Nov. 2001
President's
Message
Portrait of Laszlo Hopp
Photo FAQs
Photo FAQs
Eric Kissa
Q.:I am
dreaming of buying the new Nikon 80-400VS vibration reduction lens. How
good is it?
A.:I
do not own a Nikon 80-400mm vibration stabilized lens and have not tested
one. I can only provide information available from Nikon, photographic
magazines, and the other information sources I have. First the physical
data: Construction 17 elements in 11 groups. Weight a hefty 3 lbs. 7/16
oz. (1560 g), although about a 1/2 pound lighter than the Canon 100-400mm
f/4.5-5.6 IS USM lens. Filter size: 77mm. Optical performance has been
stated to be either average or superb. Closest focus about 7ft to a maximum
1:5 reproduction ratio at 400mm. The lens has a removable tripod collar
and is compatible with Nikon TC-14A and TC201 tele-converters but without
AF. Price: list $ 1960, NY price about $ 1700. It isn't cheap.
The satisfaction with the autofocus
speed depends on the evaluator: Excellent (Photographic), a bit slow and
noisy (Popular Photography), quick and fairly quiet (Shutterbug). Other
sources have expressed a dissatisfaction with the sluggish autofocus speed.
Unlike Canon, Nikon did not build an autofocus motor into the lens, in
order to reduce the cost and weight of the lens.
The vibration reduction system (VR) functions only with the latest Nikons
having 5 sensors. The stabilization is effective and allows to use three
stops slower speed than usual. The lens detects automatically that the
camera is panned and, unlike IS Canon lenses, does not need a switch for
the panning mode. When using a tripod, the vibration stabilization must
be turned off.
To save batteries, the stabilizer is turned off after a few seconds of
non-use. The VR system can be reactivated by depressing partially the
shutter release but the reactivation takes at least a second or two. (The
Canon IS system requires also at least a second to become operational).
To keep stabilization active, a light pressure must be kept on the shutter
release. Some nature or sports photographers find this annoying.
The consensus of pros seems to be that if image stabilization is important
to you, buy a Canon camera. Canon has eight IS lenses and its IS system
has been improved. Nikon will eventually produce more stabilized lenses
but this may take some time. Meanwhile Nikon owners can mount the camera
on a monopod and get comparable image stability with existing lenses at
a lower cost.
Q.:Is a new Kodachrome ISO 100 going to replace the old Kodachrome KM 25?
A.:The
famous Kodachrome KM (ISO 25) has been discontinued but will be available
at least to the end of the year. An article in the PSA Journal has stated
that Kodachrome KM 25 will be replaced by a new Kodachrome 100. The people
at Kodak I talked with did not know anything about a new Kodachrome 100.
Where can I repair my Konica camera?
Send the camera to Greg Weber, 2022 E. 7th Street, Fremont, NE 68025. Phone: 402-721-3873 Fax: 402-721-3838 E-mail: gweber@teknetwork.com Competent and reasonable.
Q.:Kenko AF teleconverters, are they good?
A.:The
quality of an image made with a teleconverter depends on the lens to which
it is attached. Any optical faults of the lens will be magnified. If the
match is good, the results can be quite rewarding. Kenko AF Teleplus PRO
300 1.4x and 2x teleconverters are very good performers. They have multicoated
5 and 7 elements, respectively, made of high quality Hoya glass. I have
attached the Kenko 1.4x PRO 300 AF converter to a Sigma APO 70-300mm f/4
-5.6 zoom and obtained results comparable to those produced by a prime
400mm f/5.6 lens. Although the effective f/stop of the zoom fully open
is only f/8 at the focal lengths of 300mm extended to 420mm, the autofocus
of Nikon F100 or N90S still works in good light but is slower. As expected,
the 2x teleconverter degrades the image quality slightly but acceptably
for some applications. Kenko teleconverters provide autofocusing for Nikon
lenses which can be focused only manually with Nikon teleconverters. By
the way, Kenko Hoya, and Tokina belong to the same business agglomerate
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Send questions concerning photographic
equipment (cameras, lenses, accessories, filters), photographic techniques
(other than digital), and film, as well as information on international
photographic exhibitions, to: ekissa @aol.com.