50-300mm AI f4.5 zoom

[Emanuel A.]

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230209228063

Any thoughts?

[Evin Grant]

Very sharp, good lens, especially the ED version, it's a rotating front focus so using a mattebox will be hard. It looks like there may be enough room for a simple PL conversion ALA the other long Nikkors from Century. Might be worth a call.

[Emanuel A.]

Evin,

That's not the ED version. Would you keep your statement about sharpness related to?

[Evin Grant]

There was some rumor that it was always ED but only labeled as such after Nikon began the designation. Still, I would hold out for a true ED.

[Emanuel A.]

Do you have any term of comparison between both versions (ED & earliest versions)?

[chuck colburn]

I remember the ones from the early/mid seventies as we adapted them for cine work. They weren't very good lenses wide open and had bad focus shift as you zoomed. About all they were good for back then was as a variable prime which is what they were intended for.

[Don King]

Another auction already ended:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250196549533&ih=015&category=48556&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1QQsidZmamiya

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I've got a Nikkor 50-300mm f4.5. It's a late '70s vintage. Nice lens overall, mine has been around the block a time or two, but it was in good shape and the price was right.

My take on the lens, try to get a later or current model ED like Evin has suggested. Even though wide open puts it only at f4.5, it's not sharp. I've noticed a fair amount of fringing and CA with this lens on the D2Xs, almost unacceptably bad when wide open. Its best performance is f8-f16 if you have the light for it.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

OK, my apologies for taking so long... Especially to Emanuel, sorry.

Here are some shots with this lens. Overall it's a nice lens, but always seems a bit soft, especially in the corners.

@ 300mm f4.5
http://www.reduser.net/forum/uploaded/535_1202325211.jpg

@ 135mm f4.5
http://www.reduser.net/forum/uploaded/535_1202325394.jpg

@ 70mm f4.5
http://www.reduser.net/forum/uploaded/535_1202325458.jpg

@ 300mm f5.6
http://www.reduser.net/forum/uploaded/535_1202325582.jpg

[Jeff Kilgroe]

CA can be a real problem on this lens when wide open, especially when zoomed to 250~300mm. You can see a lot of it in these high-contrast shots. These are 1:1 pixel crops

@ 300mm f4.5 ISO 200 focus at about 10~12m / 35ft.
http://www.appliedvisual.com/50-300/hicontrast_ca_01.jpg

Nowhere near as bad at 105mm...

@ 105mm
http://www.appliedvisual.com/50-300/hicontrast_ca_02.jpg

The other characteristic of this lens that I don't like is the flaring and fringing with bright reflections. Sun on water, chrome, etc.. I will see if I can get a good shot of that, but I haven't had the chance lately. It needs to be in bright sunlight to really show it and lately when I've had time it's either cloudy or night or...

[Emanuel A.]

OK, my apologies for taking so long... Especially to Emanuel, sorry.No worries there, Jeff! Your help has been so much appreciated -- thanks!

E. :-)