fraczekp

Aight... I fixed the test...

Shot this one with D200 instead at infinity... I felt really bad about the prevoiusly posted bad image.... ;-)

this is apples to apples -- 24 at 2.8 at infinity, no raw conversion, fine small jpg out of camera. There! Same link....

This is very poor test of mine. Nikon D50, wall shot 5 ft away wide open (not an infinity test -- so I don't know if you can compare apples to apples with your image). This was a jpg straight out of the camera, not a RAW converted image. See the EXIF for more info.

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<a href="http://fraczekp.home.comcast.net/24mmf28.jpg" ><B><I>24mm AF f2.8 -- link will not function after 2/7/2007</B></I></a>

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I am about to set up a better test shot this week, maybe I will re-post, but I hope this will help until then

Don't neglect your hard drives -- often they end up being a limiting factor on the speed of things such as image manipulation (there is lots of data swapping from and to the hard drives at times). RAM is your friend too... I would say you need to focus on:

A) Processor (Intel Duo has my vote now although I've been AMD user for ages)

B) RAM (no less than 2 GBs -- 4GB if you plan on using Vista)

C) Fast SATA HD (10,000 RPMs if this is the only drive you will have -- if you RAID your drives, don't use RAID 5)

D) Good external USB backup drive

As to the graphic cards -- with today's standards most of the stuff will do. Definitely try to get a DVI capable card and consider a dual screen setup if you want to go all the way. I found the dual setup extremely helpful!

Factory Demo = Refurbished product.

You still get the warranties as specified but the store (not nikon) will cover the repairs after 90 days.

I got a coolpix once that was a refurb as well as a D100 and they both are doing fine, so I am not partial to refurb items.

The decision is yours to make though...

I think the only issue you will have is making sure the prongs on the plug fit outlets where you will be visiting. Unless you plan on running a hair dryer though the cord, you will be just fine - the cord can handle it. Just by any means do not try to run the power supply (charger) though any power converters!

On numerous occasions I took the Nikon (or any 2 prong alike cord such as IBM chargers, etc...) to 220V without issues.

Have both....

Get the D50. Superior image quality.

D100 has 2 items that you will miss on the D50 - pre-shoot mirror lift (whatever that was called in the menu -- I forgot now) and the DOF button.

The rest, D50 outperforms the D100.

Perhaps it's the fact that all AU stickers were placed on US boxes and now Nikon ran out of labels, hence no D200 deliveries to Australia....

;)

Drew.

I have been scratching my head for quite a while about those "past infinity" focusing incidents that have been with Nikon lenses for quite a while... My 1977 50mm F/2 does it, my 35mm 2.8 does it and my 24-120 VR does it too.... So it's not unusual. You just learn that infinity is actually a mark, not the max on the barrel.

However, if your distance markings and actual object distance are off, it would indicate that the lens was taken apart and put together poorly. If the markings show 2m, you better be at 2m with your object....

Hope that helps!

Keep in mind that despite e-bay rules, people get scammed. Don't take unnecessary risks!

Keep in mind scams that ask you to e-mail the seller first (a great way to harvest e-mail addresses)....

"Does anyone know of the image quality of the F2 *compared* to the F1.8s?"

If found my 50mm f/2 to be much softer than the AIS or AF versions at larger apertures. I have to step it down to at least f/5.6 to get the sharpness I am looking for and beyond f/11 things start to look fuzzy again. (The tests I performed were @ infinity).

I would say go for the new 50mm and perhaps the AIS (or E) version if you find one cheap as the 50 AF-D isn't as suited for manual focus as it should be.

Again, it could be just my crummy lens that influenced the above opinion.

"50mm/1.8 is a lens you'll be glad to have even if you don't use it for macro. If you are just starting out with macro-photography, it makes sense to use a 50mm with an extension tube just to get started with basic macro techniques."

^- I agree. Perfect starter kit. The only drawback is that the 50mm goes down to f/22 not f/32 as most macro lenses do, but depending on the subjects, you rarely want to go beyond f/16 anyway.

I second Arnab's opinion. Great combo and you will get more than just "poor man's macro"!<div></div>

"There is a price for going to 1:1 without tubes."

I am lost. Why does 1:1 have anything to do with portraits?

.................

The 1:1 does not have anything to do with portraits, but as Dave pointed out, the lens is really aimed at high magnification photography, not portraits. The lens has number of solutions aimed at being very useful in keeping small objects on the media as sharp as possible, but it has nothing in it that would help the bokeh. It just isn't built for the job...

In this range the 105 DC is your friend here, or even better yet, get the 85 1.8 for much less and have a great portrait time!

For me the downside was the DOF button (hence I added another DSLR to my bag) but if you are worried about on demand grid lines, there is another way around it (in my opinion slightly better way!)

http://www.acratech.net/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AOS&Product_Code=DASL&Category_Code=ACC

Some will view it as putting duct tape on glasses, but non-the-less this is a useful accessory!

"...focus has shifted elsewhere in the market..."

Looks like it... I waited 4 months for a SC-29 not to mention other accessories....

Wish it wasn't so hard to accessorize....

It depends what you want to keep it for! ;)

I think it's work the dollah...

Here is one of the first pictures I ever shot with it....