Ok, I am done and almost afraid to ask...

[flosseR]

Well technically this isn't a digital photography question per se.

Ok I got a bit frustrated with the fact that us (Nikon users) do not have a nice huge database of all the lenses that nikon made, like the Sony Minolta crowd.
So I sat down over the past weeks and started collecting information about those nice old AI, AIS, K, AF and AF-s lenses and combined them into a searchable part of my blog. This was 50% learning and 50% for informational purposes. Since it came online (not launched) i have had users already pouring in through google (considering there was a small link from the main page starting sunday I have had 150 so far purely from google searches).

If you want to check it out, the search page is here: http://go-dslr.com/lens-search
So far I have gotten a nice amount of comments and emails but I think I would like to get it scrutinized (the idea of it etc.) by the ever so critical MR crowd.

As I said, it was a fun project and caused some cross-eyed night in front of the machine but if nothing else, I have it for my own purposes

<ducking for cover from the mob that thinks its useless or idiotic>

//F

 

[pdxflint]

Nice job so far. It still needs some refining, which can should be easy to do with feedback, etc. Also, your icon for "G" looks more like "C" to me. A few typos in various places in the site and database or reviews, but nothing serious. Just run spell check and it should highlight them for you.

Also, the navigation for the database needs some work. On the first page the only way I could find the 17-55 was by clicking "55" under prime. It's a bit confusing, I think. Some lenses are listed under a <<35mm category, others under a 24mm >> category, others listed under an aperture value, but most aperture values you have listed don't really help find a lens, since every lens can have an aperture value of f/6.3, or f/11, etc. Also, when I'm on a specific lens page, the only way to navigate back to the "top" is to click "back" on the browser, or click the database link on the extreme top right, which might not be immediately noticable to some visitors. The database link in the horizontal navbar only takes you to a page with several lenses listed. It would be a bit easy to get a little lost. I say this completely constructively... because I think this can be a really decent site.

Perhaps just list all the lenses in the main page under their "categories" to skip that added layer. For categories just stick to the three basic ones: Manual lenses (prime/zoom,) AF (prime/zoom) AF-I/S (prime/zoom.) Under those main categories you can break it down to more specific variations if you really want to.

As I get time, I'll offer up some reviews on the 80-200f/2.8, 17-55f/2.8, 300f/4, 50 f/1.8 and post them up as comments.

Overall, I like the site. I think it has potential to develop into a good reference site for beginning photographers. Keep the content coming, and they will come.

 

[luminosity]

I think someone already beat you to it:

http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/lenses.html

One of the most important Nikon websites around.

 

[compuwar]

Ok I got a bit frustrated with the fact that us (Nikon users) do not have a nice huge database of all the lenses that nikon made, like the Sony Minolta crowd.

I find Mir.com to have a reasonable amount of information on almost every lens I've ever lusted after, and in conjunction with the NZ site and Bjron R's reviews I don't even find myself going to Thom Hogan's site much anymore. What are you adding?

Paul

 

[gnd]

Just for a comparison in case anyone is interested, here is the Pentax lens database site.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

While all of those are nice, this Canon-lens page, at a non-Canon website, is real nice as it gives you an idea of how much the lens costs, plus it presents you with photo samples when you click on the lens:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=141406

 

[joelypolly]

Little overboard with the google adwords advertising I think... Also your 10mm and 50mm page doesn't really work. They display zoom lenses in addition to primes.

For the ads consider having them in the right hand panel so it doesn't clutter your content. It's very jarring to see an ad in the middle of your content that has a completely different look and feel.

 

[oblomow]

While all of those are nice, this Canon-lens page, at a non-Canon website, is real nice as it gives you an idea of how much the lens costs, plus it presents you with photo samples when you click on the lens:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=141406

I always look at the digital picture for images of EOS lenses.

 

[flosseR]

Thanks for the replies

Very helpfull and highly appreciated. As I said, 50% of the whole process was to see if can still do it (working as a IT Manager has severely diminished my technical sides )

I will definitely look into the spelling *(I guess apple's pages doesn't do that great of a job as I write all my posts in it) and the layout. The ads should actually BE on the right hand side, I haven't figured out why they are displayed in pairs below each lens.

Will figure it out and keep adding.
About what this provides as an addition? Well comments, and interaction for one. Though it might not be worth to everyone, a lot of people, especially newcomers like to read what other people have to say about "them old lenses" .

Photosynthesis was actually the base for the whole thing. It's great with loads of info but not the most intuitive.
I am actually researching a list of additional information that will be added to each lens (diaphragm blades, lens groupings if possible etc.), so in the end these lenses will become a large reference sheet, hopefully

Anyway thanks again for the comments and I will try and fix the search and layout more.

/F

 

[compuwar]

About what this provides as an addition? Well comments, and interaction for one. Though it might not be worth to everyone, a lot of people, especially newcomers like to read what other people have to say about "them old lenses" .

More useful would be current pricing, especially on older lenses. The prices on old Nikkors have gone up so much in the last couple of years that it'd be even more interesting to trend it- but "what will this cost me?" is always a good question to answer.

Paul

 

[mdatwood]

More useful would be current pricing, especially on older lenses. The prices on old Nikkors has gone up so much in the last couple of years that it'd be even more interesting to trend it- but "what will this cost me?" is always a good question to answer.

Paul

I agree. Take a look at setting up a Yahoo pipes (or other services) web service that checks Amazon and/or Ebay for pricing so you don't have to manually keep it up to date.

 

[flosseR]

hmmm... that is a good point. multiple pipes so that we can generate an average

does anyone know if ebay allows API calls and searches?

 

[flosseR]

Never mind, found it and registered.. working on the calls