«

As a general purpose lens I saw interesting/good reviews
for the following. Comments? Suggestions? Advice?
I have a Nikon D100.

Nikon AF50mm f/1.4D Nikkor
Nikon 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor AIS

Gary

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 06:20:08 GMT, Gary Mattingly
<> wrote:

>As a general purpose lens I saw interesting/good reviews
>for the following. Comments? Suggestions? Advice?
>I have a Nikon D100.
>
>Nikon AF50mm f/1.4D Nikkor
>Nikon 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor AIS
I should add this too;
Nikon 85/1.4D AF IF
>
>Gary

Gary Mattingly <> writes:

> As a general purpose lens I saw interesting/good reviews
> for the following. Comments? Suggestions? Advice?
> I have a Nikon D100.
>
> Nikon AF50mm f/1.4D Nikkor
> Nikon 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor AIS

Do remember the focal-length multiplier (1.5x in the D100). Perhaps
for you a "75mm" or a "128mm" lens is a good general-purpose lens; it
isn't for me. (It's a darned useful length, but not what I'd call
"general purpose"; more "portrait").

The AIS lens won't meter on the D100 (but that doesn't matter all
*that* much, with the histogram display and all). Flash is the big
place that loses badly.

A "128mm" f1.4 does have certain attractions!
--
David Dyer-Bennet, <mailto:dd->, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/>
RKBA: <http://noguns-nomoney.com> <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/>
Photos: <dd-b.lighthunters.net> Snapshots: <www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/>
Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/>

The 85 1.4 is by far the best lens I own. Absolutely incredible.



"Gary Mattingly" <> wrote in message
news:...
> As a general purpose lens I saw interesting/good reviews
> for the following. Comments? Suggestions? Advice?
> I have a Nikon D100.
>
> Nikon AF50mm f/1.4D Nikkor
> Nikon 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor AIS
>
> Gary

"Gary Mattingly"
> As a general purpose lens I saw interesting/good reviews
> for the following. Comments? Suggestions? Advice?
> I have a Nikon D100.
>
> Nikon AF50mm f/1.4D Nikkor
> Nikon 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor AIS
>
> Gary

General purpose lenses - not really.. But they are both nice ultrafast
moderate telefocus lenses. Nikon 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor AIS won't meter
on d100. Nikon AF50mm f/1.4D Nikkor I'm happy with mine,
save money and buy Nikon AF50mm f/1.8D Nikkor..
I looked at Nikon 85mm f/1.4D Nikkor, but on digital it is a little
soo much telephoto and I have the 70-200afs vr in that range.
http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html If you have'nt yet check
this one out.. ;o)-max-

Get the $100 50/1.8D. Unless you absolute NEED f/1.4 then the 1.8D is a
beter lens. The amount of depth of field of a lens at f/1.4 means that
VERY little of your image is in focus. The D100 will not meter with the
AI or AIS lenses. With the 1.5x multiplier you will have a 75 f/1.8
lens for $100, you cannot go wrong. Just because the lens will shoot at
f/1.4 does not make it a better lens. If you comapre the 50 f/1.4 and
the 50 f/1.8 at any aperture (except 1.4 of course) the 1.8 will give
you better images. So unless you use the lens at 1.4 then you are
spending more money for an optically inferior lens. The same applies to
the 85 1.4 AFD and the 85 1.8 AFD.

JR


In article <>,
Gary Mattingly <> wrote:

> As a general purpose lens I saw interesting/good reviews
> for the following. Comments? Suggestions? Advice?
> I have a Nikon D100.
>
> Nikon AF50mm f/1.4D Nikkor
> Nikon 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor AIS
>
> Gary

That is all completely wrong.

The reason you buy the 1.4 versions of the lenses is that that lens will
generally have better performance at wide apertures.

In addition they both have better bokeh, especially the 85.

The 50/1.4 is noticeably better than the 50/1.4 between f/2 to f/5.6 - if
you shoot at f/8 and smaller the 50/1.8 is better.

With the 85 1.4 - the difference is far more pronounced. The 85 1.4 makes
the 85 1.8 just look plain silly if you compare them from f/2 to f/5.6 and
the bokeh is miles better. It is an enormous difference, far greater than
the 50mm lens comparison.

The 50/1.8 and 85/1.8 are great value for your money, but saying theres no
reason to get the 1.4 versions unless you shoot at f/1.4 is just plain
garbage.



"JR" <> wrote in message
news:jrhone-...
> Get the $100 50/1.8D. Unless you absolute NEED f/1.4 then the 1.8D is a
> beter lens. The amount of depth of field of a lens at f/1.4 means that
> VERY little of your image is in focus. The D100 will not meter with the
> AI or AIS lenses. With the 1.5x multiplier you will have a 75 f/1.8
> lens for $100, you cannot go wrong. Just because the lens will shoot at
> f/1.4 does not make it a better lens. If you comapre the 50 f/1.4 and
> the 50 f/1.8 at any aperture (except 1.4 of course) the 1.8 will give
> you better images. So unless you use the lens at 1.4 then you are
> spending more money for an optically inferior lens. The same applies to
> the 85 1.4 AFD and the 85 1.8 AFD.
>
> JR
>
>
> In article <>,
> Gary Mattingly <> wrote:
>
> > As a general purpose lens I saw interesting/good reviews
> > for the following. Comments? Suggestions? Advice?
> > I have a Nikon D100.
> >
> > Nikon AF50mm f/1.4D Nikkor
> > Nikon 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor AIS
> >
> > Gary

"Gavin Cato" <> wrote in news:40366cad$:

> The reason you buy the 1.4 versions of the lenses is that that lens will
> generally have better performance at wide apertures.
>
>

Although the 35 1.4 AI is soft at wide aperatures. But the difference
between 1.4 and 2.8 is big enough to make the difference between picture
and no picture.

I really like my 35 1.4 AI, but sharpness isnt' it's strong point.

Bob

--
remove the backwards "SPAM" to reply.

I was more referring to the 50mm and 85mm specifically as I've owned both
versions of both lenses, I haven't used the 35.

Gav


"bob" <> wrote in message
news:Xns9495A30F61B3Bj123w123x123@216.77.188.18...
> "Gavin Cato" <> wrote in news:40366cad$:
>
> > The reason you buy the 1.4 versions of the lenses is that that lens will
> > generally have better performance at wide apertures.
> >
> >
>
> Although the 35 1.4 AI is soft at wide aperatures. But the difference
> between 1.4 and 2.8 is big enough to make the difference between picture
> and no picture.
>
> I really like my 35 1.4 AI, but sharpness isnt' it's strong point.
>
> Bob
>
> --
> remove the backwards "SPAM" to reply.

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 06:27:59 GMT, Gary Mattingly
<> wrote:

Thanks a lot for everyone's response. After I posted
I found one other lens that looked particularly interesting
in this area, the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED.

Any comments on this one?

Thanks again!

Gary