authorizeduser Loc: Monroe, Michigan

I am considering buying a Nikon Nikkor AF 70-210 F4-5.6 lens and would like to know if anyone has any experience with one. I will be using it on my D200 for bird and animal shots. Granted this lens is 10-15 years old but is in mint condition all the way around with perfect lens. All metal and solid with screws. Looks new in the photo. It is a push/pull zoom which I have never seem before. I am used to twist zooms.

Almost forgot. The seller is asking $130 but will take $100 cash.
This lens appears to sell for a low of around $89 for good condition to $200+ for mint condition on ebay. This is a local sale so I can try the lens first.

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

The AF on that lens is EXTREMELY slow when compared to the 55-200mm, 70-300mm or 55-300mm lenses of today. I personally think I would pass and buy a newer style lens if I were you. That lens is closer to 20 years old also.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

Depends on how you plan to use it. Long exposures - it might be fine. For everyday use it might be limiting (slow as MT pointed out above).

Furthermore, unless you are buying it at a real bargain, I'd pool my money on a more modern lens.

authorizeduser Loc: Monroe, Michigan

Thanks for all the replies ....

Herbnapa Loc: Napa, California

I have one that I'm willing to let you have. The optics are fine. I don't really know what is meant by slow AF is, it is a little noisy though. It has the metal HN-24 hood, but I don't have a rear cap for it. It does not have the "D" marking, curiously.

If you don't like it, you can "pass it forward". Let me know.

Herbnapa Loc: Napa, California

The 70-210 f4.5 that I love is a Kiron strictly manual. The optics are superb. Kiron is one of several companies that used to make the classic Vivitar Series 1.

With my 28-300, the Kiron hasn't any really practical use, but I love the way it feels. Strictly sentimental.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

Slow AF is slow Auto Focus - the amount of time it takes the lens and camera to focus on your subject so you can take a photo. Some lenses do a lot of searching and hunting to achieve focus which can cause you to miss shots.

Herbnapa Loc: Napa, California

Thanks, I was aware of the reference to autofocus, but the latter part of your asnswer did clarify was might go into makeing the focus slow. This particular lense does not seem to have trouble locking in. Anyway, it the forum member wants to have the lens, no charge, I'd be happy to send it.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Your post interested me because of something that happened about 25 years ago. At that time, in addition to photography as a hobby, I also collected, traded, and sold cameras. I had some real classics like a Nikon F3HP,Nikon FE, Nikon FA, Minolta SRT101, and 201, several Pentax, Olympus OM1, OM1n, OM2, OM2n, OM3, OM4, OM10, Contax, Minolta, Canon AE1, and two or three other higher level Canons, (never had any Leica equipment though). Anyway, I had about 30 to 40 bodies and about twice that many lenses. A friend of mine that shot Nikon and I decided one day to test which mfg. made the sharpest lenses. At that time I was shooting Olympus. We set up a target (the kind that repair shops use to test lenses. We chose what we thought would be some of the better lenses and fired away. The lens that was the sharpest was a Vivitar Series 1 70-210 -- which is most likely the same lens you are talking about! The next sharpest was the Olympus 75-150. The Olympus was no surprise since their lenses are highly respected throughout the photo world but the Series 1 was a total surprise. I'm not saying it was a better lens than the Contax, Nikon, or Canon lenses. There may have been problems we didn't test for like aberration, pin-cushioning, color correctness etc. Just on the pure sharpness level though, it beat them all. Amazing how sometimes there are little hidden gems out there!

Herbnapa Loc: Napa, California

I'm looking forward to using it on my D800e when I finally get it.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

Great story Bridges! Sometimes we forget how many quality pieces of equipment were made 20 to 30 years ago that lacked the marketing budgets of the big boys and/or because they decided to put that marketing money towards making good quality lenses that met or beat the competition in both quality and price. Thanks for the perspective.

authorizeduser Loc: Monroe, Michigan

sure I will take it if the offer is still good.

Jim Glenn
29143 Glenwood Street
Inkster, MI 48141

authorizeduser Loc: Monroe, Michigan

sure I will take it if the offer is still good.

Jim Glenn
29143 Glenwood Street
Inkster, MI 48141