Nikon 180mm f2.8 AF IF-ED

I bought it used. Outer finishing is worn but optics are excellent. Autofocus is a little bir noisy than today's lenses but it's OK to focus accurate. It's the sharpest lens I ever use. Good balanced with my d700+MB10. I use it to take my doughters pictures, focal lenght is very good to take pics in natural conditions of children.. I recommend it to everyone!
Kind regards.

Much has been written about this amazing lens, tracing its lineage back to the Zeiss Tessar 180mm "Olympia" formula used by Leni Reifenstahl to film "Triumph of the Will." It is fast, ultra-sharp, compact and solid. I've been using it with a Nikon D700 and my only regret is that I waited so long to buy one. Images are smooth and buttery and bokeh just beautiful.

I purchased the 'non-D' version of this lens, used. It is clear my copy was made some time ago and well used, but it feels very tight and sturdy. I love Nikkor build quality. The other reviews are accurate in that this lens' strength is its optics- very sharp, even wide open, with great bokeh. These attributes are nice when isolating the subject for strong portraits. One thing to keep in mind is that your working distance for portraits will be pretty far; maybe 10-20 feet, depending on sensor crop and compositional choices. I would say with my D300 I typically shoot headshots about about 15 feet- great for outdoor stuff, but maybe harder to manage in the studio. I find it very comfortable to shoot with, especially with the vertical grip attached.

One could also use this guy for certain sports like tennis, volleyball, track, etc. I would not try to use it for soccer or basketball where you have a more dynamic selection of subjects. As noted before, the autofocus is a bit slow; probably slower than my 24mm AF-D or 50mm AF-D. However, I will note that it varies noticeably depending on the body used. My D50 turns it slower than my D300, and my F100 actually focuses very quickly. I have read that Nikon film cameras have very strong AF motors, and now I see the difference.

As always, a good approach is to try to find a used one at your local shop and try it out!

I purchased the 'non-D' version of this lens, used. It is clear my copy was made some time ago and well used, but it feels very tight and sturdy. I love Nikkor build quality. The other reviews are accurate in that this lens' strength is its optics- very sharp, even wide open, with great bokeh. These attributes are nice when isolating the subject for strong portraits. One thing to keep in mind is that your working distance for portraits will be pretty far; maybe 10-20 feet, depending on sensor crop and compositional choices. I would say with my D300 I typically shoot headshots about about 15 feet- great for outdoor stuff, but maybe harder to manage in the studio. I find it very comfortable to shoot with, especially with the vertical grip attached.

One could also use this guy for certain sports like tennis, volleyball, track, etc. I would not try to use it for soccer or basketball where you have a more dynamic selection of subjects. As noted before, the autofocus is a bit slow; probably slower than my 24mm AF-D or 50mm AF-D. However, I will note that it varies noticeably depending on the body used. My D50 turns it slower than my D300, and my F100 actually focuses very quickly. I have read that Nikon film cameras have very strong AF motors, and now I see the difference.

As always, a good approach is to try to find a used one at your local shop and try it out!

I bought a group of lenses and had no intention of keeping this one. I popped it on an old D50 to test it out and simply fell in love with the optics on this thing. I don't really have a true use for it, but I think I might have to find a way to keep it. This is the only prime lens I have ever gotten my hands on and I can see why they demand such high prices.

It is rather antiquated technologically which is why I almost gave it a 4 star but the glass is what you pay for. I am actually considering selling my D60 and promoting my D50 body just so I can keep this lens. In reality I need a more capable body anyway, but investing in this kind of glass makes more sense in the long run.