I agree with even limited backward compatability for Nikon. But its not just about lens mounts, its about support for the customer. I dropped Canon after over 15 years of satisfied use because they dropped me, the customer. My wife and I were both Canon users and had major investments in bodies, flash, about 14 lenses (macro, close-up gear, primes, zooms), etc. When the Canon lens mount changed, all my lenses became immediately obsolete with the new bodies. No question of "will my AIS lens meter properly on my F100", if it were Canon, they won't even fit! We could not even buy a new manual Canon body. I continued to use my older manual bodies until the repair shop could no longer scrounge parts. They are making repairs from used bodies as a parts source. You see, Canon not only changed the lens mount, they stopped making parts for all their older designs - AE1P, A1, F1, etc., and provided no new manual bodies (as Nikon has done with the F3HP and FM series). So we sold ALL our Canon stuff at an absurdly low price (even though competitively bid to three dealers) as the future would only see the value drop. No Canon did not just "changes its lens mount", it obsoleted its popular system, dropped support for its long-time users, and went after a different market. We are now very happy with our N70QD, F100, 24-120 f3.5 D (good travel lens - my choice), 28-200 f4-5.6 D (another good travel lens - her choice), 20 mm f2.8D, 70-300 f4-5.6D, etc. I plan to expand the lens selection as budget and needs dictate. These Nikon zooms are good for "casual" shooting - travel, etc. - but are not the sharpness of good primes. The bodies beat my Canons - I have no problem with the N70 interface and I love my F100. I loof forward to expanding this system over time. I like to believe that as technology moves forward in photography that my new investment will not be wasted as it was with Canon. Nikon seems to be committed to providing bodies, lenses, etc., that will work across their line - the AF D lens will become common for serious digital photgraphy as that field grows, etc. But my system will not become obsolete overnight. I say lets hear it for Nikon who decided to remember their serious customers and the major investments they make! >Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 13:09:41 -0800 >From: Robert McLaughlin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [none] [v04.n320/4] >Message: 4 > >IN NAME ONLY > >>> But the originator of the thread and others wrote as if it were a physical >>> impossibility to design fast lenses for an F mount. Now one is backing >off. > >>That's the point I was trying to make especially since Canon had 85/1.2 >>and 200/1.8 lenses in the smaller diameter FD mount (does anyone know >>how large it was in comparison to Nikon's F mount?) before the EF mount >>came out. > >Yes Canon changed the mount and opened up new oportunities. But if you >take the hottest EF mount lens it cannot work properly on your Canon F-1. >The EF series are Canon in name only. it is almost as if Canon shut down >and a new company opened up, EOS. You are either EOS or you are manual >focus, hard to be both, it is as bad as having two different systems. When >someone says YAY CANON they are really thanking a totally new company for >opening up. If you are buying new gear this is fine, but a lot of folks >with Canon MF got burned big time when they could not advance. All their >stuff was discontinued and antiquated. If you have an eos-1 and find a >nice old mf lens, too bad, you cannot use it. > >I wish those folks extolling the virtues of changing lens mounts would stop >for a second to consider the effect on your lenses now. What if YOUR >manufaturer chnged everything TOMORROW? > >Robert >in Redlands
