Nikkor Favorites? Any? Which?

[BobBill]

I have four or five Nikkor lenses:

Three are the original manual lenses used with F bodies, a 28, a 50 and a 105; and two are AI lenses, a 1.8 and heavy, large macro zoom 35-135.

Have a Metabones adapter, but have yet to really experiment as the native Oly zoom does so well.

I have reviewed the applicable lens threads, but still wondering what others, using Nikkor lenses, think are good uses and and lenses?

 

[kevinparis]

Nikkor 105

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self #14 by kevinparis, on Flickr

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leaf it alone by kevinparis, on Flickr

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looking by kevinparis, on Flickr

28/3.5

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Whats the news by kevinparis, on Flickr

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Not Shopping by kevinparis, on Flickr

50/1.4

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cafe life by kevinparis, on Flickr

All shot on a Oly 510 - but a 4/3 sensor is a 4/3 sensor - focussing is probably easier with an EVF

K

 

[GaryAyala]

My favorite Nikkor Lenses are:

Nikkor 180mm

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Nikkor 180

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Nikkor 85mm

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Nikkor 85mm

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Nikkor 20mm

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Nikkor 20mm

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G

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

My favorite Nikkor are :

500/8 Reflex

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300/2.8 IF-ED

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200/4 Micro

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In fact, I think that all my Nikkor glass performs well on micro4/3 (g1)

C U,
Rafael​

 

[Luckypenguin]

BobBill, I'm a little surprised to see you canvassing opinion on the use of older lenses, as you have on occasion advised against it. Why the change of mind?

 

[kevinparis]

regardless of the lens or the camera body its attached to .. if the combination produces a result that satisfies you then its good.

with all due respect to Gary... I am reckoning you took that ted kennedy pic on old fashioned film....he was never that young in the digital age

K

 

[GaryAyala]

regardless of the lens or the camera body its attached to .. if the combination produces a result that satisfies you then its good.

with all due respect to Gary... I am reckoning you took that ted kennedy pic on old fashioned film....he was never that young in the digital age

K

Well yeah ... digitally, I shoot Canon and Pany ... those were all shot on Tri-X. (... Not that you would know that ... but a lens is a lens ... and 20mm, 85mm and 180mm were/are my fav Nikkor lenses.

G

PS- The general is Gregory Peck as MacArthur, another dead guy.
G

 

[kevinparis]

great shots gary... but the OP was kinda asking how old nikkors would work on a 4/3 camera

L

 

[Jimboh]

Nikkor

Recommend 35mm O-series in F/2. Wonderful portrait lens, sharp and clear.

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[Streetshooter]

Back when I was younger like in the 70's....The 105 2.5 was rated the sharpest lens in the range for a 35mm camera. I guess it was true as I carried 2 M's and an F or F2 with the 105 and the 180 for longer reach. I think that the 105 was better than the 90 Elmarit which is hard to believe but images from the period would show that to be true.
I don't know about today's optics from Nikon but I'm sure they are more than up to the job.

 

[Pan Korop]

On film, I loved the 180/2.8.

With the mu4/3, my favourite is by far the 45mm f/2.8 AI-P, the one which sold as a kit lens for the FM3 body.

It was exceptionally good on digital with Fuji S-series (APS-C). It's still good on the D3x, eventhough the recent 50/1.4 is on par from 2.8 on, and a tad better in the corners. But getting notably worse from f/11...

On the E-Pen, it shines. Razor sharp wide open. Stopping down only improves... my manual focusing skill when on the rush.

More over, it just fits on the Pen body, or in its case, as if designed for it. With the adapter It shows the same length and diameter as the original Pen kit zoom.

I wish there was a chrome satin finished Nikon-F adapter, though

Of course, anyone may believe Ken Rockwell's assertive rant quoting the same as 45/2.8 as "one of the 10 worst ever Nikkor lenses", of which he cites only six. It's a case of either his test procedures (if any) are strange, or whether he allows himself to diss a product based on one poor sample...

 

[BobBill]

Nikkor Faves

BobBill, I'm a little surprised to see you canvassing opinion on the use of older lenses, as you have on occasion advised against it. Why the change of mind?

Well, do not recall bemoaning their use specifically, just the idea of going after them for improved work, when the native lenses seem so good.

Probably the reason I have not really used the adapter and the Nikkors yet. Was trying to narrow it down. As you know, the comparisons can be exhaustive on occasion.

I still have the F2 and three 8008s bods for film, and have been thinking of using the adapter on the little Pen.

 

[BobBill]

Back when I was younger like in the 70's....The 105 2.5 was rated the sharpest lens in the range for a 35mm camera. I guess it was true as I carried 2 M's and an F or F2 with the 105 and the 180 for longer reach. I think that the 105 was better than the 90 Elmarit which is hard to believe but images from the period would show that to be true.
I don't know about today's optics from Nikon but I'm sure they are more than up to the job.

Thanks. Me too +1 on the 105. Might stick in on the Pen first.

 

[ddegomez]

Nikon lens? Ha ha, funny story, When I first started looking around for legacy lens for my ep1 I saw on ebay a 20 to 60 zoom for nikon's aps film camera (from the early 90's). Wow, nikon quality in a very light, small lens at a very low price. So I won the auction, and boy was I disapointed! It was in fact a very light, small, cheap piece of junk.
On the other hand: nikon 200mm - super, nikon 55mm macro - a tad sharper than my 50mm oly Om, but slower and much bigger, nikon 28mm - also super, I just wish the barrel distortion wasn't so pronounced.

 

[Van]

My main walkabout prime is an old Nikkor 35mm F2 Non-ai and it's terrific. I also have the series-e 50mm/1.8 pancake which is also nice (the small size makes it a perfect match for m4/3)