lenses for my FM2

[dancing wayang]

i like a shallow depth of field generally, so that shouldn't cause me too much of a headache...

richard - i work at eastcote studios. and in fact we did a session with george martin's son giles only a few month's ago, which was great fun. it's precisely for those kinds of session that i want to build up my gear for.

 

[HarryW]

Anna,
I am new to this forum but not to Nikon and have been using an FT3 since 78 and added an FA about 10 years ago. I have used a wide range of Nikkors over the years and have finally settled on four lenses - 20 mm f2.8, 35 mm f1.4, 50 mm f2.0 and a 105 mm f2.5 - they are all excellent lenses. The 50 mm f2.0 was bought with the FT3 however my favourite is the 35 mm f1.4.
Hopefully the FA will go soon in favour of an FM3a
You have been given some very good advice on lens choice but as always the final decision is yours however have a look at this site. http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html#top1 by Bjørn Rørslett is very helpful in giving an unbiased view on practically all Nikon / Nikkor lenses.
Regards

Harry

 

[snegron]

Anna, your camera is designed to take AI and/or AIS lenses.

Pre AI lenses need to be AI'd to make them work on your camera. 20 years ago this was a normal thing to get done but the conversion kits from Nikon are no longer available. I had a lens AI'd and it was great.

I would suggest that you have a look at the KEH website, they have a wonderful range of secondhand stuff and the quality I have personally seen, with a Nikon FE2 camera bought last year from them was astounding.

They advertise on this site and you should be able to click their website from the home page of APUG (I think).

Mick.

I second this suggestion. I just purchased a few Nikon AIS manual focus lenses from KEH recently and I am very happy with them. One thing to watch for though when buying old lenses is how well they are functioning. Check to see if the aperture lever on the lens mount feels springy. If you close the lens down to f16 or f22 then open the aperture via the little lever near the lens mount to 1.4 or 1.8, it should spring back down to f22 instantly. Also check for play on the focusing element. Some Nikon 50mm 1.8 lenses (more so the newer ones) feel wobbly after much use. This is annoying when critical focusing is needed. Also check the condition of the interior and exterior glass elements by holding the lens up to the light. It should be as clear as possible with no spiderweb-like patterns inside.

The advantage of Nikon lenses is that they were built better to begin with. There is a better chance of finding a good sample. With KEH, go with the highest rated lens you can afford in the category you are looking for. For example, if there is a 50mm 1.4 listed in BGN condition, another in EX condition, I would go for the EX condition.

The lenses I have purchased from KEH have ben in EX, EX+ condition or LN- condition. I have been impressed every time and wondered to myself how someone could have kept these lenses in such perfect condition all these years!

 

[David H. Bebbington]

hi there.

after a long absence from photography, i'm getting back into it and have dug out my FM2 recently. i bought this when i was a teenager. in fact, i think it was my first bigger purchase from my own saved money, so it has great sentimental value.

back then i got a 35 - 70mm AF lens with it, but i now would like to buy a 50mm manual focus lense and possibly a wide-angle lense also. it's important that they can perform well in low-light. can anyone recommend some good lenses for me to check out? i have a limited budget, so i'm hoping i'll be able to buy something decent for under £100.

thanks.
anna

If low light is a priority, the 50 mm f1.4 seems a likely candidate. You should find an example in good shape for your budget. One of the things about Nikkor lenses is that almost all the lenses of a similar generation offer comparable performance, so your choice of wide-angle lens is a matter of taste. You already know what angle a 35 mm lens covers, so you need to decide whether you would like this angle in a faster lens, or would prefer a lens that is a bit wider (28) or a lo wider (24). A fast example of any of these focal lengths will certainly be more than £100, although I did buy a nice 35 mm f2.8 about a year ago for £50.

Regards,

David

 

[alan c. davis]

All good advice so far that I can see. Also for what you can buy them for these days, add a Nikon micro to your collection. It will add an extra dimension to your photography. I've just recently bought the 55mm 3.5 for $65 in close to new condition. Unbelievable for one who used to dream about owning such a lens.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

I've just recently bought the 55mm 3.5 for $65 in close to new condition. Unbelievable for one who used to dream about owning such a lens.

Yes, that's the present-day second-hand market for you! I bought a 35 mm PC Nikkor for the same reason, used to be very expensive, now entirely affordable!

 

[lilin menyala]

thanks everyone for all the input. it seems to me that there are great bargains to be had on ebay - with the obvious risks of course, but that lenses in second hand shops that you can go into are still quite pricey. i've now got a 50 / 1.8 and a 28 / 2.8 and that's all i can afford for the time being. quite possibly i will try to get a 50 / 1.4 or 1.2 even as and when budget allows.

here are two pictures from the first roll i took with the 50mm lens.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilinmenyala/623133223/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilinmenyala/623824858/

anna