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The Golden Rule- Which Nikon gear should you never sell?


chris c

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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.

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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.
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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

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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