ulrikft wrote:
Well, $125 just looks very nice :P But I have tried to get one for 300-400 usd on ebay for some time now.
Forget Ebay if you don't want to pay those 300-400 dollars. I've found most of my lenses on local swedish forums and internet marketplaces. Look for people selling their old camera kits, without even mentioning what lens comes along with the body.
Edit: By the way, the 28 wasn't mint. The focus ring needs some new grease and there is a tiny dent in the front element. But who cares?
Makten wrote:
Look for people selling their old camera kits, without even mentioning what lens comes along with the body.
that's quite speculative isn't it? buying and selling, buying and selling, quite a bit of hassle!
Makten wrote:
Edit: By the way, the 28 wasn't mint. The focus ring needs some new grease and there is a tiny dent in the front element. But who cares?
yay, i just managed to secure a nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-S from a local forum at $120. the thing is there is some stains in the rear elements, but like you said who cares?
Maybe look for a Vivitar 28/2 in Nikon mount. There are two versions. One manufactured by Kino Precision Optical (serial number beginning with 22 and a 55mm thread) and one by Komine (serial number beginning with 28 and a 49mm thread). Both are fairly well regarded, but things I've been reading lately tend to side with the Komine. The Kino version was also released under the "Kiron" brand (by Kino) at an elevated price over the Vivitar.
Both the Kiron and it's Vivitar counterpart are commonly found with stuck blades. I have owned a copy of both. The Viv was stuck, but the Kiron was fine. I found both to hold up fairly well on 12MP FF, but they can't really handle higher pixel densities, especially wide open.
I have a Komine version on the way and I plan to test it thoroughly. (Although you may have to look elsewhere for the results )
Having owned the Kiron 28/2, it's a good lens if you don't plan on shooting much at f2, but the contrast was poor enough at f2 to make it problematic to work with wide open (resolution was decent, but Contrast was a serious weak point, difficult to focus wide open).
mawz wrote:
Having owned the Kiron 28/2, it's a good lens if you don't plan on shooting much at f2, but the contrast was poor enough at f2 to make it problematic to work with wide open (resolution was decent, but Contrast was a serious weak point, difficult to focus wide open).
I agree about the focusing. Nearly impossible on my 20D, but I can manage it fairly well on the 5D.
It is a terrific B&W lens, IMO, precisely due to what you describe, so I thought it might be right up Ulrik's alley.
I think the viv 28/2 was in the test results I have at www.edsawyer.com/lenstests/, it's for the 55mm version. But, look up the Vivitar series 1 28/f19 - it spanks the 28/2 vivitar by a significant margin. (have one for sale if interested, converted to EOS mount). the 28/1.9 tests are at that link too.
ulrikft wrote:
Quick anecdote: The guys a tthe local camera shop wanted 9000,- NOK for the 35 1.4 they had... (about 1300 USD). That made me laugh a bit :P
So I guess I'll keep looking at fleebay for a 28 2.0 or 35 1.4 deal
Ulrik, which camera store was this? ...just out of curiosity. For a used copy?
ovredal73 wrote:
Ulrik, which camera store was this? ...just out of curiosity. For a used copy?
Fotovideo!
I think the term was "as new", if that meant "new" or actually "as new" was kind of hard to tell, and I was in a hurry. I can send a mail and ask them!
I paid £250 for mine (about $500), used, from a camera shop after succesfully haggling to get the price down from the £275 asking price...When I checked the used prices on ebay UK nearly all were over £300 (about $600)!
jaetie wrote:
that's quite speculative isn't it? buying and selling, buying and selling, quite a bit of hassle!
That's not what I meant! Of course you should ask what the seller is selling. The answer can make you very happy. I bought a Nikkor-S 55/1.2 for $75 that way.
Search where most people don't. That's how you make the good deals. Ebay is not the right place for bargains.
I just ordered a BGN 28 2.0 from keh.com, but at the same time i got my 24 1.4 and 70-200 (canon gear :P ) sold, so now I can afford the 35 1.4 and even a leica 90 2.0 (or 80 1.4?)! Happycat me.
ulrikft wrote:
I just ordered a BGN 28 2.0 from keh.com, but at the same time i got my 24 1.4 and 70-200 (canon gear :P ) sold, so now I can afford the 35 1.4 and even a leica 90 2.0 (or 80 1.4?)! Happycat me.
Cool! Make shure that you get an AIS 35, since the old pre-AI lenses have Thorium glass that often has gone yellow because of the decay of the radiactive Thorium. Some say it can be cured with UV treatment, though.
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Kind of OT, but the 28/2.8 AIS I bought does some fine magic on the D700. I've always wanted a moderately wide lens with no distortion, and this thing seems to be it. The none-fastness makes it very small and light, plus it comes quite cheap.
Makten wrote:
Cool! Make shure that you get an AIS 35, since the old pre-AI lenses have Thorium glass that often has gone yellow because of the decay of the radiactive Thorium. Some say it can be cured with UV treatment, though.
To my knowledge the change from Thorium to non-radioactive glass took place with the switch to the K version of the non-AI series (easily discernible as the K version looks like an AI lens cosmetically rather than having the old-style scalloped focus ring). AI and AI-S versions are of course Thorium-free.
between, the nikkor 35/1.4 ai-s and 35mm summicron, which is the better @ f/2?
i am leaning towards the cron, but the ai-s has that extra stop of light. so i guess my question is that extra stop of light worth it, versus performance.
I bought a Nikkor-S 55/1.2 for $75 that way. 