Tech Friday on Monday: Collecting lenses

* Since Friday of this week will be Christmas Eve and I want to hold that spot for a very special Christmas message, I’m moving the tech update to today.

As a photographer I’ve seen a lot of my life looking through a viewfinder, through a lens. In many ways those lenses have become an extension of my eye. So much of what I have tried to express in my photographic career has come down to which lens will best help me capture that moment.
Always remember, it is the “glass” that matters, sharp lenses are one of the critical parts of the formula to make sharp images.

I’ve often been asked what lenses I own besides the ones I’ve illustrated as my current go to lenses.
First let me make one thing clear, I truly believe that the optical quality of today’s lenses are superior to most everything made in the past, and that is why a few lenses are the ones I use day to day. Once again quickly here are my current go to lenses: FX lenses; 14-24 AFS f 2.8, 17-35 AFS f 2.8, 24-70 AFS f 2.8, 70-300 AFS VR f 4.5-5.6 (all these lenses by the way are Nikkors – Nikon lenses.) DX lenses; 12-24 AFS f4, 16-85 AFS VR f 3.5-5.6 and the same 70-300 AFS VR f 4.5-5.6.

Now those are the everyday get it done lenses. Why would I own anything else? Well it’s kind like the old shoe box on your closet shelf that has your marriage license, a toy airplane from when you were five, those tickets from when Dad took you to the big game, a tattered picture of your wife when you first met, you know that personal stuff. I think if you took our our secret boxes down from the shelf, and got an explanation about why that stuff is in the box, you would learn a lot about each of us. Old lenses are kinda like that for me, for instance I have a very old, circa early 70’s, Nikkor 105 f 2.5 lens. In the early days any serious photographer that shot Nikon, and back then it was almost everyone, those that didn’t own a classic 105 were considered crazy. It’s not only that this lens is one of the best ever, I photographed 3 presidents with that lens. If I sold it it would only bring about $100. no way, partner. I still use it ever once in a while and I still love the way it feels on a camera and the sweet images it makes. What else have I held onto for old time sake. I’ve got an old manual Nikkor 24mm f 2.8 AI which still is a stellar performer. One really special lens I held onto is the 50-135 f 3.5 a very, very sharp short range zoom that is great for aerial work. In fact it was the lens I used a lot in my first book with Wesley, great memories for sure. One zoom lens that I loaned to my kids and I don’t know what ever happened to it, is the 70-150 Series E zoom, made famous when the late Galen Rowell raved about it in Outdoor Photogapher’s Magazine. One of the really interesting sets of lenses is my collection of 80-200’s. I have the original, legendary 80-200 f4.5 and it’s predecessor the 80-200 f4. The first hand holdable 80-200 AF f 2.8 and two of the sweet little 70-210 AF f 4-5.6 push pull lenses, all still great lenses. The original 70-300 f 4.5-5.6 push pull with a tripod collar, almost all metal, still a very good field lens. A lens I still use a lot for special work is the incomparable 200mm Micro Nikkor f4.

A lens that I still love and use from time to time is the 300mm f 4.5 IF-ED, it is manual focus but oh so sharp. Other Micro Nikkors that I love and still use form time to time are the 55mm Micro Nikkor f 2.8, the 60mm Micro Nikkor f 2.8 AF, and the legendary 105 f 2.8 Micro Nikkor. the last lens was a gift from my dear friend Dr. Charles Stanley, even if weren’t a incredibly sharp lens, that would make it a life long keeper. I also lucked up on a 35-70 AF-D f 2.8 push pull zoom
a couple of years ago and it is still a favorite when you want that range and what to carry less weight, it’s optically wonderful. I have a set of fast AF glass that I use for available light shooting;
35mm f2 AF, 50mm f1.4 AF, 85mm f 1.4 AF and the 180mm f 2.8 AF lenses, all very, very sharp and very, very fast.

When I retire someday, I will pick up the 12-24 and the 16-85 and probably the new 28-300 AFS VR f 3.5-5.6 which I don’t own. Believe it or not I don’t own any camera bodies, why should I, I’m using Nikon’s until I decide which ones I want to ride in to the sunset with, then I’ll purchase those.

Well that is my little tale of gluttony. I guess I keep all this old glass because as a Nikon shooter they are all still usable on all my pro cameras, even today, and well, they have sentimental value to me. This year has been a personal celebration of 40 years as working pro, and those lenses, at least some of them, have been with me every step of the way. You don’t throw away an old friend just because they have gotten older.

One question I’m asked often is why don’t own any really long lenses? Actually with a DX body my 300’s give the equivalent cropping of a 450, which is all the focal length I need for the kind of work I do. If you do specialized work like sports or wildlife those lenses are essential. I just don’t do very much of that kind of photography anymore.

Well, I hope you enjoyed that, I feel better, confession is good for the soul. I promise to “try” not
to buy anymore lenses, I’m just not sure “how” hard I will try though…….

the pilgrim

The little camera in the upper left hand corner? My first good camera bought in college, a Minolta
Autopak 500, ( with a 38mm Rokkor f 2.8 lens – zone focusable). After graduating, while teaching and coaching high school football, I got my first Nikon, a Nikkormat FTN with Nikkor 50mm f2 lens!
My first four lenses were the 50mm f2, 105mm f 2.5, the 24mm f 2.8, and the 200mm f4.

O.K. I’ve owned and shot the following Nikon bodies; Nikkormat FTN, Nikon Photomic FTN,
Nikon F2, Nikon FM, FM2, and FM2-T, Nikon FE2, Nikon F3, F3T, Nikon F4, and Nikon F5.
Digital: Nikon D1, D1x, D1h, D100, D70, D2h, D200, D300, D300s, D700, D3, D3s, D3x
D7000 (all consigned by Nikon)
Plus a number of 2 1/4, 6X4.5, 6X7, and 4X5’s.

Anyone who read this far must love lenses……………………..