So sorry, I meant to type D7000, new keyboard too. Thanks for sending the way to post I will see what I can do.
Harriet

Hi Harriet... if you need help opting photos to Photo-A-Day thread, look here:

http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2450

We want to see what the "new" lenses you have will do. And, most of the "good" lenses are a bit heavy.

In your post, did you mean to say your son has a D800? I am not familiar with a D8000.

I am back again, I had to buy a new desktop as my old one asked for early retirement. Since then my son, who has a D8000 gave me another Sigma lens (for shawnino) and it is similar to the one I bought and can only manual focus, this one 70-28mm and it is a really nice sharp lens.
This one was even cheaper than the other - free. LOL. Soon I won't be able to lift my lens case these older lenses are heavy.
Regards,
Harriet

LOL. I will have to find out how to post captures first. So far I haven't taken anything of worth just fooling around to get the feel of it, besides it has been 40o C here today and that is too much, it is even too much of an effort to think.
Harriet

40 pounds? For a good copy of ANY lens that satisfies the user as-is? That's massive value. Congratulations on a great find. Every one of us here can smile a little more today at the thought that such deals might be out there. Please show us your images in the PAD thread.

You are right I do like Sigma and that is what I will look out for, the lucky thing is that it is not on my "need" list but on my "wishful thinking one. I was a bit hesitant about the manual focus only but I am pleased with this one. I have put a search on ebay and if a longer lens at an attractive price appears I will go for it, but I do realise that this time was just pure luck both with price and condition.
I will try my best to stumble on something, you never know.
Thanks for your interest. (Did you really say 5 or 10 times what I paid, oh dear). Euromillions where are you?
Harriet

Well, you're looking to go longer. Sadly, "long" and "cheaper" don't often go together.

I remember that you and I are both Sigma fans; since you're likely looking at a third-party lens, we both know the key is going to be to get a good copy. Sigma's 150-500 would fill out your range well but that's 650 pounds new, or more. Tamron 200-500 a hair cheaper but not much. (B&H seems to have one used at about 450 pounds.) I have no experience with either of these lenses. Now if you can get one used, and it's a good copy, that might be the answer.

Nikon's own lenses past 200 mm are quite expensive, even used, with the 55-300 kit lens the exception andthat one will not do well for birding.

Keep your eye on the used markets I think: third party lenses don't hold value as well as Nikkor lenses, so a deal may pop up somewhere that works in your favour. If they ever update the Nikkor 300mm f/4 or 80-400mm you might stumble on an older model that somebody wants to unload but this might be wishful thinking (or dreaming in Technicolor). I'm pretty sure you'll still be paying five to ten times what you paid for the 70-210 no matter what you do; I'd love to be proven wrong. Glad you're happy with that one and I hope it serves you well.

I am only continuing with this subject as something happened with the postal service and although it was ordered a month ago it only arrived yesterday. I have had it on my D5000 to experiment and I must say I am more than satisfied with it. I have to manual focus but it works on P.S.A.M modes. Since I have a Katz eye (not very good eyesight, I am not having the slightest problem with focusing. In fact at the price I paid 40 British pounds I am more than pleased.
I am now thinking of looking out for more of these manual focus older lens for bird capture, I have a marvellous window overlooking a field and hedgerow and up until now I have been fairly frustrated with the results. Can anyone help me with what lens I should be looking for?
Now that I have found that a cheap older lens can work so well that is what I am looking for.
Harriet

That is a really old lens or could be. Is it a f/2.8, f/4, f/4-5.6 or f/3.5-5.6? There might be more. An Ebay search pulled up about 20 different types of these - Really need more info to know what you are actually looking at.

It would work just like a MF lens so it will be more work than normal. From what I can tell off of ebay, paying more than $150 would only be for the f/2.8 and then only $250 tops. If you like MF lenses it could work out well. If not, it may be more work than what it's worth.

Thank you so much, your answer has been very helpful. He did mean auto-Exposure and the price is very good so I am going to give it a try.
Harriet

I take it that he meant AE as in Auto-Exposure. That means - like I said above - the camera will be able to expose your pictures OK, but not focus them - you will have to focus manually.

The 70-210 will be 105-300 on the D5000 so it will be good for portraits around the short end and fairly close sports and nature at the long end.

Thanks, I realised this but what I can't understand is that the seller said it is compatible with the AE mode, if it is only a matter of having to focus automatically - well that would not be a problem.
I bought the D5000 specifically as I could use the lenses I already had from my D60.
Anyway what would a lens of this length be mainly used for. Sorry for the, what may seem silly questions.

Sure Harriet,

When you bought the D5000 instead of the D90 you chose the same basic camera but without the sub-command wheel under your right index finger and also did not get the extra focus motor that is in the body of the D90 and not the D5000. In short, you have to buy lenses that have the focus motor in them and it appears the one you are looking at doesn't.

The AE part is to say that the camera will set exposure correctly but you will have to focus it yourself.

HTH

I saw this lens for sale and it says although it is not AF when used with a Nikon D5000 that it is AE compatible. Could someone be kind enough to tell me what this actually means please?