(As Advertised by Nikon) |
This has been my
dream lens for quite some times...and finally...another D
History...
I
got this lens on the 10th November 2001. I bought it 2nd hand...from a
Singapore working Malaysian. I have been dreaming for this lens for a
"long" time...but I can't afford it new. I have actually plan to buy
this lens new next year...after I have saved enough money. I have missed this
lens many times in the 2nd hand market. Mostly sell at S$1100~S$1250. Still,
if the lens is in mint condition...it will consider a good buy for me as new
lens is selling at S$1580+-. However, in most of the 2nd hand lens cases that
I have met...the lens is not as mint as most seller claimed...and I feel reluctant to spend my hard saving money on
something which I am not satisfied. One of the reason that discourages me most
from buying 2nd hand is because this BIG zoom lens is a heavy air
sucker...thus tends to have some if not much dust inside. On a 2nd hand sample
that I checked, the amount of dust inside really worried me...and I can't be
sure if they are dust or early sign of fungus/mold. Seeking confirmation for
other Nikon users, they said that minor dust in Nikkor lenses are normal...in
fact, there is no Nikkor lens that is without dust.
Why
2nd Hand?
Complete
Package?
In the 2nd hand sample that I bought, it comes with the original Nikon gold
box, black cylinder case, Nikon HB-7 hood (an optional accessory from Nikon),
front and rear lens caps, a Hoya 77mm Skylight 1B filter, and some papers (warranty
card, address...). The black cylinder case is very
new, but the top cover is MELTING! Yes...the skin is melting...it just doesn't
stick to the case...and can be moved around or took apart from the case
easily. I have removed the skin...and there are lots of glue underneath to be
clean. Ha...it is a pain or headache in doing so...and I haven actually finish
cleaning it. Under the skin, the case still look good in black colour. Quality?
There are too many review or testing of this lens in the internet...so I would
go over it again. In fact...I am not good in testing lens...and I don't have
the money and film to waste. Nikon maintains the same optical formula in this
lens for more than 4 variations (from the very early push pull...to the
current AFD New) simply
speaks for the quality of this lens. Do note that the new AFS optic design is
different from this lens. Variations
of Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8
For
the push pull version, one can add a tripod mounting bracket to it.
Now...the built quality of this lens is first class! It is heavy...but this
heavy lens feels solid in my hands. I like the heavy solid feel...and it gives
me the feeling that my money spent is worth for the WEIGHT. Ha...will you want
to spend $$$ for a plastic lens or a metal lens? I will choose the later...The
crinkle finishing of the lens is nice too! This crinkle finishing is very
durable...and scratch resistance. A smooth plastic or metal can get scratch
and show scratch easily...but the crinkle finishing simply high those
imperfection very well. Nikon only gives crinkle finishing to high end
lenses...and this lens definitely deserved to be one of them.
The tripod collar of the lens is very solid, definitely wouldn't bend. The
tripod collar is a non-removable type. It has rotation
angle of 10 degree anti-clockwise or 290 degree clock wise. The screw on the
tripod collar is nice too, as I have seen some lenses with very thin/small
screw to secure a big tripod collar...which feel lousy, cheap, and easy to
break.
The AF/MF switch on the lens is really what I want in ALL Nikon lens. Although
A/M switch on the AFS lens would be better...but I just can't afford S lens.
Changing focus mode on the camera is something painful to do...as the button
on Nikon camera is very hard to access and my left hand is usually
handholding/balancing the lens. For this lens, the camera can be set to AF
mode all the time...and changing to MF mode can be done on the lens itself. In
AF mode, the focus ring will not and cannot be turned. In MF mode, the focus
feel is ok...not as good as the Nikkor AF 60mm f/2.8D micro lens that I owned,
but is better than most other Nikkor AF lenses.
The aperture ring of the lens clicks perfectly! It clicks and stops precisely
from f/2.8 to f/22. This is not the case of my 60mm micro lens...which has
indefinitely feel to change aperture on the lens through aperture ring.
However, in most modern AF cameras of Nikon (F60, F65,
F80, F100, F5), the
aperture is set through the body rather than the lens itself. One must set the
lens at minimum aperture in order to use the camera.
AF
Push Pull Non-D
AF
Push Pull D
AF Two
Touch with Tripod Collar
Kirk
F
& L
Handling?
This is a heavy lens. It weights 1300 grams for the lens alone. With hood and
filter...it can be as heavy as 1.5kg. Attached it to my
F60D,
I am now holding a more than 2kg setup in my hands. Ha...this sure is a muscle
building tools. When using this lens with my
F60D, my
camera feels very light in comparison. All the weight are mostly at the front
part of the setup...which my left hand has to absorb most of the weight.
Now...what am I worry is if my
F60D can support the
weight of the lens. I know
F60D is meant for
beginner...and most probably Nikon has presumed beginner at this stage will not
buy this heavy lens. Thus...the camera mount might not be as tough as in other
Nikon cameras. Ha...I have tried holding the lens from the camera alone for a
few seconds...(mount the lens on my
F60D, let go my left
hand...and hold the setup by just my right hand holding to the camera), the
camera and lens are both fine...ha...I dare not to push the limit...as this is
my only useable camera at this moment. Speed...
FAST! Even on my F60D, it is still fast! The turn of the focus ring is very
little, about 45 degree from minimum 1.5m to infinity. There is a focus limiter
on the lens itself to give even faster focus when hunting, but I doubt it is
useful as the lens is fast enough already. I heard the older versions of Nikkor
80-200mm f/2.8 lenses are slow...I am not sure...but I am very satisfied with
the speed of this lens. What
else?
This lens is not an internal focus lens...which means the front element will
rotate during focusing. However, the length of the lens remains the same. Nikon
did a smart design by having the lens barrel longer than the front most element,
thus even when the front element moves forward and backward during focusing, the
size of the lens still remains the same. By mounting a filter (77mm) on front,
the lens acts and performs just like a TRUE IF LENS!
For me, a filter to protect this lens is very essential...and one shouldn't save
little money by buying a cheap filter (would you want a junk glass to spoilt the
pro quality of the lens??? If yes...you might as well just buy a cheap lens...).
I would prefer either original Nikon filter (VERY EXPENSIVE!!!) or the B+W
German brand filter (very solid built at reasonable price!). My lens comes with
Hoya non-HMC filter...thus I will get a REAL filter for it soon...
Other
Alternative...
I have seriously thought of buying the Tokina 80-200mm f/2.8
lens before
I got my Darkie. I have tried the Tokina AT-X
828 AF, and when
holding it...the feel is really no comparison to the Darkie. The Tokina
version doesn't has crinkle finishing...the lens is thinner...and focus feel is
loosely...and it doesn't has the AF/MF switch on the lens itself. The new Tokina
AT-X 828 AF PRO has improved design with crinkle finishing, AF/MF
switch, and better built quality and handling than the previous version.
However, one very important aspect that pull me back from buying this lens
(yes...I have been offered at S$550 for this lens in mint condition...) is the
troublesome AF/MF switch of the lens. Let me explain easier in table format:
You can see
that no matter the setting on the lens, the AF/MF function is mainly depends
on the camera setting. I wonder the usefulness of the AF/MF mode on the lens itself.
Tokina new AT-X 828 AF PRO lens is having improved design
to control AF/MF on the lens itself, and the camera can be set to AF mode all
the time. I do hope that Tokina or Tokina
can modify the existing 828 lens, so that it
can have true AF/MF control on the lens and not from the camera body. Note
that both versions are two touch zoom, which are not the same as Tokina older
push pull design.
Photos...
I will post some
photos of the lens itself and photos taken by the lens soon...
Last
Words...
If
you are a Nikon user and want a lens in 80-200mm focal length, buy Darkie. The
optic performance of some third party lens makers might be as good as Nikon,
but I doubt their lens can last as long as Nikkor. The AFS lens is nice
too...but at almost twice the price of this lens...you decide.
Updated
2nd Dec 2001:
These are some photos of my sample:
Lens
Camera
Results
AF
AF
AF (focus ring
wouldn't move)
AF
MF
Will not focus
MF
MF
MF
MF
AF
AF (with focus ring
moving)
AT-X 828AF PRO
AT-X 828AF
