chris c Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 I shoot Leica as well as Nikon gear. I mention that because I when I first started to shoot Leica I heard it commented that "you should never sell a Leica lens because you will always end up buying it back again". At the time I did not understand the logic of that statement. After having proved this correct all to many times I decided the same could be said about Nikon gear. <P> So I am interested. What Nikon gear have you bought over the years and then sold only to find yourself buying it back yet again. <P> In my case I always come back to the F5 body, after flirtations with EOS, or even highend digital nothing matches up to the feel and pleasure of shooting the F5. Also I always end up with the 17-35AFS (3x) the 105 macro(3x) and of course the lengendary 80-200 AF-D (2x). <P> So what Nikon have you wished you never sold or as a result bought back more than once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 Nothing, I'm not so wealthy that I can afford to be that stupid.<P>On theother hand I did sell and later buy back a 90mm f4/5 Grandagon lens formy view cameras. And I really miss a Canham DLC camera I used to own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3 Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 Any one of the 5 F3HP's that I've had over the years (all in new cond.), (qty. 3)180/2.8D AF, (qty. 3)80-200/2.8D AF, (qty. 2)35/1.4 AIS, (qty. 3)105/2.5 AIS, (qty. 2)200mm micro Nikkor AIS, (qty. 5)35-70/2.8D AF and many, many more. My current combo is F100, 24/2.8D AF, 35-70/2.8D AF, 85/1.8D AF & 180/2.8 AF. I'll hold on to these for a long while. This is getting just too expensive to be continually hopping around. There has also been 5 Leica M camera systems during this same period of about 10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles_miller Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 I sold my first 28mm PC lens to help raise money for a temporary foray into medium format. After I gave up medium format, I bought another 28mm PC lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_lofquist Posted December 24, 2002 Share Posted December 24, 2002 While I shoot Nikon (F4S and F5) now, I still feel a tinge whenever I think of the Leica equipment that I sold. (I did keep a IIIf that was given to me by my dad back in 1951.) But my general feeling is if you don't use it, don't keep it! I can't think of any of my Nikon stuff that I wouldn't repurchase, if I had been compelled to sell it. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostly sports Posted December 24, 2002 Share Posted December 24, 2002 When I think about what I've sold, and then repurchased, there isn't much. Cameras include an N80 and F3HP; lenses the 35/1.4 and 180/2.8. I may get another 28-70/3.5-4.5, just for the small size and light weight. I shoot with both AF and manual, so on any given outing, most of the lenses get left at home. I love my 105/1.8, and could live with just it and the 35/1.4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_byrd1 Posted December 24, 2002 Share Posted December 24, 2002 I have a 180mm ED 2.8 Nikkor that I don't use often. Would I regret selling it? R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cd thacker Posted December 24, 2002 Share Posted December 24, 2002 I still miss my 135/2.8 (I think it was). And my TC-200 converter (God, what was I thinking to sell that? And so blithely). Also, I miss my FE2 - though it was part of the deal I made to get my F3HP (which was immaculate when I bought it, but started brassing badly with almost the first roll); so I guess it doesn't hurt too much. Haven't yet bought any of them back; but I know I probably will - especially that converter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefDevos Posted December 24, 2002 Share Posted December 24, 2002 I would never sell my AF 85mm f/1.8, 105mm AF Micro f/2.8. I bought&sold FM2 body twice (lack of AF & myopic). Nostalgy pushes me however to buy it (or an FM3a) again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_meyer1 Posted December 24, 2002 Share Posted December 24, 2002 I use an F100 with a 180 2.8 AF, a 35-70 2.8D AF, and an 80-200 2.8D AF. I really don't think I will sell them anytime soon, because they produce such great images. I also have a couple of smaller lenses that I hardly ever use any more, since I got the 2.8's: a 28-105 3.5(?) AF and a 70-300 4.5 AF. I am very tempted to sell these, but then I think of how light and versatile they are - what if I wanted to travel light? It really is hard to part with these, even though I probably should. I am not currently in the market for any new lenses because I want to go digital, and I'm waiting to see how the Nikon digital SLR's shake out. There is a lot of change going on now in the digital realm - no one knows whether we will end up with a full-frame sensor or the smaller one Nikon is using now. With the announcement of a new DX series of lenses, it looks like Nikon will be supporting the smaller sensor for some time, although it is possible they also could develop a line of full-frame SLR's. We probably won't know for another year or two. Until I know for sure, I ain't getting rid of anything or buying any new lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted December 24, 2002 Share Posted December 24, 2002 Nothing is good forever. While I don't necessarily buy the latest lenses every time something new is introduced, I do gradually update my camera bodies and lenses. 10 years ago my main camera was an F4, 1st-generation 80-200mm/f2.8 AF zoom, 35-70mm/f2.8 .... Today it is the F5 and D100, 80-200mm/f2.8 AF-S zoom, 28-70mm/f2.8 AF-S .... Most of my early AF lenses from early 1990 have already been sold a while ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_ashton Posted December 24, 2002 Share Posted December 24, 2002 I've taken my F2 body to trade in three times but I still own it, I just couldn't part with an old friend! Of lenses, I miss the AIS 200mm f4 (compact, well built) but not the 35mm f3.5 or the 135mm f3.5. I doubt if I would repurchase any of them though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry n. Posted December 25, 2002 Share Posted December 25, 2002 Never had a use for the AF 85 1.8, until the week after I sold it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry_lehrer Posted December 25, 2002 Share Posted December 25, 2002 I definatly regreted selling the 35mm f2.0, thinking that my 35-70mm zoom would cover that need, Wrong! But I then bought a 35mm f1.4 which is my standard lens. I also deeply regreted selling my 500mm Russian MTO, but later had to get a Spiratone 500mm mirror lens, 'cause the Russian lens is NLA. Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham_line Posted December 25, 2002 Share Posted December 25, 2002 My situation is the reverse. I bought a 105/2.5 and never use it. Too long, too slow. But if it's good enough to create 'Afghan Girl,' have to have one, right? My workhorse in that range is an 85 or the 75-150. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck Posted December 25, 2002 Share Posted December 25, 2002 Brought a 105mm f/2.8 macro in 1996, sold it in 1997 to finance a N90s for use in race car photography. Discovered I couldn't live without it, so I bought another one in 1998. After having it for 4 years and taking a total of ~150 frames with it, I decided I can't justify keeping it. So I sold it again. Now that I am more into detail landscape shots I am in anguish again because I had to resort to the macro function on 24-85 for a bunch of autumn leaf, mushroom and morning frost shots.<p> I also had similar experience with the 75-300 f/4-5.6. I sold it to finance the 80-200 f/2.8, but brought it back again when I realized the 80-200's optics is more than offset by reluctance to carry the weight on nature hikes. So I have both the 80-200 and 75-300 now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_carlsson Posted December 26, 2002 Share Posted December 26, 2002 I won't say never, but I'd have a real hard time parting with my F100, FM2n, 80-200 AFD w/TC. Oh, and the awesome Tamron SP 90 2.5 that is more or less glued to the FM2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_ferguson1 Posted December 26, 2002 Share Posted December 26, 2002 I agree with the sentiments expressed above, but the way second-hand, "user grade" Nikon manual-focus equipment seems to be dropping in price at the moment, it might be smart to sell the lot and then buy it all back at a discount in six months time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photojim Posted December 27, 2002 Share Posted December 27, 2002 Nikkormats. I had an FTn. I sold it, because I got an FM2n, which I figured would be a better user body. In many ways it is, but I missed the Nikkormat. I bought another on the cheap. The meter didn't work, but I paid next to nothing for it. A friend needed a mechanical backup body, so I sold it to him. Then one day I was at the camera store and an FT3 screamed out my name. I still have the FM2n, but I love Nikkormats - there's something about using them that I just can't describe. I am sure I will always have one, and the FT3 is, in my humble opinion, the best of the bunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_cheney Posted December 28, 2002 Share Posted December 28, 2002 I had an F2, sold it without regret, but my F apollo I regret selling, it wasn't a great camera, mirror shake was bad, but the entire thing was made of metal, which gave it a lovely heft. My FM2n, F3 and F4s will be with me till the day the last roll of Tri-X leaves the Kodak factory. These have got to be the best MF cameras that Nikon has ever made. As for lenses, 35/1.4, 180 AFD, 105/1.8, killer! Never sell those. I just hope Nikon makes a FF DSLR with MF meter capability. F6 anyone? Cheers Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert_Lai Posted December 28, 2002 Share Posted December 28, 2002 Micro Nikkor 55/2.8 AIS and 85mm f/2 AIS. Both are awesomely sharp lenses. I sold the 55 Micro in order to purchase a new 60mm Micro f/2.8 AFD. Now that I have the heft of the 60mm around, I'm not so sure that I should have sold the 55! I had been intending to use the 55 as a replacement for my 50mm f/1.8 AI, as both shoot very sharply at infinity. However, from what I have read, the 60 mm is not great at infinity. So now I have both a 60mm Micro and a 50mm f/1.8. Yes, the 60 goes to 1:1 without any tubes, but I already have the tubes for the 55 (and still keep them). I may buy another 55 Micro. The 85mm lens I gave as a gift to my brother. Darn, it is a sharp lens. At the time, I couldn't decide between my 85mm and the 105mm f/2.5 lens. The 105mm had more sentimental attachments, so I kept it and gifted away the 85mm. Now I find that I like the 85mm length more than the 105mm for portraits, although the 105mm definitely is great for portraits. One lens that I happily got rid of was a mint 35 f/2.8. The lens was OK, but not very contrasty. When my father-in-law with his 45 year old Leica M3 and 35mm lens showed me the incredible contrast and resolution that a 35mm lens was capable of, I had to get rid of the shameful Nikkor. I use a Nikkor 35mm f/2 AIS now, and I'm much happier. It has more barrel distortion than the f/2.8 lens, but it has much snappier images, even at f/2. I don't know what the 35mm f/1.4 lens will do, but I'm not willing to pay to find out. The 35mm f/2 is currently the lens that is most often mounted on the camera. Bottom line is never to sell a sharp lens. You will always regret it.Conversely, if the lens just won't perform, then sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic_. Posted December 31, 2002 Share Posted December 31, 2002 I've only sold one Nikon item, a 500mm f8 mirror lens. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it. I suppose everyone lusts for extreme focal length at one point or another. Getting this lens taught me a lesson, to think carefully before buying anything, as a sale will always be at a loss. I don't have the kind of money to constantly trade equipment. I hope not to sell any of my Nikon stuff, so I don't buy what I don't need. Wants vs. needs, the constant battle! If I do have a regret, it is that I bought a FE instead of a FM back in 1980! I bought the FE so that others (non-photographers) could take pictures as well. It doesn't pay to think this way. I'm new to the Leica world too, and I did a thorough investigation and introspection before buying the limited equipment that I did buy. I hope not to sell any of it either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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