Max Ule <76004.277@CompuServe.COM> wrote in message <#ZKAm6HF9GA.123@nih2naab.prod2.compuserve.com>...

>I saw the lens at the PHOTO show at the Nikon Booth in the Javits Center
>recently. It has a tripod socket that can be turned and the auto-focus on
>an F5 demo unit was fast and crisp. Because of its weight, it calls for
>a tripod, but if you shoot flowers and have to move a tripod many times to
>get the right image, this could be a boon. However, already having a
>60mm and 105mm 2.8D lenses, that loss of speed is a problem for me since
>I like to shoot 100 speed with flowers. Also, at @ $1000 street price,
>it is more expensive than my current lenses together.

I agree that the price limits its "usefulness"...;-) But an interesting
byproduct of its (rather extreme) FL shortening with close focus is
that it does not change effective speed with focus. So, at the long end,
where it is a rather slow f5.6 at infinity, it is still (a rather "fast")
f5.6 near 1:1. An f2.8 macro lens that does not change FL with focus
would be the same f5.6 at 1:1. The Nikkor 105's and the 60 do change
FL with focus, but they are still not much faster near 1:1 than the
70-180 at 180mm near 1:1 (where its FL is approaching 90mm...).
--
David Ruether
http://www.fcinet.com/ruether
ruether@fcinet.com