KEH Order Arrived

<p>The beginning of my aperture ring quest test for the Df, these (bargain basement) lenses will be tested for sharpness, contrast, distortion, and general shootability. Surely there are duds among them, but hopefully a gem or two.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.dlaab.com/photo/KEH1.JPG" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://www.dlaab.com/photo/KEH2.JPG" alt="" /></p>

<p>Quite a haul, I would be curious as to how the 24-50 works out.</p>

<p>My biggest beef with non-AFS lenses is that some of them just sound rough when focusing, typically the lesser expensive ones. Others, like my 105DC, don't have an irritating focus sound.</p>

<p>I don't know my cheap 70-300mm f/4-5.6 AF-D ED lens does sound rough on the Df but on the F5 it sounds fine and focus quickly. </p>

<p>Nice haul. I found KEH to be great to deal with. I sold them an F5, SB25 flash, Nikkor 50 f1.8 series E and 2 Nikon EM's I wasn't using anymore and in turn, bought some NAI Nikkors to use with my F2 Photomic......a 28mm f3.5, 50mm f2 and 300mm f4.5 all graded as EX+. They look darn near mint to me. Have fun with your testing.</p>

<p>Wow!</p>

<p>DROOL, DROOL</p>

I also have the 28-105/3.5-4.5D-AF, 28-70/3.5-4.5D-AF, and 80-200/f4.0-5.6D-AF, so there are 10 zoom lenses in all.

Should be fun to filter them through a testing procedure. I'll report as I go.

 

-Dan

<p>I had that 28-85/3.5-4.5, the kit zoom with the N6006. Good lens. Sharp but a bit low in contrast without a hood. Much less barrel distortion at the wide end than the 18-70DX kit zoom.</p>

<p>I have a couple of old Nikkor's, some of them 2 or 3 copies, 18/4 , 20/3.5(+UD 3.5) & /4, 24/2.8, 28/3.5, 35/1.4, 50mm, several version, f1.2, f1.4, f1.8, f2.0, 85/1.4, 105/2.5 super excellent, 135/2/2.8, 200/4 300/4.5.ED, 400/5.6ED and some zooms, 35-135, 28-50/3.5 one of my favorite with the 50-135/3.5 AI-S zoom, and the 100-300/3.5-4.5 AI-S Zoom. All of them very nice sharp lenses on the D3s, D4 and even better on the Df. My set up if I go out with minimum load, the D3s with the 50-135/3.5 AI-S and the Df with the 28-50/3.5 AI-S and in my pocket is the 20/4 AI-S lens. A gem. Lately, I keep leaving home the big 24-70/2.8 and my all the time best, for landscape, the 17-35/2.8 lens. And more. The Df is a brilliant camera today, in a very inconvenient package. NO optional battery grip available or even possible. AF...? 75 and I'm not blind jet. All those old primes, AI or IA-d lenses are very good and sharp lenses on the DF.</p>

<p>Ain't it great to be able to call them "lens tests" so that we can pretend that we are working?</p>

<p>Enjoy that Df, Dan.</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

Well, they are cheaper than most toys nowadays ;-)

<p>Nice. I had the 35-70. Was thrown in when I bought a used D2H. It was a fine lens on DX(D70s, D200, and D2H) and I think you might enjoy it despite its limited range.</p><div></div>

<p>What ?!</p>

<p>You're actually USING a Nikon Df ? I thought only collectors would buy those and keep them on the shelf to look at. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>I have a DF listed here if anyone knows of someone who may have an interest.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>You're actually USING a Nikon Df ? I thought only collectors would buy those and keep them on the shelf to look at.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No, Dan buying the Df and then a bunch of lenses are both part of his temporary treatment for his NAS. The next round of treatment will start in another month. :-)</p>

<p>Those all look like AF/AF-D lenses. Every Nikon FX-format DSLR is fully compatible with them, so are DX bodies such as the D90, D50 that have an in-camera AF motor.</p>

Ty, get with me via e-mail on your Df.

Shun, my daughter and I spent the afternoon at the Kimbal Art Museum, where Ft. Worth is pleased to have a great

collection of Matisse, Picasso, Mann, and others on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago. Exceptional stuff.

 

I took my Df and the lowly 35-70/f3.5-4.5 AF Nikkor. Delightful to carry all afternoon, hang it around my neck, no camera

bag at all.. With generous high-ISO performance, I was able to shoot hand-held at f5.6 or so. Just looked at the

captures, and I am pleased with what I got. Very low distortion, crisp, and even the contrast looks pretty good.

 

While in the commons area, I noticed another shooter with a Nikon, grip in place, what looked like a 24-70/2.8, hood on.

And a 70-200/2.8 on the table in front of him, and a big nylon bag next to himself on the floor. It evoked a feeling, some

poor SOB with a burden, for himself and his family (I presume). That's NAS in its essence.

 

The true beauty of the Df is that it returns you to the pre-bloated Nikon days.

<p>KEH has great customer support</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Df is that it returns you to the pre-bloated Nikon days.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Only if you use non-bloated lenses, which of course you can do just as well on a non-gripped D610 etc. Is the Df that much smaller than a D610?</p>

I haven't used the D610. Compared to the D800, the Df is more compact and more efficient to operate. Also, the D800

grip makes use of the aperture ring somewhat clumsy.

 

It's difficult to understand why every new Nikon product is bigger than the last? I guess they are better, but Leica, for

example, does't seem to do this (well, except their price).