Nikon D80 and Five Lens Test

[farlymac]

My digital kit has continued to grow as I find bargains on lenses and an extra Nikon D80 body. So it was time to take the gang out for some fun in the sun.

There was a waxing moon rising in the mid afternoon, and I knew the perfect spot to get some decent views of it. Some high cirrus clouds and contrails were just enough to add a little interest to the blue skies, and there were other targets of interest in the area to train the lenses on.

The kit included:
2ea Nikon D80 DSLR
1 MB-D80 grip
Slik M410 tripod
DX AF-S Nikkor 18-105mm 1:3.5-5.6G ED VR
DX AF-S Nikkor 55-300mm 1:4.5-5.6G ED VR
DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1:1.8G
DX AF-S Micro-Nikkor 40mm 1:2.8 1:1
Sigma AF 170-500mm 1:5-6.3D APO

The big rig

Sigma 170-500mm D APO at 500mm by P F McFarland, on Flickr



Not as sharp as I’d hoped for in manual focus

Moon at 500mm MF by P F McFarland, on Flickr



I think the image falls off a bit away from the center

High Tension Pylon at 170mm by P F McFarland, on Flickr



The Micro-Nikkor works really good

Details by P F McFarland, on Flickr

See all the photos and narrative at https://flic.kr/s/aHskRGuayW

PF

 

[farlymac]

After doing some research while trying to find a hood for the Sigma 170-500mm 1:5-6.3 D APO, I found it was first introduced in 1996, and is not designed for use on a DSLR. Well, I've got plenty of film cameras it can go on.

I also got to thinking that it would be hard to use a polarizer when the hood is bayoneted over the filter, so I'll be looking into getting a generic 86mm screw-on of proper depth.

PF

 

[farlymac]

Came across this on DPReview:

Throwback Thursday: the Nikon D80: Digital Photography Review

PF

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I recall the time when the D70 came out... and I handled one at the store. I was really just half an inch away from selling my Nikon F80 and going to the dark side. But then, that model got maligned with the famous GBLOD (green blinking light of death). I completely missed the D80 issue but it looks very, very familiar to me... a lot like my F80/N80.

Thanks for posting your experiences with this rig... Enjoy your digital walks! 🙂