nikon geek Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Other than the Nikor 35-70 2.8D, Nikon doesn't have any other good moderate zooms with a fast aperture. I am looking at the Tamron 28-105 2.8D and would like to get some feedback on performance and quality of this lense in conjuction with Nikon AF cameras, particularly the F100 (if it matters). Thanks! Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photojim Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Good and sharp, particularly stopped down, but reasonable at f/2.8. Light falloff is quite tolerable compared to most lenses. Weird out-of-focus highlights (bokeh if you prefer), sometimes distracting. Heavy. Prone to lens creep, although it has a built-in creep clutch that does help some. 82mm filter requirement is annoying since my f/2.8 Nikkor zooms use 77mm. Decent autofocus speed on both F90 and F100, slowish but usable on F50. Can be used in manual focus mode but the focus ring has a very short throw. All in all I'm quite happy with the lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ci_p Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 I had one of these once (used on F100), but replaced it with a 50mm & 80-200 f2.8. The main positives are the zoom range & constant f2.8 aperture. It also focuses down to about 45cm. The negative (for me) was AF performance (tracking moving subjects was not adequate) There was distortion & the ends of the zoom range but I didn't really care about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markus_arike Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 I know this doesn't answer your question, but have you considered the Tamron SP 28-75 2.8 XR DI zoom. I have the lens in EOS mount, and it is a fine lens. Sharp, well-built, fairly quick and accurate autofocus. There is a positive review of the lens <a href="http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources/non-nikon_articles/tamron/2875-f28/2875-1.html">here</a> Hope And if memory serves, it is about half the price of the SP 28-105 2.8. <BR><BR> Also might want to look at the Lens Performance Survey at Photozone.de. They have the SP 28-75 2.8 ahead of the 28-105 2.8D. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wen_lin Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 I use this with F3T and F801, so I can't comment on the autofocus speed since the F801 is autofocus slow. Most of the images is sharp, but tend to have slightly low contrast. so might not be good in some situation. 82mm filters are expensive !! The most outstanding factor against it is the weight and size. I do not suggest long hikes with that lens. I used it with f3-md4 on a hike and it was HEAVY ! I got mine 2nd hand in good condition at a good price. If I had to pay retail, I would try tamron 28-75 f2.8 or 28-105 f3.3 Nikkor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ky2 Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 I've used this lens only once to shoot a roll of Provia. It was sharp enough at f/4 (f/2.8 was so-so), but the color was ultimately flat. Can't really say it justifies the price... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saikat.pathak Posted February 12, 2004 Share Posted February 12, 2004 I have also read the positive feedback on the Tamron SP AF 28-75mm F/2.8 XR. Check out www.photozone.com (go to the equipment section and search for Nikon compatible lenses). If possible, rent it and observe the sharpness (especially the corners) at all apertures, with a slide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now