light weight telephoto zoom lens

[asaf_tzadok]

I am looking for a light weight telephoto zoom. I would like it to

have an aperture ring for my F3.

I would like to compare lens in term of sharpness and bokeh.

My current list is:

Nikkor 70-210 F/4

Sigma 70-300 F/4-5.6 APO Mark II

 

I will be happy to add lenses to my list.

 

Thanks, Asaf.

[scottconners]

The sigma gets some pretty good reviews, for it's price its quite a nice lens. Used within it's limitations (not the fastest lens around), it will produce great results.

[david_h._hartman]

Your time and effort is worth buying a larger CF card. Then you won't be concerned about the files size so much. I'd recommend NEF + JPG Normal but I don't think you have that as an option. A 2GB CF card isn't that expensive anymore especially compared to travel expense. This is true even if you are shooting fairly close to home.

 

Regards,

 

Dave Hartman.

[lajolla_photofan]

I used Nikkor 70-210 f/4 quite extensively but it is not quite lightweight. If you want something that can be carried everywhere then you should look for 75-150 E though it is MF.

70-210 is not very sharp wide open, you need to stop down to around f8-11 to get decent results. Due to its close focussing, you can add a 6T to do almost lifesize macro.

[anupam]

Umm, David, I want this F3 that takes CF cards:-). Just what I have been waiting for so long. I knew Nikon would finally see sense!

 

I think your reply was meant for Errol's thread.

 

-A

[ken_kartes]

I like the 70-210, I carried it through Seaworld and Bush Gardens this past winter. Not light but nice lens. I had bought and returned the 70-300 F5.6 new Nikon. I prefer the more rugged 70-210 F4. I am sure you can find weight specs for a better idea on actual weights.

[charles_miller]

"My current list is: Nikkor 70-210 F/4 Sigma 70-300 F/4-5.6 APO Mark II"

 

I used an older Sigma 75-300 f4-5.6 APO for a while, and then later on I used a Nikon AF 70-210. I seldom have a kind word to say about third party lenses, but in this case I think the Sigma was slightly better in the 75-210 range than the Nikon. Both lenses were slow to autofocus, but that won't matter with an F3 body. The Sigma lens was definitely lighter, but it also had a less expensive feel.

[david_h._hartman]

<em>Umm, David, I want this F3 that takes CF cards:-). --

Anupam Basu<br>

</em><br>

Perhaps I posted to the wrong thread?

[raymond_petty1]

If 150mm at the long end is adequate and you do not need AF, then the answer is a no brainer. The 75-150/3.5 series E. The lens is a notch above the two you mentioned optically and has a very nice bokeh. It is push-pull and some of them have lens creep. I still can't get over how small and compact it is for the range you get. If performance is number one to you, then I would go for this. If you need AF or the push-pull bothers you enough to give up optical performance, then look elsewhere.

[david_h._hartman]

Second, second on the 75~150/3.5 Nikon Series E. It's a great lens in general and a great travel lens.

[asaf_tzadok]

Thank you all for your helpful responses.

 

Raymond, 75-150/3.5 sounds great, but I forgot to mention that I need it for my D70 so it should be AF lens. I already use a MF lens with the D70 but it is not so easy with its VF (with the manual metering I get along easily).

 

Reading your responses, Nikon do not have an answer to the Sigma 70-300 APO Mark II. That was exactly what I was afraid of - Buying a third party lens.

[humberto_espino]

what about the AF NIKKOR 70-300 F/4-5.6D ED? Can anybody comment on this lense? thanks

[gaius1]

I wanted the same thing for my F3, so I bought a 80-200mm f/4 AIS.

[Rick Waller]

"what about the AF NIKKOR 70-300 F/4-5.6D ED? Can anybody comment on this lense? thanks"

 

Yes - I own this lens and I like it a lot, despite all of the negative press it receives from "pro lens snobs" on many photo sites. I also own the Nikon 17-35/2.8, 28-70/2.8 and 70-300/2.8, all of which are simply fantastic lens which are VERY EXpensive and VERY heavy. Is the 70-300/f4-5.6 as sharp as the 3 pro lenses? Of course not! But - when you consider the price of this lens and the extremely light weight, it is a damned fine lens and one that I carry when I want to travel light (as in hiking long distances). While it may not compete optically with the other 3 I mentioned, it is a very respectable lens if you do not enlarge beyond 8x10.

 

Another plus for the 70-300 Nikon is that it can serve as a very respectable macro lens if you add the ridiculously inexpensive ($50) Nikon 6T diopter. For very little money and literally no additional weight in my pack, the 6T on the 70-300 gives me very good macro capability. Good as my 200/f4 dedicated Nikon macro? Again - of course not, but a very reasonable alternative when I want to travel with as little weight as possible.

 

One major caveat - I speak of the 70-300 Nikon lens WITH the aperture ring. I tried the "G" version of the 70-300 and found it to be piece of crap optically! Do not confuse the two lens - buy the NON G version if you go for this lens.

[ShunCheung]

Well, the G version of the 70-300 AF wouldn't work on the F3 anyway.

 

In any case, if you want one lens that fits both a consumer-gramde DSLR such as the D70 and an MF film SLR, it'll always involve a lot of compromises.

[Rick Waller]

This is the one you want:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=207359&is=USA

 

and this is the Nikon 6T diopter:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=37298&is=REG

[Rick Waller]

Good point Sam about the G lens not working on the F3 - optically sucks anyway compared to the non G version.