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Lens Reviews

Nikon AF-S 17-35mm hands-on

J. Ramon Palacios (jrp)


Keywords: wide, angle, lenses, nikon, nikkor, f5, f5a, 17_35mm, 28_70mm, 80_200mm, tokina, at_x, f100, konica, konica_centuria, paris, france, konica_supra, architecture, film

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As my partner Bo Stahlbrandt said, "most obviously the F5 is one of the killer SLR 35mm bodies on the market". Now the question was, after the immense pleasure of buying one, with what lenses to arm the killer.

Click for a view of the boxed F5A

Nikon F5A, the 50th anniversary model 

 

Like Bo, I am too a serious amateur, that means I don't make my living from photography but go at it passionately for the love of it, so I want the best possible camera with the best possible glass on, because life is short and dear moments fleeting.

I waited a long time for the chance to travel again to the US and view, feel, try and buy the lenses I would need for the brand new F5 I had also been longing for.

Since I don't print poster sized or larger mural pictures, I had been arguing with myself on whether to get the Nikkor AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D ED and the AF-S 80-200mm f/2.8D ED or the corresponding Tokina's AT-X Pro lenses. After all, with the price difference you can get a lot of filters, film and additional gadgets. The wider angle perspective I had cover - or so I thought- with a beautiful Nikkor AF 24mm f/2.8D. With those three lenses, the range from 24mm all the way to 200mm would be complete and I could later get ready to further go to 300mm and even to 420mm with a TC1.4E teleconverter. After all, my Sigma 600mm f/8 had been a disappointment most of the time.

As soon as I arrived to the hotel in Miami, dropped the bag, hooked up my notebook to the high speed ethernet port and started to make phone calls. It was only to discover that none of the local Tokina distributors -within a 50 miles radius- were stocked at all with any AT-X Pro. Destiny had made the choice for me. I ordered a taxi and headed towards the apparently largest Nikon distributor in the area: Pitman Photo Supply.

Forty nine dollars after, the taxi arrived there.

And the adventure began.

(3 Votes )
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Originally written on January 25, 2002

Last updated on December 30, 2020

J. Ramon Palacios J. Ramon Palacios (jrp)

JRP is one of the two co-founders of Nikonians and has in-depth knowledge in many photographic areas Awarded for his contributions for the Resources

San Pedro Garza García, Mexico
Admin, 46140 posts

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