The first 80-200mm f/2.8 zoom (SHB first 300/2.8)

[Wally]

I am happy to report that the number of these lenses held by NG members now stands at 5 
SN is 182348

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Ownership is contagious Do hope you got it for a fair price ...

Even more remarkable is how the serials are clustered. Your lens is just 80 units away from mine !!

[David H. Hartman]

Getting back to the original question, what David describes sounds very similar to the original 300mm f/2.8 ED lens.
Read about it here: http://www.nikkor.com/story/0011/. It matches pretty much everything described except it is 300mm not 80-200

Thanks! Roland, that's the article I remember but remembered incorrectly. I was looking for your reply. I figured you would know.

Dave

[Bill De Jager]

Ownership is contagious Do hope you got it for a fair price ...

Even more remarkable is how the serials are clustered. Your lens is just 80 units away from mine !!

I got mine from KEH a few years ago after passing up earlier ones. 

Today's weather has kept me inside, but I really want to get out tomorrow during a brief window between rainstorms and see if I can get some better shots than last time.  The landscape is so green after years of drought, the fruit trees are starting to bloom, and we've probably seen our last frost of the winter in the local area. The high mountains will still be locked in snow and ice for months to come, though.

[Bill De Jager]

Two more on the D810 with some cropping and modest tweaking:

Plum Blossoms #1 by Bill de Jager, on Flickr

Laurel Hill by Bill de Jager, on Flickr

[Bill De Jager]

As I explained in my edit to my post of February 12, my previous post of pixel-level crops from this lens presented an inaccurate view of this lens' capabilities.  Today I went out again with this lens, albeit under less favorable circumstances, and tried to do better.  These were shot on a D810 at 200mm and f/8.  The day was windy and the resulting distortions were visible in magnified live view, so these photos likely don't show maximum sharpness.  Still, these are sharper results than the center crop I posted on February 12.

Mobile phone tower about 700 meters away, cropped and downsized:

Phone_tower by Bill de Jager, on Flickr

Actual pixels from the center and point of focus:

Phone_tower_actual_pixels by Bill de Jager, on Flickr

Bird about 30 meters away, actual pixels:

Bird_actual_pixels by Bill de Jager, on Flickr

[Wally]

Received my Mint- new lens and boy I am happy! 100% center crop to show f2.8 sharpness at approximately 20m

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Thanks for the confirmation of the image quality attainable by this old masterpiece. The lens looks really pristine, too (while it lasts).

Might I inquire about the serial number? (you already reported it)  Apparently the NG members are allotted lenses within a "block" of just a hundred items

[Dane]

Here is the next proud owner of this legendary lens 
Thought it might be nice if I posted some pics taken with the lens.
First, of the lens:



I let it get a professional service, found a HN-25 hood in its box, found the original metal screw in cap in its box and
the original operating manual as well as a leatherette Nikon cap that fits perfectly over the HN-25.

Some pics:


Mundenhof _9 von 40_ by Dane, auf Flickr

Nikkor 80-200mm 2_8 AIS ED _3 von 9_ by Dane, auf Flickr

Europapark Rust _8 von 14_ by Dane, auf Flickr

Europapark Rust _7 von 14_ by Dane, auf Flickr

Europapark Rust _4 von 14_ by Dane, auf Flickr

01_12_2012 Schauinsland nach Schneefall _98 von 98_ by Dane, auf Flickr

01_12_2012 Schauinsland nach Schneefall _61 von 98_ by Dane, auf Flickr

Nikon D1 _ 80-200mm 2_8 AIS ED _74 von 80_ by Dane, auf Flickr

15_06_-17_06_12 Solothurn _17 von 208_ by Dane, auf Flickr

15_06_-17_06_12 Solothurn _177 von 208_ by Dane, auf Flickr

15_06_-17_06_12 Solothurn _167 von 208_ by Dane, auf Flickr

15_06_-17_06_12 Solothurn _164 von 208_ by Dane, auf Flickr

15_06_-17_06_12 Solothurn _150 von 208_ by Dane, auf Flickr

15_06_-17_06_12 Solothurn _95 von 208_ by Dane, auf Flickr

Mundenhof _40 von 40_ by Dane, auf Flickr

Mundenhof _4 von 40_ by Dane, auf Flickr

Mundenhof _36 von 40_ by Dane, auf Flickr

[Bjørn Rørslett]

No doubt this is a capable performer judged from those example photos.

However, you "forgot" the serial number

[Dane]

Sorry, didn't know you need it ?
What's the purpose?

However here it is: 181872

[Bjørn Rørslett]

More of a curiosity how close the lenses owned by NG members are clustered

Your lens is a couple of hundred units earlier than mine.

[Les Olson]

Why is it surprising that people who live in the same region have lenses whose serial numbers are close? 

[Bjørn Rørslett]

One of the unsolved mysteries

[Roland Vink]

Probably batches of lenses were all sent to the same region, although it is worth noting that total production is only around 1539 units, so it is not surprising that most lenses owned by NG members have serial numbers that are relatively close

Dane, a very nice lens you have there, and you show it is a very capable performer. You managed to get some good closeup shots even though the lens does not focus particularly close. Your lens is from the first sub-type with the tripod locking knob on the right. Starting around no. 181999 lenses start to appear with the locking knob on the left.