List of Manual Focus lenses?

heartyfisher

We all know the best lenses optically currently are Manual focus. namely the otuses

But what would be a good system of Manual focus lenses that wont cost the earth?
Assuming you love to Manual Focus on a budget what lenses would you have ?

1) Wide angles
* Samyang 14mm
* Samyang 16mm f/2.0
* Samyang 24mm Tiltshift
2) Normals
* Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f/2 SL II
* [Otus 55 1.4 $ ]
3) Short Tele 85mm - 200mm? primes and zooms?
* Samyang 85mm
* [Otus 85 1.4 $ ]
4) Long tele ??

Looks like the most significant Manual Focus lenses comes from Samyang !

Bokeh_Hunter

We all know the best lenses optically currently are Manual focus. namely the otuses

Outside of the Otus and other Zeiss & Leica lenses, I would disagree with that statement because of the false correlation that manual focus lenses somehow equal optical quality. The type of focus mechanism has nothing to due with Optical quality.

It seems you have only ever seen Samyang/Rokinon/Bower & Voigtlander but there are dozens of speciality lens makers out there. Schneider, Mitakon, Phoenix, Sunex, are just a few. You can then go into the custom builders and all of the old lenses available as well. Just because DxO hasn't posted anything on them, doesn't mean they are not good.

heartyfisher

We all know the best lenses optically currently are Manual focus. namely the otuses

Outside of the Otus and other Zeiss & Leica lenses, I would disagree with that statement because of the false correlation that manual focus lenses somehow equal optical quality. The type of focus mechanism has nothing to due with Optical quality.

It seems you have only ever seen Samyang/Rokinon/Bower & Voigtlander but there are dozens of speciality lens makers out there. Schneider, Mitakon, Phoenix, Sunex, are just a few. You can then go into the custom builders and all of the old lenses available as well. Just because DxO hasn't posted anything on them, doesn't mean they are not good.

Exactly why I am asking.. any suggestions for each category?
And no I am not saying that Manual focus = optical quality. what I am saying is that if you wanted to build a system of Manual focus lenses what would be an economically viable set with good optical quality. eg are there any 24-70 or 70-200 F2.8 MF lenses? or do we need a set of primes? I know that there is an old 70-210 E series lense .. are we limited to old/ancient AIS lenses and expensive Otus Lenses?
I wonder how much the new Schneider lenses will be. (lol just checked .. at least $4000)

Tradewind35

If you have a look at how cheap used MF Nikkor primes are these days, why bother with all that Samyshcneiderlander junk.I ?.....and the Nikon lenses are available everwhere! Most Nikon MF primes were built to extremely high mechanical standards and are good for decades of hard use.
So try a 28mm f2.8, a 35 mm f2, a 50mm f1.8 for starters - less than the cost of a couple of good SD cards! Then if you can push the budget a bit splash outon an 85 mm f1.4 and a 180mm f2.8 - great glass in days gone by and still more capable than many bods pressing the shutter release.

Ironheart

Ken is good at this sort of data:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikkor.htm#mf

heartyfisher

Ken is good at this sort of data:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikkor.htm#mf

Thanks for that! that has most of the MF lenses covered ! except for the new ones from "Samyshcneiderlander" and the Ziess Otii ;-)

Msmoto

I have several very old Nikkors, all manual focus. One, NIKKOR-H Auto 1:1.8 f=85mm, from 1966, is currently mounted on my D800E and I am curious how this will perform. I am also using the DK-17M magnifier to assist in manual focus. we will see….

Bokeh_Hunter

..."good optical quality."...

"Good optical quality" is very subjective on what that means and includes. There will never be a "global acceptance" of what that means. In the manual focus lens realm, and those who typically shoot with them, the meaning of optical quality is quite different. On this forum, it seems most qualify quality from pixel peeping, DxO metric obsessed, and having the most sterilized, almost lab perfection output, as a definition of "the best quality." The current market who shoot MF lenses look for very different qualities and prefer the rendering/drawing and imperfect uniqueness that different lenses have. (Yes there is a segment who buy all zeiss MF lenses, or the extremely high end, but that is not a large segment at all. There is also the segment who "cheap out" and buy the Samyangs.) Basically, if your definition of "Good optical quality" is using the Otus as the standard, then no, nothing will be "good enough" or even close for your taste. If you appreciate imperfect images and are trying to replicate "looks" without some photoshop plug-in, then there are 1,000s of great lenses.

Most of the new MF lens designs are remakes of classic lenses that have been out of production for a half a century and where only available on various non-interchangeable lens bodies. The Petzval lens by Lomography is probably one of the most well known as too are the Holga lenses converted for DSLRs.

Many shooters who like using the MF lenses are shooting mirrorless bodies since their flange distance works well with adapters to get focus plane, (and infinity focus) where the lens was designed for. And this is the problem for Nikon shooters - most old lenses can not be using on Nikons. Unfortunately, Nikon's flange distance just sits outside most lens designs. So that means that most lenses can only be used for macro shooting, and infinity focus can only be achieved by adding a lens in the adapter which degrades or changes the rendering of the image. What Nikon does allow is for the use of many medium format lenses with adapters, which are very good, and can be very expensive as well.


Here is a list of every single lens Nikon has made.
Tokina was originally started by former Nikon lens engineers and they have many very good MF lenses that you can find on ebay.

...eg are there any 24-70 or 70-200 F2.8 MF lenses? or do we need a set of primes? I know that there is an old 70-210 E series lense .. are we limited to old/ancient AIS lenses and expensive Otus Lenses?

Simple answer to MF zooms - no, no one wants them or would buy them. There just isn't a market for it.
Realize that it wasn't until the last 5-15 years that various zooms have finally passed 30-yr old primes in sharpness. Most older lenses are sharp, but have CAs like crazy. None are multi coated and you can easily get "sensor" reflections in the images, harsh lens flares, and a whole host of other non-desirable effects.

Nikon does still make MF lenses and I think some have better coatings.

I understand what you are asking but a list really doesn't exist and hasn't for 30 years. The way lenses were desired was based on a completely different standard than what we are accustomed to now. You are kind of setting an achievable bar of excellence trying to pit newly designed lenses against what exists.

heartyfisher

Thanks for that post @BH-akaTTJ.

I went to a biannual camera market last weekend and saw some really tempting old lenses !! one in particular caught my eye, the 55mm F1.2 nikkor but decided not to grab it (slightly regretful) but there were so many others .. 24 F2.0 & 35 F1.4 Ais. It was nostalgic seeing some old cameras I used to have or used to use. ... almost makes me want to grab a sony FF mirrorless and some adapters. a friend of mine uses old lenses on his Nikon1-V1. I may start doing that too...

Bokeh_Hunter

I have a slug of old MF lenses, 105mm f2.5 is a classic, (The Afghan Girl by McCurry was shot with it) a bunch of old 50mm 1.8s and 1.4s, a 24mm 2.8 sigma and a few others. They are fun to play with and have some great character to them, but by no means are scientifically perfect. I have passed on so many 50/55mm 1.2s and I always kick myself. I have passed on a few 105mm f1.8s as well.

This is my plan for all of my old film cameras:
Keep 1 rangefinder (grey voigtlander), 1 Nikon FE2, 1 FG20, and a Nikon N75.
I really want is a Canon 50mm 1.2 for my rangefinder.
I would like to find a cheap Nikkor 35mm f/2 and 24mm f/2 to pick up. Those are still in the $200 range for good condition ones.
Keep a 50mm 1.8 for the FG20
Use the 105mm 2.5 and an old 50 1.4 for the FE2.
The N75 is for when I want to shoot film and not miss focus

framer

If you have a look at how cheap used MF Nikkor primes are these days, why bother with all that Samyshcneiderlander junk.I ?.....and the Nikon lenses are available everwhere! Most Nikon MF primes were built to extremely high mechanical standards and are good for decades of hard use.
So try a 28mm f2.8, a 35 mm f2, a 50mm f1.8 for starters - less than the cost of a couple of good SD cards! Then if you can push the budget a bit splash outon an 85 mm f1.4 and a 180mm f2.8 - great glass in days gone by and still more capable than many bods pressing the shutter release.

You got most of the best but the AIS 105 2.5's & 1.8 should be included. The 135 can be had cheap as dirt and preform very well.

The AIS 28 f2.8 is my go to pano lens, I do 360's with it.

I still use my 15/3.5ais, 16/3.5ai'd, 28/2.8ais, 105/2.5ais

framer