:: AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70 mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED Pro Lens

[Qube]

EDIT: Don't need or want the lens bag? Sure. Come by and pick up the lens for $250!


This is a serious lens, not a "kit lens" or a cheap replacement for a lens cap sold as part of a kit as with most other cameras. The fast f/3.5 - 4.5 speed should be your clue; the cheapies are all f/3.5 - 5.6.

This 18 - 70 is similar to a 27 - 105 mm on a 35 mm film camera.

It ONLY works on digital SLRs. Using it on a film camera will result in a semi-circular image with dark corners.


SPECIFICATIONS

Optics: 15 elements, 13 groups, one of which is an aspheric. This is not a cheapie "kit" lens (the 18 - 55 is).

Diaphragm: Seven-bladed rounded diaphragm, f/22 - 36 minimum aperture

Size: 2.9" (73 mm) long by 3" (74 mm) long

Weight: 14 oz (390 g)

Close focus: 15" or 0.38m, very good.

Quoted from Ken Rockwell:

Is this the best lens?

I often get questions from new photo hobbyists like "I have priced the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 and it is the same price as the Nikkor 18-70 f/3.5-4.5G that comes with the D70. Should I buy it instead of the Nikkor? I am not sure of the importance of the extra .7 f-stop vs. the extra 6 mm on the wide angle side."

Actually, the answer lies on both the surface and substance level.

At the surface level understood by the new photographer this answer is easy: the 2/3 of a stop means nothing today, since you can just increase the ISO of the D70 with little to no penalty in image quality if you run out of light. On the other hand, the 6 mm is a HUGE difference in how wide it goes on the D70: it's the difference between a 27 mm lens and a 36 mm lens on a 35 mm film camera. You will always be at the 24 mm stop and wishing you could get back out to 18 mm on the D70 for a lot of things, at least the way I use it. This is quite clear.

The substance level is something I never appreciated until I had a couple of decades of experience under my belt. A discount lens usually offers more features like faster speed or wider zoom range for less money than camera-brand lenses. Likewise, a cheap car like a Hyundai or Ford usually offers better specifications, like fuel economy, horsepower or number of radio presets, for a lower price than a Mercedes. You may realize that the Mercedes has a lot more fundamental quality for which there is no numeric specification, and so you probably understand why a Mercedes costs more even with worse specifications.

It's the same thing with lenses. Discount brands are usually pushed by camera stores because they make even more money selling them (more here on that). I avoid the discount brands and know of no professional photographer who uses them. Don't you think if even one pro photographer you'd heard of used them they'd push that in their ads? Anyway, the discount lenses cut corners in places that neophytes don't know about, like the internal construction quality. I find them to be a bad deal, but hey, get what you want.

Just about new with everything shown (nothing more, nothing less... hide nothing ). $300 (it's 18mm and 4.5 in tele, remember). Shipped in Canada for $15 (signature required). Pickup in Scarborough.

[Qube]

Pm Replied! Bump!

[Qube]

Bump....

[Qube]

PMs replied. BUMP!

[Qube]

Bump!

[Qube]

Bumpity!

[Qube]

bump!

[Qube]

bump!

[Qube]

bump!

back from vacation bump!

[Qube]

Bumping and bumping...

[Qube]

Moving thread up slightly...

[Qube]

Bumpity bumpity boopity boo...

[Qube]

Bumpity boop...

[Qube]

Bumpity...

[Qube]

Brumpt... again... PRICE DROP to $280