I am trying everywhere to find this lens new. Nikon has discontinued this lens and I am working on an important assignment now in Turkey. I tried calling a dozen shops in new york and they only want to sell me the new auto focus. Why not ask a pool shark to use a new stick! If I can locate this lens I will have it shipped to me and pay a premium if i need to if only i can find this lens brand new! My work is too important to me to trust a used lens. Any help at all is greatly appreciated! Thanks

-- shane solow (ssolow@mindspring.com), January 25, 2001

Answers

Don't be such a snob, buy a used one...or several!
For the last listed new price you could get 3 or 4 mint 'pre-owned' lenses and take your pick from them.
The old Nikkor MF lenses are so well made that it takes serious abuse to damage them to the point where it shows up in the pictures. Just avoid anything with scratched elements.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bam.ac.uk), January 26, 2001.

You should be able to find one if you wish, Shane. I hadn't realized that it had been discontinued -- it is in the new (Jan 2001) price list from Nikon UK -- though the bad news is that the price there is GBP 530.

I understand that Nikon makes lenses like this in batches; when the batch in store is nearly exhausted, it then reviews the marketplace to decide whether to make another batch. What I suspect has happened in this case is that Nikon has decided not to make any more AI-S 50mm f/1.4 lenses and that Nikon USA's stock has run out ... but that Nikon UK still has some.

Living in Southampton on the centre of England's South Coast, I would try the following dealers in the following order if I were looking for an out-of-the-ordinary Nikon product:

• Grays of Westminster, LondonGary Levett deals exclusively in Nikon cameras and has extensive links with Nikon and in the Nikon marketplace. The shop is one of Nikon UK's featured "Premier Sites". The Web site is at www.graysofwestminster.co.uk, and Gray's e-mail address is gray.levett@graysofwestminster.co.uk.
• Camera Direct, Brighton, SussexPeter Blake buys his stock from a wholesaler in Japan, and imports it himself. This means he can obtain Nikon kit that is available in Japan, but difficult to find elsewhere. Normally this means that, if anything needs repair under guarantee, it has to be returned to Brighton. The Web site is at www.camera-direct.com, and Peter's e-mail address is camdir@aol.com.
• Robert White, Poole, DorsetRobert White has a world-wide mail order business and his shop is one of Nikon UK's "Professional Camera Dealers". The Web site is at www.robertwhite.co.uk, and Robert's e-mail address is sales@robertwhite.co.uk.
Later,

Dr Owl

-- John Owlett (owl@postmaster.co.uk), January 26, 2001.

Del's (http://www.delscam.com) has one listed on the web for $356 New or $295 10-.

-- Geoffrey S. Kane (grendel.nauticom@verizon.net), January 28, 2001.