My kit lens has a plastic mount too. It's never been a problem, but I could see it being a problem after many years of usage.
Just curious, what camera do you have?
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New Camera or New Lens?
- Thread starter NathanCH
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My kit lens has a plastic mount too. It's never been a problem, but I could see it being a problem after many years of usage.
Just curious, what camera do you have?
I am not sure what 35mm f1.8 you have but if you look here, it is pretty clear that the 35mm f1.8 has a metal mount. I really, really doubt that they are making multiple versions of this lens.
http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2009/0209_nikkor_01.htm
Also our good friend KR has some pictures pretty clearly showing the metal mount.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/35mm-f18.htm
I've got quite an interest in this thread as I have been sorely tempted to pick up the 35mm f1.8 myself.
Ruahrc
I have a D200, but I had a D50 that I used as my only camera for the past 3 years previously.
I am not sure what 35mm f1.8 you have but if you look here, it is pretty clear that the 35mm f1.8 has a metal mount. I really, really doubt that they are making multiple versions of this lens.
http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2009/0209_nikkor_01.htm
Also our good friend KR has some pictures pretty clearly showing the metal mount.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/35mm-f18.htm
I've got quite an interest in this thread as I have been sorely tempted to pick up the 35mm f1.8 myself.
Ruahrc
Hmm Ruahrc this is the lens I have http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/prod...spx?path=4bbfe0cd1a9536f7d99e32a30fc40444en02
It's meant to work with the camera body Nathan has.. it has a built in focus motor right in the lens.
I can confirm its all plastic.. which may in fact be ok? but considering people keep lenses for years! I sometimes wonder how long it will last.
I'd never want to drop it by accident thats for sure!
Hmm I just looked at Rockwell's image! your right it shows metal.. they must have changed it at some point or maybe it's a Canada thing? I have no idea.
Your lens mount is plastic? The rest of the lens (the barrel, etc) is plastic yes, but the mount itself should be made of metal. Can you show a picture? It just doesn't seem right. I think either you're confusing some plastic part for metal, or something is really screwed up with your lens/the info on the web.
Ruahrc
Ruahrc
^^^ Canadian stuff is weird, eh?
So I ordered the 50mm F1.4G from the United States with help from VirtualRain. I'll end up saving between $120 and $150, which is absolutely unexpected and great! With the money saved I can certainly consider other lenses sooner than I expected. Perhaps next winter - although, I don't want to get lens crazy.
Ruahrc, thanks for suggesting the 35mm. The site I ordered has a return policy, so if I find I cannot stand the 50mm, I will get the 35mm in a heart beat!
I'll let you guys know my thoughts and opinions when it gets here (hopefully later this week.)
Thanks again everyone for their input! Really helpful
So I ordered the 50mm F1.4G from the United States with help from VirtualRain. I'll end up saving between $120 and $150, which is absolutely unexpected and great! With the money saved I can certainly consider other lenses sooner than I expected. Perhaps next winter - although, I don't want to get lens crazy.
Ruahrc, thanks for suggesting the 35mm. The site I ordered has a return policy, so if I find I cannot stand the 50mm, I will get the 35mm in a heart beat!
I'll let you guys know my thoughts and opinions when it gets here (hopefully later this week.)
Thanks again everyone for their input! Really helpful
Ruahrc, with respect.. I may not be as knowledgeable as some people here but I know when I see a plastic mount.
I have 3 lenses total, a 85mm 1.8 a 50mm 1.4 and the 35mm 1.8
The 35mm is all black plastic where it attaches to the camera, my other two lenses are metal mount, the 85mm has an all metal body, and the 50mm has a plastic body with metal mount. The 35mm also has a very cheap thin plastic lens hood that attaches via a rotate and lock mechanism.. nothing like the heavy duty screw on metal lens hood my 85mm has.
I have no idea if this is something that was changed recently, as I bought this lens in early Feb. Again perhaps it is a Canadian thing? sometimes products vary by country.
I surely cannot be alone.. anyone else with this lens here?
I too have a D40 and looking to upgrade to the D90 real soon. you could just get better lens but with the D40 it doesn't have the automatic AF mechanism which limit your options on the type of lens you want to buy.
fyi walmart.com sells the D90 body for under $800.
fyi walmart.com sells the D90 body for under $800.
I didn't mean to sound condescending or demeaning by my previous post- but it's just that every piece of evidence I can find on the web indicates that this lens mount is metal. Yours is the only one who claims their mount is plastic (aside from pre-release speculation posts made just after the lens was announced last year). Unless you somehow got a prototype they made with a plastic mount or something...?
A picture would really help confirm this. It sounds so unlikely for there to be multiple versions of this lens (especially because it was recently released and a revision in the design is unlikely), and the possibility of a counerfit or a fake seems a little absurd (I have never heard of a faked Nikon lens, although with the recent news about the "faked" Intel i7 CPUs... I guess nothing's too far fetched). I might even suggest a call to Nikon to verify that your plastic mount lens is legit? Again, with respect, something just doesn't add up.
Lastly, just an aside about the hood- the bayonet hood is not necessarily a bad thing, I believe it was partially designed to be like that in the case of a lens drop it will break away from the lens, the act of which will absorb a lot of the fall energy potentially protecting the lens. Kind of like the crumple zones on a car. If you bolted a hood on really securely it might not protect the lens as well from the impact shock. I know the vast majority of modern Nikons use the bayonet or some kind of clip-in style. Only the older lenses and the heavy supertelephotos use the screw style now.
Ruahrc
The 35mm f/1.8 certainly has a metal mount, I have never heard of a plastic mount version and doubt there are any. Are you confusing the plastic piece that has the electrical contacts on it with the actual mount? If you really do have a plastic mount please post a picture.
Hi again, as I have asserted the mount is indeed plastic. The copy of the lens I have was purchased at "Centre Japanois de la Photo" at the Montreal Eaton Centre, They price matched Royal Photo's 259.00 price.
I'd gladly take a picture for you but considering the lens is on an aircraft bound for Cuba on my best friends D50 this is not going to happen until she returns next week ( I told you I don't use it much )
There does in fact seem to be two versions of this lens, and I did contact Nikon this afternoon as well as several local camera stores. "Japan Camera" as I will call them (since I am english) only has the plastic lens mount in stock.. I encourage anyone local to go check it out for themselves! Royal Photo on the other hand only has the metal mount! and they claim to have not seen the plastic mount and they claim they get stock from Nikon several times a week! When I questioned Japan Camera they said they also get stock several times a week and have not seen a metal mount since the first few shipments they had of this lens which they said was last spring.
Something is messed up! so I decided to call Nikon here in Montreal, I spoke with a nice lady who was not aware of different mounts on the lenses but has forwarded my inquiry to the regional sales rep for my area and I expect a call tomorrow. As a side note I plan to request they exchange my lens for the metal mount version as to me thats much better! When I bought this lens.. Japan Camera told me thats how the lens is made and that Nikon is changing over to plastic mounts. ( I did not believe this much but figured ok its a lower end consumer lens so this is probably why )
I have a Nikon hood on my 1.4 and its a screw in type and is made from flared rubber material, it solid and it does not move once put in place, same as my 85mm 1.8 but I understand thats an older metal lens and a more expensive lens to start with.
Again, I have been at this long enough to know a plastic mount when I see it
Something's messed up indeed. Very interested to hear what Nikon says in reply. I know it's a bit of a fetch with you not having the lens in front of you, but do you happen to have the serial # of your lens? If you do, you can match it up here in the following database of serial numbers.
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html
Ruahrc
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html
Ruahrc
Again, I have been at this long enough to know a plastic mount when I see it
So, any pictures of the illusive 35mm f1.8 plastic mount?
I'm a little late to the thread.
I would definitely buy better glass before a new body unless there is something specific a new body will give you that you need/want. I have a D60 and one of the biggest thing I miss is the auto-bracketing. I thought I would miss the AF on non-AF-S lenses but that isn't an issue at all. I bought this (Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF) a while back and it's an awesome lens for the money. At least on my D60 it meters and range finds without any problems, though I still have to manual focus it. I have found that I prefer the manual focus over the auto except in situations where a fast focus is required (mainly action shots).
I would definitely buy better glass before a new body unless there is something specific a new body will give you that you need/want. I have a D60 and one of the biggest thing I miss is the auto-bracketing. I thought I would miss the AF on non-AF-S lenses but that isn't an issue at all. I bought this (Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF) a while back and it's an awesome lens for the money. At least on my D60 it meters and range finds without any problems, though I still have to manual focus it. I have found that I prefer the manual focus over the auto except in situations where a fast focus is required (mainly action shots).