Nikkor 135 lenses

[ROA44]

I am curious about the 135mm DC Nikkor lenses if they are all good or just specific models heard they are fairly plentiful second hand and resonably low price and wondering if to look at buying one.

Also does anyone Know if the D5000 can be operated from a computer just asked today and about to start reading the manual could save a bit of time if some one knows already

Thanks heaps

[Lance B]

The Nikkor 135mm f2 DC lens is a bit of a specialist lens. The DC part of the name stands for "Defocus Control" and what that means is that there is two "aperture" rings, one for controlling the aperture and the other for controlling the defocus "aperture". There is a good test and small explanation here:

http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/225-nikkor-af-135mm-f2-d-dc-review--test-report

It is a very sharp lens, but you really have to know how to use the defocus control aperture to get the best from it. It is a lens I have been thinking of getting.

[ROA44]

I was looking at getting the 105 micro but ended up getting the sigma 120-400 s/h as i couldn't quite come up with the extra for the 105 but wondered if the 135 may have been an option as a potrate lens but will now have to wait but thats ok thanks for the info and will be interested to hear results if you get one before I do

[Wayne]

This is an outstanding portrait lens, but the 105DC (if it has to be a DC otherwise AF/S 85 f1.4D/G) is prob better for DX use unless you just want it for tight head shots. As Lance says, the De-Focus control is on a separate ring, and you set it according to the shooting aperture up to f/5.6. It has a forward and rearward setting to affect the fore or background out of focus elements.

Contrary to your belief, whilst not a really rare lens, it can at times be difficult to source, esp used and they sell used mint for around US$1200 (good luck getting one in Aus) and sell quite quickly when offered. New they sell for a little bit more, but are often out of stock despite being listed in store catalogues and with Ebay sellers.

They are rear focusing, and despite not having a SWM, focus quite fast. They also often need quite a bit of micro adjustment to get focus spot on (so a body without this feature could mean it's all but useless unless you send it to Nikon for adjustment), but sometimes you can be lucky and get one that will be good out of the box. If you are using a D5000, be aware this lens will NOT auto focus on that body and it will be manual focus only and I don't think it has micro adjust either but not sure on that. I'm just assuming you have a D5000 from your question about it being used tethered, but if you are looking to buy a body, take my comments re AF and micro adjust into account.

A quick edit: To help you understand what will and won't auto focus (AF) on a D5000 body, any Nikon/Nikkor lens that has at the beginning of it's name "AF-S" has a SWM (Silent Wave Motor - Some lenses have on them the letters SWM in addition to AF-S) and WILL auto focus on a D5000, any Nikon/Nikkor lens that has only "AF" at the start of it's name does not have a SWM and will NOT auto focus on a D5000.

For portrait work, the pro glass is often one of these 3;

AF105 f/2 DC
AF135 f/2DC
AF85 f/1.4D

All the above do not have a built in focus motor (SWM) and will not AF on the D5000.

The only Nikon/Nikkor pro portrait lens that will AF on a D5000, is the new addition and revision of the old 85mm above which is now;

AF-S 85mm f/1.4G which has a SWM.

Hope that helps a bit...

[swifty]

I debated over the 85/1.4, 105DC and 135DC but ended up with the 85 because of the f1.4 max aperture.
I got the 85 also because I intend to buy a longer focal length lens at some stage too but will likely skip the 135DC for it's replacement (if it appears when I have the money) or a 70-200/2.8 instead. Besides I already own a manual focus 105mm/1.8.
But had I only wanted 1 lens I would have picked the 105 over the 135, due to better reviews but the 135 will provide slightly better subject isolation. On DX, 105's probably a more useful focal length anyways although 85's probably even better on DX.
As others have pointed out, 85/1.4D, 105DC and 135DC all won't AF on a D5000. For that you'll need the 85/1.4G.
Not having owned one but going by images on the web, I don't like the DC results and both 105 and 135 produces exceptional bokeh leaving the DC setting at 0.

[arthurking83]

......

Also does anyone Know if the D5000 can be operated from a computer just asked today and about to start reading the manual could save a bit of time if some one knows already



Everything that needed to be said about the lens has already been said.

So to answer the other question: Yes!

Nikon's Camera Control Pro software should work. Very expensive!
You could try a trial version of Light Room(if you don't already have it), which has a very basic tethering feature compared to other software. Even tho it's basic, at least it's a all in one solution where you capture and then edit all in the one program(if using all in one programs is important to you).

Because using all in one programs is very low on my list of important things, I spend a bit of time looking at what else is available.
In my searching around for Nikon cameras, and as far as I currently know of, the best software for tethered camera control is ControlMyNikon.
There are a few missing features in this software(which I have to say are peculiar to my nature tho, not really limitations in the software).

You haven't specified how full featured you want or need the PC controlling software to be, and why you want it. But for less than AU$10, ControlMyNikon is a bargain.
There are others, some free and other paid for, but so far in my travels, nothing beats CMN for value for money(even compared to the freebies).

If you have LightRoom already and all you want it simple click capture, then use this.
if you operating system recognises your camera when connected via USB cable, then you should be good to go.

Only thing to watch out for. Some time back Nikon changed the way it's cameras connected to a PC. In the beginning, a camera had two modes of USB connectivity. Mass Storage and PTP modes. If your camera has a camera setting in the menu for USB conection type, for transferring images via the camera you need Mass Storage, but for connecting the camera for PC-camera control mode, it needs to be set to PTP.
From about the D700 or thereabouts(so approx late '08 early '09) new Nikon cameras no longer have the Mass Storage mode for some reason. they should all be in a PTP mode, but Nikon assumes that you're using a modern OS on your PC.
I'm not sure on how well Windows XP as an example, connects to a Nikon camera such as this. Many people report that they can't use the (non available) Mass Storage mode to get images off their cards.
From what I understand of the 'mess' ... if you drive Windows Vista or 7 you should have no problems connecting the camera to the PC for both types of transfer modes.

[jim]

I thought the D7000 was the only Nikon so far without the mass storage option? If it's gone from all recent cameras I think it's a shame, as that is by far the more convenient option.

[I @ M]

I thought the D7000 was the only Nikon so far without the mass storage option?

Definitely gone from the D700 and that model will be 3 years old in 14 days.

[jim]

Drat!

[ROA44]

The tethered camera Question arose from my brother inlaw who uses this type of set up in his business for cataloging and asked if the Nikon came with appropriate software. I don't have a specific purpose at this point but can see a use in some types of macro work at a later point. Thank you for all the contributions I now have a lot more research to do on top of speedlites,tripod heads and the list goes on but it's all great fun.