.
 
All Nikon's 80-200mm lenses are very good, that includes older manual versions with f/4 and f/4.5 max aperture. The only thing that can be sometime problematic about the older ones is their tendency to flare. In terms of resolving power - while of course it is just one factor that determines if the lens is a good fit for 4K or not - remember that 4K is only an equivalent of approximately 8 mega pixels, I've seen these lenses perform great on 20 and more mega pixel sensors.
 
I think the Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 is plenty sharp. The below frame grab is from a 1988 version of the Nikon 80-200 f/2.8.


Full-size: http://www.imageupload.co.uk/images/2015/08/21/InterviewDemoReelFrameGrab1.jpg

InterviewDemoReelFrameGrab1.jpg



Here you can see comparisons I did testing it against various lenses of which it came out as one of the sharpest.

 
You say you bought a Nikkor 80-200mm f4 non push-pull zoom, which doesn't exist as far as I know, the only 80-200mm f4 nikon was produced from 81 to 1995, a push-pull zoom, then succeeded by a 70-210mm then a 70-200mm f4.

So it's either a push-pull or a 2.8, in either case, exceptional lenses. They made Nikon's name in the 70-90s era.

Anyhow I can't understand why you're considering it as an 18-105mm alternative, these lenses are completely different. They just over-lap at the 100mm spot. The 18-105mm is a general purpose lens and the 80-200mm is a heavy tele lens designed only for that purpose.

It'll get much better tele shots vs the 18-105mm zoom, longer, sharper, faster. That's why I always use and advice a dedicated wide and a dedicated tele versus combining these two.

For example the 80-200mm 2.8 and a perfect complementary wide for cine use is the Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 with an iris ring and a wonderful image (that model, 800-ish USD used http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-Nikkor-AF-S-17-35mm-f2-8-D-ED-IF-Lens-17-35-2-8-AFS-678-/141738035646). In fact, the 17-35mm 2.8 and the 28-70mm 2.8 and the 80-200mm 2.8 of that age of Nikon were specifically highly requested in the motion picture industry, rehoused just mechanically and used for various features.
 
The downside to the push-pull version is that if you want to pull focus with gears, you have to move the follow focus on the rails every time you change the focal length. If you use the 80-200mm version which has separate rings for focus and zoom, you'll be able to use it in a much more production-friendly mode, and keep the follow-focus stationary on the rails.

Here is Ken Rockwell's review of this lens ('97 and later version): http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/80200.htm
 
Hi I bought the 80-200 with two rings, zoom and focus, there is a 80-200 F4 with this system also, it is rare. It is called ED D i believe.
 
Publimix said:
Hi I bought the 80-200 with two rings, zoom and focus, there is a 80-200 F4 with this system also, it is rare. It is called ED D i believe.
Click to expand...

I have never seen this non-push-pull 80-200mm f/4 Nikon lens. Not saying it does not exist but that it must be very rare. You are not talking about 70-200mm f/4 G ? Post a picture of the 80-200mm f/4 non-push-pull Nikon lens if you can.
 
Hi Ebrahim,
I don't consider it as an alternative, I own the Sony 18-105 and I want to replace it with another zoom. The range is OK but the distortion is not (see screenshot below, it is supposed to be really horizontal.) Rather absurd Sony dares to sell these lenses. But maybe this flaw will become popular too :) and can we reproduce it in a few years with some plugins for premiere pro.

Schermopname (1).jpg
 
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There is no 80-200m f/4 non push-pull.

f/2.8, yes, 70-200mm f4, yes,

just not an 80-200 f4.

Anyway the push-pull lens is very nice.

@publimix distortion is a *****. For stills we can correct, for video, a total disaster once a camera moves.

From my experience, most if not all wide angle zooms have distortion, and if you're looking for a perfectly straight WA you'll need to go for a prime.

One of the flattest non-distorted lenses ever made is the Canon 24mm Tilt-shift http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Cameras/N/0/Ntt/CA2435L2TSE and followed by the 24mm 1.4 L http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Cameras/N/0/Ntt/CA2414L2EF

These lenses are wide without distortion seen in real life images. It's a very hard task finding a budget non-distorted WA lens as it's just the nature of the design.
 
Hi Ebrahim,
You, and others on this forum are right.

Went to the foto store this morning and now I'll have to wear the hat of shame for a while. The lens was not 80-200 F4 but 70-210 F4 (with two rings).

I know wide angle zooms have distortion but this Sony has it very very bad.


Today I recieved this message from Ebay send from Japan ***Excellent***Nikon AF Nikkor 80-200mm F/2.8 ED
 
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