Tag: autofocus

Review: Nikon 80-200mm f/2,8 AF D ED

Posted on by Gianluca Bevacqua

Aside for the average vignetting (stronger on film or FX, obviously) you may see at the long end @ f/2,8 this lens is a very capable performer.

It is sharp, it doesn’t flare so easily like its inheritor, the 70-200 VR, and it is shorter and somewhat smaller too.

The firs D version (without tripod collar) it has been held as the sharper one of the numerous versions of this zoom, but the differences are so small that you will be better served finding a version with the tripod collar.

nikon 80-200 af d

On the D300, at least in the worst conditions (mountain, shooting at black branches against a snow-covered slope), sometimes you will note a strong purple fringing, easily removable with a little of post-processing.

Rating: ★★★★½

Review: Nikon 18-35mm f/3,5-4,5 AF D IF ED

Posted on by Gianluca Bevacqua

If you don’t need the extra speed of the 17-35/2,8 this is a good purchase.

It is quite sharp and don’t flare easily, even shooting into the sun. Obviously you have to keep the front lens religiously clean to avoid the ghosts.

In short a very good lens, without the stellar sharpness of his “rich sibling” but with a more affordable price tag too.

But I prefer the 20/2,8 or the 18/3,5 for the same usage, because they are less than half sized, and their borders are crisp like the center.

Instead with this lens for landscape work you have to stop down very well until f/8 or f/11 to make the borders as good as the center, so in my mind this lens is more suited to reportage work (but not in low light).

Rating: ★★★½☆

Review: Nikon 28mm f/2,8 AF D

Posted on by Gianluca Bevacqua

Picture from Nikon.com

Another very compact design, that performs marvellous.

It produce biting sharp pics, with a tendential high contrast and saturation.

It will fit into a pocket, and is it even cheap!

(You may have noted that this review is the same as the 20/2,8; it’s not a mistake, it’s that these two lenses performs pretty the same way).

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: Nikon 180mm f/2,8 AF D

Posted on by Gianluca Bevacqua

Nikon 180mm f/2,8 AFPicture from Nikon.com

Once upon a time there were the prime lenses…

Everyone today has a 70-something zoom in this focal range. But if you have to carry around your neck all day a not-so-long lens like this, and you don’t care the shorter focal lenghts, this Nikkor will fit all of your needs.

In short, compared to the 80-200/2,8 or the 70/200 AF, it is smaller, lighter, a bit (or not so bit, depending of your zoom sample, and remember the sample variation is stronger in zooms) sharper and with a more pleasing bokeh.

Rating: ★★★★★