Manual and Electronic

Q: I enjoyed Richard Sibley's article on pancake lenses (AO 26 March), but was curious about the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P lens that featured in the piece. Despite being a manual lens, it has electronic contacts so that aperture information can be communicated with the camera. Are there any other Nikon manual-focus lenses that also have electronic contacts so they can be used with automatic exposure modes on modern DSLR camera?

A: I spoke to Gray Levett of Grays of Westminster www.graysofwestminster.co.uk , who kindly lent us the 45mm f/2.8P lens featured in the article. He told me 'Nikon had a 500mm f/4P Nikkor IF-ED optic in its manual lens range, and produced, to special order, the 1200-1700mm f/5.6-8P Nikkor IF-ED which was the Godzilla of all manual-focus Nikon lenses. We had one here briefly and, if I remember it correctly, it cost £53,000. Its specification is: focal length 1200-1700mm, aperture f/.5.6-f/8, lens construction 18 elements in 13 groups (3 x EDs), weight 16kg, dimensions 237mm diameter x 880mm long (overall), filters 52mm drop-in. It was designed to cover an American baseball field, or baseball diamond as it is sometimes known.

Specialising in the Exceptional

The Vintage Department at Grays of Westminster seeks out only the very best mint or near mint examples of Nikon equipment for our customers. For example, on the right-hand page is the very rare Nikon Model H Field Microscope. This is a portable microscope based on the design of their Nikon rangefinder cameras. It enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest field microscopes, eventually being selected by NASA for a place in Skylab Missions in the early 1970s, where it was known as the “Skylab Microscope”. It employed inverted optics with an especially large prism, along with a built-in three-position objective revolving nosepiece. The range of the optics covered 4x, 10x, 40x, 100x (oil immersion) - and 10x wide-field eyepiece lens. It also offered illumination provided by daylight or a built-in incandescent lamp, powered by two self-contained penlight batteries.

If you have Nikon equipment like this that you wish to dispose of, or indeed any high-quality Nikon, then kindly contact us by telephone 020-7828 4925 or if you prefer, you can email us at info@graysofwestminster.co.uk for our highest offer.

Specialising in the Exceptional

A Nikon F-36 Motor Drive (for the Nikon F camera) + Cordless Battery Pack, Motor Drive adaptor plate, connector, Japanese instruction manual, warranty, complete in maker’s boxes NEW (ONE ONLY) £2,000.00.

Specialising in the Exceptional

The Vintage Department at Grays of Westminster seeks out only the very best mint or near mint examples of early Nikon cameras, lenses and accessories. For example, on this Advertisment is a very unusual Nikon F camera with the serial number 6500000 fitted with a 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor-S Auto, scalloped focusing barrelled lens. if you have Nikon equipment you wish to dispose of, then kindly contact us by telephone 020-7828 4925 of if you prefer, you can email us at info@graysofwestminster.co.uk for our highest offer.

The Gold Standard

Grays of Westminster stocks the entire range of Nikon digital SLR cameras: D3X, D3s, D700, D300s, D7000, D90, D5000, D3100. Additionally, Grays of Westminster stock the extensive range of autofocus (AF), AF-S (Silent Wave) and DX & FX Nikkor lenses, manual focus Nikkor lenses plus Speedlights and a vast range of Nikon accessories from eyepiece correction lenses to lens hoods. New Nikon equipment supplied by Grays of Westminster comes with a special two-year warranty.


Specialising in the Exceptional

The Vintage Department at Grays of Westminster seeks out only the very best mint or near mint examples of Nikon Rangefinder lenses and accessories for our customers. For example, on this page is a stunning set of 7 black Nikon Rangefinder lenses: 2.1cm f/4 W-Nikkor-O, 2.5cm f/4 W-Nikkor.C & finder, 3.5cm f/1.8 W-Nikkor-C, 5cm f/1.1, Nikkor-N, 8.5cm f/1.2 Nikkor-P.C, 10.5cm f/2.5 Nikkor-P.C, 13.5cm f/3.5 Nikkor-Q. If you have Nikon equipment like this that you wish to dispose of, then kindly contact us by telephone 020-7828 4925 or if you prefer, you can email us at info@graysofwestminster.co.uk for our highest offer.

Excerpted from an interview with Michael Doven, Photography's Next "Rock Star", Nikon Owner magazine.



See what others have said about Grays of Westminster on the Testimonials page.

As part of the celebration of Grays of Westminster’s 25th Anniversary this year, we are delighted to let you know that if you are a current subscriber to Nikon Owner as well as a customer of Grays of Westminster, your name will be entered into a special silver anniversary prize-draw to win a Grays of Westminster Gift Certificate worth £250.00.

There will be a number of special silver anniversary offers for our customers throughout this period. This is in addition to our regular up-to-date news on Nikon equipment (digital and film, new and second-hand), and announcements of seminars, workshops, special trips and events. If you are not a current subscriber to Nikon Owner, please read below to find out how you could qualify to enter the prize-draw.

What is Nikon Owner?

Nikon Owner Magazine and Interactive Website is considered by many to be the world’s number 1 user group for Nikon owners. It was initially founded with the purpose of assisting Nikon users to make full use of the Nikon equipment they own, to give advice on a wide spectrum of photographic queries and problems, and at the same time to offer ideas to bring about an increase in photographic skills. Subscription to Nikon Owner magazine and interactive website provides a bridge between theory and practical, technical knowledge and accomplishment. As a subscriber to this group, you will receive an array of offers and assistance, as well as the unique photographic publication:



From the cold reaches of the Arctic to the muted ocres of The Palio, from the panoramic sweep of an alien landscape to the microscopic detail of a leaf in bud, Nikon Owner magazine is both inspirational and informative. With its mix of stunning images, illuminating articles to assist and enlighten the photographer, and the very latest reviews on Nikon equipment, it is the essential magazine for the Nikon user, and is 100% Nikon.

Nikon Owner subscriber benefits additionally include:

• Private user name and password to subscribers’-only website which includes a lively forum, message board, technical equipment reviews, events’ page and use of a photo gallery.

• Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline: free technical consultation and support from Simon Stafford who is widely recognized as one of the top Nikon experts in the UK ; you will be able to benefit from his formidable knowledge and have all your technical questions fully answered by email. This service is exclusive to Nikon Owner subscribers.

• FREE 3-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster within your year of subscription.

• FREE 18-month warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster within your year of subscription.

• 10% off Think Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster.

• Special trips: past visits have included a two-week trip to Japan and a personal tour of the Nikon factory, a visit to Nikon Thailand , Angkor Watt, Cambodia.

• Substantial discounts on events and training sessions such as Mike Maloney’s House of Lords Photographic Workshop, Heather Angel’s Wildlife & Natural History Workshops, Chris Weston’s Photographic Courses, Simon Stafford’s Definitive Flash, Portraiture and Macro Seminars.

• 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK.

• A range of complimentary meetings and outings organized by local Nikon Owner Groups.

• Nikon Owner Grand Christmas Dinner at the Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, London.
  

Please email gillian.greenwood@nikonownermagazine.com with your name, daytime landline and mobile telephone number if you are interested in finding out more or call me after 2.00 p.m. Monday to Friday on 020 7828 4925 or 020 7828 8971; alternatively for International calls, telephone + 44 (0)20 7828 4925. The cost of an annual subscription to Nikon Owner is currently £59.

With kindest regards

Gillian Greenwood
Features Editor and Events & Training Coordinator

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The New 85mm f/3.5 VR II micro Nikkor has arrived into stock. This is a new compact and lightweight DX format Macro lens with high quality optics. It's the perfect choice for exploring the world of close-up photography.

Ideal for those new to macro photography, the AF-S DX MICRO NIKKOR 85MM F/3.5G VR boasts a 1:1 reproduction ratio, allowing photographers to get lifelike close-ups of more intricate textures and details, even down to the fine texture on flower petals or insect wings. On top of this, the VR II system provides both a steady viewfinder image for composition and sharper results at slow shutter speeds or when shooting movie clips.

Beautifully balanced to take anywhere, the Nikon DX format provides a compact and light form factor that balances well with Nikon's range of DSLRs like the D90 and D5000. With a picture angle equivalent to a focal length of 127.5mm in FX/35mm format, it extends options beyond those offered by standard kit lenses, ideal for portraits or candid photography.


Both the D3s and 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lens are now available in stock. If you have not been reached from our waiting list, please call to place your order and we should be able to supply you now (while stocks last).

Please note, there is a VAT increase on the 1st of January 2010 and prices are set to increase.



If you are puzzled as to what to get for the Nikon devotee this Christmas, why not take out a subscription to the Nikon Owner magazine. The cost is £59.00 for a year and here are some of the benefits of subscribing:

Three-year warranty

A three-year warranty is available to Nikon Owner subscribers only for any new Nikon purchases made at Grays of Westminster. An eighteen-month warranty has just now also been made available for Nikon Owner subscribers purchasing second-hand kit from Grays of Westminster’s superb second-hand department.

Technical Helpline

Full use of our Technical Helpline, which is run expertly by Simon Stafford. There is an encyclopaedic list of Q&A’s on the Nikon Owner website, or subscribers can email him directly with any photographic queries, no matter how small or large.

Interactive website

Interactive subscribers' only website: subscribers' message board, subscribers' gallery (post your own images), press releases, technical equipment reviews, subscriber events, etc, etc.

Discounts off courses

Subscription to Nikon Owner also provides discounts off a range of other photographic courses, including the annual Heather Angel Wildlife and Natural History Workshop, and 10% off all courses at Nikon UK.

Discounts off Think Tank photographic bags

Nikon Owner subscribers also receive a 10% discount off Think Tank photographic bags if purchased at Grays of Westminster.

Events

Special events are regularly organized for Nikon Owner subscribers.

Also for a short amount of time we have very nice leather Nikon diaries to give away to brand new subscribers. In the back of the diary is a history of Nikon cameras starting back to the establishment of Nippon Kogaku in 1917.

Please contact us at the shop to order a subscription for yourself or as a present and we can activate the online web access just before Christmas (or whenever you wish).

We look forward to hearing from you!

Kindest regards,

Tabitha Hardy

Grays of Westminster - Exclusively... Nikon
40 Churton Street
Pimlico
London SW1V 2LP
Tel: +44 020 7828 4925
Fax: +44 020 7976 5783
E-mail: info@graysofwestminster.co.uk
Website: http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk
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