Hi--

>I have enjoyed and appreciated your lens evaluations.
>I hope you don't mind a lens-choice question. I am traveling to Italy for one
>month in November, had been planning to purchase a 17-35mm zoom but just
>learned that it will most likely not be available here in the U.S. before I
>leave. I would like to ask what primes you would recommend for that range.
>This is an important trip and I don't mind buying a few lenses that I might
>trade in later. At these focal lengths I do a fair amount of shooting indoors
>with available light. In those situations automatic focus is not crucial.
>Actually one of my questions is whether there is any reason (optically) to
>prefer manual focus lenses when both are available. There seem to be a few
>reliable sources for used lenses here on the Internet (KEH and Del's?).
>I don't switch equipment frequently. I've been using a F3 for 17 years, with
>results that to me are quite satisfactory. But I'd like to finally try an
>"automatic" camera and so will probably pick up either an F100 or F5 before I
>go (your thoughts on this dilemma would also be welcome). At the wide end,
>right now I just have a 35mm f2 and my one and only zoom, a 24-50mm that I
>bought before our last trip (to my regret).
>I find the opinions expressed in the newgroups and even on the Nikon mailing
>list to be most unreliable. Whenever I've been familiar with lenses you have
>evaluated, I have agreed with your assessment, so I hope you can help me out.
Robert Meyer robtmey@aol.com

Thanks for the comments.

My (quirky...) choice for wides
- 16mm *f3.5* MF fisheye (very sharp even wide open, hand-holdable
at very slow speeds, great for interiors and landscapes [horizon
centered...], but maybe an acquired taste...;-). I like it also on
the TC14A (super-wide that is kind to people and distant buildings,
even when tilted).
- 20mm f2.8 (good from f5.6, same optics in AF/MF (I do not like
AF... [not accurate, and that plastic - ugh!]).
- 28mm *f4* PC (how can one do without it for city-scapes?? - BTW,
the F3 is the only camera that will meter properly with the lens
shifted some [short of the extreme movement], use the PC with an
"E" screen).

Additional lesser favorites
- 15mm *f5.6* (optically good to the corners at f11-16, no
linear distortion, but awkward to travel with and use [and it
needs 1/2 stop exposure compensation, making metering more awkward]).
- 24mm f2.8 (good, but I prefer the "look" of the 20).
- 28mm f2.8 *AIS* MF (good wide-open, a good general-purpose WA).
- 35mm f2.8 PC *latest-version* (not very wide, but as close to
optical perfection [unshifted] as SLR wides get [well, the 16mm f3.5
is pretty close, too...! ;-] - good for landscapes, some city-scapes,
and useable for people if they are not moving much).
- 35mm f2 *AIS* MF (good performance even at f2, and good for
people - though unexciting as a FL...;-).

I'm not fond of short zooms, but if you do eventually go the
17-35 route, the 16mm and 28PC would compliment the zoom
and not duplicate its functions - and the 16 + 28PC is a good
pair without the zoom...
The F5 is nice, but heavy for travel; the F100 is quite pleasant,
and considerably better in VF characteristics than most AF cameras.
I still prefer the F3 for non-flash work.

Interesting travel combinations for me (my quirks considered...;-)
- F3 or FA body with "E" screen.
- 16, 28PC, 85 f2, TC14A; or 28PC, 85 f2 to keep things minimal.
- 16 or 20, 35-105 MF (selected!!!).
- 16 or 20, 35PC or 35 f2, 85 f2, TC14A.
(The TC14A is good on the 16, OK on the 85, and useable on
the other lenses in a pinch [except the 28 f4 PC which it
won't fit]. Focus the 16 f3.5 carefully the first time to
see if infinity-focus is correct [they commonly go beyond
infinity - find the actual marker position, and use
scale-focusing for speed, though the 16 is easy to focus
manually with a good VF and good eye correction for one meter
distance].)

Post the above, if you want - I don't get onto the photo NG's
anymore, except to post a pointer to my web page.
Have a good trip!