Hello, This is just an observation, but it seems that many Nikon users veer toward two or three zooms because of the prices inherent in Nikon gear. I have made a pretty nice little kit by AI'ing some old prime lenses, but outside that, if I had to bankroll a set of new primes OR zooms, I would have to mortgage the house. It also seems that for many on the list, buying the newest and "coolest" is close to being a religion. For most, the major choices are dictated by by practicality, not hypothesis. Adios, Bill Hilburn Jr. [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Terry Danks) wrote: >Curiously, I >just was browsing a copy of "The Nikon Compendium" by Hillebrand >and Hauschild, 1993. On p. 139 it states "This first version of 9 >elements performed rather poorly and these early zoom designs are >responsible for the persistent prejudice to this very day, >alleging that the image quality of zoom lenses is considerably >lower than that of fixed focal length lenses." >I still feel that way. Despite my satisfaction with the old >80-200 that I still use on occasion, I can't bring myself to buy >a Nikon zoom . . . all because of the 43-86mm I bought back in >1976 and traded away back in 1981. Call me a crazy old fossil but >I still "suspect" zooms. >I was at least gratifying to see in print the acknowledgement >that I was not alone in being "poisoned" against zooms by this >old Nikon "clunker". >Zooms do not occupy a position of respect in my camera bag.