Help me pick out a lens for the Nikon D80

Gary Seven wrote:

Hello everyone. Well ok, wow! Thanks for the feedback from everyone
involved. I jotted down most of the lenses mentioned. To summarize (in no
particular order or size):

18-55mm
12-24mm f/4
28-105mm
18-70mm Kit
18-135mm Kit
17-55mm f/2.8
60mm f/2.8
50mm f/1.4 prime
18-200mm VR
35mm f/2 AF-D Prime
Tokina 12-24
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8

Guess I have a lot to think about, and a lot of pricing to do. Thanks to
all!

/G7

Ï "Gary Seven" Ýãñáøå óôï ìÞíõìá
...

Gary Seven wrote:

Hello everyone. Well ok, wow! Thanks for the feedback from everyone
involved. I jotted down most of the lenses mentioned. To summarize (in
no
particular order or size):

18-55mm
12-24mm f/4
28-105mm
18-70mm Kit
18-135mm Kit
17-55mm f/2.8
60mm f/2.8
50mm f/1.4 prime
18-200mm VR
35mm f/2 AF-D Prime
Tokina 12-24
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8

Guess I have a lot to think about, and a lot of pricing to do. Thanks to
all!

/G7


Not to forget the full-frame 24-120 VR, also a very good walkabout,
"reporter" lens.

David Ruether wrote:

"Robert Brace" wrote in message news:TKMZh.151789$aG1.107260@pd7urf3no...

And let's not forget the Nikon PN-11 originally made to take one of the earlier Micro-Nikkors out to 1:1 as I recall. It is a
52.5mm auto extension ring complete with an integral tripod mount.
Extremely useful with any current Micro-Nikkor (and others) to extend the reproduction ratio. I find it works especially well
with my 200mm Micro-Nikkor when paired with the RRS 87-B mounting which locks the whole shebang into one Arca-Swiss
quick-mountable unit. The 87-B also can act as a focusing slider, so you don't have to play with your reproduction ratio during
focus.

I have a PN-11 (and maybe a suitable RRS plate) available
if anyone is interested...

This would be a sweet setup:
http://damien.douxchamps.net/photo/pn11/index.php
I don't think I'd be up to the modification though. But to be able to
have metering, AF-S & VR on my 105 & 70-200 and strong enough to hold
the Tamron 300/2.8 AI

I have a Manfrotto quickmount & 2 plates (which I'm not real happy
with). A mount on the tube would be smart for macro work, is the
Arca-Swiss the only option there?

--
Paul Furman Photography
http://www.edgehill.net/1
Bay Natives Nursery
http://www.baynatives.com

On Thu, 3 May 2007 19:50:26 +0200, "Gary Seven"
wrote:

Gary Seven wrote:

Hello everyone. Well ok, wow! Thanks for the feedback from everyone
involved. I jotted down most of the lenses mentioned. To summarize (in no
particular order or size):

18-55mm
12-24mm f/4
28-105mm
18-70mm Kit
18-135mm Kit
17-55mm f/2.8
60mm f/2.8
50mm f/1.4 prime
18-200mm VR
35mm f/2 AF-D Prime
Tokina 12-24
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8

Guess I have a lot to think about, and a lot of pricing to do. Thanks to
all!

/G7

Get the 17-55 f2.8.

Even if you have to remortgage your house to raise the cash - it will
make you happy. Very very happy.

Stick with a good Nikon lens, you do get what you pay for. The 18-70 or
18-135 are very good and priced well

Bruce
"Gary Seven" wrote in message
...
Gary Seven wrote:

Hello everyone. Well ok, wow! Thanks for the feedback from everyone
involved. I jotted down most of the lenses mentioned. To summarize (in
no
particular order or size):

18-55mm
12-24mm f/4
28-105mm
18-70mm Kit
18-135mm Kit
17-55mm f/2.8
60mm f/2.8
50mm f/1.4 prime
18-200mm VR
35mm f/2 AF-D Prime
Tokina 12-24
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8

Guess I have a lot to think about, and a lot of pricing to do. Thanks to
all!

/G7

In article ,
Westy wrote:

On Thu, 3 May 2007 19:50:26 +0200, "Gary Seven"
wrote:

Gary Seven wrote:

Hello everyone. Well ok, wow! Thanks for the feedback from everyone
involved. I jotted down most of the lenses mentioned. To summarize (in no
particular order or size):

18-55mm
12-24mm f/4
28-105mm
18-70mm Kit
18-135mm Kit
17-55mm f/2.8
60mm f/2.8
50mm f/1.4 prime
18-200mm VR
35mm f/2 AF-D Prime
Tokina 12-24
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8

Guess I have a lot to think about, and a lot of pricing to do. Thanks to
all!

/G7

Get the 17-55 f2.8.

Even if you have to remortgage your house to raise the cash - it will
make you happy. Very very happy.

Until you have lugged it around day after day on vacation.

--
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and
carrying a cross."
Sinclair Lewis

"Paul Furman" wrote in message
...
David Ruether wrote:

"Robert Brace" wrote in message
news:TKMZh.151789$aG1.107260@pd7urf3no...

And let's not forget the Nikon PN-11 originally made to take one of the
earlier Micro-Nikkors out to 1:1 as I recall. It is a 52.5mm auto
extension ring complete with an integral tripod mount.
Extremely useful with any current Micro-Nikkor (and others) to extend the
reproduction ratio. I find it works especially well with my 200mm
Micro-Nikkor when paired with the RRS 87-B mounting which locks the whole
shebang into one Arca-Swiss quick-mountable unit. The 87-B also can act
as a focusing slider, so you don't have to play with your reproduction
ratio during focus.

I have a PN-11 (and maybe a suitable RRS plate) available
if anyone is interested...

This would be a sweet setup:
http://damien.douxchamps.net/photo/pn11/index.php
I don't think I'd be up to the modification though. But to be able to have
metering, AF-S & VR on my 105 & 70-200 and strong enough to hold the
Tamron 300/2.8 AI

I have a Manfrotto quickmount & 2 plates (which I'm not real happy with).
A mount on the tube would be smart for macro work, is the Arca-Swiss the
only option there?

--
Paul Furman Photography
http://www.edgehill.net/1
Bay Natives Nursery
http://www.baynatives.com

Paul:
I'm not sure that 7 electrical contacts would be enough for AF-S & VR
both with the 105 setup. I doubt the glued (epoxy, to be sure) contact
mounts would hold up to much normal (rough?) handling. I would not want to
trust the PN-11 contacts not to come apart while mounted to the camera. Can
you imagine the damage that would cause?
I've never had any problems with metering on the F5 and either of the D2
bodies with the PN-11 attached to the AF Micro Nikkor 200mm 1:4 D with
ambient, constant artificial or flash TTL illumination.
With the 105, you wouldn't need the 87-B plate as it's made specifically
to anchor the two tripod mounts (the PN-11 and the 200 Micro) together in a
solid package and still allow lens rotation in both mounts.
Without the plate you could use the normal tripod mounting hole (1/4X20)
in the PN-11 mount as you would with any ordinary mount.
I don't think the PN-11 has been made for some time.
Bob

Robert Brace wrote:
Paul Furman wrote:
David Ruether wrote:
Robert Brace wrote:

And let's not forget the Nikon PN-11 originally made to take one of the
earlier Micro-Nikkors out to 1:1 as I recall. It is a 52.5mm auto
extension ring complete with an integral tripod mount.
Extremely useful with any current Micro-Nikkor (and others) to extend the
reproduction ratio. I find it works especially well with my 200mm
Micro-Nikkor when paired with the RRS 87-B mounting which locks the whole
shebang into one Arca-Swiss quick-mountable unit. The 87-B also can act
as a focusing slider, so you don't have to play with your reproduction
ratio during focus.

I have a PN-11 (and maybe a suitable RRS plate) available
if anyone is interested...

This would be a sweet setup:
http://damien.douxchamps.net/photo/pn11/index.php
I don't think I'd be up to the modification though. But to be able to have
metering, AF-S & VR on my 105 & 70-200 and strong enough to hold the
Tamron 300/2.8 AI

I have a Manfrotto quickmount & 2 plates (which I'm not real happy with).
A mount on the tube would be smart for macro work, is the Arca-Swiss the
only option there?

Paul:
I'm not sure that 7 electrical contacts would be enough for AF-S & VR
both with the 105 setup. I doubt the glued (epoxy, to be sure) contact
mounts would hold up to much normal (rough?) handling. I would not want to
trust the PN-11 contacts not to come apart while mounted to the camera. Can
you imagine the damage that would cause?
I've never had any problems with metering on the F5 and either of the D2
bodies with the PN-11 attached to the AF Micro Nikkor 200mm 1:4 D with
ambient, constant artificial or flash TTL illumination.

I've found the D200 will meter with all kinds of odd setups like a
totally wrongly entered non-cpu lens length & such, maybe a little EC to
fix it, but I think the problem is the PN-11 doesn't couple the aperture
for controlling from the body so I couldn't adjust aperture with my new
G lenses that lack aperture rings. So it would only work with my old
beater Tokina 300, and would probably be super handy with that but
bummer not to use the 105 macro & 70-200.

The article I linked above reinforces what I've heard that the Kenko
tubes do give you all the goodies but they are flimsy and probably not
wise with the big heavy lenses where you'd need the whole set stacked.

Is there any Nikon extension tube that allows aperture control of G lenses?

snip
Without the plate you could use the normal tripod mounting hole (1/4X20)
in the PN-11 mount as you would with any ordinary mount.

Oh, yeah Doh.

I don't think the PN-11 has been made for some time.

They don't appear to make *any* extension tubes these days:
http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=5

--
Paul Furman Photography
http://www.edgehill.net/1
Bay Natives Nursery
http://www.baynatives.com

Rita Ä Berkowitz wrote:

Paul Furman wrote:

The article I linked above reinforces what I've heard that the Kenko
tubes do give you all the goodies but they are flimsy and probably not
wise with the big heavy lenses where you'd need the whole set stacked.


You're right! I stacked a whole set of Kenko tubes behind my 70-200 and
it had as much articulation as a freaken Lensbaby. The Kenko tubes are
really nice, but I wouldn't get too excited about them on larger lenses.

I've got the solution. Get a TC-20E & bust the glass out of it! I'm
serious, if you could find one with a nasty scratch for cheap... it's
about 55mm long & has everything you need for coupling. Looking at mine,
the aperture coupling occupies quite a lot of space so it's likely there
would be vignetting. That may be the reason they don't make such a thing.

--
Paul Furman Photography
http://www.edgehill.net/1
Bay Natives Nursery
http://www.baynatives.com

"Paul Furman" wrote in message
. net...
Robert Brace wrote:
Paul Furman wrote:
David Ruether wrote:
Robert Brace wrote:

And let's not forget the Nikon PN-11 originally made to take one of the
earlier Micro-Nikkors out to 1:1 as I recall. It is a 52.5mm auto
extension ring complete with an integral tripod mount.
Extremely useful with any current Micro-Nikkor (and others) to extend
the reproduction ratio. I find it works especially well with my 200mm
Micro-Nikkor when paired with the RRS 87-B mounting which locks the
whole shebang into one Arca-Swiss quick-mountable unit. The 87-B also
can act as a focusing slider, so you don't have to play with your
reproduction ratio during focus.

I have a PN-11 (and maybe a suitable RRS plate) available
if anyone is interested...

This would be a sweet setup:
http://damien.douxchamps.net/photo/pn11/index.php
I don't think I'd be up to the modification though. But to be able to
have metering, AF-S & VR on my 105 & 70-200 and strong enough to hold the
Tamron 300/2.8 AI

I have a Manfrotto quickmount & 2 plates (which I'm not real happy with).
A mount on the tube would be smart for macro work, is the Arca-Swiss the
only option there?

Paul:
I'm not sure that 7 electrical contacts would be enough for AF-S & VR
both with the 105 setup. I doubt the glued (epoxy, to be sure) contact
mounts would hold up to much normal (rough?) handling. I would not want
to trust the PN-11 contacts not to come apart while mounted to the
camera. Can you imagine the damage that would cause?
I've never had any problems with metering on the F5 and either of the
D2 bodies with the PN-11 attached to the AF Micro Nikkor 200mm 1:4 D with
ambient, constant artificial or flash TTL illumination.

I've found the D200 will meter with all kinds of odd setups like a totally
wrongly entered non-cpu lens length & such, maybe a little EC to fix it,
but I think the problem is the PN-11 doesn't couple the aperture for
controlling from the body so I couldn't adjust aperture with my new G
lenses that lack aperture rings. So it would only work with my old beater
Tokina 300, and would probably be super handy with that but bummer not to
use the 105 macro & 70-200.

The article I linked above reinforces what I've heard that the Kenko tubes
do give you all the goodies but they are flimsy and probably not wise with
the big heavy lenses where you'd need the whole set stacked.

Is there any Nikon extension tube that allows aperture control of G
lenses?

snip
Without the plate you could use the normal tripod mounting hole (1/4X20)
in the PN-11 mount as you would with any ordinary mount.

Oh, yeah Doh.

I don't think the PN-11 has been made for some time.

They don't appear to make *any* extension tubes these days:
http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=5

--
Paul Furman Photography
http://www.edgehill.net/1
Bay Natives Nursery
http://www.baynatives.com

Paul:
I have never seen a Nikon extension tube that allows aperture control with G
lenses. Some 3rd party ones do (like Kenko). It's a shame as it would sure
help flexibility. Nikon's backwardness in the area of compatibility with
some "accessory" attachments has been well known for years to those of us
who have used them since the original F days (and wish they'd held on to
some of those original bodies)!
I thought Nikon still made the PK11A, PK12 & PK13, but the US site doesn't
mention them nor does the "search" function bring up anything.
Perhaps EBay?
Bob