Old lenses !

CaMeRaQuEsT

Before I got my F and its included 50mm f/1.4 S lens, I was always going after AI-S and later lenses with their "cutting edge" coatings and perfect computer calculated formulas. This old lens has made me realize that the oldies but goodies can also have their own charm, "character", if you will; which is not to be found on the newer lenses, which are either clinically exact and perfectly sharp and compensated lenses or complete pieces of crap that have to rely heavily on in-camera CA and distortion compensation. My K, for example, is very well compensated for CA, so it gives a beautiful soft and flary look that doesn't look "cheap" with heaps of CA, something I can't say of my soon to be parted with Canon EF-S 50mm f/1.8 II, of which proceedings I believe I'll use to get me a nice pre-AI 24mm f/2.8 N

Spy_Black

As far as I can tell, all the early Nikkors from '59-through the early 70s were nearly perfectly corrected for CA. They were used a lot with B&W film, especially in the '60s, and I think this went a long way to cementing their reputation for sharpness, specifically with photojournalists. I think this alone gives the early Nikkors their "look".

So you have a K model like this?

CaMeRaQuEsT

Sorry, I meant to write "S", not "K", it's exactly like your older, mono-coated 50mm f/1.4. But I do have a pre-AI 105 f/2.5 that looks like the 50mm above, which I haven't used on any of my DSLRs yet. I also have an AI-S 28mm f/2.8, a Nikon E 35mm f/2.5 (which is very close to going to the trash can) and an AI-S 85mm f/2.0, again none had taken any digital pictures yet.

Spy_Black

I see. I have a 105mm f/2.5 Ai, and it doesn't strike me as all that great. Many people have raved about this lens. It may be decentered perhaps, dunno. It's borrowed from a guy I know who never uses his film stuff any more, so it's like a permanent loan. :-)

I also borrowed an 85mm f/2 Ai from him, and that thing is beautiful. It had oil on the blades when I first got it, but I took it to a shop in Manhattan, Photo Tech, and they cleaned it all up. The 85 is fantastic.

I don't know why you don't use your lenses on digital, I used all my MF lenses on my D600 and D5100. They're great. All of them are weak wide open, but still useful under certain lighting conditions. This has been especially so for the 50 for me, which I just had Ai'd by John White out in Ohio. Below is a shot I took with the 50 on my D600:

macsavageg4

Pretty sure my favorite Nikkor old school glass is a 1967 make 55mm f/1.2. When I bought it it was filled with fungus and quite honestly wreaked. After a pretty hard core teardown and cleaning then being left under a UV lamp for the 48 hours I reassembled it and it shoots beautifully. I always like taking it to shoot available light at the space museum that is in the state. It was made about the same time of the 55mm f/1.2s that NASA deployed. It does have some etching of the forward lens assembly's coatings. I threw a nice multicoated filter on the front of the lens and as long as you aren't shooting into harsh light you would be none the wiser. It is also the least amount of money I have ever spent on a f/1.2 lens as well.

My second favorite Nikkor lens of old school glass really isn't super old I think mid 80's my 105mm f/1.8 AIs. Just a fantastic piece of glass. It has a few issues most of which I have fixed but the issues that remain don't affect its ability to take beautiful images.

I have others but those two are my favorite just because of what they are and the work I did on them to make them usable.

Msmoto

OK, favorite from the 1960's, my 85mm f/1.8 NIKKOR H AUTO here on my D4:



But, look at a larger image here to see more detail:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fantinesfotos/8706075576/sizes/o/

CaMeRaQuEsT

Wow Msmoto, that's one sharp piece of ol' glass! If you haven't told, nobody would have thought it was a half century old lens!

CaMeRaQuEsT

The one reason keeping me from using my old glasses on digital is the lack of convenience. Since my D3300 doesn't have an AI couple, all old glasses have to be used in "guesstimate exposure mode" with LV. And those old lenses are all heavy. This last point is odd, since I didn't mind their heft when I used them with any of my Fs. The first DSLR I bought was the D7100 which I got for the very reason of being able to at least use my AI lenses, but that camera didn't fulfill my video needs well and was too much of a handful for a fist timer's DSLR, and after tasting AF, VR and how light a modern DSLR/lens combo can be after I later got a D3200 as a second camera, I just found using the old glasses, even the AI ones, a PITA. My main subject: my kids and family, just hated to wait for me to acquire focus and set exposure each time I used my Fs, and there was not much improvement with the D7100 using old glass. So I just gave up and gave in, sold the D7100 and have since been able to be much more candid when hitting the shutter button of my much, much lighter D3300 paired with the not too shabby 50mm f/1.8G. The one time I needed to use the fastest lens I had is when I realized just how beautiful my oldest lens is in digital, as the old pre-AI 50mm f/1.4 S couldn't be coupled to the D7100 so I hadn't had the chance to try it at the very start. All this doesn't prevent me from experimenting with my old glasses in the future, as I am sure more opportunities for that will arise. For example, I've been very eager to try my 85mm f/2.0 AI-S, which is purportedly the best of the bunch. And no, I'm not interested in parting with my old lenses, as my Fs will look odd in my showcase without them >-

WestEndFoto

Here is my 50mm 1.2 AIS, nice and sharp at f/2.0.



And the same lens, still fairly sharp at f/1.2:



What! Not sharp at f/1.2 you say. It actually is. The haziness is spherical aberration, common with older lenses wide open. I really like the effect in this lens, especially on this floral shot wide open where I have exaggerated the vignette:



There is something about this image that I really like. Not an effect a modern lenses produces, but I love the character.

Pistnbroke

If in UK beware Japan purchase ..ADD 30% for customs and administration..you wont get it back if you return the item ..once bitten twice shy.......

NikonMick

CaMeRaQuEsT wrote:

"Since my D3300 doesn't have an AI couple, all old glasses have to be used in "guesstimate exposure mode" with LV."

Have you considered using the histogram to check your exposures? I find this works really well for me when I put a non-CPU lens on my D3100.

Mick

heartyfisher

Nice images @westendfoto I have been told that I can have one of those lenses if I go home to pick it up.. :-) ( I must really make the effort.. one day, long story, different country) I recognise that "look" .. my 50 AIS 1.4 has it.. but not so pronounced .. that is also why I like it ...

retread

I have seven old lenses from 1967 and later. I used the 55mm f1.2 for some high school plays and loved it. Also used mostly 105 f2.5 and 200 f4 for indoor sports. I exposed just below where the blinkies came on with a D5100. When I hit things right it was great.

Now I am using a 24-70 and 70-200 f2.8's as they get the job done faster, but wanting to be able to set f stop and shutter speed in manual mode and let ISO float with the old lenses when I can work slower just for the fun of it. Needing an camera body up grade.

Msmoto

Here is another one, NIKKOR-P Auto 1:4.5 f=300mm



Large size: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fantinesfotos/8698489119/sizes/o/

Spy_Black

I have the Ai version of the 300mm f/4.5. Optically I believe it's identical to your version, albeit with better coatings if I'm not mistaken. Strange how CA shows up in certain shots and not in others. It seems to me to be dependent on where you're focused, and what particular f you're at the point of focus. Fortunately that's easy enough to fix in Lightroom or Capture One. F 8 and 11 appear to be the sweet spot for the 300 f/4.5, what f did you shoot this at?

kanuck

This has been one of the best threads on here I think. Great ideas guys! Loving the pics as well. Any other zoom that people have had good experiences shooting with especially on the D800 camera models?

Spy_Black

I don't have a D800, I shoot with a D600, but yet another lens I picked up in mint condition from Asia, this time Korea, is the Tokina AF 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 AT-X Pro II you see below. This lens, while soft at the edges wide open at the wide end, and a bit soft overall at the tele end, is an excellent optic once stopped down 2-3 stops. This lens ironically enough replaced the really bad copy I had of the modern-day Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD, and is a better lens than the copy I had of that! So that may be something to consider if you want to try an older zoom. Of course, there's always the 80-200 f/4.5 Nikkor as well.

PB_PM

Another hidden gem is the Series E 50mm F1.8 (second version). The lens is a pancake type, so really compact, and it's optics aren't too shabby either. I'd say that is sharper than the 50mm F1.8D, but will react poorly to backlit scenes. The best part is you can grab them for anything from $25-75 depending on the condition.

kanuck

Interesting Spy_Black about the 24-70 vs 28-70 Tokina comparisons. That's the trouble with third party glass is the sample variation. I have heard excellent things about the 70-200mm F4.5 manual lens and its dirt cheap for such fine optical performance.

PB_PM that is nice compact option especially for the extreme hiking I am preparing to do

Spy_Black

I think with older lenses it's important to understand that they typically aren't too great wide open, but can still be useful as such under certain lighting conditions. The parking lot stop I posted above is one example. But once you're down about 2-3 stops, most of these lenses will typically give you excellent image quality, and I mean excellent. Sometimes of course you don't have that luxury, but at least with my D600 I can shoot at ISO 800 and still have very clean images, so I can afford to stop down a bit if I desire to do so.

Let's face it, you can pick up a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 AF-S for $220 and it will probably blow away the earlier 50 f/1.8s and f/2s wide open, but all these lenses have their own look, so I personally think it's fun to work with all of them, old and new.

Ironheart

@PB_PM, thanks for the great info. I love pancakes =P~ I'll have to check out the E series.
@Spy_Black, where do you find your lenses? eBay?

Spy_Black

Yes, ebay. If you're looking for some old lenses, look for Asian sellers from either Japan, Korea, or Hong Kong. Their prices may be a little higher, but one look at what they sell and you can see that they are, for some reason I can't fathom, kept in immaculate condition, almost like in a vacuum-sealed time capsule. Not all of course, but many.

Hell, I've taken good care of the Nikkors I've own for over 35 years now, but you can tell that I've used them. Just look at my 135mm f/2 below that I've own for about 37 years now compared to a 135mm f/2.8 I pick up from Japan a while back. As a matter of fact, look at the condition of any of the lenses I've posted here, all purchased from Asian sellers. How do they do this? It's not like they are extraordinarily more expensive either. Personally I think it's worth it to buy from the Asian sellers.

Photobug

Boy did that 135mm F2.8 lens bring back memories @Spy_Black. I had one of those for about 10 years. It was my second 135 F2.8 and I loved it. IQ was excellent. It replaced the older larger F2.8 that I got not too long after getting out of college.

Thanks for sharing the comments about Asian sellers. I have noticed that some of the equipment looks pristine as you said.

pictureted

The 200/4 AI/AIS also had the advantage of a nice built-in shade and 52mm filters. Wonderful lens.

The 55/2.8 macro was also a favorite, but the sticking aperture blades got to mine. I will probably disassemble it some day to try a repair on a rainy day sometime. Unfortunately we're in drought...

PB_PM

@PB_PM, thanks for the great info. I love pancakes =P~ I'll have to check out the E series.

Yes, it's basically the same as the pancake 50mm F1.8 AIS. I think the primary difference is that Series E lens does not have SIC coatings, while the AIS