Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Local newsgroup

Summary:
Absoloutly the best three is. This is one sharp glass you can not afford not having one. I have number of lenses in my bagpack but none takes to be the sharpness and clarity of this unit. This is the ED IF lens. Solid, well built, yet easy to handle. I know it has been in the market for sometimes, but this is one I can talk about it over and over.

Strengths:
Everything

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
105mm f2.8 VR, 70-200 f2.8 VR

Jeff82

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $465.00 from Keh

Summary:
This is really a fantastic lens in a very useful focal length. It also mates well with both 1.4x and 2x Kenko teleconverters. I use it mostly for nature and candid shots. While it's not my most used lens, its very sharp, and almost always in my kit. I needed to decide between this lens and the 80-200 2.8 zoom. I went with the 180 prime because its much lighter and more compact than the 80-200 zoom. The built in lens hood is also a really nice bonus. In summary, it's a really great lens.

Strengths:
Excellent optics. Very fast auto-focus. lightweight and compact. Built in lens hood.

Weaknesses:
None really.

Similar Products Used:
70-300 and 80-400 zooms.

Customer Service:
Typically rude, but not needed for this lens.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Price Paid:  $429.00 from eBay

Summary:
This is the second time I have owned this lens ( I had, and foolishly sold, the non "D" AF version before). It is as sharp as a lens can get. Great color and contrast as well. No distortion. Well built.

Strengths:
Everything about it!

Weaknesses:
none that I can think of (really!)

Similar Products Used:
80-200mm f2.8 AF-D (to big for my taste and not as sharp as the 180mm).

Customer Service:
not needed

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $450.00 from Fnac

Summary:
This lens was already very useful with film, it is now a dream on a D100 : you get not less than a lightweight professional 300/2.8 lens ! Color rendition is very good, build construction is fine (I've been carrying this lens for years all around the globe) and manual focus is no pain. Just be careful about the blades since there isn't any rear lens protecting them. It's been my one and only telephoto lens since 1998. Browse www.jeanheintz.com to see some pics.

Strengths:
Compact, rugged, ED glass, internal focus

Weaknesses:
No rear lens to protect the diaphragm blades, weight (due to ruggedness, though)

Similar Products Used:
Nikon AF 20, 24, 50

Customer Service:
none

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.33 of 5,
3 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have owned two of these lenses in the last 10 years. Both produce superb images time and time again. Pictures are contrasty & tack sharp with excellent color rendition. The lens is extremely well built with a nice crinkly finish. In particular, its manual mode is among the best of all AF Nikkors - well damped and precise - very close to manual lense. As I mentioned earlier, I've owned two of these lenses. The first lens was sold to upgrade to a 80-200 f2.8 AF Zoom-Nikkor. While that was an excellent lens, it was not able to match the pop and sparkle of images produced by the 180f2.8. I eventually sold off that lens and purchased another 180mm which I have been happily using for the last year.

Strengths:
Exquisitely sharp, contrasty images with excellent colour rendition. Superb build quality Well damped - precise manual mode Light & compact(for a fast tele)

Weaknesses:
NONE

Similar Products Used:
AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300 ED AF Zoom-Nikkor 75-300 AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-210 AF Nikkor 85 f1.8 (also excellent!) AIS 105mm f2.5

Customer Service:
Not used.