On Fri, 29 Nov 2002 12:05:56 +0100, "Jan Beckmann" wrote:

>I'm about to buy a Nikon 135/2.8 lens. Now are there any major strengths of
>the AI version over the E series version? Is there a reason not to buy the
>cheaper one?

See: www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/slemn.html. In general,
for other than heavy use, you will not see much difference
in results, longevity, or even in appearance - the 135mm
f2.8E is one of the nicest in this series...

>The Series E lens is lighter, shorter, but only focusses down to 1.5m (AI -
>1.3m). I will get the E version for <100 and the AI version for <150 at
>ebay.

Make sure of the one sold - all are good, but the early
f2.8 is quite a bit larger and heavier, with no performance
advantage... I would take a truly mint "E" over a "user"
AI at these prices, but in the same condition, I would
pay the little extra for the resale value of the AI... BTW,
the AIS version of this lens is a small "gem" - easy to
pack, and an excellent performer at a tiny fraction of the
80-200mm f2.8's size and weight (and it performs well
on converters, offering the basis for a good-but-compact
long-lens system...).