Nikon 70-180mm f/4.5-5.6 D enlarge. try finding it used here

Introduction

This lens is a sleeper. No one ever bought it when it was available new, and like the AF 28mm f/1.4, people pay more for it used than they could have when it was new.

It's much smaller than the 80-200 f/2.8, even though it's made with the same quality.

You may want to consider this to use both as a macro lens and medium tele zoom, saving room in your bag.

I use this now for all my product shots. It is handier than the 105mm Micro AF because I can zoom to frame, instead of having to move back and forth and then refocus to frame.

History

Announced: 27 August 1997, made through about 2004. Nikon made less than 20,000 of these.

Specifications

Name: Nikon calls this the Nikon AF Zoom-Micro Nikkor 70-180mm f/4.5-5.6D ED.

Nikon Product Number: 1983.

Optics: 18 elements in 14 groups, which is an awful lot. One ED element.

Diaphragm: Nine circular blades stopping down to f/32-40.

Close Focus: 14 inches (0.37m) from the image plane; which is the back of the camera.

Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 1:1.32 (use a 6T close-up lens for 1:1) at 180mm. 1:3.2 at 70mm.

Filter Thread: 62mm.

Size: 6.9" (175mm) long by 3.0" (75mm) diameter.

Weight: 35 oz (990g). It's small, compared to the f/2.8 zooms.

Tripod Collar: Fixed. Rotates 300 degrees.

Hood: HB-14 plastic bayonet, included.

AF System: Old-style mechanical AF linkage, requiring you to unlock and rotate a ring on the lens to switch from AF to MF action, just like the AF 28/1.4 and AF 20-35/2.8.

Nikon 70-180mm Focus and Zoom Rings

Performance

Great. There is no lateral color fringing on my D300 or D3, so product lettering never grows rainbows as it did with the 200mm f/4 Micro manual focus on my D200. I haven't tried the 200mm manual focus on the D3 and D300, which may correct that.

AF speed is slow, but remember that it focuses a lot closer than any other 80-200 zoom. I use this for macro, and I usually focus manually in macro.

It focuses almost to life-size at 180mm, but only a third life size at 70mm.

The nine-bladed diaphragm gives round out-of-focus highliighrs, unlike the septagonal 7-bladed diaphragm of the 105mm AF.

I use my TC-200 teleconverter with my AF 105mm F/2.8D all the time for easy 2x magnification. I focus manually and get great results. I doubr this f/5.6 lens would work very well with a TC.

Nikon 70-180mm Identity Plate, on tripod collar.

Recommendations

Nikon AF 70-180mm Micro

This lens exisits to allow you to change macro image size without moving your camera. This is very, very handy, especially for anyone chasing little animals around or any kind of macro work.

Consider this little lens if you need both a 105 macro and an 80-200 zoom. It's much smaller than you think from looking at the catalog.

This one lens can replace both these lenses in your bag. It's not fast in AF or aperture, but it is as small as either one of the others. This way you'd effectively have the function of both lenses while only carrying one.

More Information: Nikon's original 27 August 1997 press release and the development story.

PLUG

If you find this as helpful as a book you might have had to buy or a workshop you may have had to take, feel free to help me continue helping everyone.

Thanks for reading!

Ken

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