No at all, he brought another newer one like that but with VR and costed about $600 more, and traded in his D2x for a D300s. In fact he pasted away one year later because of old age (82 yrs). I always remember him when ever I holding this lens!
Let me simplify my story, friend of mine in our photo club dropped his D2x with the Sigma 50-500mm zoom lens and broke the lens mount and everything around it completely including the contacts cable except the glasses in the lens. He gave me that piece of remain, because I like collecting lens for doing some project of my own. Well I found out that lens may be repairable if the price is right! I visited a local camera repair shop, the owner said he can fix for $300,if every time the cost for repair about 1/4 of the cost of the lens is worth to do it. The 50-500mm costs $1200 when new, so I gave him the green light. 4 weeks later the lens came home like new. now I use it with my D200 for out door shooting.
Very sorry to hear that, it is a photographer's night-mare! It had happened to my old friend of our photo club in NY four years ago, He(past away a year later) dropped his D2x with the Signa 50-500mm lens in the parking lot late night after a long day outing. The lens mounting completely broken to pieces, including the contact cable and everything around, but the D2x was fine with out a dent, may be the lens absorbed all the forces. After that He gave me the remaining of the lens (I like collecting lens for my our project-take the lens apart to do something else),and sold the D2x and brought a D300s. I checked the lens, it could be repair, so I sent it to a local camera shop to check it out, the guy said he can repair it for around $300. I agreed, after 4 weeks the lens came home like new. Now I use it on My D200. That guy is amazing!
Every time taking a close-up or macro shot, the DOF will be shallow no matter how small aperture you set with lens. Some area of the 3 dimension object you are shooting will be out of focus anyway! Just use the spot focus mode AF or MF mode focusing on the main interest area of the object with small aperture, hopefully you will get most of the object in focus!
But, if you want every corner of the object be in focus, then you need to do it with image stacking in the computer editing.This is another story.
One last thing to mention is the macro lens. It is surely sharper than regular zoom lens when using for close-up.
This is only my opinion form my experience.
Thank you all!
Macro lens has it's own character as a flat-field lens, it means it's sharp thought out the whole image from center to edge. I use it as normal prime shooting close-up to scenery as well as portrait.
May I add some more suggestion:
Use a true macro lens(That's what it made for-close-up);
Use remote shutter release;
mirror lock-up, if you have this with your camera.
Camera is just a machine to record what you saw. The more you use it ,the more you will find out it's hidden ability for taking picture, from there you will use them to create your own way to shoot! Just keep shooting!
I am a new comer on this site, and a long time Nikonian, Like Harvey, I recently brought and tried another system,a used Olympus EP-L2 ILC 4/3 camera and used it on one my old collections (the Olympus Pen F 42mm F1.2) After some test shots,I feel I am in love with this set up. The 42mm is great for portrait photo. Now I am waiting for the delivery of my order of new batteries; lens adapter of Nikon lens, just can't wait...!
Nice to talk to you all, thank you!
Hi! I am new here, please accept me as a new member of this blog! Thank you! I have the D-200 and a mixture of 10 lenses of AF and AI;AIS. I love this semi-pro D200, I would like to upgrade to another DX model but not the D7100 nor the D7000, because both don't have the same controls lay-out as the D200 and the D300. A friend of mine in Japan told me the D400 Dx is coming, I have to wait and see,if it's true I will up grad to this and convert the D200 to full time AR.