Any other user comments now that this lens has been out for awhile now, the port issues are largely worked out and you've had a chance to put it through its paces?
I've got one on order from the local camera store. For me faster AF is THE reason to get this and sell off the old 105mm lens. I like this lens a lot, I have a port and diopter for it, and now a good focus light. In good light it focuses ok. In low light it hunts alot. Faster is better, as the FOV is small it doesn't take long for moving critters to traverse the FOV.
So the main question is: Is it that much faster? Is it worth it?
Quality glass is nearly always a good investment.
But in this case if you already have a decent lens with the same focal length it is not so cut and dry.
The AF of this lens is clearly better than the old one in bright conditions on land. Some have commented that this advantage does not continue UW with low light and low contrast subjects.
I have not dived with mine. Will report when I do.
Alex
Thanks Alex. Looking forward to hear your review.
Here are two more online reviews. Both are amateur but given the quality of the photography worth looking into.
I only had 3 dives with mine so far and there are couple of nagging question I have with this lens. With AF, underwater, I could not get anywhere close to 1:1. The camera would not AF at all. Since I do not have MF gear, MF was out of question. My best guess is that, when I get any closer than 1:1.3-1:1.5, AF stopped working. (I did check, the camera was not in the limited AF range mode). It did not hunt or anything at all when I got close. I used 70-180mm quite a lot, granted often with 5T diopter but I think that I could get closer with 70-180mm/5T than with my 105mm with or without woodie diopter. I did not use focus light but the subjects I took in Bali such as harlequin shrimp weren't excactly a low contrast subject and it was in 8-9m water in the middle of the day so hardly low light either. I am not sure if it is defective or not but will get my Nikon dealer to take a look at it
Sorry to hear this. How were you measuring magnification? How did you know that you weren't getting 1:1?
My main concern is on dropping $900 + $140 for a new diopter and $200 for new ports = $1240 for a new lens that won't deliver the only thing that the old 105mm is lacking. Worse, most ports for this lens won't allow manual focusing.
I expect both lenses will perform the same optically--which is to say outstanding.
Sorry to hear this. How were you measuring magnification? How did you know that you weren't getting 1:1?
My main concern is on dropping $900 + $140 for a new diopter and $200 for new ports = $1240 for a new lens that won't deliver the only thing that the old 105mm is lacking. Worse, most ports for this lens won't allow manual focusing.
I expect both lenses will perform the same optically--which is to say outstanding.
Well, just guessing from the size of the subject and what I get in the picture and since minimum focusing distance is supposed to be around 15cm or under 6 inches, I don't think I was able to get that close. When underwater, I kept thinking that may be I had the lens set to 0.5m-infiinity mode but when I took the lens out, that was not the case.
Try taking a picture of a ruler.
Photograph a metric ruler horizontially. If you are getting 1:1 you should just fill the frame with 24mm along the long axis. Get as close as you can focus and see how much of the ruler fills the frame. TRy this in good light and low light. Try it underwater too if you have a chance.
There is supposed be an update to the D2X AF in the upcoming firmware so hang-on! I have not used it UW either but did work with it for a bit this weekend when we had a brief pause in the rainfall.
I found that MF and AF work well in concert - use MF to coarse focus then AF to fine focus, very quick and no hunting. Reminds me a bit of working with a compund microscope since one coarse focuses then fine focuses with separate controls. Have a MF ring on order!
Tom
Try taking a picture of a ruler.
Photograph a metric ruler horizontially. If you are getting 1:1 you should just fill the frame with 24mm along the long axis. Get as close as you can focus and see how much of the ruler fills the frame. TRy this in good light and low light. Try it underwater too if you have a chance.
Hmmm, on land in a brightly lit room, I definitely could AF to 1:1 when taking a picture of a ruler. Not sure why I could not do the same thing underwater. I certainly could get a lot closer than I did underwater.
If you can't get the full AF range make sure you don't have the limit switch on for the focus. It is easy to knock this accidently when mounting the lens. Mine is already taped up!
Alex
Yep, mine on the old 105mm is taped up too. This is also mentioned in Martin Edge's book as well. So many insights in that gem of a book!!!
If you can't get the full AF range make sure you don't have the limit switch on for the focus. It is easy to knock this accidently when mounting the lens. Mine is already taped up!
I thought that might have been the case but when I took the camera out of the housing, AF was not in limited mode, unless the switch was knocked to limited mode when I put the camera in and got knocked back when I removed the camera
Everytime I put the port on, the M/A switch was always knocked to M position so I had to tape that switch as well. I will make sure that both switches are taped next time
