Sonny said:

Let's stay on topic... I had a question that was bugging me for a few days and that is if the older 50mm 1.2 is any good on D800. I was planning to get the 50mm as my "last" lens in a few years but I just want to know if the 50 1.2 is something to consider if I find one for a good price. Also I found something about "coma" and Im not sure if this applies to this lens but if so then it's probably not that useful to me.

I have an early 60's 50mm 1.4 and I use it fine on the D800. Technically the newest lenses produce better photos but when you use older lenses or the 1.2, you are going for a "Look" not technical perfection.

Of the 1.2s probably only the newest version (that is still made) would take the most advantage of the sensor. MF is hard to hit and anything off, you will see it.

Yeah I probably get the 50 1.8G anyway... It seems to me like a very good lens for the price.

Sonny said:
Let's stay on topic... I had a question that was bugging me for a few days and that is if the older 50mm 1.2 is any good on D800. I was planning to get the 50mm as my "last" lens in a few years but I just want to know if the 50 1.2 is something to consider if I find one for a good price. Also I found something about "coma" and Im not sure if this applies to this lens but if so then it's probably not that useful to me.

I can't answer that, don't own that lens. I do have an ais 50f1.4 and 50f1.8, the AFD 50f1.4 and the new AFS 50f1.8. I've accumulated these over the years because there was a time when a 50mm seemed to be sold off with every SLR on the secondhand market or maybe it was just me. Of all those lenses the AFS 50f1.8 is the best, I tried the AFS 50f1.4 at the same time but it weighed a lot more was only a little bit faster and cost a lot more. I stop down to f5.6 or f8 most of the time anyway so it was no contest. The new 50f1.8 is a no brainer it's brilliant, light good IQ. I bought the new one when I decided to go all primes.

As for the 1.2, it's only a tiny bit faster, it costs a lot more, it's manual focus only (ok by me). I have read there is a coma issue but its a really old lens design. Can't imagine why a tiny bit faster is worth it, the 1.4 is pretty good.

This topic is old I already got D800 and a Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 tripod so I think i'm golden there... :)

Sadly I can't upgrade everything at the same time (I wish I could but that would not be that much fun)

rortmanns said:
All those quoting Ken, he's a tosser. There are much better sites.

"one who suffers from chronic masturbation" ... I'm not very sure if urban dictionary helped me with that one. :)

Let's stay on topic... I had a question that was bugging me for a few days and that is if the older 50mm 1.2 is any good on D800. I was planning to get the 50mm as my "last" lens in a few years but I just want to know if the 50 1.2 is something to consider if I find one for a good price. Also I found something about "coma" and Im not sure if this applies to this lens but if so then it's probably not that useful to me.

If you need 36MP in actual resolution, which really requires you to use a tripod, mirror lockup etc, then you will want a very good lens to fully resolve this. In the Nikon literature that comes with the D800 there is mention of lenses they recommend but I bet they only considered current lenses. Nikon have a vested interest in trying to sell their 24f1.4 etc. When I do landscapes I do use a tripod etc and I go for my best lenses. I have also tried my 75-150E lens on my D800e and the results are stunning, are they as sharp as my 85f1.4 at f8, well no but they are still stunning quality if you take care. There is much more to a sharp image than a sharp lens. Most people don't need to resolve all 36MP, I like to get max sharpness and res for my landscapes and I've slowly migrated to all primes for that work. If I shoot a portrait, I am happy with the 75-150 hand held, the D800 is a stunning camera and out resolves the D700 even hand held.

Buy a D800 use old lenses and be happy you get 20MP in res or whatever but when you do use the best lenses you'll get the best results possible. It depends on your work if you really need that quality.

All those quoting Ken, he's a tosser. There are much better sites.

Wataru said: (There, now I have promised to use the lens and post pictures!)

Please do :) Im still not really sure what wide angle to get but i guess all i will be shooting with it will be landscape and startrails.

Wataru said:
Wide angle lenses (I use the 24 mm all the time) are glorious with FX sensors.

Yaaay :)

Sonny said:
What a fool I was. Now that I own D800 14-24mm is the lens I pretty much want right now. ...

I bought one with funds from a client at the beginning of the year. My client elected to use the 17 to 35 lens for his application instead so I got to keep the 14-24.

I haven't used it yet, as it is not something I use for work, and I have never used a lens wider than 24 mm before. I will try to take some pictures with the widest of angles on my holiday trip to Nikko next week and post them on PAD. (There, now I have promised to use the lens and post pictures!)

Wide angle lenses (I use the 24 mm all the time) are glorious with FX sensors.

Sonny said:
I WASN'T planning on getting 14--24 mm f/2.8G ED, 24 mm f/1.4G ED or 35 mm f/1.4G

What a fool I was. Now that I own D800 14-24mm is the lens I pretty much want right now. :)

I understand davideanastasia wants to use 18-35mm or something like 20mm 2.8D on D800.

I can't help you with 18-35 but I personally use 24mm f/2.8D until I get cash for something better. :) It's a good lens that's pretty sharp for the price. Quote "It is as sharp as the $1,800 24-70mm AF-S" Quote -Ken Rockwell
Im not sure about the 20mm 2.8D but I think it's not bad either just don't look in the direction of a 28mm 2.8D and you will be good.

I chose (did research and wasn't bound by equipment) Nikon because of much better support for work with off camera flash (CLS and better sync speeds).

I'm still heavily in DX. If Pantax had 1/250+ snyc speeds back then, I might have considered.

I love msmoto's Nikon F with its patina of use and love. Very nostalgic and romantic!

My last film camera was a Nikon F100 that I still have and I had several lenses for it that carried over into my first digital body- a D200. The F100 remains the best 35mm film camera I have ever used. What impressed me at the time was the seamless transfer to the D200, with almost all the controls being instantly familiar. I cannot comment on Canons as I have never used one but several colleagues of mine have them and they seem to produce very good results. They like them.

It might be worth remembering that before about 1990 or so, I don't think Canon really featured on the professional scene at all (mostly being used by keen amateurs) and therefore many photographers from the 60s, 70s and 80s grew up with Nikon as THE professional 35mm. camera and continued to use them after that. They had a reputation of being literally bullet proof- Don McCullin's Nikon F stopping a bullet in Vietnam that would have otherwise killed him as I remember.

My favourite camera is in my camera cupboard, unused for a couple of years now, my beautiful Horseman 5X4 monorail. I aim to shoot some B&W on it in the spring. I regret no longer having my stunning Nikkor lenses for it though!

Other than being heavily invested in Nikon-compatible equipment, my reason for sticking with Nikon is that I find the ergonomics better than the Canon-equivalent cameras, particularly at the semi-pro and pro end. Button and dial placement is much more comfortable to me on Nikon cameras.

Safyre.......don't worry about what "some people" think about K.R.; the guy's sharp as a tack on a lot of stuff; I just think he's "all wet" about "never needs no stinkin tripod"! Lotta people around who are just jealous of Ken; (how many guys you know who can make a great living with just a website ?) (answer: not many!)

Now;
Way back in "the day" I had a very nice Canon F-1; I loved that camera! I had a bunch of focusing screens for it, a REALLY cool flexible right angle "or straight through gadget that replaced the penta prism.......(wish I could use that thing on my D SLR); also had some VERY nice Canon FD lenses; then BAM! Canon went digital.....just like that ! "but what am I gonna do with all this "glass" that cost me a bundle ?" Canon: "Not our problem.....use 'em for door stops"!

I guess they figured if they came out with a new lens mount, everyone would just "run out" and buy all new glass ! I gotta tell you....that kinda pissed me off; (and please forgive my "course" language) So.......even before I went digital, I "upgraded" to a Nikon F-5; as far as I'm concerned, the thing has the finest view finder of any 35mm camera I have EVER looked through; I even bought a 300mm/ f:4 MF for it, an 80-200 / 2.8 , and about 4 more; guess what.........Nikon "went digital too"........and all that glass still works ! How's that ? Say you can't "get by" without auto focus ? Poor you! For some stuff, I prefer MF. (And I REALLY appreciate that Nikon didn't leave all of it's thousands of customers sitting with a pile of useless "glass" that they spent a fortune on !)

(I don't tell tell anyone who asks all of that; I just say "I prefer Nikon")

Charley

msmoto said:
New member (davideanastasia) was asking about

old Nikkor 18-35 on D800?

Any thoughts?

Should work fine just fine short of something being wrong with the lens. From what I can tell it is an AF lens so there shouldn't be any issues at all with it.

New member (davideanastasia) was asking about

old Nikkor 18-35 on D800?

Any thoughts?

I know that this is not gonna be a popular answer, but it was originally Ken Rockwell that got me on the Nikon bandwagon. Back when I got my first SLR around 5 years ago, Ken's site had a large amount of information that helped make the foray into the DSLR market less intimidating. I know a lot of people have strong opinions of him, but one needs to realize that his target audience is beginners and amateurs; and for that he does a good job of telling people whats important to get out there and shoot, and not worry too much about the technical jargon. Now, that I've developed my craft, I very rarely check out his site anymore, but but his message still applies to this day, which is spend less time analyzing on the computer and more on actually shooting.

Nice thread.
I keep it simple.
I just say it has great glass and consistent reliability over time, any conditions, under a sickening amount of use by me.
I don't have to think so much or treat it like it's fragile.
I can just count on it, and I really like that.

fjota said:
Well, it is a good and easy question to be answered.
My first camera was a Nikon FE purchased in 1982 with a 55mm 2.8 MF MICRO lens that I use until now with my D7000 DX camera. There was others many steps between both cameras.
Since 1982, Nikon, for me, is a lifestyle, that reflect the attitudes, values and worldviews of your users and mine. The yellow color in the Nikon logo and in the square logo of the National Geographic Society are representations of adventure and proficient’s photographers living together, surrounded by the yellow color of the sunset in the Africa. Romantic, probably… But it is a real connection for many.
Our lifestyle controls our use of technology, while technology influences our lifestyles, Nikon did this with me.
fjota

Well, it is a good and easy question to be answered.
My first camera was a Nikon FE purchased in 1982 with a 55mm 2.8 MF micro lens that I use until now with my D7000 DX camera. There was others many steps between both cameras.
Since 1982, Nikon, for me, is a lifestyle, that reflect the attitudes, values and worldviews of your users and mine. The yellow color in the Nikon logo and in the square logo of the National Geographic Society are representations of adventure and proficient’s photographers living together, surrounded by the yellow color of the sunset in the Africa. Romantic, probably… But it is a real connection for many.
Our lifestyle controls our use of technology, while technology influences our lifestyles, Nikon did this with me.
fjota

Wataru said:

....BTW, I don't know if the D600 has the option to program in non-CPU lenses the way the D800 does. I have my most used non-CPU lenses programmed into the D800 so when I put one on the lens data goes to the metadata. It is a neat feature....

I just checked the D600 manual and yes, it is possible to program in up to 9 non-CPU lenses into the D600. I use my Ai-converted Nikkor-S 50 1/1.4 from 1971 on my D800, and it can not only be used on a D600, but the lens information can be written to your metadata. How cool is that! I really am pleased that the D600 came out at the price it did. I am thinking second body now...

Thank you guy's for all those great responses. Something did smell fishy on this subject so I thought I will ask you.

Wataru is right about the demands in pixels vs film and I am a little angry I didn't think of that myself. :D

And I fully agree with donaldejose with his outstanding well put point. :)

Thanks again Nikon guy's you never fail.

May your images be well framed and never need a crop.

There is a very great thread at the Fred Miranda site for those using manual focus Nikon glass with (mostly) digi bodies.

The thread started two years ago, Aug 2010, and now extends to 1930 pages - yikes !!

Many D700 users exhibiting samples, and now D800 pix are showing up, plus D7000, etc. Lots of chat about various MF lenses plus availibility, sources for purchase, etc.

Starts at:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/929565/0

Currently ends at:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/929565/1936

Cheers,

Mick
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68039985@N08/

Sonny I wouldn't say that all older lenses yield poor results on the D800/D800e, just a few limit the potential of the new bodies. I loved the D700 because no matter what you used the results were always excellent. The pro glass like the 14-24, 24-70 etc were outstanding. Both look good on the D800, but I have found that Nikon's newer releases like any of the new 1.8 G lenses for example, outperform certain D lenses like a 50 or 85. Not by much, but enough especially considering the price and reasons for using a 36mp body.

Having said this I loved the look the old 24mm 2.8 D has with the D800 as well as a few cheap 20 year old zooms like the 24-85mm and 12 year old 28-85 G. Basically, a person shouldn't cheap out on lenses for 36mp body if its at all possible. However, if you have older glass try it out and see for yourself. I am currently a student so my funds are limited and I have not been able to use the whole potential of my D800e yet even though I've had the body since April and have reached 18,000 actuations now. The best is yet to come in April when finish my post grad work! Lens time :)To date, my favourite camera of all time still remains the D700.

TaoTeJared said:
...Photographers realize the unique characteristics of lenses and are not obsessively focused on pixel peeping test charts.

TTJ, as usual, you have made another very important observation, which has cut me to the quick. I am guilty of owning too many lenses and not mastering any of them. Henri Cartier-Bresson used a 50 mm normal lens almost exclusively, and really KNEW what that lens was capable of. I really don't know my lenses as I should.

Wataru said:
....What I meant to say is that they say you can "notice imperfection" in your pictures if you use older lenses as the 35/2....

Pure hogwash and BS is right. There is no way that a 36 megapixel imager is more demanding than film. I know I'm a cranky old man, but if you want to get the most out of a D800, learn to shoot film first.

"Notice imperfections?" Heck, I notice imperfections in every photo I take, but none of them are due to the lens or the camera. They are all due to the loose nut behind the viewfinder.

Whoever "they" are who might be giving you this information are not basing it on real-life shooting. My advice is go to a camera shop and try things out for yourself: you can try at the counter or you can rent. You'll be better off.

BTW, I don't know if the D600 has the option to program in non-CPU lenses the way the D800 does. I have my most used non-CPU lenses programmed into the D800 so when I put one on the lens data goes to the metadata. It is a neat feature.

+1 all the way.

I have one caveat, some of the first G zooms (24-120mm 3.5-5.6, 24-85mm 3.5-4.5 and probably older D zooms-I just don't own any) noticeably show their limitations but still perform very well. My 50yr old 50mm 1.4 is sharper than those - that is how I could tell. My 50mm 1.4G is sharper than the 50yr old lens but that is why there have been what, 10-15 updates. Those lenses perform the same on every camera and always have.

Anyone who says old glass can't perform on the D800, is not a photographer in my mind. Photographers realize the unique characteristics of lenses and are not obsessively focused on pixel peeping test charts.

I think the newest "pro" lenses are slightly better than the older lenses due in part to new things such as nano-coating. Thus, for the very best resolution under all conditions the very newest lenses will perform slightly better than the older lenses (both on film and on a high resolution FX sensor). Think grade A vs. A+. Yes an A+ is better than an A but the error is to look at that difference backwards and say since the A is less than the A+ therefore the A is "junk" and shouldn't be used. That is the logical error being committed by some people. No, an A is still an A and a great A picture is still a great picture. Time will tell as people us older lenses on the D800 and the D600. I suspect most lenses which resolved well enough to produce great images in film will also resolve well enough to produce great images in a D600 or D800.