Your favorite Nikon AIS Lens?

skahde · Apr 2, 2005

Owning or having owned them I'd pick the following:
2/28mm for its nice angle ov view, sharpness and outstanding flare-resistance.
1,2/50mm AIS for its speed and nice bokeh (compared to the 1,8/50mm and 1,4/50mm AIS). In my opinion it is Nikons best available light lens for portraits and definetely underrated. 2,8/55mm for its versatility, resolution, and flat field. Lenses between 55 and 135mm see litle use in my hands.

Crossing the borders set in the initial post I would add the 2,8/180mm AF-N which is a very nice and sharp lens which handles well even on the smaller manual bodies. At times I still regret I sold this one.

Russ - SVP · Apr 2, 2005

Nikkor 24mm f/2, 50mm f/1.4 & non-AI 105mm f/2.5

BradS · Apr 9, 2005

Well, after two solid weeks on the road with the following kit, I can say that the Nikkor 28mm, f/2.8 is now my absolute favorite lens for the miniature format. Truely, this is an amazing lens!

Nikon FM3a
Nikon FA
Nikkor 28mm, f/2.8 AIS
Nikkor 50mm, f/1.8 AIS
Nikkor 105mm, f/2.5 AIS

The FM3A was always loaded with color print film (Fuji Reala) and the FA loaded with Tri-X. I basically used the 50mm as a body cap for which ever body I wasn't currently shooting. I very quickly fell in love / awe with the 28/2.8. It made more than 90% of the photos I made/took on the trip. The 105mm got the call on about 7% of the shots and is also a very, very sweet piece of glass. I think it will find much use now that I'm closer to home.

Special thanks to Mongo for his persuasive arguments in favor of the 28/2.8.

Mongo · Apr 9, 2005

GaussianNoise said:
Nikkor 28mm, f/2.8 AIS
Nikkor 50mm, f/1.8 AIS
Nikkor 105mm, f/2.5 AIS

What a...very familiar...set of lenses!

GaussianNoise said:
Special thanks to Mongo for his persuasive arguments in favor of the 28/2.8.

I'm very happy I could help...and happier that the lens has worked so well for you. (The three lenses you listed above are used for at least 90% of the shots on my FE2 - basically everything but macro work - and I could not be happier with them.)

Glenn Mathison · Apr 9, 2005

Glad to see your choices agree with you!

I'm late to join this thread, but here goes.

I own 24/2.8 and I love it, a very nice perfomer.
Also have a very old 55/3.5 Micro and I don't know how I could do without a real Micro lens now that I finally got around to getting one. Should have taken the plunge years ago ...

Have used the 20/2.8 and I keep my eyes out for one at the right price on the used market, but most owners seem to like them as much as I do.

Saw a 105/2.5 at a camera market last month, was tempted but passed it up. Have regulalrly kicked myself ever since. It's always the way

So my list is:
24/2.8 (or 20/2.8)
55/3.5 Micro (faster would be nice)
105/2.5

Glenn

Mongo · Apr 9, 2005

GlennSYD said:
Have used the 20/2.8 and I keep my eyes out for one at the right price on the used market, but most owners seem to like them as much as I do.

So I'm not the only one looking for one of these...

Biogon Bill · Apr 20, 2005

Joe Brugger said:
Nobody's going very wide. If you count "currently available" as being in the KEH listing, try the 20 (2.8 or 3.5), 35/1.4, 85/2 and 180/2.8. Ought to squeeze in under the $1200 barrier and leave room for a backup FE.

Good point about what's "currently available", Joe. For some reason, Nikon-USA doesn't offer the full range of Nikon MF lenses. Thanks goodness that B&H does, where I got my 28/2.8 off the grey market.

jbear · Apr 22, 2005

My choices:
300 f2.8
400 f3.5
Got them in excellent condition for $500 and $700 respectively by being very patient. They are both amazing optics. They are just as spectacular with tc's (300 + tc 14b and 400 + tc-301), which makes them even nicer. My next choice would be the micro-Nikkor 105f2.8 or f4.

lkorell · Apr 25, 2005

Hands down - 85 1.4 (best glass in manual ever!) The 55 2.8 or 105 2.5 are a very close second. I still have all of my manual lenses. The newer lenses in the higher end are not as flimsy as some people might say here. They stand up to a lot of use and abuse, which is something Nikon's manufacturing has been good at maintaining all these years. They have never disappointed me (since 1972).

Lou

Monophoto · Apr 25, 2005

50mm f1.8 (cheap and reasonably fast), 100mm f2.8 series E (amazingly sharp and a fabulous focal length for both portraiture and macro work with either tubes or a bellows), and 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 for convenience while traveling.

fingel · Jan 16, 2012

I know I'm about 8 years late with this post, but I didn't have any Nikon equipment at the time. Since then I have had kids and sold the Contax SLR kit for the convenience of auto focus, but still like to use MF lenses on occasion. That said, I really like 135mm 3.5 AI, and just got the 20mm f4 for a very good price which I think is my new favorite lens MF or AF. I also have to add my 55mm micro 3.5 ai converted lens to this mix, sharpest lens I have hands down. But if I could only take 2 I would take the 135 and the 20.

BradleyK · Jan 16, 2012

A tough call - since my current Nikon manual lens arsenal is 15 strong... but for me my "absolute all-time favorites" would have to be the 24mm F2 AIS, 35mm F1.4 AIS and the 85mm F1.4, the last my personal favorite - of any format - for portraits.

NB23 · Jan 16, 2012

Noct-Nikkor. Ridiculously good. Magical. Sublime!

Pumalite · Jan 16, 2012

20/2.8
24/2.8
50/1.4
85/1.8
105/2.5

Newt_on_Swings · Jan 16, 2012

24mm F2, every nice size (not to big), classic nikkor handling, quick to focus, sharp, good dof (like most wides), and gets me results. My favorite lens on a Nikon body, pretty much always on and ready to go.

Pumalite · Jan 16, 2012

I should add the Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4

Paul Jenkin · Jan 16, 2012

I don't have my F2S these days but my all-time favouite AIS lens was my 35mm f1.4. Despite it being a moderate wide angle, it was possble to send the background completely out of focus, it was pin sharp side to side from f2 (and in the centre wide open) and typical Nikon smooth focus / solid build.

Not cheap, though....

darkosaric · Jan 16, 2012

My travel kit:

F3 + 50/1.8 and another F3 + 105/2.5

CGW · Jan 16, 2012

So many lenses, so little time...

35/2--my favorite lens for street shooting in all kinds of light.

45/2.8P--small, sharp, chipped, smooth bokeh.

100/2.8E--widely under-rated, slightly bigger than a "big" 50/1.8, prefer it to the 105/2.5.

105/4 Micro Nikkor--superb on its own or with a PN-11, doubles as a great portrait lens.

180/2.8 AIS ED--great wide open, delivers as a near-macro lens on tubes, love it for candids.

BradS · Jan 16, 2012

Fun to see this old thread revived. I guess that we can let go of the original "currently available" constraint as that seems way too restrictive now.

My update: the 28/2.8 and 105/2.5 are still my favorites. I think I'm might sell the 50/1.8...it gets almost no use at all. Had the 100/2.8 series E for a while and foolishly sold it to by some film...agree with others who've noted that it is wildly under rated. Also had a 180/2.8 ED...and really loved it but, alas, it found little use and so, gave that one away too.

finally, I wonder what happened to Mongo? Dave, are you still around?

eurekaiv · Jan 16, 2012

IMO 35/2 and 105/2.5. These are my favorite lenses by far because they just make fantastic looking images no matter the film or situation and both are fast enough for a variety of conditions. An AI'd version of the 105 P is under $100 too... absolutely nuts given the quality. Close behind for me is a 28/2.8 and 50/1.4. I've got an older AI'd 24/2.8 that's good too but I find I'd prefer something wider or less wide in most situations where I want to use it so I've not been taking it out so much.

OldBodyOldSoul · Jan 16, 2012

The lens I use the most is 35/1.4 AI-S - it's perfect for so many things. Another lens that I find easy to shoot with i.e. gives me a high keeper rate is the 180/2.8ED AI-S.
But then, I love all of my remaining MF Nikkors (I used to have many more) - 24/2 AI, 28/2.8 AI-S and 105/2.5 AI-S - and can't imagine parting with any one of them.

mdarnton · Jan 16, 2012

My 20/2.8 AF-D is my favorite AI-s. Unlike the other AFs, I prefer the feel of the focus of this lens to the "real" ones. But if I have to name a real one, it's my 50/1.4, and the 28/2 that I'm going to get when I have the money.

Vilk · Jan 16, 2012

longnose 50/1.8, 28/2, 105/1.8, all AIS, all for the same reason: character/rendering/drawing, whatever you wanna call the "hey, this looks good!" quality

180/2.8 and 55/2.8 are excellent performers, but nothing to write home about, all lenses should be able to do that; still, keepers for these special uses once in a blue moon

eventually chucked for being bland and meh: 24/2.8, 28/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.4, pancake 50/1.8, 85/2, 105/2.5, all AIS. 50/2 AI chucked for that round-the-world focus throw; 200/4 AIS for the is-it-sharp-there-or-not? f/4; otherwise, both are excellent optically

Pumalite · Jan 16, 2012

mdarnton said:
My 20/2.8 AF-D is my favorite AI-s. Unlike the other AFs, I prefer the feel of the focus of this lens to the "real" ones. But if I have to name a real one, it's my 50/1.4, and the 28/2 that I'm going to get when I have the money.

You will not be disappointed with it. I love mine. It's great for " In Your Face" shots.

Your favorite Nikon AIS Lens?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency