david_sattar

I bought a 'Kenko N-AFd 2x Teleplus MC 7' convertor about 10 years back, to use with a Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 and I've been mostly happy with it, with one big BIG, MASSIVE caution...

(1) With it on the camera, the f2.8 aperture becomes an effective f5.6, so if you need ultimate shutter speed that'll be a consideration, as it will be with any teleconvertor.

(2) With the Teleconvertor fitted the whole rig does feel ever so slightly more shaky. Inevitably perhaps, as there are now 2 additional mechanical connections between the front lens and the camera body.

(3) This is the big 'gotcha', the lens once fell off the teleconvertor... It was many years ago, but while slung over my shoulder, the lens release button on the teleconvertor snagged on something, a strap, belt loop, knuckle, whatever, I forget, and the 80-200 f2.8 literally came away in my hand where I'd been loosely cupping it just to keep it from banging against anything. That was about $1000 worth of lens in 1995 prices that just fell off the teleconvertor for no good reason...

I forget the exact thing that snagged the lens release button, but I do still remember the sense of shock that it could happen and relief that I happened to have a hand on the lens at the moment it fell free from the teleconvertor...

I still use that same Teleconvertor today, but I'm now ever watchfull of exactly how the camera/tele/lens combination hangs, what it snags against etc.

If the formatter did a true low level format then you're probably out of luck. However, if the formatter just flagged the written to blocks as 'available', then the data may still be there, just inaccesible to normal Win/Mac/Unix operating systems.

I'd suggest approaching a data recovery specialist firm - look in the back of any computing magazine to find several - give 'em a call see what they think. It probably won't be cheap though... Even to take a look and determine that they can't recover the data will probably cost you something.

I'm not a professional photgrapher, and have never shot concerts, so take the following with caution, but I'd say that the lens matters more.

If you're shooting in low light conditions such as a typical concert venue you want the widest aperture you can get and the f2.8 lenses are just the ticket. In the end, especially if you shoot 'raw', in manual modes and process later, the body is just a sensor array that contributes little to the end result.

Regardless of the body, the end image is only ever going to be as good as the light coming in and you'll get the most light with a nice fast (read expensive) lens. The D70 is a fine camera, so if you want to step up to the next level, a high end lens is going to give you the most bang for the buck. Moreover, bodies come and go, but a good lens is forever, and will fit on whatever body you may buy in the future.

Mark & Michael, thank you both for your most helpful responses, especially for confirming my fuzzy memoery about the bayonet HB-7 being the correct original spec hood. I do now have a polarizer mounted on this wonderful lens, so Michael's point about a screw-in HN-28 making it easier to turn a polariser is well taken, thanks for that. Decisions decisions... :-) Also thanks for the comment about the vignetting effect being a basic optical fact of life for the lens. I'll do some experiments photgraphing pure blue skies stopped down a bit.

Mark, you're so right about this being a wonderful lens :-) I probably have it on the camera only 50% of the time, but 90% of my 'keeper' photos have been taken with it.

I have the older AF Nikkor 80-200mm 1:2.8 D, one ring focus/zoom, the hand-

holding version without a tripod mount, in the CL-43A case. As I recall this

lens came with a circular hood, not one of the ones with corner cutouts. (This

was 10+ years ago). The lens, with hood mounted, rolled off a table and landed

on the hood, which cracked so badly that it wouldn't reliably stay mounted.

Saved the lens though, which was undamaged.

Fast forward 10 years and I'm wanting to get a replacement hood, either the

original or one that vignettes less. I always thought that the lens when

mounted on a 35mm film body caused noticeable vignetting.

The manual is long gone, several moves ago and the lens, being discontinued,

isn't listed on the specs pages I've managed to find on Nikon websites. Can

anyone tell me please, what the original hood for this now discontinued lens

is ? I think it may have been an HB7... Alternatively, would anyone recommend

some other hood than the originally supplied one ?

The lens is now mounted on a D50 with a smaller imaging area, so vignetting of

the original hood probably won't be such an issue, given the smaller area

actually exposed.

Thanks for any info about the specified lens hood, or suggestions of

alternatives.

I use this lens, originally with an 801s (known as an 8008 in the USA I think) and now with a D50.

Personally I never found the autofocus to be noticeably 'slow' with either body, but I've no experience with other makes or the newer internal autofocus motors to compare the speed against. Then again, I don't need the instant reaction speed that a photo journalist or sports photographer might. The Limiter switch is certainly useful, so if you know you're shooting long range stuff, set the switch accordingly to prevent the lens hunting all the way through it's focus range.

I probably have this lens on the camera maybe 50% of the time, but 90% of my all time best shots were with taken with it :-)

As to the weight - yes, it's heavy, but I like that, it steadies the shot.

An unexpected benefit when in crowded places where you're surrounded by non-photographers - there's something about lugging a large and heavy piece of glass around that just gets you more respect and room ! Limber up for a shot in a crowded area with this beauty hanging off the front of your camera and folks will accomodatingly lean out of your way. Lesser lenses just *don't* command the same respect :-)

Last point regarding the admittedly intimidating weight and how to hold it. I have used this on a tripod in a studio context, but briefly and rather nervously. No damage to camera or lens, but it sure feels un-natural (not to mention downright scary !) having that amount of unsupported weight hanging off the front of a camera... For handholding I've bolted on the Nikon AH-4 which snugs a leather grip around the outside of your right hand - makes using this lens soooo comfortable. Just let the camera hang lens down from a straight arm, raise it with elbow high when ready to shoot and cup the lens from below to take the weight when you raise the camera to shooting position. Once you get comfortable with the AH-4 you can let the camera dangle free from the back of your hand while using your right hand to manipulate things and still have the camera instantly ready to go.