Old Nikon Glass

[pallo]

Not sure if fast would count as a “need” but it would be more complementary to what I have and still be useful for low light situations (as it’s strictly film)

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I wouldn’t say I use vintage nikkors on my FM2, even though the 24 2.8 AF-D and 105 micro AF-D aren’t exactly recent (my main lens is a voigtländer ultron 40 sl-iis), but am often tempted to get one or two Ai-s lenses because they would simply be a good match for the FM2.

Options I’m looking into are (because the Nikon complements a Leica M and is hence more used for longer lenses):
85 2.0 or 1.4
200 f/4.0

But also the 35 1.4 and 50 1.2 remain tempting because I remain most at easy with moderate focal lengths

start with a 50mm f/1.8, and you won't regret it; small, light, and very affordable but a stunning performer!

 

[pallo]

start with a 50mm f/1.8, and you won't regret it; small, light, and very affordable but a stunning performer!

would that be very different from the 50 1.8 AF (pre d-version)? I used this lens for 20+ years before replacing it with the voigtländer 40mm)

 

[MartinCrabtree]

I have a Nikon Series E 50mm f1.8 that performs well. Certainly for the $6 USD it cost me. Majority of my glass is vintage Nikon manual focus.

 

[GregY]

I have a Nikon Series E 50mm f1.8 that performs well. Certainly for the $6 USD it cost me. Majority of my glass is vintage Nikon manual focus.

Yes... I went through a few E series 75-150. A real gem of a lens and much smaller than the 80-200 of the era!

 

[DREW WILEY]

The 50/1.8 "semi-pancake" lens is quite sharp (but not wide open; there is distinctly a little focus shift). It's also a high-contrast modern lens with fairly miserable double-lined bokeh if used in that manner. A great compact bargain travel lens, but of a whole different category and feel from the vintage ones.

For fussy work on the copystand I use a 55/2.8 micro. But my "taking lens" kit has boiled down to just the single coated 50/2H and the classic 85/1.4 Ais. I permanently keep metal hoods on both.

 

[BrianShaw]

I permanently keep metal hoods on both.

That's a change I made about 10 years ago, from rubber folding hoods. One of the best investments in photographic accessories I ever made.

 

[grant.goodes]

That's a change I made about 10 years ago, from rubber folding hoods. One of the best investments in photographic accessories I ever made.

Agreed, metal hoods, especially the screw-in ones (HS- in Nikon parlance) are great and reside on my lenses during travel. Often a lens cap can be placed on the hood or failing that the appropriate sized plastic snap on food product cap will fit

 

[benveniste]

Yes, the AiS lenses are needed for the FA's Shutter-priority and Program modes. Some criticize the FA's implementation of these modes, since it introduces a substantial shutter-delay (the body will stop the lens down and then re-measure the exposure before actually exposing the shot).

Long time FA owner here. As the chart from the Nikon FA manual below shows, Shutter-Priority and Program modes are available with AI and AI-converted lenses as well:

When the FA senses that a non-AI-s lens is in use in S and P modes, it uses the TTL sensor to take a final "mirror-up" exposure reading and adjusts the shutter speed accordingly. So while it functions, accuracy suffers. In the ~40 years I've had the FA, I've also had a 50mm f/1.8 AI which I never bother to "upgrade" to AI-s.

 

[grant.goodes]

Long time FA owner here. As the chart from the Nikon FA manual below shows, Shutter-Priority and Program modes are available with AI and AI-converted lenses as well:


View attachment 423114

When the FA senses that a non-AI-s lens is in use in S and P modes, it uses the TTL sensor to take a final "mirror-up" exposure reading and adjusts the shutter speed accordingly. So while it functions, accuracy suffers. In the ~40 years I've had the FA, I've also had a 50mm f/1.8 AI which I never bother to "upgrade" to AI-s.

I stand corrected: This chart indicates that the AiS lens standard is only required for what Nikon calls "high-speed P-mode". Essentially avoiding the exposure-delay of taking a final mirror-up reading as you say. I never used a non-AiS lens on my WIfe's FA, so never experienced the exposure-delay older lenses would impose (and frankly avoided P-mode almost entirely as I preferred the A-mode from my FE/FE2, or else just manual exposure). Internet reviews of the FA often call out this exposure-delay, but it would seem that it only happened with non-AiS lenses.

I will still say that the FA, F4, and F301/501 were the only bodies with the full set of AiS-mount mechanical interface levers. Obviously, as Nikon didn't bother including it in later bodies, the advantages were not that significant (or even noticeable by users), so AiS was kind of a white-elephant technology in some ways.

 

[benveniste]

I will still say that the FA, F4, and F301/501 were the only bodies with the full set of AiS-mount mechanical interface levers. Obviously, as Nikon didn't bother including it in later bodies, the advantages were not that significant (or even noticeable by users), so AiS was kind of a white-elephant technology in some ways.

While the F4 had it, since it only allowed use of non-CPU lenses in M and A modes, I'll be damned if I know what it did with that data.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

would that be very different from the 50 1.8 AF (pre d-version)? I used this lens for 20+ years before replacing it with the voigtländer 40mm)

I own four copies of the 50mm f/1.8; all have slightly different exteriors but are identical optically and are all stunning performers.

 

[George Mann]

I own four copies of the 50mm f/1.8; all have slightly different exteriors but are identical optically and are all stunning performers.

Yes, good technical performers. But I find their rendering to a bit too cold and clinical.

 

[grant.goodes]

While the F4 had it, since it only allowed use of non-CPU lenses in M and A modes, I'll be damned if I know what it did with that data.

I didn't realize that aspect of the F4: That seems very weird! The two main AiS features (linear aperture stop-down and a telephoto focal-length indicator) would seem useless for M and A mode. The only possible use I can think of is some sort of interaction with the matrix flash technology where knowing that you have a telephoto lens might be a part of the computations to optimize the flash settings.

 

[skahde]

Yes, good technical performers. But I find their rendering to a bit too cold and clinical.

That's why I prefer the 2.0/50 mm Nikkor. I like its balance better.