New Gear!

Dan and I just ordered some new gear. Sweet! Recently my Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 somehow became severely damaged while sitting in the bag and now the aperture blades are completely loose and just flopping around. I really loved the images from the lens, but obviously, I'm a bit concerned about build quality since it was never dropped and I just bought it in May. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be selling my Nikon 17-35 f/2.8, so for a nice fast prime, I bought the Nikkor 105mm f/2 DC lens. This thing is built like a tank so I'm hoping it lasts longer than 2 months and I'm excited to play with the defocus control feature. Another option is of course the Nikkor 135mm f/2 DC, but no one has them in stock and they rarely show up used. I was able to get the 105mm at Adorama, so I can return it if I don't like it and if I do, it has the Nikon USA 5 year warranty.

Dan just picked up a used Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens for a really great deal. The sample pictures we found online (Flickr, dpreview, Fred Miranda, etc.) were unbelievable. The image quality seems to be very, very close to at least the Nikkor 28-70mm and probably even the newer 24-70mm. He is thinking about moving from DX to FX (I'm pushing him toward FX) and this lens is a great way to get into the game without breaking the bank.

We will be sure to post reviews of both lenses in the near future.