arun_seetharam

<p>Yes it is. Much better bokeh. Sharpness is better too. Build quality is a lot better than AF-D, though this is also a 'Made in China'. It is not like a day and night difference. It has improved.<br>

But is it worth selling away the 50 1.8 AF-D for this? May be.....if you are a serious standard-prime shooter. Otherwise not.</p>

<p>Worth it?? Absolutely!! Great lens. Fantastic IQ. It is a miracle for the size and weight. Slow?? Naaah......just fine outdoors. Every lens has a purpose. This is not made for indoors, concerts, press conferences, etc etc. Even hand held, on VR is just lovely. It is a screwdrive, not a AF-S, is a bit slow to focus in certain conditions. I would happily buy another one of these instead of spending 5 grand on the worlds best 400mm lens (200-400), which is a ton iof weight.<br /> :-)</p>

<p>Yes, 9 round blades give a much better bokeh, other than of course 1.4 being ultra fast. I think the 1.4 has a better optical quality too, especially at wider apertures. Hence twice the cost.</p>

<p>:-)</p>

<p>Wide open (1.8-2.8) the performance seems better than the AF-D version, doesnt it? </p>

<p>I happened to see the detailed photozone tests on 50mm f1.8 AF-S. Looks good to me. But is not a huge improvement in the optical quality and performance. AF-S is slightly larger too.<br>

Would you sell away the AF-D and move to AF-S version at the cost of $100+?</p>

 

<p>RC at Miami Port. <br>

D200, Nikon 12-24 f4 @ 17mm, ISO 200, f10 1/750. <br>

Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season. </p>

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<p>A slice of the Big Apple Christmas.........She looks beautiful at this time. Here is the Grand Central in all its Grandeur. <br>

D90, Nikon 12-24 f4 AF-S. @ 15mm, ISO 400, f8, 0.6 sec. <br>

Impressive shots guys....</p><div></div>

<p>Waiting for the Holiday boat parade on the intercoastal waterway in Ft. Lauderdale. Soon the tranquility of this place will explode into noises from bands, fireworks etc. etc. Well worth it to realize the value of silence. :-)<br /> Anyways......This was on a D90, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, f8, 1sec, Matrix, multipoint focus. Did I leave out anything?? Oh yea Aperture 3.1 converted NEF to jpg. I think LR3 is much better.</p><div></div>

<p>Upstate NY, a late fall day.</p>

<p>D90, 24-85 f2.8-4, ISO200, f9, 1/100sec. @ 24mm </p><div></div>

<p>But dont you think thats an inaccurate depiction of the lens characteristic? The MTF at wide open may not have a linear relationship with that at closed down apertures right? Because @ f2 it might be a dud but at f5.6 it might be the most spectacular one. </p>

<p>Wow.....thanks for your patient explanation, Andrew. Ow I see......so the MTF is usually plotted for the max aperture haan?? Thats something new to me. Sure, there is more to photography than resolution alone. I was looking for a tangible way to rate, compare and buy specific lenses than subjective opinions. </p>

<p>Hello glass wizards....</p>

<p>I was just surfing through some of the lenses on Nikon USA site which thankfully has posted the MTF curves for every lens. But I got thoroughly confused. Some of the cheaper not so popular lenses seem to have a better MTF curves for both 10 and 30lines/mm than the more popular ones. A simple example is 24mm f2.8 shows better performance than 35mm f2, which is visibly sharper and better overall. The 17-35 has a pretty ordinary MTF Curve compared to the 12-24, is DX a factor here? and there were some more like this</p>

<p>Here are a few assumptions on my part which could be wrong. </p>

<p>MTF curves tell how good a lens is<br />One can safely buy a quality lens based on the MTF curve. (Assuming he has decided on the style and focal length he needs)<br />A lens with a higher (contrast) and flatter MTF curve is better than the competing lens which has a lower and a falling MTF curve</p>

<p>Am I wrong? The MTF curves on the Nikon site seems contradicting to me....in terms of the lens popularity and price. </p>

<p>Can someone enlighten me please?<br>

Thank you</p>

<p>Thank you all for the wonderful information and empowering my decision.....</p>

<p>:-)</p>

<p>Hello Everyone, <br>

I was looking for a sharp life like performance wide angle prime (Not so wide may be) lens for Nikon bodies such as D200, D90 & D700. And i found Zeiss 25mm ZF (not ZF.2 which could be another $300 extra) to be the closest. May be 21mm.<br>

I have never used a manual focus lenses. I know you can set the non-cpu lens focal length and max aperture on these DSLRs. But that is only for the EXIF and not a functional aid in any way, I am presuming.<br>

What are the other limitations? Such as what modes can be used (M, A & S I guess)? metering limitations?Using the on lens aperture ring to change apperture settings? Does the true value reflect on the EXIF? or any other such things I need to know/consider before I go for it? <br>

Does Nikon 24mm Ai-S make it any more easier or provide any more data? Is Zf.2 worth it?<br>

Thank you for enlightening me in this regard, in advance. <br>

Arun</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Wow!! Some really lovely pictures. Especially the one titled "Waiting", very creative.<br>

Here is mine, shot with D90, 80-200-f2.8, 1/1600, f7.1 at Deerfield Beach, FL.</p><div></div>

<p>Rabindranath Tagore's car from the 1920s. D200, f10, 1/60s, ISO 200, Nikkor 12-24 f4. </p><div></div>

<p>Here is one more from the Indian Bamboo forests of the south. D200, 24-85 f2.8-4 @ 1/50, f7.1, ISO 200. <br>

This was shot during an early morning drive through this jungle, while trying to spot wild elephants.....not difficult at all. <br>

Thats a marvelous pic Li'l!! So many lovely ones!! <br>

:-) </p><div></div>

<p>Traveling in India with the cams is so much fun. This is a late evening 5 shot HDR of the Bhavani river in the south western green state of Kerala. One of the popular tiger and elephant reserve. <br>

D200 the camera. 24-85 2.8-4 the lens, ISO 200, f6.3 @ 1/160s avg. </p>

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<p>Nice pics Vijay!! As Kris rightly pointed out......"Whats holding you up??" You have some good stuff right there. Unless my jobs pay me insanely good, I wouldnt think of shelling out on 24-70 or 70-200. I know this chicken and egg situation always exists in our minds. But in this case the chicken (good pictures) comes out first in most cases (precedes good equipment and or money for it there off). Many of the best started off pretty modest. When I knew what equipment they used.....I couldnt believe they shot that iconic picture with it. Now I dont wonder anymore because......the imagination of the man behind the lens is the one that does the trick. So, unless I have a few grands to throw away, I wouldnt bother getting the heavy hitters.</p>

<p>Menu -> Shooting Menu -> Set Picture Control -> Monochrome<br>

:-)</p>

<p>I am sorry....I am missing something here. Why would you want to do this? As a convenience? to be able to see B&W immediately on preview? or is there something else you might be trying to achieve?</p>

<p>Hi Peter,</p>

<p>Well....It is not as much the size of the print as it is the low light performance and use of FX lenses that I have. <br>

:-) </p>

<p> </p>

<p>I was looking to buy my first full frame. Not that I need it so urgently......I do have a coupla DX cams and a barrage of lenses. I do see a tinge of NAS here. I do a lot of landscape, wildlife, street and indoors. Definitely looking for a better ISO performance and to use FX lenses that I have accumulated.</p>

<p>Just read the rumor that D700 is being phased out soon. I am guessing we have a bigger and a better one coming. Well...in time it has to. I could stretch upto 3K in budget. I am thinking there will certainly be something in the D700 league by October in the range of $3000. With may be 61 point focus and a 24MP may be....... in addition to better ISO and FX.</p>

<p>In a way if I see......it is always better to invest on lenses than bodies. So, I am wondering whether it is good to pick up a D700 tomorrow and may be a lens or a successor of D700 in Oct.</p>

<p>:-) Thank you for your suggestions!!</p>

<p>Here is my Wednesdays chick.....It was a nice warm early morning sun in the Everglades. This chick was in a naughty mood.....playing with its siblings. The lichens made the water look illusory..........she was so fast that it just plops in when I am about to click and appears else where. But luckily in the same area roughly. Ant then........Ahhh....I gotchya!! <br>

D80, 80-400 @ 400mm, ISO 400, f6.3, 1/1250 sec. <br>

Wow!! Some lovely pictures ye'all. <br>

:-) </p><div></div>

<p>Nikon D90, 28-85 f2.8-4 @f2.8, ISO 800, 1/400 sec. <br>

This one was in the Everglades, Arthur Marshall Wildlife Refuge......<br>

Great shots......Everyone. I enjoy this thread so much. </p><div></div>