I placed an order for D800 going to two months now but no sign of it coming any time soon. I tried looking for some used lenses same bad news. I could not find a used 24-120VR f4 but Canon 24-105 is all over the place. I tried looking for a used Nikon 16-35VR or 17-35/2.8 again nothing in sight. Even Nikon 24-70 is out of sight. No Nikon equivalent to Canon 50L, 85L and 135L. As a matter of fact Nikon has nothing serious on 50mm which is my most used focal length.
Also, Nikon lens naming is confusing as hell. Each lens has over 4 to 5 different versions D, G, AIS, AI and so on. I am so confused my head is beginning to spin like crazy. In fact buying anything Nikon is bad news compare to Canon. Even some new lenses were showing out of stock.
I'm so glad that I'm only trying to add D800 to my Canon equipment. I feel sorry for those who are switching to Nikon. It will be a nightmare. I can't imagine not shooting with 50L, 85L and 135L. In fairness I think Nikon has a very good 85mm.
You're lucky you didn't find a 24-120. Saved from the disappointment.
The 16-35 distorts dramatically at the wide end and is an f/4 lens after all, leaving little leeway before diffraction kicks in, somewhere between 5.6 and 8 on the D800. From early tests of the 17-35, center performance is good but the corners will be soft. This lens needed f/8-11 for corner and edge sharpness but that's already in the diffraction range. This fact may not be relevant for your type of shooting.
Pretty simple (distilled to the essentials):
G: newest AF lenses, built-in motor, latest optics and coatings. No aperture rings.
D: autofocus, screw-driven from the camera. Older versions, cannot be used on lower end DSLRs
AIS, AI: manual focus lenses. AI lenses predate 1977, AIS are of more recent vintage.
Strong indications that a 50/1.2G will soon be released. The 85/1.4 and 1.8 G's are marvelous lenses though nothing is the analog of the 85L. 135 exists as a DC (defocus control) lens; different than your L but quite special in that the softness of the OOF areas can be altered without affecting the areas in focus. Pretty cool.
Nikon's low inventory levels are attributed to the Earthquake/Tsunami, their factory and parts of their supply chain was hit pretty bad. Canon escaped relatively unscathed. Things will improve but it takes a while to fill the global pipeline, especially when there is pent up demand for their products. If you notice all the "cheaper" Nikon glass and cameras are readily available everywhere since most come from China (Low end cameras) and the Philippines (low end glass)
Did you search Canon to Nikon here? There's been a question every week about this since 2006
There are more Canon users than Nikon so more Canon used gear, or maybe more bad copies to get rid of
D lenses (older) have an aperture ring G newer) lenses do not, AIS last version of the Manual Focus, AI are older still pre-AIS...see easy...But you can mount these AIS puppies on your brand spankin new D800 if you like not like those old FD lenses from Canon that need an adapter.
Have you seen the 50mm F1.2 AIS? does it have the focus shift of the Canon 50 f1,2L
A 85mm f1.2 NO but several f1.4's, and you have a Nikon 135mm DC F2.
Also forgot to add the new 50mm F1.8G is sharp as a tack wide open on my FX/DX cameras.
The D800 has been out for only a couple of weeks. The supply is short and the demand is high. That's the way it goes.
Regarding finding the used lenses, I think you are not looking hard enough. I just sold a 17-35 on Ebay for example, and there are several more there. Here's a couple 17-35's from this site, both of which are listed as still available...
Ebay also appears to have several 24-120VR's listed. The 16-35 looks like it has a few sales within the last couple of weeks on the forum here. Keep your eyes open.
Also, keep in mind that having difficulty finding a particular lens used generally indicates that people like them and don't want to sell them. The opposite is also true.
I don't personally find the lens designations to be very complicated. G is the most recent with no aperture ring, D is the predecessor for G which does have an aperture ring and reports distance info to the camera for flash photography, "and so on" as you say.
If that is such "bad news" for you compared to Canon, then why buy a D800 at all? Simply stick with Canon and let us all have one more D800 in the pool of availability for someone who is not simply going to complain?
Start here, it's archived but still a lot of good info, then go here
AI, AIS = Manual Focus Lenses. See this thread for what people are doing with the classics, be forewarned, it is a slightly long read and you may need a day or two to go through it...
i think bigger nightmare is switching from nikon to canon. because even if you get the best lenses, naming convention is simple, you are still not happy with their performance.
if unsure, in nikon camp, you can always shop by price. higher price, better lens. sure there are exceptions, but that is how it is most of the time.
50G is ok lens, nothing special, but works.
j.liam wrote:
You're lucky you didn't find a 24-120. Saved from the disappointment.
The 16-35 distorts dramatically at the wide end and is an f/4 lens after all, leaving little leeway before diffraction kicks in, somewhere between 5.6 and 8 on the D800. From early tests of the 17-35, center performance is good but the corners will be soft. This lens needed f/8-11 for corner and edge sharpness but that's already in the diffraction range. This fact may not be relevant for your type of shooting.
Pretty simple (distilled to the essentials):
G: newest AF lenses, built-in motor, latest optics and coatings. No aperture rings.
D: autofocus, screw-driven from the camera. Older versions, cannot be used on lower end DSLRs
AIS, AI: manual focus lenses. AI lenses predate 1977, AIS are of more recent vintage.
Strong indications that a 50/1.2G will soon be released. The 85/1.4 and 1.8 G's are marvelous lenses though nothing is the analog of the 85L. 135 exists as a DC (defocus control) lens; different than your L but quite special in that the softness of the OOF areas can be altered without affecting the areas in focus. Pretty cool. ...Show more →
Changing camera makes can be confusing. Nikon has its lens designations, which are not that difficult for Nikon users. i used to wonder why certain Canon lenses only mount on lower end cameras. Nikon use A for aperture, S for shutter, while Canon uses Tv for shutter and Av for aperture.
Dealing with the differences is a matter of repetition to develop muscle memory and over coming learned terms and acronyms (micro vs macro).
NightOwl Cat wrote:
Start here, it's archived but still a lot of good info, then go here
AI, AIS = Manual Focus Lenses. See this thread for what people are doing with the classics, be forewarned, it is a slightly long read and you may need a day or two to go through it...
okafoja wrote:
I'm so glad that I'm only trying to add D800 to my Canon equipment. I feel sorry for those who are switching to Nikon. It will be a nightmare. I can't imagine not shooting with 50L, 85L and 135L. In fairness I think Nikon has a very good 85mm.
I just switched from Canon (after 15 years) to Nikon. Please don't cry any tears for me. I am loving it. You should probably stick with what you know if you don't enjoy the learning curve. FYI - If you think the 85mm f/1.2 II is nice, just try the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G. It actually focuses in time to capture things that move.
Also, Nikon lens naming is confusing as hell. Each lens has over 4 to 5 different versions D, G, AIS, AI and so on. I am so confused my head is beginning to spin like crazy. In fact buying anything Nikon is bad news compare to Canon. Even some new lenses were showing out of stock.
I'm so glad that I'm only trying to add D800 to my Canon equipment. I feel sorry for those who are switching to Nikon. It will be a nightmare. I can't imagine not shooting with 50L, 85L and 135L. In fairness I think Nikon has a very good 85mm....Show more →
So, what you're saying is that you want Nikon to make an EF mount camera, right?
Funny, because if Canon made an F-mount, wow, I'd be throwing all the 14-24's, 50G's, 85 1.4's, and 135 DC's on it. Why the hell doesn't Canon make anything that compares with Nikon's 50, 85, and 135??!
gdsf2 wrote:
I just switched from Canon (after 15 years) to Nikon. Please don't cry any tears for me. I am loving it. You should probably stick with what you know if you don't enjoy the learning curve. FYI - If you think the 85mm f/1.2 II is nice, just try the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G. It actually focuses in time to capture things that move.
krickett wrote:
So, what you're saying is that you want Nikon to make an EF mount camera, right?
Funny, because if Canon made an F-mount, wow, I'd be throwing all the 14-24's, 50G's, 85 1.4's, and 135 DC's on it. Why the hell doesn't Canon make anything that compares with Nikon's 50, 85, and 135??!
The only lens you listed that I will want is 14-24. I will take 50L over 50G any day. Same goes for 85L and 135L. When it come to Nikon lenses the more I look, the less I see.
ghostrider25 wrote:
If that is such "bad news" for you compared to Canon, then why buy a D800 at all? Simply stick with Canon and let us all have one more D800 in the pool of availability for someone who is not simply going to complain?
+1
okafoja wrote:
When it come to Nikon lenses the more I look, the less I see.
I don't really have a good reason but I have always wanted to shoot with both Canon and Nikon. I know I have to wait for D800 so I wasn't complaining for the wait. I was only complaining for the lack of used market. I was shocked to find out how thin the used market is for Nikon shooters.
What is this world coming to?