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Should I sell it or keep it?
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Jan 12, 2019 06:46:18   #
greekd214
 
Need some advise from the group. I have a
Nikon AF 70-210mm f/4-5.6 Zoom lens that I used to use when I shot film. Since I shoot digital now, I was wondering if it was worth hanging onto or should I sell it? It's an FX lens and requires a camera with a built in focus motor. I currently have a D7200 with an 18-300mm. The lens is in excellent condition and I'm wondering if I'll ever use it again. Your thoughts?

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Jan 12, 2019 06:59:26   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
greekd214 wrote:
Need some advise from the group. I have a
Nikon AF 70-210mm f/4-5.6 Zoom lens that I used to use when I shot film. Since I shoot digital now, I was wondering if it was worth hanging onto or should I sell it? It's an FX lens and requires a camera with a built in focus motor. I currently have a D7200 with an 18-300mm. The lens is in excellent condition and I'm wondering if I'll ever use it again. Your thoughts?


Sad it is not compatible anymore with the new Z cameras.
You might want to sell it before it becomes more obsolete, if you do not use it anymore, and let some older Nikon user keep it going.
I also have this lens and find it a good performer optically, use it on my FE2. I got mine for $10.00, but on Ebay they seem to sell for an average of $70-80.

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Jan 12, 2019 07:11:49   #
ecobin Loc: Paoli, PA
 
greekd214 wrote:
Need some advise from the group. I have a
Nikon AF 70-210mm f/4-5.6 Zoom lens that I used to use when I shot film. Since I shoot digital now, I was wondering if it was worth hanging onto or should I sell it? It's an FX lens and requires a camera with a built in focus motor. I currently have a D7200 with an 18-300mm. The lens is in excellent condition and I'm wondering if I'll ever use it again. Your thoughts?


It should work fine with your D7200. Have you tried it?
I have the same lens and occasionally use it on my D800e. Works great, sharp, just not a fast lens.

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Jan 12, 2019 07:22:34   #
mas24 Loc: Southern CA
 
greekd214 wrote:
Need some advise from the group. I have a
Nikon AF 70-210mm f/4-5.6 Zoom lens that I used to use when I shot film. Since I shoot digital now, I was wondering if it was worth hanging onto or should I sell it? It's an FX lens and requires a camera with a built in focus motor. I currently have a D7200 with an 18-300mm. The lens is in excellent condition and I'm wondering if I'll ever use it again. Your thoughts?

I'm assuming the 18-300mm is a crop sensor designation lens. I use to know, but forgot. I own the Nikon AF-P 70-300mm DX version. It's hard to depart from something you cherish a lot. But, if you don't use it anymore, it's only going to take up shelf space. I would sell it, and use the money towards another lens you could use. Maybe, a prime lens like a Nikon 35mm or 50mm. You can buy each of the lenses at bargain brand new prices.

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Jan 12, 2019 07:43:23   #
billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
 
greekd214 wrote:
Need some advise from the group. I have a
Nikon AF 70-210mm f/4-5.6 Zoom lens that I used to use when I shot film. Since I shoot digital now, I was wondering if it was worth hanging onto or should I sell it? It's an FX lens and requires a camera with a built in focus motor. I currently have a D7200 with an 18-300mm. The lens is in excellent condition and I'm wondering if I'll ever use it again. Your thoughts?

They are currently selling from $22.00 to Mint for $70.00 on Ebay. So, that is what your lens is worth. Since you own the lens and not me, it is really your decision.

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Jan 12, 2019 08:17:16   #
grandpaw
 
greekd214 wrote:
Need some advise from the group. I have a
Nikon AF 70-210mm f/4-5.6 Zoom lens that I used to use when I shot film. Since I shoot digital now, I was wondering if it was worth hanging onto or should I sell it? It's an FX lens and requires a camera with a built in focus motor. I currently have a D7200 with an 18-300mm. The lens is in excellent condition and I'm wondering if I'll ever use it again. Your thoughts?


My thoughts...
The D7200 has built in focus motor and the lens will work with it
You won't get much for it if you sell it
If something happens to the 18-300 you will have a backup lens to use
I would keep it as a spare

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Jan 12, 2019 08:36:41   #
tomcat
 
greekd214 wrote:
Need some advise from the group. I have a
Nikon AF 70-210mm f/4-5.6 Zoom lens that I used to use when I shot film. Since I shoot digital now, I was wondering if it was worth hanging onto or should I sell it? It's an FX lens and requires a camera with a built in focus motor. I currently have a D7200 with an 18-300mm. The lens is in excellent condition and I'm wondering if I'll ever use it again. Your thoughts?


I would keep it as a spare and use it for those instances where fast focusing is not required. I have one of those lenses and actually, it's very sharp and one of the sharpest ones I have. When you eventually send your others to Nikon for repair, then you'll have this one as a backup.

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Jan 12, 2019 08:47:00   #
ChrisRL
 
Funny you should mention that.

I just completed a lens shoot-out of all the lenses, new and old, in my collection, using a real life scene and a test chart, through a D600 on a very sturdy (large format) tripod, mirror locked up, and a 2 sec shutter delay.

I went through all the common focal lengths (8, 16, 24, 28, 35, 50, 70, 85 ,105, 135, 180, 200, 300) and found the sweetest spots in every lens at those lengths. Then I went through all of the sweet spot shots of each focal length and marked down the best of them (by sharpest usually, but sometimes it was best color/contrast between two equally sharp lenses).

At 70mm, 135, 180, and 200mm, one of my 70-210's (I have two, they're so cheap these days) won the batch. The surprising one was 70mm, shot against a 24-85G, a 28-70/2.8 gold ring, a 24-120 (not surprising here - I had a very sharp 24-120G before that probably would have won, but sold that one long ago). The old 70-210 clearly won at this length. The won again, by enough to raise eyebrows, at the rest of the tested focal lengths mentioned above too.


It wasn't particularly fast - I think the sweet spot was around f/7 to f/9 or so - but then the winners of the 85mm and the 105mm were both older Nikon primes, at around f/8 as well, even though common doctrine suggests diffraction at those apertures.

Before I bought my 300/4, which is a very sharp lens, I used the 70-210 for sports as well. While its performance wide open fell short of the 300's wide open, used at its sweet spot of f/7 it made me enough work to buy my 300mm in the first place, so that's saying something. (Of course, used at the 300mm's sweet spot of f/8, the 300mm will go toe to toe with anything else 300mm out there).

Yes, I do have an 18-200 and an 18-300 both DX lenses, but since I have no DX camera (I use them for video only, usually), any comparison would be unfair.

So just so's you know, I still possess lenses from the 80s. My 85, 105, 70-210 were all bought new. And all my three lenses are holding the line superbly, and remain at the top of my pile, even in this digital age.

JM2C, YMMV etc

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Jan 12, 2019 11:22:55   #
WJB Loc: Salisbury, MD
 
ChrisRL wrote:
Funny you should mention that.

I just completed a lens shoot-out of all the lenses, new and old, in my collection, using a real life scene and a test chart, through a D600 on a very sturdy (large format) tripod, mirror locked up, and a 2 sec shutter delay.

I went through all the common focal lengths (8, 16, 24, 28, 35, 50, 70, 85 ,105, 135, 180, 200, 300) and found the sweetest spots in every lens at those lengths. Then I went through all of the sweet spot shots of each focal length and marked down the best of them (by sharpest usually, but sometimes it was best color/contrast between two equally sharp lenses).

At 70mm, 135, 180, and 200mm, one of my 70-210's (I have two, they're so cheap these days) won the batch. The surprising one was 70mm, shot against a 24-85G, a 28-70/2.8 gold ring, a 24-120 (not surprising here - I had a very sharp 24-120G before that probably would have won, but sold that one long ago). The old 70-210 clearly won at this length. The won again, by enough to raise eyebrows, at the rest of the tested focal lengths mentioned above too.


It wasn't particularly fast - I think the sweet spot was around f/7 to f/9 or so - but then the winners of the 85mm and the 105mm were both older Nikon primes, at around f/8 as well, even though common doctrine suggests diffraction at those apertures.

Before I bought my 300/4, which is a very sharp lens, I used the 70-210 for sports as well. While its performance wide open fell short of the 300's wide open, used at its sweet spot of f/7 it made me enough work to buy my 300mm in the first place, so that's saying something. (Of course, used at the 300mm's sweet spot of f/8, the 300mm will go toe to toe with anything else 300mm out there).

Yes, I do have an 18-200 and an 18-300 both DX lenses, but since I have no DX camera (I use them for video only, usually), any comparison would be unfair.

So just so's you know, I still possess lenses from the 80s. My 85, 105, 70-210 were all bought new. And all my three lenses are holding the line superbly, and remain at the top of my pile, even in this digital age.

JM2C, YMMV etc
Funny you should mention that. br br I just compl... (show quote)


What a wonderful piece of work to share! Thanks!! I had a 70-210 I loved, used it all the time. But it was stolen (along with the rental car in San Francisco a couple of summers ago). I really miss it-maybe I'll go to e-bay, even though I hate it there...
Thanks again. Bill

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Jan 12, 2019 11:57:21   #
ChrisRL
 
Bill, try your local craigslist or FredMiranda - there's always an old screw-drive 70-210 around, and the D and non-D variations had the same glass.
Enjoy!

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Jan 12, 2019 17:01:56   #
WJB Loc: Salisbury, MD
 
Thanks Chris. I'll check-better than e-bay.
Bill

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Jan 12, 2019 18:24:38   #
dandi Loc: near Seattle, WA
 
Just keep it. That's what I do with mine. It is very sharp and compact. You won't get a lot for it. It'll work fine on your D7200.

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Jan 13, 2019 00:14:57   #
IDguy Loc: Idaho
 
mas24 wrote:
I'm assuming the 18-300mm is a crop sensor designation lens. I use to know, but forgot. I own the Nikon AF-P 70-300mm DX version. It's hard to depart from something you cherish a lot. But, if you don't use it anymore, it's only going to take up shelf space. I would sell it, and use the money towards another lens you could use. Maybe, a prime lens like a Nikon 35mm or 50mm. You can buy each of the lenses at bargain brand new prices.


Yes, but that isn’t the one the OP is thinking of selling.

Just to note there are two AF-S versions of the 18-300 (DX). I believe the older one, with a 5.6 upper end, is better. I have one and it is great when I only want to take one lens. Both versions are much more pricey than the one being discussed.

But my AF-P 70-300 VR blows it away on image quality.

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Jan 13, 2019 02:50:18   #
rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA
 
grandpaw wrote:
My thoughts...
The D7200 has built in focus motor and the lens will work with it
You won't get much for it if you sell it
If something happens to the 18-300 you will have a backup lens to use
I would keep it as a spare


Very good thoughts!

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Jan 13, 2019 05:58:47   #
mas24 Loc: Southern CA
 
IDguy wrote:
Yes, but that isn’t the one the OP is thinking of selling.

Just to note there are two AF-S versions of the 18-300 (DX). I believe the older one, with a 5.6 upper end, is better. I have one and it is great when I only want to take one lens. Both versions are much more pricey than the one being discussed.

But my AF-P 70-300 VR blows it away on image quality.


Thanks for the info. When I said, I would sell it, I meant the 70-210mm. I should have mentioned it.

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