Elmerviking

This is a test pic with the Nikkor 80-200 f 4.5 Ai N. I purchased this lens at eBay for $3.50 (!). It had a lott of creep, but that was an easy fix with electrical tape.
People who claim new zoom lenses outperform oldies are, in my opinion, totally wrong. Judge yourself!
This pic is handheld at around 10 yards (I didnt bring my tripod)
with F11, 250 ISO and 1/600s with my Nikon D7100.

(Download)

wetreed

I think you got a great deal. Have fun with your lens.

Elmerviking

I bought this lens to use with my Nikon F old film camera, which I also bought on aBay. That’s an VERY good one...works perfect! I just couldn’t resist testing the lens on my D7100. It was easy to focus manually, the arrows in the viewfinder worked perfect in showing the direction the focus ring should be turned and the green dot which confirms focus was very sensitive. It is a piece of cake to use old manual focus lenses on a D7100!

Bill_de Loc: US

I think you got ripped off. The fish doesn't even look real!

If this was a test shot, it passed the test with flying colors!

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CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

For $3.50 you have a great performer with this example. Assuming you're talking about a lens Rockwell has in his "10 Best Nikon Lenses", you've picked a false issue to dispel as universally wrong .... https://kenrockwell.com/nikon/80-200mm-f45-n.htm

What were your results when you tested the Nikon 24-120mm VR AF-S NIKKOR f/3.5-5.6?

Elmerviking

I never tested that lens.
I have a couple old Nikkor lenses, 50 mm f1.4 and 135 mm F2.8...both non Ai. I can’t test them with the D7100, unfortunately. However on my Nikon Ftn Apollo they are extremely sharp! Old lenses are very well made and render excellent pictures. Of course some are better than others, but claiming that modern lenses are better is totally false!

TBerwick Loc: Houston, Texas

I had to zoom WAY in before the image started falling apart. There's nothing wrong with that lens that careful focusing didn't account for.

MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

A blanket statement about older lenses not performing is just not true; yes newer GOOD lenses will prob resolve a bit better than older legacy lenses but if you are choosy there are good deals out there... As always, glass is where its at. I keep my 15 year old 28-70 L on my latest digital Canon and am totally satisfied... I also have the ORIGINAL Sony DSC-R1 with the Zeiss lens which is as sharp as ANYTHING else I have period. Sure, the peepers will always find something to carp about but good , older glass is still good...

Bipod

The lens worked well for that subject. That's good: you'll be able to use it
sometimes. Show me a lens, and I'll bet I can find a subject it will work well for.
But that doesn't mean it's a good lens.

The ocean is not the best place to try to see distortion. Neither is a irregularly
curving metal fish. Try shooting a lens test target instead:
https://static.bhphotovideo.com/explora/sites/default/files/bandh-test-target.jpg
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/how-to-test-your-lens

Also, you need to test at different focal length settings. A zoom lens may
be good at one setting, and horrible at another. Some only run into trouble
at their widest setting or at infinity. (And the narrower the focal range of the
zoom, the better the best possible design can be.)

The problems to look for are:

1. Monochromatic aberrations:
a. Defocus (especially at infinity)
b. Spherical aberration
c. Coma
d. Astigmatism
e. Field curvature
f. Image distortion

2. Chormatic Aberrations
a. Axial
b. Laterial
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_aberration

3. Flare -- loss of contrast in shadows when areas of bright highlights
are in the frame or simply withing sight of the lens surface

Finally, you need a "control" case: an equivalent modern zoom lens to
compare.

The "claim" is that, for every zoom lens made before 1980s, the best
equalent modern zoom lens will have less total aberations over its focal
range. That's true.

The lead post reminds me of what my grandfather used to say:
"Look at me: I'm 76 years old and I've smoked a pack-a-day since I was 15!"
He died of lung cancer.

Bipod

Older prime focus lenses can be very good indeed.

It's not the age of the zoom lens alone that's the issue: it's that it's a zoom. Zoom lenses are extremely
difficult to design. Before around 1980, all zooms were designed by hand, doing calculations. Then a
prototype was built on the optical bench and improved by "grind and try".

That all changed in the 1980s when computer simiulation of optics became feasible. Simulation is far from
perfect--but it's much easier and cheaper than cut-and-try on the optical bench. It's possible to try out
several designs before settling on the best one. Previously, you had to commit to a design while still in
the "drawing board" stage.

A second factor is that in the 1970s, mutlti-coated optics became common. This helped reduce flare in all
lenses, but it particularly helped zoom lenses because of the large number of groups they contain.

A bit of searching with Google will confirm both of these facts.

Royce Moss Loc: Irvine, CA

I agree with you. Awhile back I picked up an old push pull Nikon 75-300 for $75. At the time I had a 70-300 on my 7100. Sold the 70-300

User ID

Do NONE of the ABOVE !

Ignore all our geeky troublemakers.
Enjoy your lens that cost less than a
draft in the average beer joint :-) Do
beware of electrical tape, especially
in hot conditions. If you really love
the lens after the honeymoon, you
might wanna get the creep properly
addressed by a service shop. It will
STILL be a good bargain, especially
in refreshed mechanical condition.

`

Elmerviking

I agree. As a matter of fact it was not me that stated that ALL modern zoom lenses are better than old ones.
I just wanted to prove that it’s not true. The 80-200 f4.5 ai is one of the best zoom lenses ever made according to many reviewers and one of Nikon’s 10 best lenses! Not only sharpness but also abbreviations and distortion is unbeaten.
Well...if some still think that modern lenses are better...it’s your opinion, not mine..😊

N4646W

Try using a wide rubber band or a ladies hair tie at a slight diagonal from the lens body across the focusing ring. Wide rubber bands work best for me, as they don't roll off the focusing ring. Works well to stop lens creep. Sending the lens in, to try to get rid of the creep is going to cost, and will not be of significant benefit as far as reducing the creep. Using tape is going to leave a residue that will attract crap, and make your fingers sticky, which will transfer every where your fingers go. Enjoy your lens and keep an eye out for those gems.

For the critics of older glass

Yes I know, they don't have the latest and greatest coatings, and are ancient tech, but the majority of us are not publishing and don't give a darn about pixel peeping. Maybe when we win the lottery, we can go out and get the latest and greatest. Until then these older lenses fill the bill. Besides, when you walk around with 23 inches of Nikkor Q 400mm or 600mm for a Bronica stuck on the front of your D800 series camera you get some interesting looks from folks and get to meet some interesting shutter clickers. Are they mostly manual, and heavy? You bet, but so what? They do what they are supposed to, and darn well. My Wife has even started using older glass on her 810. Several months ago she wanted to us my Tamaron SP 200/500mm. Well, Ive been threatened with bodily harm if I want it back. After struggling with learning to use it, she now has the auto this and that function on her lenses shut off and is taking much better photo's because "she" has to think more about the shot than letting the camera take up where she left off.

Ron

User ID

Thaz semi-good advice, meaning that the glaring
exception to that generalization is a 70 or 80mm
to 200 or 210mm of modest speed [f/3.8 to 4.5],
and NO attempt to reduce bulk. That particular
genre is very easy to design and to construct to
standards rivaling a typical prime lens such as a
135/3.5 or thereabouts.

Nearly all of the initially successful zooms on the
market were in the range as described above for
the simple reason that such a design represents
the low hanging fruit. Faster speeds and zooms
crossing thru normal to wide were definitely the
challenge that needed computer modeling to be
really useful. Soligor even named their premium
zoom series "C/D" for "Computer Designed", as
CD was the widely acknowledged beginning of
the era of useful zooms in all ranges.


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