Want to Buy Nikon F-mount "rabbit ear" lens

Donald Qualls · Mar 15, 2021

I'm looking for one or more F mount pre-AI lenses (or AI converted, or built as AI with rabbit ears installed), to mount on a Nikkormat FT-2 or FTn. Probably can't buy several at once, so here's my priority list:

"Fast fifty" -- a 50mm f/1.4 -- this is mandatory, I must have one of these (rather have the f/1.2, but those are still spendy even fifty-sixty years later).
A 35mm, ideally faster than f/2.8 -- I'm not that big a wide shooter, but this length will get much more use than a tele.
Zoom or macro zoom in the portrait to mild tele range.

I'm not hung up on cosmetics; lenses are for using, not looking at. I don't care as much as some about multi-coating. What I do need is correct function and clear, clean, fungus-free glass.

I've never owned a Nikon film SLR until this week. I paid shipping for a box of "Nikkormat junk" and wound up with three working Nikkormat bodies, two FTn and an FT-2 (pretty sure at least one needs foam replaced, but that's easy). I can stop-down meter with lenses made for the D70 and D90 that also inhabit this house, but the one I could find quickly is a 70-300 macro, not very versatile for the way I usually shoot (the others are a shorter zoom without macro focus, and a Micro Nikkor 55mm, all are AIS-AF).

If I can't get these here, I'll look on eBay -- but I'd rather buy here if I can.

madNbad · Mar 16, 2021

This may be a bit wider and a little slower than you're looking for but it's a great lens, Nikon made a ton of them plus this one just had a recent service that cost more than the asking price. Includes a hood and caps:
https://www.pdxcamera.com/product/used-nikon-nikkor-h-28mm-f-3-5/579?cs=true&cst=custom

ChristopherCoy · Mar 16, 2021

I'm doing what you're doing, except I'm going with AF-D lenses and having them converted with the rabbit ears. $30 each and it will ensure that I can use the lenses for everything from my F2 through my D700.

If you're handy enough and have the tools to do it, you can do it yourself since the AF-D lenses are already marked for screw placement. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-Meter-Prong-Rabbit-Ear-for-vintage-Nikkor-non-AI-lenses-repair-part/193095108249?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Check out this thread too: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/converting-af-lenses-to-ai-lenses.182096/

Donald Qualls · Mar 16, 2021

I thought the D90 was the last camera that was backward compatible with older F mount lenses -- later Nikon DSLR models changed something and couldn't use the existing lenses (this came up when my partner was looking for more megapixels without having to buy additional lenses -- then turned out to need a Micro Nikkor anyway, because the macro zoom wouldn't focus close enough).

Chan Tran · Mar 16, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
I thought the D90 was the last camera that was backward compatible with older F mount lenses -- later Nikon DSLR models changed something and couldn't use the existing lenses (this came up when my partner was looking for more megapixels without having to buy additional lenses -- then turned out to need a Micro Nikkor anyway, because the macro zoom wouldn't focus close enough).

My Nikon Df is compatible to almost all Nikon F mount lenses. That includes the pre AI lenses.

Donald Qualls · Mar 16, 2021

ChristopherCoy said:
If you're handy enough and have the tools to do it, you can do it yourself since the AF-D lenses are already marked for screw placement. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-Meter-Prong-Rabbit-Ear-for-vintage-Nikkor-non-AI-lenses-repair-part/193095108249?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

This listing doesn't have the holes to let light in so you can see the aperture on AI cameras. Doesn't matter for those with electronic display, but the earlier AI cameras put that information into the viewfinder optically.

You'd have to partially disassemble the lens to drill and tap the holes without getting metal shavings into the mechanism, right? Didn't AI-S lenses have the holes already drilled and screws in them from the factory?

juan · Mar 16, 2021

My D750 can use all my old lenses. KEH seems to have some of the lenses you’re looking for.

Donald Qualls · Mar 16, 2021

juan said:
My D750 can use all my old lenses. KEH seems to have some of the lenses you’re looking for.

Okay, my partner isn't much into old cameras -- the D70 was purchased long ago to photograph puppies being sold, and the D90 fairly recently to photograph corals in an aquarium. Very possible wrong information got conflated.

I can see how the AI-S AF lenses that came with the D70 bodies would work with the FT-2 with only the addition of the rabbit ears. They aren't pre-drilled, however, so installing the prong would be a relatively major job for my existing workspace. Earlier AI-S lenses had the holes for easy mounting of the ears.

I looked at KEH and eBay, KEH doesn't have much selection in older styles any more; eBay has few of the fast primes at decent prices.

ChristopherCoy · Mar 16, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
This listing doesn't have the holes to let light in so you can see the aperture on AI cameras. Doesn't matter for those with electronic display, but the earlier AI cameras put that information into the viewfinder optically.

You'd have to partially disassemble the lens to drill and tap the holes without getting metal shavings into the mechanism, right? Didn't AI-S lenses have the holes already drilled and screws in them from the factory?

I'm not sure what you mean by holes to let light in. The rabbit ears don't have anything to do with seeing apertures, they're solely for coupling to the meters I'm pretty sure.

Donald Qualls · Mar 16, 2021

@ChristopherCoy Pre-AI lenses had solid rabbit ears, like the ones for $13 in that eBay listing. AI lenses with retrofitted rabbit ears (done at the factory) got ears with small holes in each side; my understanding (based on a video by a very knowledgeable-seeming YouTuber) is that this was to make it easier to see the AI aperture ring in the viewfinder on the AI bodies. Without the holes, the AI aperture scale was in the shadow of the rabbit ears, at least when in the middle apertures (f/5.6 and one or two stops either side of that).

It only matters if you'll use the lens on both non-AI and AI bodies, say a Nikkormat FTn and an FT-3.

ChristopherCoy · Mar 16, 2021

For some reason I thought I remembered reading somewhere that there was no difference in the solid ears, vs the ears with the holes in the middle. My bad, I guess I got some information crossed.

Donald Qualls · Mar 16, 2021

Well, since it's unlikely I'll get a camera with the optical VF aperture display (F2, IIRC, with the AI prism attachment, maybe the Nikkormat FT-3), it probably makes no difference to me -- but I do need some kind of rabbit ears to be able to full-aperture meter with my FT-2 and FTn bodies.

Tel · Mar 16, 2021

Congratulations on a smart purchase! I've never been without an F or F-series camera since I got my first F in 1975. I bought a bunch of cheap Nikkormat FT-2s this past year just to tinker with and kill lockdown time. Found them remarkably robust inside and got all but one working again. I draw the line at a broken Copal Square shutter--I'll never figure those out. But amazingly, all the mechanically working ones had working electrics too. I was going to donate them to Mike Raso, but if you want a spare FT-2 or two let me know. But I'm keeping my Nikkor lenses!

Chan Tran · Mar 16, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
Okay, my partner isn't much into old cameras -- the D70 was purchased long ago to photograph puppies being sold, and the D90 fairly recently to photograph corals in an aquarium. Very possible wrong information got conflated.

I can see how the AI-S AF lenses that came with the D70 bodies would work with the FT-2 with only the addition of the rabbit ears. They aren't pre-drilled, however, so installing the prong would be a relatively major job for my existing workspace. Earlier AI-S lenses had the holes for easy mounting of the ears.

I looked at KEH and eBay, KEH doesn't have much selection in older styles any more; eBay has few of the fast primes at decent prices.

All AI or AI-S lenses have the ear. Only AF lenses don't have it.

Donald Qualls · Mar 16, 2021

Okay. Thanks.

reddesert · Mar 16, 2021

Welcome to the wonderful and frightening world of Nikon. Some comments:

- nearly all Nikon MF lenses except the Series E will have the prong. The holes in the prong let more light in to use aperture readout, though it will still work without. For Nikon and most 3rd party lenses, the holes in the prong indicate an AI or AI-converted lens, but there are occasional 3rd party lenses that are AI yet have a solid prong (I think Tamron adaptall mounts).

- the fastest lenses are always a little expensive, but if you can use, for example, the 50/1.8, 50/2, 28/3.5, 35/2.8, 80-200/4.5, there are usually some available inexpensively. You can look around the cheap end of the KEH listings for non-AI lenses in the bargain or even UG grades (an UG lens can be surprisingly rewarding when you only pay $30 for it). Also you should take Brad up on the 50mm and 105mm lenses.

- (Just for clarification) Nikon's higher-end film AF SLRs and digital SLRs generally include the aperture sensing ring to meter with MF lenses, but the more basic digital SLRs and even some of the low-end late film SLRs (like the N65) omit it.

Donald Qualls · Mar 16, 2021

@reddesert The three Nikon DSLR bodies in this house don't see much use. I took them on a couple vacations shortly after I met my partner (who had two of them previously), and wasn't terribly impressed. Sure, auto-everything, but I had that in my first digital camera in 2004, with similar pixel count to the D70 -- and it weighed less than the 70-300 zoom (probably cost less, too), never mind the whole kit. I like to focus for myself and set my own exposure, and the D70 made that annoying to do -- and then there was the temptation to bang off multiples until the camera's buffer filled up (3-4 frames, shooting raw), then have to wait for the writes to the memory card, and have a bunch of mediocre images that needed editing, and miss whatever happened right after because the camera's buffer was full.

Well, anyway, suffice to say these lenses aren't going to spend much if any time on a digital body. It's always been about film for me.

Update here: Looks like I've got a 50mm f/1.4 and 28 mm f/3.5, pending finishing the exchange. If there's a deal on a good zoom here, speak now, else I'll be back to digging away on KEH and eBay.

reddesert · Mar 17, 2021

Those who venture into the Nikon system should keep Ken Rockwell's page as a reference on the compatibility of all the various lens and body types at https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm . (Whatever one thinks of Ken's gear reviews, the page is way better than anything on Nikon's site.) It can be complex, although it's mostly understandable if you think of it as certain lenses and bodies having or lacking various mechanical (or later, electronic) linkages.

I would never encourage someone to use a highly electronic film or digital body if it's not what they want. Crossing lenses over between MF/AF, film/digital is useful though. The D70 and other such are not too different in operation from say an N90 (set P/S/A/M mode, control shutter and sometimes aperture with wheels on the body). Once they introduced the D200 which restored metering with manual lenses, it became more attractive. Not to invoke the usual megapixel wars, but an older DSLR with just 6-10 Mpix still has much better image quality than a digital P+S with the same number of Mpix but a smaller sensor. I use the humble combo of an un-modified D70, the Nikon 28/3.5 mentioned upthread, and a cheap IR filter for digital IR; the D70 has a bit of IR sensitivity, so daytime shutter speeds are ~ 1/2 to 2 sec. Here's an example: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53623804@N00/48700933697/

Donald Qualls · Mar 17, 2021

Hmm. Maybe... Nah. They changed the memory card format between D70 and D90 -- the new ones have Bluetooth and wifi. I'm surprised you can't call your mom (or kids) from your tripod. I'd have to buy still more memory cards, I suspect, replace my (failed due to a since-repaired bad USB port) memory card reader, etc. Just not worth bothering.

Took a look at KEH last night after posting, and found a Vivitar 80-200 f/4 in UG condition for eight bucks plus shipping, might still be interested in something more like a 35-105 or 35-135, or potentially a fast(ish) prime in a portrait length (85 to 105, maybe).

And now I'm going to have to find a bag to carry a body or two and these lenses. It never ends...

mgb74 · Mar 18, 2021

Chan Tran said:
All AI or AI-S lenses have the ear. Only AF lenses don't have it.

Pretty sure the Series E AI-S lenses did not have the ear. And at least some versions of the 50mm f1.8.

BobD · Mar 18, 2021

Yes, none of the E-series lenses had the ears and they are AI-S mount.

I see lots of Non-AI Nikkors on eBay that meet your requirements.

Horatio · Mar 18, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
Hmm. Maybe... Nah. They changed the memory card format between D70 and D90 -- the new ones have Bluetooth and wifi. I'm surprised you can't call your mom (or kids) from your tripod. I'd have to buy still more memory cards, I suspect, replace my (failed due to a since-repaired bad USB port) memory card reader, etc. Just not worth bothering.

Took a look at KEH last night after posting, and found a Vivitar 80-200 f/4 in UG condition for eight bucks plus shipping, might still be interested in something more like a 35-105 or 35-135, or potentially a fast(ish) prime in a portrait length (85 to 105, maybe).

And now I'm going to have to find a bag to carry a body or two and these lenses. It never ends...

UsedPhotoPro has two 35-105 AI zooms, with ears, for $58. Saw them last night when shopping for an AF zoom. I have one of these lenses and it's great. Try this link: https://usedphotopro.com/products/u...4QAvD_BwE&manufacturer=6350&max_aperture=5417

It is well-made, but heavy.

Bronson Dugnutt · Mar 18, 2021

Here's a page I often reference when perusing Nikkors. It gives a clean breakdown between variants of a given focal length.

http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/specs.html

Donald Qualls · Mar 18, 2021

Horatio said:
UsedPhotoPro has two 35-105 AI zooms, with ears, for $58.

Thanks, I'll try to remember to check with them later (perhaps when my tax refund comes in). Spent my allowance this month...

Want to Buy Nikon F-mount "rabbit ear" lens

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