mike_lockwood

Went to the local camera shop today and found a used Nikon 50mm F1.4 in very good shape for a decent price. I picked it up and have about 2 weeks to play with it. It feels alot nicer than my old 50mm F2 (before it was wrecked)... focus ring has a smoother feel to it. Thing I find about used lenses is that if you find one you like, get it before it's gone.

The thought of a Zeiss 50mm still makes me salivate, but this route is more cost effective. I'm also not entirely sure that it's wise in this economy to spend that much on a lens when it really is an unpaying hobby.

Thanks everyone, lots to consider. I don't make a living through photography, so a used lens would be the most cost

effective approach. However, I'd like to use this as an opportunity to upgrade from my current 50mm, which is an F2.

Finding used equipment is pretty much hit and miss, and I've heard some good things about the Zeiss, but the cost

compared to used is quite high (no surprise there). So do I want to spend more on a new lens (I've never bought a

new lens before) or do I want to wait until I find a good used lens. My 50mm is still useable, so there isn't a real rush.

I'm not interested in AF. I had an AF fail me shooting in a light snowfall once, and haven't considered AF since.

Guess I know how to hold a grudge! I find manually focusing an AF lens to be less than ideal, too.

Someone left my Nikon 50mm manual lens on the roof of my car and then drove off, only to watch it bounce down

the road into a ditch at about 50mph (I won't say who that was). So, I need a replacement for it. The body is heavily

damaged making focusing a bit difficult, though the glass is perfect and it still takes sharp images. I'm not interested

in an auto-focus lens, I only use older manual stuff from when I shot with F3's, so I figured I'd just hover around the

used case until I found a suitable replacement.

Then someone turned me onto Zeiss ZF lenses. I'm looking at a Planar T* 1,4/50 lens, very expensive, but supposed

to be superb build and top shelf glass. So I ask, is the quality of one of these worth the cost? I do not do any indoor

photography, FWIW, and I should mention I'm shooting with a D200 and planning on getting a D300 in the near (I

wish) future.

Thanks,

Mike