Nikon Macro and WA lenses wanted

[PaulRG]

Just before I buy new I thought I'd post here and see if anyone wasn't using theirs and wanted to sell.

I'm after a Nikon 105 VR Macro and a prime wide angle wider than my 28mm but not as wide as my 10.5mm.

Any offers or suggestions?

[Uzair Kharawala]

Paul

105 VR is one of my favourite lens. You're not getting your hands on mine!!

Oz

[William]

The 105 VR does perhaps 80% of my studio work, but it's nowhere near as sharp as the Zeiss ZF 100mm.

[PaulRG]

MMmmm.  The f2.0 Zeiss is £1065 +Vat - it's double the Nikon and doesn't have the VR although does have the extra 1/4 stop.  Not sure I can justify the extra for what I'm going to use it for.  Perhaps you want to sell me your Nikon, William, and then you will have some money to put towards the Zeiss

[William]

Paul

When 105mm had to be replaced my heart wanted the Zeiss, because the quality is in a league of its own, but my wallet said I had to make do with the Nikon.  The credit-crunch was causing the figures to droop and I hadn't started the corrective action that made December the best month in the history of my business. 

This is one of the very few occasions when I didn't buy my first choice because the rule is "buy well, buy once".  Ever since, I've had the nagging feeling that I did the wrong thing because the 105 is used more than any other lens.

[PaulRG]

William, you are just adding more pressure to me now!

Having used Contact RTS system for film for about 10 years, before turning to the Nikon D1 when it was first released, I'm fully aware of the benefits of the Carl Zeiss lens although not sure that the jap ones will ever beat the German ones I use to have.

One of the reasons I'm undecided about which size wide to buy is that I loved my Zeiss 18mm on the Contax however these lenses will be used more for teaching people rather than selling the images from them hence my hesitation in paying out large sums from my modest income.