Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 ED -- the best $200 I've ever spent!

OK, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little. And it was really $230.

But it really is a fabulous lens.

 

I had searched the photo.net archives before I bought it, and I

couldn't find any strong opinions about it. All the comments about

lenses that length said things like, "the 80-200 f/2.8 is the most

wonderful Nikon telephoto zoom, and every serious photographer

should have one." There were lots of comments essentially like

that. But I already had an 80-200 f/4 lens that I'm happy with, and

an 85 f/1.8. So when I recently needed something like 200mm at

f/2.8, I figured I couldn't go too wrong with a Nikkor 180 at that

price, even if there weren't comments about it in the archives.

 

What I found out is that all of you who have been using this lens

for years have been holding out. It's splendid. It's bright, and

sharp, it's not too big, and the out-of-focus areas even look pretty

nice. And I can use it wide open with hardly enough vignetting

(light falloff toward the corners) to notice. This is important to

me -- I like even illumination across the frame for most of the

pictures I take, especially with a long lens (where it's frequently

easier to see this problem). It's one thing I don't like about my

80-200 f/4, so I'm reluctant to use it wide open. So, in effect,

I've gained two stops at 180mm.

 

For those people finding this in the archives when looking for

information about this lens, I'll say it again: the 180mm f/2.8 ED

is a brilliant, no excuses kind of lens. I bought the AIS-ED

version, but I expect that the AF version is the same. If there's

an ED-IF, it might be even better. If you can live with the fixed

focal length, then it's really a winner.

where did you buy it from?

John; I have the same lens in ED AI; and it is very good. I like it for sports. This lens is made to focus past infinity; the focal length varies slightly with temperature; this is part of the design; so dont be freaked out if yours focuses past "infinity". So beware about cranking it to the end stop; and assuming that the lense will be sharp; when aimed at a far away subject. My lens also will slowly creep in focus when aimed down at a 45 degree angle; or more.

It's an excellent lens if you don't mind the weight - balances well on something heavy like a F4S.

Huh? You didn't find anything on it? Can somebody please write a decent seach engine!??

 

I thought everybody knew it is one of Nikon's finest. Maybe there's little said about it because it's a prime lens. Prime teles are sometimes a bit difficult to use because you may need to move your feet quite a bit. Still, I really like my AF-D version of the lens - light, small, sharp, contrasty, clean. Not as universal as the 80-200/2.8 though, but far better in terms of technical image quality.

Kelly, thanks for the info about the 180 ED AIS focussing past infinity! I bought a user 180 ED a few months ago off *Bay for $195 incl shipping, a bit worn on the cosmetics, but perfect glass and it also focusses past infinity.

 

I too have nothing but praise for this lens. I sold a perfect 100-300 5.6 AIS zoom to buy it in a fit of lens 'optimizing.' The zoom was very sharp, but a big heavy clunker to actually use, and I was unable to focus it fast enough for anything that moved. The 180 is a tremendous lens for concert shooting, for which I also use 105 & 85 f1.8s -mostly with FM2N + MD12.

I find the 180/2.8 ED gains a trivial amount of edge sharpness

when stopped down from f/2.8 to f/4.0 but is virtually unchanged

from f/2.8 to f/5.6. From f/8.0 to f/11 the bite gracefully

declines due to diffraction, f/16 is just OK but f/22 and f/32

are pretty useless. <br>

<br>

It works nicely as a macro lens with a PN-11 and a PK-13 tube

giving about 1/2 life size. A macro slider such as those by

Velbon and others makes focusing easy. The lens probably flare a

little easier than a late model 200/4.0 AIS non-macro. The 200/4.0

also makes a good macro lens (so I read). Ive never owned

one because the early 200/4.0(s) didnt have such a good

reputation. <br>

<br>

I like the size and weight and over-all optical performance. It

balances well on any FM/FE family camera with an MD-12 motor or

an F2, F3, F4 or F5. Its a great lens. <br>

<br>

---<br>

<br>

<em>Huh? You didn't find anything on it? Can somebody please

write a decent seach engine!?? --Ilkka Nissila<br>

</em><br>

Whats needed is a link to...<br>

<br>

<a href="http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en"

target="_new"><u>http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en</u></a><br>

<br>

...then use the Domain options "only" and "photo.net."

I, too, just recently got one (The AF 180/2.8 D ED version).

 

It feels really solid, and it's not so big & heavy like the AF 80-200/2.8 ED zoom. That zoom is nice, but I just don't carry it around because it's big & heavy. The 180/2.8 is small & light enough to carry around in my bag.

 

Theres some links about this lens at www.nikonlinks.com

 

Ken Rockwell recommends to have a look at the aperture blades since the lens is open at the rear, and stuff can get in and onto them.

At $230 you have a real bargain!

Kelly wrote: "My lens also will slowly creep in focus when aimed down at a 45 degree angle; or more"

 

That's interesting, because my 200mm f/4 AI will do the same thing in certain circumstances, but my 180/2.8 AIS won't. Its one of the few reasons to prefer AIS over AI.

 

Brian

John, I don't know why you think no one writes about this lens. Look at this page from Grumpy's Railway photography page:<p>

http://www.grumpysworld.com/photoguide/review.htm<p>

Scroll down quite a bit and you'll see that he tells you to run out and get one right away. This coming from a guy who hates most lenses, and sold off two Nikon F5s at a loss because their split image rangefinder images didn't coincide with groundglass focus!<p>

A persistent rumour has it that the versions of the lens not marked "ED" do indeed have ED glass. I saw a used 180 f/2.8 without the ED marking at my local camera store for $250.00. Once on my camera, boy is it bright and sharp! I didn't see any color fringing in the corners and edges at all. Now you're starting to make me think about going back to that store....

I have the AF version and love it. I have been tempted to sell it a couple of times because it doesn't get used a lot compared to my wide angle zooms - its a bit heavy for back-packing - but I just couldn't do it.

Took it to a concert once and heres one of the shots.<div></div>