a survey - oh joy

--
Scott A.

You can call it "lens snobbery" if you wish, but I am trying to figure out if in fact Nikon's quality control on lenses, that I would consider to be of professional grade, is truly lacking or if it is just the incessant complaining of a few that makes it seem that way. I am sure that Nikon makes excellent consumer lenses, but I also don't expect as much from them in terms of quality control at this level. I am also interested to see which if any particular lenses at this level seem to have more problems than other and if there is anything that they have in common such as VR, AFS, DC, perhaps there are features that make a lens more at risk of having problems.

Thanks your input

Greg Zillgitt said:

that fit your curiously restrictive criteria (lens snobbery
perhaps?)

Click to expand...

--
Edward

Lenses listed in profile

18-70 perfect
50mm 1.8 perfect
70-200 VR perfect

However, my D70's been in for warranty repair twice.

Cheers.

--
Nick
http://www.logiman.smugmug.com

There's always someone who supposedly has some knowledge about statistics that is going to try to rain on your parade. Oh no, these types of polls aren't statistically valid! The data you'll collect will be meaningless. Any yahoo can compeletely wreck your poll by logging in with different ID's.

This is pure hogwash. While this type of poll certainly isn't going to give you the same types of predictive value as a professional gallup poll, to say that it is meaningless is simply wrong, and picking an extreme. The simple fact is that there is no other way for the layman to collect this type of data. So you can go by one's anecdotal recollection of the number of positives vs negative postings on a forum like this or you can ask people to specifically respond with their own experiences. Yes a determined malfeasant can wreck the poll, but what are the chances of that. How much of a pain is it to register new IDs with new email accounts so you can get a rise out of skewing a poll? I just don't see that as being all to likely an occurance.

I conducted a poll like this when the D200 first came out. Out of 120 or so responders something like 15% made sure to let me know that my poll was completely invalid and a waste of time. On the contrary it wasn't, it gave me a clear indication of the experiences of a number of people who frequent this forum as I do. Who shoot the same equipment that I do, and who are interested in it as much as I am so that they were frequenting this forum.

Ed, please remember to post your results.

I've purchased the following:
70-200Vr,
12-24 f/4
50mm f/1.4
85mm f/1.8
24mm f/2.8

and not in your request, but included for grins a sigma 30mm f/1.4.

All of these lenses worked as I expected, and I didn't have to send any of them back.

--



Derek

--
Craig in Ga. (USA)
As you go thru life, don't forget to stop along the way to smell the roses.

50 1.8 Perfect
32 F2 Perfect
300 F4 AFS Perfect

18-55 and 70-300 G , not really tested, but probably work within spec.

Cheers

I purchased a brand new 80-200mm f/2.8 AF and it seemed soft. I took it into the store and compared it to another sample, which was noticably sharper. The sales manager agreed and swapped out the lens.

12-24mm
17-55mm
18-35mm
24-85mm 2.8/4
70-200mm VR

50mm 1.4
60mm micro
105mm micro VR
300mm f/4

All perfect on the first sample.

In case you're just grabbing the text from the body, I'll repeat the header.

6 nikkor f/2.8 or faster, no returns

3 vari-aperture nikkors, no returns

I have returned 1 Tamron and 1 Sigma, both vari-aperture lenses.

--
my gallery of so-so photos
http://www.pbase.com/kerrypierce/root

No "consumer" glass in my bag.

AFS 17-35/2.8
AFS 28-70/2.8
AFS 80-200/2/8
AFS 500/4 II plus TC-E's
AF 200/4 micro

Never had any issues with any Nikon lglass. All are exceptionally clean internally. I need the zooms for precise framing.

BTW, I only use Gitzo 1548 legs for camera support.

I had 17-55 send for repair 3 times during one year. Nikon gave me new lense after the 3rd repair. Now after 1000 shoots (4 month) I start having the SAME problems wit the new lense: 1.autofocus stops working (on and of), next will be the aperture..... All same simptoms as with the previouse 17-55. It is a good, sharp lense, if it works.
Alex.

I bought many more Nikkors over the years but I'll just go with what I purchased in the last 20 months since I went digial. I have had many issues with 17-35/2.8, front & back focusing and in general I only get accurate focus manually.

david

edwardneal said:

Okay - I keep hearing about bad samples of lenses and I also
realize that people who have bad experiences are more likely to
yell than those who are happy, so I would like to hear from anyone
who has EVER purchased a NEW Nikon lens. please let me know how
many you have purchased and how many bad copies you have received.
Please note I really only care about constant aperture zooms and
primes.

--
Edward

Lenses listed in profile

Click to expand...

New only so...
1. 50mm 1.8D
2. 35mm 2.0D
3. 17-55mm 2.8 DX (tested multiple copies/ all good)
4. 10.5 2.8 DX
5. 85mm 1.8D.
6. 60mm 2.8 Micro.
7. 125mm f/4.5 Macro.

All Nikon. Not one dud yet.
--
This space for rent.

ddk said:

I have had many issues with 17-35/2.8, front & back focusing and in
general I only get accurate focus manually.

Click to expand...

Personally, I don't see how front/back focusing can be a lens problem since the AF-module is in the camera body. The reason why it only happens with one particular lens could be that it is more pronounced at the focal lengths of that particular zoom lens.

It may be caused by a misalignment between the position of the AF reticles in the viewfinder and the actual position of the AF sensor, in which case the reticle would point at one subject distance and the AF-sensor at a slightly different point in front or behind the subject.

Hi Bob,

I have the same issues on two bodies that I own and the same back focusing showed up on my friend's D2X. Whatever the source of the problem this is the only lens of any brand that I bought over the past two years that has this problem.

david

Bob Lang said:

ddk said:

I have had many issues with 17-35/2.8, front & back focusing and in
general I only get accurate focus manually.

Click to expand...

Personally, I don't see how front/back focusing can be a lens
problem since the AF-module is in the camera body. The reason why
it only happens with one particular lens could be that it is more
pronounced at the focal lengths of that particular zoom lens.

It may be caused by a misalignment between the position of the AF
reticles in the viewfinder and the actual position of the AF
sensor, in which case the reticle would point at one subject
distance and the AF-sensor at a slightly different point in front
or behind the subject.

Click to expand...

3 primes 2 zooms.
--
Jake

have bought 4 of which only 1 fits in your parameters, that being a 50mm/1.8

it is a keeper as well

nikon 105mm 2.8 -perfect
nikon 10.5mm 2.8 -perfect
nikon 50mm 1.4 -perfect

35 f2....Great
50 f1.8....Great
28-70 f2.8 afs....Great
80-200 f2.8....Great
85 f1.8....not a good copy

I'll restrict my comments to Nikkor AF-D lenses.

14 f/2.8 -very good, a keeper.
17-55 f/2.8 -astounding image quality, very useful range.
28 f/2.8 -reasonably sharp, uninspired colour and contrast, I sold it.
35 f2.0 -very sharp, small, useful, excellent image quality.

35-70 f/2.8 -a new (used) acquisition, quite impressed with image quality, so far.

50 f/1.8 -very good stopped down to f/2.8 and smaller. I rarely use but I'm keeping it.

80-200 f/2.8 -another astounding lens. Extremely sharp, vivid colour and contrast.

I've never returned a lens and I sold the 28 f/2.8 to fund the puchase of the 35 f/2.0.

Mike