Jan 4, 2006, 23:30
I'm pretty ecstatic - I picked up my Nikon 18-70 from the post office today. I got it "used" off ebay, for a pretty good price, but was worried the condition. In the end, I shouldn't have been - it doesn't even have any scuff marks on it, and the optics are pristine. Someone probably bought a D70/D70s kit and replaced it straight away with some other lens.
Anyway, it'll be replacing my wounded but still ok 18-55.
Initial observations:
I haven't taken enough pics yet to judge the image quality, but handling wise, I like it. Featurewise, it feels very much like my old Canon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5, even down to the barrel bits. Love the full time manual focussing mode - you can override the AF lock by just twisting the focus ring any time. Internal focusing means no rotating/sliding in and out when the AF goes to work. And of course, the f/4.5 at 70mm has a big advantage over f/5.6 at 55mm on the previous lens.
Compared to the 18-55, I wasn't expecting much of a difference between the 55 and 70 focal lengths, and I wasn't disappointed. The difference is so miniscule that it feels more like a 60 or 65, but the interesting thing is that it's just a fraction wider at the 18 end. Anyway, I'm splitting hairs here, probably not worth noting.
The focusing mechanism is quick, although there is negligible difference between it and the speed of the 18-55. Size and weight is the only tradeoff - it's about 2x as heavy as the 18-55, and the zoom extends further - but in my books, it's still pretty light.
All in all, I'm a happy camper. Yay!
Anyway, it'll be replacing my wounded but still ok 18-55.
Initial observations:
I haven't taken enough pics yet to judge the image quality, but handling wise, I like it. Featurewise, it feels very much like my old Canon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5, even down to the barrel bits. Love the full time manual focussing mode - you can override the AF lock by just twisting the focus ring any time. Internal focusing means no rotating/sliding in and out when the AF goes to work. And of course, the f/4.5 at 70mm has a big advantage over f/5.6 at 55mm on the previous lens.
Compared to the 18-55, I wasn't expecting much of a difference between the 55 and 70 focal lengths, and I wasn't disappointed. The difference is so miniscule that it feels more like a 60 or 65, but the interesting thing is that it's just a fraction wider at the 18 end. Anyway, I'm splitting hairs here, probably not worth noting.
The focusing mechanism is quick, although there is negligible difference between it and the speed of the 18-55. Size and weight is the only tradeoff - it's about 2x as heavy as the 18-55, and the zoom extends further - but in my books, it's still pretty light.
All in all, I'm a happy camper. Yay!
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