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From: Paul Furman on 17 Feb 2010 17:15
Discontinued lens, bought used for $400. Sharp as heck, though I did
have to tweak the CA corrections pretty heavily and it's still got a
blue fringe thing:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4364830592_a1360d2d70_o.jpg
-6MB original full size, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 200, D700

Photozone.de's tests show less CA though the scene above is a
challenging one and theirs is DX:
http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/226-nikkor-af-180mm-f28-if-ed-review--test-report
Note the sharpness is almost the same wide open corner to corner.

Bjorn R. gives it almost top rating:
http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_short.html

Very nice bokeh & closeup performance too:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehill/4364087729/sizes/o/in/set-72157623327513975/

In the interest of nitpicking, here's a horrible looking, worst case
example of the CA at 300% enlargement, in the very corner, with
lightroom defaults compared to corrected final:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4366435966_0afa15fedf_o.jpg

It never ceases to amaze me how complicated tradeoffs are for lens
design. I haven't tried comparison shots against the 70-200 VR I but I'm
thinking this is a replacement for that. It works well with PN-11
extension for butterfly & flower closeups but you can't push that too
far on a bellows.
From: Pete on 17 Feb 2010 19:15
Paul Furman wrote:
> Discontinued lens, bought used for $400. Sharp as heck, though I did have
> to tweak the CA corrections pretty heavily and it's still got a blue
> fringe thing:
> http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4364830592_a1360d2d70_o.jpg
> -6MB original full size, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 200, D700
>
> Photozone.de's tests show less CA though the scene above is a challenging
> one and theirs is DX:
> http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/226-nikkor-af-180mm-f28-if-ed-review--test-report
> Note the sharpness is almost the same wide open corner to corner.
>
> Bjorn R. gives it almost top rating:
> http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_short.html
>
> Very nice bokeh & closeup performance too:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgehill/4364087729/sizes/o/in/set-72157623327513975/
>
> In the interest of nitpicking, here's a horrible looking, worst case
> example of the CA at 300% enlargement, in the very corner, with lightroom
> defaults compared to corrected final:
> http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4366435966_0afa15fedf_o.jpg
>
> It never ceases to amaze me how complicated tradeoffs are for lens design.
> I haven't tried comparison shots against the 70-200 VR I but I'm thinking
> this is a replacement for that. It works well with PN-11 extension for
> butterfly & flower closeups but you can't push that too far on a bellows.

Hi Paul,

This is my prime lens (most often used and only the Mk I version). I stop it
down so rarely I wouldn't know if the iris got stuck.

Editing only in Capture NX2 it shows exemplary behaviour. Obviously editor
does Auto Lateral CA as per cameras, but can't remember if I dial in some
Axial CA, probably.

In case you haven't tried, please use it without a filter - always (as
recommended by its maker).

If a VR versions comes out I might just save up for it.

Pete


From: RichA on 17 Feb 2010 21:01
On Feb 17, 5:15 pm, Paul Furman <pa...@-edgehill.net> wrote:
> Discontinued lens, bought used for $400. Sharp as heck, though I did
> have to tweak the CA corrections pretty heavily and it's still got a
> blue fringe thing:http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4364830592_a1360d2d70_o.jpg
> -6MB original full size, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 200, D700
>

Without a complex design utilizing fluorite (as opposed to an old ED
glass) it is impossible to make an f2.8 lens with its aperture truly
apochromatic.

From: Henry Olson on 17 Feb 2010 23:46
On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:01:53 -0800 (PST), RichA <rander3127(a)gmail.com>
wrote:

>On Feb 17, 5:15�pm, Paul Furman <pa...@-edgehill.net> wrote:
>> Discontinued lens, bought used for $400. Sharp as heck, though I did
>> have to tweak the CA corrections pretty heavily and it's still got a
>> blue fringe thing:http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4364830592_a1360d2d70_o.jpg
>> -6MB original full size, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 200, D700
>>
>
>Without a complex design utilizing fluorite (as opposed to an old ED
>glass) it is impossible to make an f2.8 lens with its aperture truly
>apochromatic.

Tell that to all the P&S super-zoom camera designers who have come very
close to doing just that at apertures as wide as f/2.0 without any easy to
fracture, easy to permanently fog, fluorite elements.

You fool troll.

From: Rich on 18 Feb 2010 01:52
Henry Olson <henryolson(a)nospam.org> wrote in
news:a8hpn5hqvodujiv479n5a0fv2s8l7q1jfb(a)4ax.com:

> On Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:01:53 -0800 (PST), RichA <rander3127(a)gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>On Feb 17, 5:15�pm, Paul Furman <pa...@-edgehill.net> wrote:
>>> Discontinued lens, bought used for $400. Sharp as heck, though I did
>>> have to tweak the CA corrections pretty heavily and it's still got a
>>> blue fringe
>>> thing:http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4364830592_a1360d2d70_o.jpg
>>> -6MB original full size, 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 200, D700
>>>
>>
>>Without a complex design utilizing fluorite (as opposed to an old ED
>>glass) it is impossible to make an f2.8 lens with its aperture truly
>>apochromatic.
>
> Tell that to all the P&S super-zoom camera designers who have come
> very close to doing just that at apertures as wide as f/2.0 without
> any easy to fracture, easy to permanently fog, fluorite elements.
>
> You fool troll.
>
>

Tell me which P&S lens can make that claim, I'll test it and post the
results. This is your chance to back up all your claims.
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