Hello to all the "Nikon" community......

Hello to all the Nikon community......

I'm new to the use of this type of forum, but willing to learn. I attend as many "classes" and "schools" as time permits. Photographers are "nice" people. It's an art form which has brought me a great deal of enjoyment over the years. As a retired pilot, I'm interested in photographing airshows. My D80 with a 200mm lens won't cut it.

At ACY, I found out that It’s unsuitable to capture the jets. I felt that I needed a longer lense for the next airshow.


I have an opportunity to purchase an old vivitar 120-600mm f.5.6 lens for under $200. While it’s not an autofocus digital lens, it has the bayonet type attachment formerly used on the old Nikons. Can this lens be used with any type of inexpensive digital body to get the job done? Preferably, I would like to build a combination for just the airshow purpose. Please advise.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Many thanks

Welcome to the Nikonites Community. If you would please complete your profile with some information about your self as well as what camera lens and equipment you are using. It will help in answering your questions. We would like to see some of your air show shots in your gallery. You will be able to upload to the gallery after you have completed five posts.

As to the lens you are looking at, do you know the specific "old Nikon" it was used on? How old is the lens? Nikon has used the same bayonet type mount for many years and it should mount. Is there any way you can give the lens a test "drive" on the D80? If the lens was used on a F3 Nikon it has the Nikon AI-S mount and should fit the D80. This lens, however, may not be suitable either. You will encounter several problems using it to shoot flying jets. The lens is heavy it weighs 5 lb. At least a monopod if not a tripod is recommended. It is slow with a f/5.6 at the 120mm end and f/8 at the 600mm end. Lens shake will be a problem unless you can get the shutter speed up to at least 1/600 sec. preferably higher. That will probably require a much higher ISO than usual and the D80 does not do well above ISO 400. The lens is also manuel focus. So you will have to find the jets in the air, zoom in, focus, and track them to get a shot. Not a very easy task. To do what you want I would go to a higher end Nikon body and a higher speed Nikon zoom with VRII.

Hello Chuck and welcome to Nikonites! We are glad you stopped by and we hope you come back often! I can't wait to see some pics from a 500 mm, I have never had anything that big but I'll have lens envy when you start posting up. Like Joseph said it is probably a heavy lens and it needs a lens/tripod mount. The camer should not be supporting the weight of the lens, it can and will damage the mount.

Hi Joe and Bill, Thanks for the info. I believe that I will take the advice offered and spring for a quality Nikon supertelezoom when appropriate. Moving targets and manual focus are incompatible. Thanks again for your insight. Chuck

I'll update my profile and then try to sort out the "threads" and how to navigate them..........

Welcome! I'm finding forum of great benefit hope you do to xxx

Welcome to the site, from Canada. Hope you enjoy visiting the site .