Help me choose a zoom!!!

[trackdemon]

Has an excellent write up, lovely build, and decent focal range:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30070&item=7519055999#ShippingPayment

Nice, could live with 200mm and the f2.8 is useful (but not top of my priority list).

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7516557377&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Price bound to go up but seems a decent lense. Don't know much about it. Quality is a given with Nikon branding?:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7518324909&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I'm probably leaning toward the Sigma 100-300 at the moment, but could easily be converted ;)

[simpo two]

'It is an autofocus lens and fully compatible with the latest digitals: D70, D2X, as well as Nikon SLR's.... The serial number is: 1005245...'
I was just about to suggest this - it's a great lens and worth £350. But unless it's been re-chipped, serial numbers starting with 1 and 2 are not D70 compatible (AF problems)

[HankScorpio]

Got the middle one, like it. Can't really comment on the other two.

(Just curious, why are you browsing ebay in australia..?)

[dcw@pr]

first or second one for me

[beano500]

The Nikon 80-200 comes in several different guises. All of which tend to be good value on the s/hand market because optically it always has been a cracking design.

So there's a one-touch version, then a two touch version and then the "D" version. Up to this they aren't AFS either.

That's the only thing you might consider about this one, it hasn't got the "D" spec, which would mean that the lens can tell the body about distance to focus information for metering and flash TTL metering.

(To be honest I've got two lenses with "D" designation and three without and you don't really notice the difference except that with distance information the exposure is theoretically likely to be right more times. With instant feedback from a histogram and the D70 tendency to under- it's not such a big deal.)

The one-touch/two-touch debate has it's sides, but in reality it's down to handling preference, IMHO. They're all built in the traditional Nikkor style, so they'll survive a war-zone better than you or I.

As things have moved on a bit (and what with the VR and AFS technology and all that) this is definitely a noticeable bit heavier and slower to focus than the latest Nikkors. My telephoto of choice happens to be a 180mm prime, and having tried an AFS lens I am well aware that it's not the quickest focussing off the mark, and likes hunting more than a man in a red coat on a big horse. But know its limitations and you'd be on to a good deal.

So, in summary, can't give you a definitive answer on your three possibles, but thought the extra info on the Nikkor might be useful.....