Filters for Nikkor AIS Lenses

Hi there,

I've recently got myself a Nikon F3. Currently only with a Nikkor 50mm lens, but am looking at 80mm portrait lenses. The advice I need is about polarizing filters (and general filter advice for these lenses I suppose).

While I know the filter mount is 52mm, will a normal AF lens circular polarizing filter be usable with Nikkor MF lenses? For info, I'm looking at getting a polarizing filter plus red, blue, yelow and UV/skylight. Initially, I will be shooting in black and white. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

SoiDog

SoiDog said:

Hi there,

I've recently got myself a Nikon F3. Currently only with a Nikkor 50mm lens, but am looking at 80mm portrait lenses. The advice I need is about polarizing filters (and general filter advice for these lenses I suppose).

While I know the filter mount is 52mm, will a normal AF lens circular polarizing filter be usable with Nikkor MF lenses? For info, I'm looking at getting a polarizing filter plus red, blue, yelow and UV/skylight. Initially, I will be shooting in black and white. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

SoiDog

Click to expand...

Welcome aboard,

The filters you mention will work just fine. As long as you have the correct size filter, you should not have any problem. The only place where you might have a problem is if you tried to use a linear polarizer on an AF camera and lens.

The 105mm ƒ2.5 Nikkor is another outstanding portrait lens.

Great stuff. Thanks Zathras.

Marumi Circular Polarizers are a fantastic value. I use pola's more often in my video work than stills, and been very happy with the Marumi brand. They're on Amazon and around the web.

I use a blue filter sometimes and thought that I am nearly alone. Happy to see it mentioned.

I use 49mm filters on my Nikon because they're generally a lot cheaper (especially if you buy a set) w/ a 52mm to 49mm step ring. No vignetting on any lens I've tried it on so far, and the 49mm is a popular filter size if you buy lenses from another maker in the future. I use mine as drop in Series 7 filters too by simply dropping them in backwards. Red & yellow are about all I need for my B&W use, although yellow/green is interesting for foliage and/or landscapes.

Welcome to APUG. A Nikon shooter as well, I started my "black and white" filter collection with (Nikon's nomenclature) 52mm Y48, X0 and B8 filters (each has its own use in shooting portraits); later, and with an eye to shooting landscapes (now mostly shot with medium format using similiar filters), I added the R60 and O56 filters. Skylights, of course, are on the front of all my glass - a habit/lesson from my late father.

Recommending lenses is, of course, subjective, but count me as another fan of the legendary Nikkor 105mm f2.5 Ai or Ais (a very sharp piece of glass offering a very flattering perspective for photographing people). If, however, money is burning a hole in your pocket, the 85mm F1.4 Ais Nikkor is outstanding; be prepared to shell out in excess of $500 USD for a clean copy. In terms of longer glass, I would give a nod to the 180mm F2.8ED Ais and the 300 F4.5 ED Ais. As far as wide angles go any of the following can be recommended without qualification (price excepted...lol): 24mm F2, 24mm F2.8, 28mm F2, 28mm F2.8 (legendary sharpness -reputed to be Nikon's "best" wide angle), 35mm F2, 35mm F1.4.

BTW: Welcome to the Nikon family!

BLK

Do any of the AF lenses use 52mm filters any longer?
The only AF I have uses 62mm.

Nikkors for portraits?? on the cheap:

The Series E 100 2.8, about $100. Killer for the money. Yes, the 105 is a legend. But that Series E is cheap and very nice. Small filter size, too.

The 85mm 1.8 AF - an AF lens, but luscious, esp. in color. Shop around, $200ish and up used. My go-to interview and tighter lens for DSLR video.

An old push-pull 80-200 2.8 AF. Beat up examples go for as low as $300, but it's a tough pro-level lens. Nice at 2.8, really nice at F4. Mojo for days on the long end. Great for candids of your kids. Big and heavy, but worth the weight. At 200mm, 2.8 or F4 with a tripod, compression and bokeh that ladies will love. If you can find a cheap one that works well, it's a killer base-coverer.

Thanks for all your great replies folks.

SoiDog said:

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

Four of the Nikon telephoto lenses I use for portraits have a 52mm filter thread.

85mm f/1.8
105mm f/2.8 micro
105mm f/2.5
75-150mm f/3.5 Series E

Other lenses I use that also have a 52mm filter thread include:

55mm micro f/3.5 AI converted
50mm f/1.4 AF-D
35mm f/1.4 AI
28mm f/2.8 AIS
24mm f/2 AI
18-55mm f/3.5 to f/5.6 G AF VR DX

I use glass, plastic resin, and gelatin filters.

The filter brands I use include:
Nikon
B+W
Cokin
Hoya
Tiffen
Vivitar

A soft focus filter is the only filter I routinely use for portraits (black & white and color).

I have used a blue filter when I was shooting daylight film with a tungsten light source.

For landscapes with color film (slide or print), I may use the following filters:
Polarizing
Graduated neutral density
Graduated warming
Graduated tobacco
Warming filter to reduce the blue cast of open shade
CC10M or CC 20M filter to reduce the green cast of tree shade

For black & white landscapes, filters I may use include:
red
orange
yellow
infrared
neutral density


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