Nikon

Predictions > The new nikon D400

2011-06-07T18:44:00.003+03:00

As the new D3100, D5100 and D7000 sets the market the third generation for the nikon, it is already too late to replace the D300s by the fourth generation nikon D400 very soon. The delay is caused by the double disaster hit Japan in March 2011.

Going back to D400, here are what will you face (more or less)

D400 will be DX format as a legacy. (0.63 ratio)

8-9 fps (11-12 fps with the battery grip)

24.1 MP

Programmable U1 and U2 buttons as D7000 (not on dial)

A new LCD, 3" two fingered touch screen (wow)

1920x1080p AVC HD video

ISO 100-25.600 (Lo 1.0; ISO50 , Hi 2.0 ; ISO102.400)

2 CF card slots

Increased battery life for over 1000 shots

Possible announcement should be around September 2011, release March 2012

Extreme predictions : May have a GPS and/or wireless system onboard

Expected price tag will be around 2.600US$ USA.

Predictions > The new nikon D800 (or D700x)

2011-01-06T18:54:00.002+02:00

Shortly, the new nikon D800 should have the technical specs as follows:

FX format

4 fps (6 fps at DX mode)

24 MP CMOS as a reply tp Canon 5D Mark II.

Programmable U1 and U2 buttons as D7000 (not on dial)

A new LCD, 3" two fingered touch screen

51 AF Points

2.016 Segment RGB Metering as in D7000

1080p HD video (I hope there won't be any video)

ISO 50-12.800 (Hi 2.0 >51.200)

Two CF card slots

Possible release should be around December 2011

Expected price tag will be around 3.990US$.

PS: These are my instincts and predictions. My friends in japan did not whisper me anything :)

nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G Nano vs. nikon 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

2010-10-28T09:59:00.004+03:00

nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G N vs. nikon 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

Technical Comparisons:

1) Specs:

As barely seen, 24mm is 4 mm wider than the 28-70mm.
24-70mm (900 gr) is 35 grams lighter, which is not a big deal.
24-70mm has 2 more ED (Extra low dispertion) glass and one nano crystal coated glass which eleminates the ghosts and flares (inner reflections) much better.
24-70mm is 11 mm longer than the 28-70.
28-70mm has the aperture ring, which makes it usable with all the non cpu SLR cameras like old film cameras. Nikon removed all this apertures and made the new generation GELDED lenses.
24-70mm can focus 10 cm closer than 28-70mm. And it has better macro ratio (1:3,7).

2) Vignetting:

Fastest aperture : @2.8 > Both lenses has the same values (appx. 0,5 pixels) at wide angle. but at 70mm, 24-70mm has better value.
After f/2.8, the vignetting is not negligable for both lenses. No winner here...

3) Sharpness:

The 24-70mm f/2.8G N produces excellent results in the center, even at f/2.8. But the borders are not that good at fast (large) apertures as they are in center. As mentioned before, the field curvature is fairly visible at 24mm. If you go up to f/5.6, it is less visible. But if you are a building, flat object photographer, this lens may give you some headache with large apertures in wide angles. if the light is dim, you may go up to f/5.6 at higher iso's if you own a D90,D300s,D700 or D3 series. Field curvature is more visible in FX cameras and less in DX cameras because of the crop.
The 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED has appx. 5-10% less sharpness (higher at telephoto end) values in center like the 24-70mm. But in the borders, the values are almost same. As a positive side, 28-70 has no field curvature problem like 24-70mm has in wide angle and large apertures.

4) Distortions:

No winner here either. The distrotion level at widest angle is same, around 1% pincushion.
The distrotion level at 70mm is same, around 0,2-0,3% pincushion, which is field irrelevant.

5) Chromatic Abbreviations:

Here, we have an obvious winner, the 24-70mm, thanks to Nano Crystal coating. the purple fringing is almost around 1 pixel for the 28-700 mm at wide apertures, only the half at 24-70mm.

6) Price:

The 24-70mm f/2.8G N has a heavy price tag as itself weighs. Around 1.700 US$, not easy to touch with bare hands. With two major flaws;

Missing "VR" property on such a pricey and handy lens is a big loss.
Field curvature is also a major flaw for such high tech lens. Photographers who buy such a lens mostly have FX high end cameras and look for excellent quality. In the new series Nikon engineers may handle that.. i hope..

The 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED is discontinued and will be a classic soon. With 800-1.200 US$ second hand price, it is less hot than the 24-70mm.

7) General:

The bokeh is quite smooth on 24-70mm.
Both has a very fast focusing system, but the 24-70 has more silent and faster motor.
Both built quality is perfect. Feels real, not like the plastic kit lenses.

VERDICT :

For a little more wider angle, a little more sharpness and better chromatic abbreviation results, i do not think it worth to pay double of 28-70mm. For the same price, you may buy a 28-70mm + 20mm or 24mm f/2.8D and still have 400 bucks in my pocket. If nikon corrects this field curvature problem and add a VR on the lens, then i may highly recommend the 24-70mm. But, my poits go to 28-70mm this time...

Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G N ED > 8/10 Recommended

Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED > 8,5/10 Highly Recommended

For the obsessive–compulsive personality disorder photographers: Ok, do not change the order of 14-24mm , 24-70mm and 70-200mm series. 28-70mm does not fit your range, right.. Nothing to say for you.

D7000 D-SLR Camera Kit with Nikon 18-105mm DX VR Lens

2010-10-12T15:35:00.005+03:00

Photo from bhphoto website

The ones who are expecting the D95. This is it. Megapixel freaks. Here is your answer for semi pro Nikon. (Waiting for the same pixel increase on D700 and D300s asap please..)

It has 39 AF points , CMOS sensor, higher resolution with 16.2 MP DX digital crop sensor. Video resolution is 1080 p HD (somebody reminds me, is this a photo camera or video camera. The people looking for video shooting, get out of my site please, this is a photo camera/lens review website)

D7000 can not only work with DX / AF-S lenses but also, thanks to internal motor, with AF lenses too like D90.

ca.1500 US$ in the USA. and appx. 1400 Euro in EU zone.

Technical specs :
16.2 MP, DX format CMOS Sensor, Live View, ISO100-6400 + 25.600 (Hi2.0), 6 fps, 3.0" 921.000 dots LCD screen, 2016 pixel metering, D-Movie Mode, ultrasonic self cleaning sensor, min 1/4000 sec to max 30 sec (bulb also available)

Pro's:
Increased 2016 RGB metering system

39 AF points

2 SD Card slots (You may use one for Raw, other for jpg)

High ISO performance

High resolution

1080p HD movie (pfhhh)

AF possible during movie shooting (pfhhhh)

Built in interval shooting (for stop motion freaks)

Virtual horizon

Old AF and Ai lens compatibility

Silence shooting mode (wild life and paparazzi may like it)

Programmable U1 and U2 buttons on main dial

Con's:

I could not find any... As soon as i try one of this, i will write here. But it is a camera that break all the deals. If i do not own a D700 and a D5000, this may be my everyday camera for long years.

Highly Recommended (9/10)

My latest vitrine window

2010-03-06T11:24:00.003+02:00

Top shelf is only old nikon 35mm fim cameras. The one on the middle front is Nikonos IV-A with 35mm UW lens. On left side, nikon original BR-2 and filters.

Middle shelf left side is all for nikon and nikon compatible lenses. Some are:
nikon 20mm f/2.8D
nikon 35mm f/2.0D
nikon 50mm f/1.4D
nikon 85mm f/1.8D
nikon micro 105mm f/2.8D IF-ED Nano VR
nikon 180mm f/2.8D ED
nikon micro 200mm f/4.0D ED
nikon 17-55mm f/2.8D IF-ED
nikon 85mm f/4.0 enlarger lens

Middle shelf right side is various collectibles including Minolta, Kodak, Canon, Russian Zenit, Walz Envoy etc.

Buttom shelf is mixed, with flashes and old european and japanese cameras, point and shoot cameras like lubitar, konica, GOKO, agfa and kodak. Some filters, extension tubes, manuals too.

I will recieve a nikon FE and nikon fg-20 this week for the USA.

nikon D3S - a NOlight master?

2010-03-06T11:05:00.002+02:00

I have read about some tests in international magazines and they all agree on one thing:
The new D3S is a monster of darkness.. This camera is a beast for paparazzis, sport photographers, F1 journalists and most probably-spies :)

It has a -wow- 102.400 ISO limit, still with nikon's unexplainable method of h2.0 indication on the screen.

Just to remind what does 102.400 ISO means:
ISO 25 - Non of todays D-SLR's offer this speed. Need film or special production cameras.
ISO 50 - Some Canon's have it, but nikons have the same sharpness at higher ISO's with faster shutter speeds.
ISO 100 - Everybody is familiar with it. New nikon's with CMOS sensors indicate lo.1
ISO 200 - My studio speed
ISO 400 - Who see any differance between ISO200 and 400 on D300,D700 or D3 series?
ISO 800 - perfect for street candids, indoor shoots
ISO 1600 - superb results at nights witha little light, no noise on new cmos series of nikon.
ISO 3200 - this is the point where D300 and D90 meets with remarkable noise
ISO 6400 - it was a dream in 70's
ISO 12800 - who, what??
ISO 25600 - NASA used it..
ISO 51200 - is it the peak?
ISO 102400 - wooww, where is Canon, i can not see it? Too high here :D . 10 stops of differance between ISO100 and that. That means: If you were at ISO100 (or lo.1 at most new nikons) and Aperture priority, if you read 2 seconds, you need a good tripod to fix you on earth surface, but, when you set ISO to 102.400, you will have an amazing 1/500 seconds in the same light conditions, which means you can shoot while running..

Second best 10 lens of nikon

2010-03-06T11:02:00.001+02:00

After my top ten best lens of nikon list, a lot of my friends called me and critisied me about this and that lens should be in the list. So, i have made up a second best ten lens of nikon for you and them :)

Second best 10 list of Nikkor lenses:

11) Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 AI-S
12) Nikkor 105mm f/2.0 DC AF
13) Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF ED AF-S
14) Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Nano AF-S
15) Nikkor 180mm f/2.8D ED IF AF
16) Nikkor 500mm f/4D IF ED AF
17) Nikkor 24mm f/3.5 PC-E ED N
18) Nikkor 200mm f/2G ED IF AF-S VR
19) Nikkor Micro 60mm f/2.8D AF
20) Nikkor85cm f/1.4D IF AF

Top 10 lens of nikkor - Best ten lens of nikon

2010-02-23T21:56:00.006+02:00

This is my list of top 10 lenses nikon...

1) Nikkor 13mm f/5.6 AI-s (1976 -1998)
2) Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D AF (1978-today)
3) Nikkor 135mm f/2 DC AF (1990 - today)
4) Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED Nano AF-S (2007-today)
5) Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D AF (1994-today)
6) Nikkor 28mm f/1.4D AF (1994-2006)
7) Nikkor Micro 200 mm f/4.0D IF ED AF (1993-today)
8) Nikkor Micro 105mm f/2.8G IF ED AF-s Nano
9) Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 G IF-ED VR AF-S Nano
10) Nikkor-N 5cm f/1.1 (1956)

Comments:
1) Nikkor 13mm f/5.6 AI-s (1976 -1998)
This lens is one of the widest lens for a serial
production lens produced ever. Not only it is
extremely fast, it is also sharp. Also, it has very
small amount of barrel distortion and other flaws.
Only the flaw of this lens is it's availabilty.
If you can find one in e-bay or a garage sale
around you, spare some 10-20K dollars to have it.

2) Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D AF (1978-today)
This lens is in the list because of it's price
performance relation and extremely simple and light structure.
Very sharp and fast lens need to carry in your backpack..

3) Nikkor 135mm f/2 DC AF (1990 - today)
If you are a portrait addictive, this is the lens you have
to have. Very fast and sharp lens. Price is not very low but
robust body and Japan manufacturing make this lens one of
the "must have it before nikon stop manufacting it" lens.

4) Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED Nano AF-S (2007-today)
Selected best pro lens by TIPA last year, no need to discuss
this lens. Only two flaws of this lens: No filter mounting and high price.

5) Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D AF (1994-today)
Flawless lens of Nikon ever. It is much better than faster brother
85mm f/1.4 compared to prıce performance success.

6) Nikkor 28mm f/1.4D AF (1994-2006)
Fastest wide angle lens you can ever have. Not easy to find nowadays
after FX D-SLRs showed up in the market.

7) Nikkor Micro 200 mm f/4.0D IF ED AF (1993-today)
One of the longest telephoto macro in the market with a fast aperture
and very high resolution graphics. Some lateral CA's but not disturbing.
Steel and solid feel will be missed after the production stopped in few years.

8) Nikkor Micro 105mm f/2.8G IF ED AF-s Nano
Macro + portrait + low light shots + VR for handheld + nano coating..
Everything you need to have in one lens with very good resolution and CA results.

9) Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 G IF-ED VR AF-S Nano
Best solution for a fast sports and portrait and still life (street sneaker)
photographers. Expensive but worth it.

10) Nikkor-N 5cm f/1.1 (1956)
This is the lens every nikon collectioner must have in their locker..
50mm fastest lens of nikon ever made. dim light is like sun with this lens..
If you can find it..

Why the G lenses?

2010-02-20T12:20:00.005+02:00

Because, nobody uses the aperture ring with the new and modern D-SLR cameras? Yeah... Ok, but, the ones who own old film cameras of Nikon? Are they grounded forever? Do they have to dig in e-bay to find D type lenses?

(Correction made after José Luís 's warning, thx)
And.. What is the next step? I am afraid that they will remove the focus drive on the pro cameras within 10 years. They did it already on D60 and below cameras. If the nikon lens is not AF-S, and you own a beginner or medium range D-SLR like D3000 up to D60, you can not use these lenses.. I have 9 FX primes at the moment and only 2 of them are AF-S. The rest is with screw on them. So, what i want to know, what will be the future of these lenses? Do we have to keep our ex D series to use them 10 years from now on?

PS: Do not use the "D type AF lenses are slow to focus" card on me. Don't bite it..
PS2: As Ken Rockwell quoted: "G lenses are gelded lenses"
PS3: Please support Ken Rockwell against his fight against ABX8 8. He tries to survive via website with free of charge helping to us, photo lovers..

D5000 with nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens - NEW

2009-04-22T22:19:00.004+03:00

Simple and short explanation: Revised form of nikon D40.

It is heavier, have 11 AF points (D40 has had 3 only) , CMOS sensor, higher resolution with 12.0 MP , video and a foldable LCD screen (finally !)

But the price is heavier too...

But if you can not afford a D90, this may be a better solution. But do no forget, D5000 can work with DX / AF-S lenses only. It has no internal motor like D90.

Technical specs :

12.0 MP, DX format CMOS Sensor, Live View, ISO200-3200 or 100 (Lo1.0)-6.400 (Hi1.0), 4 fps, 2.7" 230.000 dots LCD screen, D-Movie Mode, 420 Segment RGM colour matrix, ultrasonic self cleaning sensor,11 point AF Area. min 1/4000 sec to max 30 sec (bulb also available)

Recommendations:
Wait... Wait for a while for the price goes down to reasonable levels. If you need to buy a DSLR urgently, add 20% more and buy a D90.
If you have a D40 and waiting for an upgrade, this may be your answer, but wait for several months for the price compensation..
If you have older Nikon lenses (AF lenses), you must go with D90. But if you have DX lenses , it is not a deal at all.

June 2010 >
I believe that the D5000 is one of the best entry level kit for enthusiastic beginners. Only be careful about the low resolution movie compared to rival Canon 500D. But, as this is a photo camera, please do not confuse with these marketing tricks of the rivals and buy a photo camera.

What is "Field Curvative"?

2008-11-08T20:15:00.003+02:00

Field curvature means the spherical shape of the focus field. Theoratically, we would assume that the depth of field (the sharpness zone dependent on the object magnification and focus distance) starts at some focus distance x in front of an focused object and ends at some distance y behind. The difference between x and y is called the depth-of-field.

In the real life there's no perfection though and the focus field can be rather distorted (as opposed to flat) with consequences for the depth of field. For sure this isn't overly field relevant but at the image borders the focus field turns inwards (towards you). In infinity focus situation this may cause some focus blur for distant object located at the edges of the image field. It is also relevant for flat objects.

Exaggerated sample :

nikon micro-nikkor AF-S 60mm f/2.8G ED-IF NANO

2008-11-08T18:36:00.004+02:00

Nikon Micro-Nikkor AF-S 60 mm f/2.8G ED IF Nano (2008 Release)

FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : This is a FX format lens, so you can both use them on typical SLR 35 mm cameras and D-SLRs. It is compatible with D40, D40x and D60.
Aperture: f/2.8 . Nine-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down to f/32
Optics: 12 elements in 9 groups. That includes one ED glass element (shown in yellow) and two aspherical elements shown in blue.

Closest Focus: 18.5 cm(0r 7.2 inches)
Macro Ratio: 1:1 (real Micro lens)
Filter size: 62mm
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Barrel-shaped HB-42 Bayonet Lens Hood Supplied
Dimensions: 73 mm(2.9") diameter. Extension from lens flange (length excluding rear mount extension) is 89 mm (3.5").
Weight: 425 grams (15 oz)

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
The Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G Nano is extereme sharp and silent lens. Build quality is excellent. Lens glass quality is very high and together with Extra-low Dispertion coating and Nano coating, all flares ang ghosts are successfully eleminated. According to IMATEST results, barrel distortion level is only 0,06% ,could be called as "DISTORTION FREE". Vignetting is seen moderately ay f/2.8, but after that, it is not field relevant. MTF Resolution results are very good, even excellent starting from widest aperture up to f/11. The results seen at f/22 and f/32 are quite soft, which is not a surprise. Chromatic Aberrations are higher than expected, could be called as a shame for a brand new lens in the market with Crystal Nano coating. CA's are 1.6 pixel down to 1 pixel respectively with aperturesettings starting from f/2.8 (1 pixel is limit)

It is a relatively cheap lens and not so heavy that can be also used for candid photography.

But, if you are shooting products not smaller than 20-30 cms, this lens is an excellent macro for you. I have faced some problems to shoot mugs with my 105mm VR as i need to move back to fit the mug in the frame.

PAY ATTENTION :
- This lens' weakest point is Chromatic Aberrations (blue/purple color shadows at harsh contrast transitions) which are around 1,4-1,0 pixel .

VERDICT : Very high sharpness (i was expecting better results, but it does not mean bad ofcourse) and macro abilities with very fast focusing makes this lens a desirable high budget fast macro lens in the market. But over limit CA's (could be deleted by new softwares and Nikon's built in processors) does not fit this prime lens. Recommended (8/10)

nikon micro-nikkor AF 200mm f/4.0D ED-IF

2008-11-08T17:59:00.005+02:00

nikon Micro-Nikkor AF 200 mm f/4.0D ED IF (1993 Release)

FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : This is a FX format lens, so you can both use them on typical Film SLR 35 mm cameras and D-SLRs. (fits all of digital nikon models except D40 , D40x and D60 )
Aperture: f/4.0 . Nine-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down to f/32
Optics: 13 elements in 8 groups. That includes two ED glass elements (shown in yellow below).

Closest Focus: 50 cm(0r 20 inches)
Macro Ratio: 1:1 (real Micro lens)
Filter size: 62mm
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Barrel-shaped screw-in type HN-30 Bayonet Lens Hood (optional). CL-45 flexible lens pouch supplied
Dimensions: 76 mm(3") diameter. Extension from lens flange (length excluding rear mount extension) is 193 mm (7.7").
Weight: 1.190 grams (42.3 oz)

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
The Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4D is very sharp lens with a very good build quality. According to IMATEST results, barrel distortion level is only 0,05% , not even negligible in lab conditions. Vignetting is almost non-exsistant, even at widest aperture setting of f/4.0.

MTF Resolution results are excellent (at f/4 to f/11). Chromatic Aberrations are increadibly low, even at lab. This lens shows no signs of lateral CA's. Exceptionally rare characteristics.
The focusing speed iseems very slow, if you do not switch off -very handy- "full" switch on the body, which starts from 0,50m to infinity. After "limit" switch, focusing become regular. There is no Silent Wave Motor on this lens. It uses old style -loud and slow- focusing motor.

For makro photographers, this lens is "the lens" you are looking for.

Frankly Suggestion : If your budget is not enough to buy this lens, my personal suggestion is to buy a Sigma 150mm f/2.8 Macro lens for only-macro-obsessed enthusiasts.

PAY ATTENTION :
- This lens' weakest point is being heavy and slow/loud focusing.
- Relatively high price and 1993 release pushes me twice before purchasing this lens. (But now I own it- February 2010). I believe that nikon will announce a new nikon 200mm nikkor-micro f/4G VR IF ED Nano in few years. But it will be a "G"elded lens and more plastic and Made in Thailand :( ... So, before being a classic, i recommend you own one if you can afford...

VERDICT : It is an expensive and a heavy lens but the build quality, sharpness and almost no CA's are excellent. This lens is indispensible for "more micro" searchers. Highly Recommended (9/10)

nikon mount budget sigma super telephoto zoom lenses

2008-11-08T15:50:00.002+02:00

There are two questions:

1) What is your purpose of buying a super telephoto zoom?
2) What is your budget?

If you want to shoot professionally birds or F1 racing cars, a zoom lens will not serves you appropiately. If you are shooting at hand, you need a lot of light and a fast aperture. Please check my comments for budget sigma lenses found in the market..

Sigma 50-500 mm f/4.0-6.3 EX DG HSM
1160 US$ > 1840 gr > 20 optics> optical quality 6,5
Pros:
Wide range covering from 50mm to 500mm
Cheap
Recommended for general purpose and tripod use

Cons:
Heavy
Very Slow
Not recommended for fast moving object shooting
Not good for handheld usage

************************************************

Sigma 100-300 mm f/4 EX DG HSM APO
1200 US$ > 1440 gr > 16 optics> optical quality 9,5

Pros:
Very fast aperture
Excellent quality of optics
Could be used at handheld
Recommended for sports and wildlife shooting
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED LENS

Cons:
Telephoto finishes at 300mm (could be used with 1.4x teleconverter > 420mm)

*******************************************

Sigma 150-500 mm f/5.0-6.3 OS HSM
979 US$ > 1910 gr > 21 optics> optical quality 6,5

Pros:
Telephoto upto 500mm
OS (Optical Stabilisation) - Sigma's VR
Not so expensive for a 500mm telephoto zoom with OS

Cons:
Very heavy (Because of OS)
Very Slow Aperture
Not recommended for fast moving object shooting like race cars and birds
Not so good for handheld although OS gives 2 stops advantage
Not so sharp optics

************************************************
Sigma 170-500 mm f/5.0-6.3 APO HSM

769 US$ > 1345 gr > 13 optics > optical quality 7,5

Pros:
Only for ultra long telephoto purposes
Very cheap
Lighter than its rivals
Reasonable optics

Cons:
Very Slow Aperture
Not recommended for fast moving object shooting , only tripod usage recommended
Not good for handheld usage

************************************************

Sigma 120-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG OS HSM
849 US$ > 1750 gr > 21 optics> optical quality 7

Pros:
OS (Optical Stabilisation) - Sigma's VR
Not so expensive for a 400mm telephoto zoom with OS

Cons:
Only upto 400mm
Quite heavy (Because of OS)
Very Slow Aperture
Not recommended for fast moving object shooting like race cars and birds
Not so good for handheld although OS gives 2 stops advantage

************************************************

Sigma 135-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG
NA as brand new > 1245 gr > 13 optics> optical quality 7

Pros:
Not so expensive for a 400mm telephoto zoom with OS
Light, can be used handheld under strong light

Cons:
Only upto 400mm
Quite loudy because of old style focus motor
Very Slow Aperture
Not recommended for fast moving object shooting like race cars and birds
Will be replaced with a new model soon

************************************************

Sigma 80-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 EX APO DG OS
999US$ > 1750 gr > 20 optics> optical quality 7,5

Pros:
OS (Optical Stabilisation)
Not so expensive for a 400mm telephoto zoom with OS
Wide covering range

Cons:
Only upto 400mm
Very heavy (Because of OS)
Very Slow Aperture
Not recommended for fast moving object shooting like race cars and birds
Not so good for handheld although OS gives 2 stops advantage
Loud focusing motor

D60 with nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens - 16-85mm vs 18-200mm

2008-10-02T12:43:00.008+03:00

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gearporn/2311682098/

Because of my business trips to Taiwan, i have a lot of chance to stop by photo shops. As the prices in Taiwan are considerable low - compared to Europe and just a little higher then BH Photo, i usually buy my lenses from Taiwan.

My collaguaes start to ask me to buy a camera and lens from Taiwan, and this trip, i have bought two nikon D-SLRs and two lenses.

The first one is a nikon D60 with nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens.

As a D300 owner, i usually use my "tourist lens" - nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR with my camera. But, since the 16-85mm VR has announced, a little bit wider 16-17mm made me itchy , and this time, i have cought the chance to try.

When i check my photos, i have seen that, i usually use 18-100mm range of my lense. +100mm rarely i have used. So, 16-85mm VR looks like a deal for me... Was it?...

When you compare the lens optical quality, 16-85mm VR is better than 18-200mm VR; by means of distortions and resolution. The distortions on 16-20mm is very well controlled. Chrommatic Abberrations are around 1 pixel level on the ultra wide end of the lens, also acceptable.

Lighter weight is also an advantage compared to 18-200mm VR, but not a big deal for a D300 owner as well.

Using the 16mm end of the lens gave me a lot of chance to compose my photos as i like and very few times i have missed my 18-200mm.

About D60:

After D300, this was like a mouse in my hand, but after a while, i have get used to it as a nikon user. But only 3 AF points, small screen, limited menu and slow recording speed made me feel strangled. But, D60 is a quite good camera, considering the price. Its simple LCD info screen, self cleaning image sensor, 10.1 MP CCD sensor make it a good starter D-SLR in the market.

OOOPPSSS:

Second day i try the 16-85mm VR, i have discovered some white dusts inside the 16-85mm VR lens. What is going on??

The weather in Taiwan is quite humid and hot, is it because of this? Can not be.. I have used lot of lenses here for weeks, even months, but nothing happened to any of them.

The scenery above ruinned my visit, because i was in HuaLien and there are no nikon dealers here and there is no way to go back to Kaohsiung to hand the lens and go back home with a D60 body only. I will try to do it from Turkey, but this is not the important part. How come a brand new lens get some dust inside the lens???

I will inform you in the future about the result and cause of this incident...

PS: 22 April 2009 > I still have these dusts inside the lens. Not effecting the quality of the picture but makes me sick... I am still waiting for my next trip to Taiwan...

NEW! nikon D90 released with a new kit lens

2008-09-05T17:34:00.008+03:00

"I can not afford a D300" , "I want to buy a CMOS sensor, semi-expert D-SLR" , "I do not want to buy a D80"

Here is your answer.

12.3 MP, DX format CMOS Sensor, Live View, ISO200-3200 or 100 (Lo1.0)-6.400 (Hi2.0), very low noise, 4.5fps, 3" LCD screen, D-Movie Mode, GPS Geo-tracking, 1005 RGB Matrix metering, in camera image editting, self cleaning sensor,11 point AF Area.

This camera is a revolution in Dxx series compared to all "CCD sensor"ed D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D70s and D80.

Another revolution for nikon D-SLR's is capability of recording 720 pixel HD movie clips. This may sound weird for SLR users, but do not be spider head and enjoy the fruits of technology. I believe you will not use this mode often, but in case of need, this will eleminates to carry to cameras for recording/photographing purposes. I would like to remind you that this mode will suck your battery to the bones for sure.

Power up is 0.15 second, which is faster than a blink of an eye.

Compared to D80, D90 has new advantages like:
3inch LCD screen (D80 has had a 2,5inch LCD screen)
Having Live View mode
Video capture speciality
12.3 MP sensor (D80 has had a 10MP)
50% faster shutter - 4,5 fps (D80 has had 3fps)
GPS Geo tagging (optional with GP-1 GPS unit)
HDMI
Better battery life
Upgraded software and in-camera properties

Are you still reading? C'mon... Leave your computer and get one asap...

(Price tag - body only 990 US$/Euro)

Not finished !!!
A new DX lens released together with the D90 too.
AF-S Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
I do not have any test or review note at the moment, but i may guess that it would be a cheap solution for zoom and kit lens seekers. My favorite is still 16-85mm VR and 18-200mm VR as a kit lens, but hope this one will have better results than this low-quality 18-135mm supplied together with D80's. But looking to price (300US$ in US), i may consider this lens as a regular kit lens with a plus only (VR) compared to 18-55mm and 18-70mm kit lenses...

Predictions > nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR ED Nano

2008-09-05T16:11:00.003+03:00

I have heard rumors about the new updated 70-200mm VR with Nano coating to be released in the fourth quarter of 2008. It is no surprise that nikon will upgrade all its Golden Series lenses together with all primes in a very near future. As they have started to do that with 600mm VR Nano, 500mm VR Nano, 14-24mm f/2.8G Nano, 24-70mm f/2.8G Nano and the next will be no surprise that 70-200mm f/2.8G VR Nano.

I am expecting nikon to release 50mm f/1.4 Nano, 85mm f/1.4 Nano soon. After these admiral primes, the next step will be Ultra Wide Angle Primes which have considerably level of chromatic abberrations. ED was a good solution in the past, but it is time for Nano Crystal Coating now...

As you all know, 70-200mm VR has very high levels of resolution values, very low vignetting but some CA's which do not fit such a high level lens. With nano crystal coating, it will be a flawless lens like its brothers 14-24mm and 24-70mm's.

For small budget nikoners, wait a while, you will see "OLD" 70-200mm VR's very soon in the second hand market with lower prices.

Expected price tag of the new nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR Nano will be around 1700US$/Euro

Predictions > nikon D400

2008-08-09T15:30:00.005+03:00

Everybody asking me about , what will happen when the new D400 released. Nothing. As nothing happened they released D200 over D100 and D300 over D200. At the moment, a lot of D200 users are not able to buy a new D300 and waiting for the price drop down and second hand market.

Going back to D400, here are what will you face (more or less)

D400 will be FX format with a FX sensor inside. DX lenses will be recognized automatically.

5 fps at FX, 6,5 fps at DX format.

16 MP in FX, 6.9MP at DX format.

A new LCD, with 3,5" two fingered touch screen (wow)

1080p HD video is also possible.

Possible release will be May 2009

Extreme predictions : May have a GPS and wireless system onboard

Expected price tag will be around 3500US$/Euro

Buying a second hand nikon ?

2008-08-09T15:19:00.003+03:00

If you are buying a second hand lens for your nikon - nikonos - nikkormat camera and not sure about its orginality, you may take a look below website for all original serial number lists :
Nikon Lens Serial No's

Lens Review - Nikon AF Nikkor 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED

2008-08-09T13:48:00.005+03:00

nikon nikkor AF 180 mm f/2.8D IF-ED (1994 Release)

FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : This is a FX format lens, so you can both use them on typical SLR 35 mm cameras and D-SLRs. But on a D-SLR camera, it will effect like 270 mm.
Aperture: f/2.8 . Nine-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down to f/22
Optics: 8 elements in 6 groups. 1 ED glass element.
Closest Focus: 1.5 m(5 feet)
Macro Ratio: 1:6.6
Filter size: 72mm Non-rotating, Internal Focusing
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Barrel shaped, Bayonet Lens Hood . Lether Lens (CL38S)case is included.
Dimensions: 79 mm diameter. Length is 144 mm.
Weight: 760 grams

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
The Nikkor 180mm f/2.8D is extereme sharp with showing NO flaws. Build quality is excellent. Lens glass quality is very high. According to IMATEST results, pinchusion distortion is only 0,3% , not negligible in field conditions. Vignetting is almost non-exsist. You may shoot without worrying even at widest aperture setting of f/2.8. MTF Resolution results are excellent starting from f/2.8 reachest peak values at f/5.6. Chromatic Aberrations are not field relevant. (limit is 1 pixel, test results do not exceed 0,64 pixel)

180mm f/2.8D is a very good lens for outdoor portraits and wildlife photography. Some may consider to buy a 70-200mm f/2.8 VR or 80-200mm f/2.8 instead when price is considered. But the weight is an advantage for this lens for hendheld shoots.
PAY ATTENTION :
- Not so fast Auto Focus (but not slow for sure!)

- Be careful about second hands. There is no lens in the back side of the lens to protect the diaphragm blades. They may be filthy !!

VERDICT : It is not a cheap lens. I may recommend 80-200mm f/2.8 instead if you are not a prime lens addictited. All test result are almost excellent. It is compact telephoto lens with good performance. Recommended (8/10)

MY SAMPLE SHOTS :

What does PC-Nikkor means ?

2008-08-08T18:09:00.004+03:00

PC-Nikkor means a lense which features a Perspective Control ability, to be more clear, they are wide-angle lenses with extended film plane covering ability. These lenses are used to cover large rectangular subjects, for i.e., a tall building, the photographer has to tilt his camera upwards to include the top of the structure; generally, the resulting image portrays in the photograph will have walls of the building appear to converge, as if the building were falling over backwards. With the PC Nikkor lenses, you may correct this convergness.

Technically, there is an other trick to minimize effect of converging perspectives.By using a wideangle lense, you shoot the subject in the middle but you have to compromise with a loss of useful negative space with inclusion of large unwanted foreground in the photo while cropping to eliminate undesirable elements in a wide-angle negative. With the new D-SLR crop factor 1,5x cameras, you will have less problem.

Pic No:1 > CONVERGED

Pic No:2 > CORRECTED

nikon D90 D-SLR > Is it a speculation or truth?

2008-08-08T18:09:00.003+03:00

Altough a a lot of bloggers consider this is a big baloon, i will use my sixth sense and share my prediction:
First of all , nikon's tradition will change about two digit models use CCD sensors. As you all know, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D70s, D80 uses CCD sensors.
D90 will have a new developed Sony CMOS sensor, with 12.3 MP. Speed will be 3-3.5 fps different from D300. This will be an answer to Canon 450D for sure.

For latest news, check latest nikon releases , USA.

How to Create Such a Photo?

2008-07-15T14:13:00.002+03:00

Simple steps:

1) All of your camera settings must be MANUAL.. No exceptions !
- Focus
- White Balance Setting
- ISO
- Exposure Mode (M)

2) You ust use a tripod

3) Use a remote shutter or cable shutter. If you do not have these, shoot with 5 sec delay to avoid camera shakes.

4) Spend long time with preperation, less time with shooting as the light conditions will change.

5) Take a shot without the model for fixings

The rest is simple, put them together on PhotoShop.
This is our next lesson :)

NEW Nikon D700 FX Released

2008-07-15T13:40:00.001+03:00

D3 dreamers!!! Here is your answer for a relatively low cost new FX model of nikon.This is a good answer to famous expert canon 5D. If you were walking on the edge of buying a full frame but do not want to give up your nikon lenses, here is your solution.
12.1 MP, CMOS censor, up to 25.600 ISO (Hi2.0), extra low noise, 5fps, 3" LCD screen, 51 Point AF, 1005 RGB Matrix metering and FULL FRAME D-SLR.
If you also have DX lenses, do not worry. D700 automotically recognizes the DX lens and crops the frame to 1,5x and get a 6.1MP resolution with your DX lenses.(Hey, if you say this is stupid, why are you looking for a full frame with your DX lenses, go and buy a D300 then)
Some new pics of D700 FX.
Enjoy it...
(Price around 3.000 US$/Euro)

Links

2008-07-03T19:10:00.006+03:00

For the newest innovations and releases in the market:
http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/index.html

Biggest photo shopping center with the best prices:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

Can not beat me, but OK :) ... For SLR and accessories tests:
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/index.php

For nikon fans... THe history of nikon :
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/htmls/

Official web site of nikon :
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/index.htm

My favorite web site for real reviews :
http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/overview

Lets earn some real money :
http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php

What else shots do the world take?
http://www.deviantart.com/

Exhibitions

2008-05-25T23:38:00.005+03:00

5th of May 2008, exhibition of "..and the eyes said "SEE!"

24th of December 2007, "Ezogelin Soup" Mixed Exhibition

I have attended two exhibitions during the last 5 months. Had a lot of chance to meet new enthusiasts of photo art. I have sold some photos too, imoprtant for me, not for earning my life but as an honour :)

I have a show two weeks ago, at an club in Izmir with 25 spectators. During the 1 hour show, some photo experts made me sweat with their classified questions. It was hard but enertaining for me to reply all and have applause in the ned of the night :)

See you soon with some D300 reviews...

Lens Review - nikon AF nikkor 20mm f/2.8D

2008-05-25T23:02:00.006+03:00

nikon nikkor AF 20 mm f/2.8D (1994 Release) FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : This is a Ultra Wide FX format lens, so you can both use them on typical SLR 35 mm cameras and D-SLRs. But on a D-SLR camera, it will effect like 30mm.
Aperture: f/2.8 . Seven-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down to f/22
Optics: 12 elements in 9 groups. No ED glass elements or aspherical elements.
Closest Focus: 25 cm(0r 10 inches)
Macro Ratio: 1:8.3
Filter size: 62mm Non-rotating
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Barrel shaped, plastic HB-4 Bayonet Lens Hood (optional) . CL-30S Lens case is optional.
Dimensions: 69 mm diameter. Length is 43 mm.
Weight: 270 grams MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
The Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 is quite sharp but equipped with some flaws. According to IMATEST results, barrel distortion is 2,3% , very high for field conditions. Vignetting is also high at widest aperture, but not field relevant after f/4. MTF Resolution results are excellent starting from f/4. Chromatic Aberrations are field relevant. (limit is 1 pixel, test results are around 2 pixel)

PAY ATTENTION :
- Very high barrel distortion for a fixed focal length lens.

- Very high CA's for a prime lens.

- A good lens in the film era, but not good for D-SLR's

VERDICT : It is not a cheap lens with a lot of flaws. It's compact and lightweight design can be attractive only.. Recommended (7/10)

MY SAMPLE SHOTS :

Lens Review - nikon AF nikkor 35mm f/2.0D

2008-05-25T22:28:00.006+03:00

nikon nikkor AF 35 mm f/2.0D (1995 Release) FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : This is a FX format lens, so you can both use them on typical SLR 35 mm cameras and D-SLRs. But on a D-SLR camera, it will effect like 52,5mm.
Aperture: f/2,0 . Seven-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down to f/22
Optics: 6 elements in 5 groups. No ED glass elements or aspherical elements.
Closest Focus: 25 cm(0r 10 inches)
Macro Ratio: 1:4.2
Filter size: 52mm Non-rotating
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Barrel shaped, screw-in metal HN-3 Bayonet Lens Hood (not incl.) . Lens case is optional.
Dimensions: 65 mm diameter. Length is 45 mm.
Weight: 205 grams

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
The Nikkor 35mm f/2.0 is showing excellent sharpness. Build quality is excellent. According to IMATEST results, barrel distortion is only 0,64% , modorate. Vignetting is almost non-exsistant after 2 stop rule. At f/4, vignetting is not negligible. MTF Resolution results are excellent starting from f/2. Chromatic Aberrations are not field relevant. (limit is 1 pixel, test results are 0,4-0,8 pixel) .f/4 is the sweet point of this lens for sure.

35mm f/2.0 is a very good lens for outdoor candids. Unbelievablely light lens to carry, a monster for AF focus speed. Closesest focus length 25cm is good for detail photographers. I f you do not like to carry heavy equipment, this is your lens.

PAY ATTENTION :
- Has one serious and fatal design flaw that Nikon claims to have fixed as of June 2001 . Lenses produced earlier than this date, have lubricant leakage onto the diaphragm blades. Many of these lenses work without any problem with the lubricant on the diaphragm blades, but may be a disaster for detail obsessives like me :)

- Be careful if you are buying a second hand 35mm f/2D. Check the blades carefully.

VERDICT : It is a very cheap and lightweight lens with very good test results.

Highly Recommended (9/10)

MY SAMPLE SHOTS :

Megapixel Wars

2008-03-20T21:39:00.005+02:00

It is still confusing... Is megapixel everything?

Megapixel comes with dpi (dots per inch). Megapixel is an unit to measure how many pixels per width and length is a photograph. It determines print size !!! that's it.

An example: If a photo is 600 by 800 pixels, it is 600x800=480.000 pixels which is called 0,5 megapixel photo. This size photo can not be printed on a 9x13 paper without any magnifiny on the photo which shows corners of pixel dots.

Megapixel does not show the quality or sharpness of a photo. It only shows how big is the picture...

Picture quality depends on processor, sensor, lens...

If you buy a 3 mp compact camera and think that it will shoot better photos then a small fine jpeg shot (appx 2.5 megapixel) of an D200, you are far beyond reality.

Here are some charts to understand better.

Lens Review - nikon AF nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

2008-03-01T11:43:00.006+02:00

nikon nikkor AF 50 mm f/1.4D (1995 Release) FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : This is a FX format lens, so you can both use them on typical SLR 35 mm cameras and D-SLRs. But on a D-SLR camera, it will effect like 75mm.
Aperture: f/1.4 . Seven-bladed diaphragm stopping down to f/16
Optics: 7 elements in 6 groups. No ED glass elements or aspherical elements.
Closest Focus: 45 cm

Macro Ratio: 1:6.8
Filter size: 52mm Non-rotating
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, HR-2 Lens Hood optional . CL-30S Lens case is optional.
Dimensions: 64.5 mm diameter. Length is 42.5 mm.
Weight: 230 grams

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
The Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 has a small barrel distortion of 0,50% , relatively high but nothing to worry in field conditions. Vignetting is very well controlled even at widest aperture setting of f/1.4. At f/2.8, vignetting is negligible. MTF Resolution results are excellent between f/2.8 - f/8. At wide apertures, center resolution id very good, but extreme borders are soft. Chromatic Aberrations are very well controlled. only at f/5.6-8 increases but still not field relevant.

PAY ATTENTION :
- Lens hood is optional.

- Lens has not silent motor, maybe disturbing

- Length change during focusing is annoying

- Corner resolutions are low at widest apertures

VERDICT : It is a lens you must carry in your bag for no light conditions. At least i do so. It has small defects but still an indispensible lens you have to carry in your lowepro. Highly Recommended (9/10)

MY SAMPLE SHOTS :

Lens Review - nikon AF nikkor 85mm f/1.8D

2008-02-29T22:45:00.005+02:00

nikon nikkor AF 85 mm f/1.8D (1994 Release) FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : This is a FX format lens, so you can both use them on typical SLR 35 mm cameras and D-SLRs. But on a D-SLR camera, it will effect like 127,5mm.
Aperture: f/1.8 . Nine-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down to f/16
Optics: 6 elements in 6 groups. No ED glass elements or aspherical elements.
Closest Focus: 85 cm(0r 12 inches)
Macro Ratio: 1:9.2
Filter size: 62mm Non-rotating, Rear Focusing
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Barrel shaped, screw-in metal HN-23 Bayonet Lens Hood . CL-15S Lens case is optional.
Dimensions: 71.5 mm diameter. Length is 58.5 mm.
Weight: 380 grams

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
The Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 is extereme sharp with showing NO flaws. Build quality is excellent. Lens glass quality is very high. According to IMATEST results, barrel distortion is only 0,03% , also not negligible in lab conditions. Vignetting is almost non-exsist, even at widest aperture setting of f/1.8. MTF Resolution results are excellent starting from f/1.8. Chromatic Aberrations are not field relevant. (limit is 1 pixel, test results are 0,2 pixel)

85mm f/1.8 is a very good lens for indooe and outdoor portraits. Portrait photographers, this lens is "the lens" you must keep in your backpack.

PAY ATTENTION :
- Screw-in metal lens hood is not so easy to use.

VERDICT : It is a cheap lens with very well build quality, all test result are excellent. It is a flawless lens with lightweight and compact design. Highly Recommended (10/10)

MY SAMPLE SHOTS :

Lens Review - Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G II DX ED

2008-02-29T12:27:00.005+02:00

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G II DX ED(2006 Release) FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : 18-55mm focal range (3.1x zoom) for use in a popular range of focal length with compact and light weight. (equivalent to a 27-82.5mm lens in the 35mm format)
Aperture: f/3.5 at 18 mm, f/5.6 at 55mm. Seven-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down f/22 (18 mm) to f/38 (55 mm)
Optics: 7 elements in 5 groups. That includes one ED glass element (shown in yellow) and one aspherical element shown in blue.
Closest Focus: 28 cm(0r 1.0 feet) throughout the entire zoom range.
Macro Ratio: 1:3.2
Filter size: 52mm - rotating
Accesories: Only rear/front lens caps. Barrel-shaped HB-33 Bayonet Lens Hood NOT INCLUDED !!! .
CL-0715 Flexiable Lens pouch NOT INCLUDED !!!
Dimensions: 70.5 mm diameter. 74 mm length.
Weight: 205 grams

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
I have tried this lens for a week on my friend's D80 in Taiwan. It came as a kit lens. Frankly speaking, this lens' resolution surprised me during all the short time i use. But, its rotating front unit stuck me to use it with joy.

Wide angle has a lot of barrel distortion. At wide open aperture, this lens has a lot of vignetting and Chromattic Aberrations. But, but, but... This II version of 18-55mm is quite high resolution graphs even at slowest apertures... Very hard to believe !!

I may recommend this lens only for those with very tight budget. But, this lens will answer your resolution needs perfectly if you do not care about barrelling affect and vignetting at slow apertures.

PAY ATTENTION :
- No focus scala. Might be confusing for the ones who are used to or working manual focus usually. At 18mm, there is quite high positive barrel distortion
- This lens' weakest point is this: Resolution loss in the extreme corners at wide apertures. But, the resolution is EXCELLENT at the center.
- Vignetting is seen only at widest apertures at 18mm, rest is very good.
- Chromatic Aberrations are exceeding 1 pixel limit, even 1,5 pixel. Only 55mm end has no problem. Trouble...

VERDICT : If your bugdet is very very tight, this lens will not let you down. But after a while, you will start to feel the need of an upgrade. Mechanical quality is week and too much plastic feels poor. Among the low budget kit lenss, this lens has the highest point by means of price/performance graphics. NOT Recommended (6,5/10)

MY SAMPLE SHOTS :

Lens Review - Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G DX ED IF

2008-02-24T22:03:00.007+02:00

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6G DX ED IF (2006 Release)

FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : 18-135mm focal range (7.5x zoom) for use in a wide variety of situations (Better than all exsisting kit lenses starts with 18-xx , except 18-200mm VR) (equivalent to a 27-202.5mm lens in the 35mm format)
Aperture: f/3.5 at 18 mm, f/5.6 at 135mm. Seven-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down f/22 (18 mm) to f/38 (135 mm)
Optics: 15 elements in 13 groups. That includes one ED glass element (shown in yellow) and two aspherical elements shown in blue.
Closest Focus: 45 cm(0r 1.5 feet) throughout the entire zoom range.
Macro Ratio: 1:4.1
Filter size: 67mm Non rotating
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Flower-shapedHB-32 Bayonet Lens Hood . CL-0915 Flexiable Lens pouch
Dimensions: 73.5 mm(2.9") diameter. 86.5 mm (3.4") length.
Weight: 385 grams (13.5 oz)

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
Just used this lens for a very short time as a kit lens on my first digital Nikon, D80 , did not like the resolution at all. This is my least liked Nikon lens used ever after 18-55mm DX...

If you are a street candid photographer or journalist with a very tight bugdet and this lens came as an occasion to you, 18-135mm may answer your needs.

Very simple : This lens need a VR II on it.

Smooth bokehs on shallow depth of field conditions like portraits.

PAY ATTENTION :
- No focus scala. Might be confusing for the ones who are used to or working manual focus usually. At 18mm, there is quite hefty (3,3%) positive barrel distortion
- This lens' weakest point is this: Extreme vignetting and resolution loss in the corners. Resolution is good at the center.
- Vignetting is seen on widest apertures and wide angles, but 2 stop formula will erase that problem too.
- Chromatic Aberrations are exceeding 1 pixel limit, suffering from purple fringing.

VERDICT : If the bugdet is only thing you are after, this lens may be a solution with 7.5x zoom. But, save some more for a 18-200mm VR. NOT Recommended (6/10)

MY SAMPLE SHOTS :

Lens Review - Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G DX ED VR

2008-02-24T21:23:00.005+02:00

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 16-85 mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF VR (2008 Release)

FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : This is a DX format lens, so you can use this on only APS-C crop factor D-SLRs. (Also can be used with D3 at "crop mode only for 5 megapixels) Picture angle is equivalent to focal length of 24 to 127.5mm in the 35mm format.
Aperture: f/3.8 at 16mm , 5.6 at 85mm. Seven-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down to f/22 at 16mm and f/36 at 85mm.
Optics: 17 elements in 11 groups. That includes two ED glass elements (shown in yellow) and three aspherical elements shown in blue.
Closest Focus: 38 cm(0r 1.3 feet)
Macro Ratio: 1:4.6
Filter size: 67 mm (no rotation)
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Petal-shapedHB-39 Bayonet Lens Hood . CL-1015 Flexiable Lens pouch
Dimensions: 72 mm(28.3 inches) diameter. Extension from lens flange (length excluding rear mount extension) is 85 mm (33.5 inches).
Weight: 485 grams (17.1 oz)

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
Not a surprise, this lens has the new VR II as all new Nikkor lenses. With ED and Aspherical elements, its resolution is respectfully high.

This new lens covers the ultra wide angle need and portrait angle need for the 18-35 , 18-55 and 18-70mm kit lens owners. For those who seek for a a little bit more, this lens provides a much more for a little bit bucks.

There is a M/A switch on the body for who do not like to look for the body switch every time.

Actually, i was questioning all these times, why Nikon engineers do not reply to Canon's 16-xx series lenses, and here they are. Congrulations.

Now i am seeking for a Nikon Zoom DX 16-35 mm f/4 ED VR something... C'mon Nikon engineers...

PAY ATTENTION :
- The people who are used to 18-200mm VR may feel the lack of +85 mm. But the optic quality of this lens is better then 17-55mm DX f/2.8G and 18-200mm DX f/4-5.6G VR.

VERDICT : It will be the new "tourist lens" of the new Nikon DX owners who are looking for a budget. Optic quality is very high and +2mm wide angle comes more handy together with VR. Recommended (8/10)

BEST FOR :
Nikon D3100, Nikon D5000, Nikon D90, Nikon D7000, Nikon D300s

Lens Review - Micro-Nikkor AF-S 105mm f/2.8G ED IF VR Nano

2008-02-20T22:58:00.000+02:00

Nikon Micro-Nikkor AF-S 105 mm f/2.8G ED IF VR Nano

FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : This is a FX format lens, so you can both use them on typical SLR 35 mm cameras and D-SLRs.
Aperture: f/2.8 . Nine-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down to f/32
Optics: 14 elements in 12 groups. That includes two ED glass elements (shown in yellow) and three aspherical elements shown in blue.

Closest Focus: 31 cm(0r 12 inches)
Macro Ratio: 1:1 (real Micro lens)
Filter size: 62mm
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Petal-shapedHB-38 Bayonet Lens Hood . CL-1020 Lens pouch (artificial suede)
Dimensions: 83 mm(3.3") diameter. Extension from lens flange (length excluding rear mount extension) is 116 mm (4.5").
Weight: 790 grams (27.9 oz)

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
The Micro-Nikkor 105mm VR is extereme sharp and silent lens. Build quality is excellent. Lens glass quality is very high and together with Extra-low Dispertion coating and Nano coating, all flares ang ghosts are successfully eleminated. According to IMATEST results, barrel distortion level is only 0,18% , not negligible in field. Vignetting is almost non-exsist, even at widest aperture setting of f/2.8. MTF Resolution results are over the test limits, which is amazing (at f/4 and f/5.6). Unexpectedly, Chromatic Aberrations are increasing as the apperture slows down. Even though, not field relevant. (it is below 1 pixel limit)

If you are a street candid photographer, 105mm VR is a good lens for dawn hunters (even at night) who doesn't like to carry a tripod with it's wide aperture and almost 4 stop advantage VR.

For portrait photographers, this lens is "the lens" you are looking for.

If you own a 18-200mm VR, it may seem unnecessary to own this lens. Who says so? What about the Micro spec you will have in your pocket? I must say that for micro shooters, do not forget to shut off the VR and auto focus. It is a pleasure to adjust the focus with the sensitive focus ring down to 31 cm. (But my personal suggestion is to buy a Sigma 150mm f/2.8 Macro lens for only-macro-obsessed enthusiasts)

PAY ATTENTION :
- This lens' weakest point is this: During macro, auto focus and VR do not work in harmony. VR is looking for your hand movements and very shallow depth of field changes furing this movement as the fast SWM focus trys to fast focus on the subject. Not a headache for me, just shot of VR for extreme macros and the problem solved. But this small detail does not suit to Nikon quality.
- Chromatic Aberrations (blue/purple color shadows at harsh contrast transitions) are around 1 pixel limit. Increases as the aperture slows down.. Interesting!!!. ED and Nano works here...

- 105mm VR is a "G" type lens and has no aperture ring on the body so old film cameras can not use it. Also Pn-11 owners can not use this extention tube. D40 and D40x owners can use this lens.

VERDICT : It is not a cheap lens but the build quality, sharpness and all other test result are excellent. Only autofocus may be a little problem in micro mode when used together with VR. Highly Recommended (9/10)

MY SAMPLE SHOTS :

Lens Review - Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D ED IF

2008-02-20T21:06:00.001+02:00

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70 mm f/2.8D ED IF
FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : This lens is a FX format lens and could be both used on film cameras and new D-SLR cameras. When you use it on a APS-C format digital camera it is equavilent to a 42 - 105 mm lens on a typical SLR 35 mm camera. (D3 will have the same result of 28-70mm with this lens as it is FX format)
Aperture: This lens has a fix fast aperture on all range at f/2.8 . It's 9 bladed rounded diaphragm stops down to f/22. Almost full round sphere gives you excellent bokehs.
Optics: 15 elements in 11 groups. That includes two ED glass elements (shown in yellow) and one aspherical elements shown in blue. Internal Focus and Distance information are other properties.
Closest Focus: 50 cm(0r 20 inches) at 70mm.
Macro Ratio: 1:5.6
Filter size: 77mm
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Flower-shapedHB-19 Bayonet Lens Hood . CL-74 Hard Case Lens Case
Dimensions: 89 mm(3.5") diameter. Extension from lens flange is 122 mm (4.9")
Weight: 935 grams (33.0 oz)

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
The Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8 works perfectly on my D200 for over one year. This lens was my lifesaver lens for every light condition. Even at widest apertures, this lens has almost perfect results of sharpness. At f/4 and f/5.6, this lens is perfect. This may sound a little bit exaggeration for you, but as a 28-70 f/2.8 user, i have heard a lot of times words of praises from my jelous photographer friends.

If you need to seperate backgroung from your subject, this lens is created to give you full satisfy in this field.
If you are a street candid photographer or journalist, 28-70mm is not your lens, if you are not body builder. This lens is really heavy, together with my MB-D200 battery grip, extra EN-EL3e battery and SB-800 flash, total weight is almost 3.5 kgs, a new born baby weight.

I may recommend this lens for studio photographers, who like to work with prime lenses but tired of changing lenses. This lens is all you need for.

IF Internal Focus and SWM Silent Wave Motor works extreme fast. One of my friend has a nickname for this lens: Hyperactive lens... From 0,5m to infinite and back take less than a second to scan. If you get used to autofocus of this lens, all others will be slow motion for you.

(Addition,2010 October): After some complain from the viewers, i have compared the sound level with the new 24-70mm and heard the difference is not really bothering. But the min and max focal length points has a tiny "Glock" noise. But it is not a fly in the soup for me...

Build quality is really Golden Series. No cons.

PAY ATTENTION :
- At long end of the lens, 40-70mm, there is significant chromatic abberrations(appx. 1 pixel) . f/8 or slower, not field relevant.

- At 28mm, a slight positive barrel distortion could be seen. Not to worry.
- This lens' weakest point is this: Heavy, heavy and very heavy. Also some may complain about not covering popular range like 16-28mm and 70-105mm.
- Very very expensive lens. Golden Series means "GOLD COVERED?"

VERDICT : This lens is perfect for 35mm cameras and D700,D3,D3s and D3x. But not for APS-C D-SLRs. Narrow and not so popular 42-105 mm neutralises all positive properties like fast and fixed aperture and excellent build quality. It is quite expensive for amateurs. If you do not have a muscled body to carry a baby all the day around your neck, this lens is not for you. For the ones looking for extra sharpness and low light efficiency, this is your lens. Recommended (8,5/10)

MY SAMPLE SHOTS :

Lens Review - Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G DX ED IF VR

2008-02-18T23:16:00.000+02:00

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6G DX ED IF VR

FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS

Focal Length : As beeing a DX format , digital crop lens, it is equavilent to a 28 - 300 mm lens on a typical SLR 35 mm camera.
Aperture: f/3.5 at 18 mm, f/5.6 at 200 mm. Seven-bladed rounded diaphragm stopping down f/22 (18 mm) to f/36 (200 mm)
Optics: 16 elements in 12 groups. That includes two ED glass elements (shown in yellow) and three aspherical elements shown in blue. The VR group is inside the red box.
Closest Focus: 50 cm(0r 20 inches) throughout the entire zoom range.
Macro Ratio: 1:4.5
Filter size: 72mm
Accesories: Lens rear/front caps, Flower-shapedHB-35 Bayonet Lens Hood . CL-1018 Lens pouch (artificial suede)
Dimensions: 77 mm(3.0") diameter. Extension from lens flange (length excluding rear mount extension) is 96.5 mm (3.8") 18mm and 162 mm (6.4") zoomed out to 200 mm.
Weight: 560 grams (19.8 oz)

MY REVIEW ABOUT THIS LENS
The Nikkor 18-200mm VR works perfectly on my D200. But, as the lens is a little bit weak on widest apertures, it needs minimum 2 stops closer aperture for getting sharper results. This may not sound as a problem for many of you, but as a 28-70 f/2.8 user, i am not used to shot my street candids with f/8 aperture. f/8 means less light, and i do not like to work on strong daylight, i prefer sunset time, i had a trouble with 18-200mm. Some will say, VR will handle this problem but 1/8 , 1/4 sec shutter speed could be handled by the VR II, but the time is so long that my subjects became more blur than i need to.

I may hear you say, why don't you increase the ISO than... But the CCD sensored D200 does not like high ISO levels like 400 and above, so this was not an option for me.

Since i have bought my D300 in January 2008, i can work noiseless on ISO1600, getting 1/30 in the same light conditions and voila!

If you are a street candid photographer or journalist, 18-200mm is your lens, but if you care about the noise too much, than your camera must be a CMOS sensored D300 or whatsoever in the near future ( Nikon D90 maybe )

If you own a 18-200, it may be the lens all you need for. No more camel huntch camera bags! For my businees and touristic trips, D300 and 18-200mm is all i need. I am also getting my MB-D10 battery grip with a full battery and no need to carry charger. (only if i was not travveling over 3 days or a cold country)

VR II obsoletes tripods if you are not a scenary or night photographer. Believe me, do not fight with technology, VR is really handy and makes your pics sharper.

18-200mm VR has also other properties like Micro-like with a very high close-up ability. It can never replace a micro lens but useful when needed. For street candids, 120-200mm range covers all hidden shot necessities.

PAY ATTENTION :
- At 18mm, there is quite high (4,1%) positive barrel distortion which is a headache for structure photographers.
- At 200mm, the sharpness decreases in the corners and a little in the center, but not a big deal. Only if you are a wild life photographer, this may be effective.
- This lens' weakest point is this: Not so good at widest apertures. If you go 2 stop slower apertures, this problem will be out of league.
- Vignetting is seen on widest apertures and wide angles, but 2 stop formula will erase that problem too.
- Chromatic Aberrations are around1 pixel limit, even at widest apertures. ED works here...

VERDICT : It pays every penny you pay. If you do not like to carry a truckful of GOLDEN Series lenses, tripod; this lens is all you may need in one shot. For the ones looking for extra sharpness and low light efficiency, do not fool aroun in that page. Recommended (8/10)

MY SAMPLE SHOTS :

New Generation Nikon Lenses

2008-02-18T22:05:00.002+02:00

My New Generation Nikon Lenses List:
Prime Lenses
Nikon Nikkor AF 20mm f/2.8D
Nikon Nikkor AF 35mm f/2D
Nikon Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.4D
Nikon Nikkor AF 85mm f/1.8D
Nikon Nikkor AF-S 105mm VR Micro f/2.8G IF-ED Nano
Nikon Nikkor AF 180mm ED f/2.8D

Zoom Lenses
Nikon Nikkor AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D ED
Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

But, before starting the lens reviews, lets explain to new starters who are confused with the Nikon abbreviations..

NIKON Abbreviaton Meanings:

AF : Auto Focus. Driven by a slot drive unit, your lens could be Auto Focused by your camera. All Digital SLR's and late models are fully proper for this spec. (only D40 and D40x can work with DX versions for full automatic control and all DX lenses are AF fyi)

AF-s : Different than AF, it is also Auto Focus model, but with a better built, Silent Wave Motor equipped version. It is quite silent and a plus; you have instant manual override just by grabbing the focus ring while you push the shutter halfway.

DX : Digital Crop. It works only on digital cameras. These lenses build for D-SLRs with a crop factor of 1.5. If you try these lenses on a FX format D-SLR camera (like D3) or 35mm film cameras, you will have a rounded vision and a black vignetted black frame surrounding it. But, as Nikon manufacturers and R&D engineers are very smart, the new D3 has a crop factor and can work with DX lenses too. Only it loses some million pixels (down to 5Mio pixels) but the speed increases up to 11 frames per second (11fps). Incredible for an SLR. Even for a Canon Mark III.

ED : This means Extra-low Dispertion, which stands for a special made glass lens to decrease lens inner reflections, flares and light reflections. When you see ED on a lens, it is more valuable than the non ED version of the same series.

IF : Stands for Internal Focusing. The lens focuses with only the slight motion of internal elements instead of moving entire lens in and out. This means the front no longer rotates as you focus and no need for re-arranging the circular polarizing and grad filters anymore.

D : Distance information. This spec tells your camera's meter the distance to your subject. This helps for flash exposure metering. D lenses have a meter/feet indicator on them for visual controls. (sometimes works in dark when you can not focus and take a guess about the distance and set-up)

G : The lenses with "G" lettering has no aperture ring so it won't work on 35mm film cameras. As you can not control aperture ring manually, you can not use devices like Nikon PN-11 on "G" lenses. (i.e. If you use a Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G VR together with PN-11, the aperture will be blocked on f/32, not allowing you to take pictures, but this is a very minor problem for some people like me owning a PN-11)

RF : Rear Focusing. Same as Internal Focusing "IF", except just the rear element or group move(s) inside the lens. Practicaly "IF"...

VR : Vibration Reduction. It lets you get sharp images without a tripod. The lens has a special magnetic sensor inside to compensate for camera motion, vibration/shake caused by your hand. VR can sense panning movement and follows your subject too. If you select "active" on the lens body, you can pan a vehicle during riding on a vehicle (two objects must move to select "active). If you hear VR II, it is the second generatin with better control. VR II lenses can compensate up to 3,5 stops.

SIC : A multi-layer coating to increase light transmission and reduce ghosts and flares.

ASP : Aspherical Elements. All conventional lenses are spherical, meaning that all the curved surfaces are the same shape shape. But the new lenses are curved Aspherically, collecting all the light rays in one single point for increased sharpness and better colour control.

CRC : Close Range Correction, means the lens optimizes itself as the distance changes. This is done with "floating elements" that move in relationship to others during focusing. This is most needed on macro and fast wide-angle lenses like Micro Nikkor 105mm F/2.8 AF-D . It lets wide-angle and macro lenses to focus closer than they could .

M/A : Manual/Automatic. This is always on lens body to simply change focusing to manual or automatic. If you select Manual on lens body, regardless what you have selected on camera body (S,C or M) it will work manually. Vice versa, if you select "M" on camera body, the lens swith will not be effective for Automatic mode.

N : Nano coating. This is the latest invention of Nikon engineers, increasing the sharpness better than ED and decreasing the flare and ghosts almost to nill. All new gold series lenses of Nikon are with nano coating. ( Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8G ED IF N , Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8G ED IF N and etc.) ED and N could be seen together...

My Old Cameras

2008-02-17T23:39:00.000+02:00

Hello, here is Oytun PINAR, trying to share his experience with you on the Nikon lenses i have tried since i bought my first Nikon.

You may see on above picture my old camera collection listed as below:

Nikkormat FT-N

Nikkormat EL

Nikon EM

Nikon FM10

Canon QL19E

Kodak Retinette (My Father's)

Konika C35

Nikon D200 (After buying D300, this became "old")

Lenses on the Nikons:
Nikon E series 50mm f/1.8
A classic, Nikon has founded "E Series" lenses as an economic solution, budget gear for the Nikonowners, but no question for the quality at all.

Micro Nikkor AI-S 55mm f/3.5
With amazing close-up ability, lifesaver for macrophotgraphers.

Nikon MF 35-70mm f/3.5-4.8
Typical kit lens of FM10. Covers traditional street photographer's need with an avarage quality. APS-C size 52.5-105mm.

Nikon H.C 50mm f/2.0
I have not testedin the field yet. No idea.

All these lenses are not popular nowadays that i will not focus on these and pass to my lenses and the lenses i have tested with my D200 and D300 bodies lately...