Our Vintage Nikon Holy Trinity of Lenses

[@michaell5038]

Nice that a young guy knows his stuff, and is engaging with the product. Better than lots of shopping experiences here in the UK. Keep up the good work!

[@Narsuitus]

I agree with your three-lens choice. I shoot the following Nikkor lenses on Nikon F2 and F4 bodies: 24mm f/2 50mm f/1.4 105mm f/2.5 or 135mm f/2 However, my personal favorite is: 35mm f/1.4 85mm f/1.4 180mm f/2.8

[@andrewtongue7084]

I own all three of these lenses, & certainly they're the most versatile group of primes you would wish to own; my 105mm F2.5 is an AI, so no built-in lens hood, but a metal HB - 4 - it's super crisp. You've been taught well, Alex - you know your stuff ! Greetings from across the pond, Andrew.

[@Wh33lsofFortune]

love my vintage nikkors! i have a 50mm f/2 auto H, 50mm 1.4 Ai, i just recently acquired the 135 Q 2.8 and man the way that thing renders on my D700 is amazing. Good video

[@eag6074]

Where can i get those quick release "ears" thats on the nikon f2? They look nice

[@boladealex]

so i can use vintage lenses in a nikon d3400 bc its still the same mount?

[@thomasmoje5926]

A note on the 24mm autofocus lens: no meter coupling 'ears' so if used on an old Nikon pre-AI camera body (F, Nikkormats, etc) have to use stop-down metering. I have a Nikon 'E' series 28 mm f/2.8 lens which will mount to my Ftn Photomic but I have to use stop-down metering since it doesn't have the meter coupling prongs on it. Want to pick up a good example of a pre-AI 50 mm f/1.4 lens to go along with my 1971 vintage Ftn.

[@Tom_YouTube_stole_my_handle]

It would be possible to add the rabbit ears. If you look at the aperture ring there are indents where the holes should be drilled.

[@JohnSmith-oo9mr]

I’ve just orders these three for my F3. I’ve never used a film slr or any ‘advance’ camera for that matter so my faith is in your recommendations ahaha. Thank you so much for the awesome video!

[@chrisostorva5469]

Do you know a fish eyes lens that could be used on the Nikon f2 or any fish eye lens that can be used on a film camera

[@nateeames6826]

Wait… why is the TFL bike guy on this camera channel??

[@AldermanFredCDavis]

For what I shoot, if I had it to do all over again, I'd save myself A LOT of money and would have bought 3 lenses: Nikkor 20-35mm f/2.8 AF-D. Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 AF-D micro. Nikkor 16mm f/2.8 AF-D circular fisheye. Yes, some of the old manual focus lenses are sharper than their autofocus counterparts, but it would work for ME, because I shoot digitally, and with Nikon auto and manual focus lenses. No need to duplicate.

[@neilpiper9889]

The FE can take all F lenses back to 1959. I have a Nikkor 24mm 2.8 afd I have the Nikkor 50mm f1. 4 pre Ai s-c lens and I have the Nikkor P 105mm f2.5 lens pre Ai.

[@randallstewart175]

Can't fault their choices, but there are arguably some alternatives. The 105mm 2.5 (here the later Gauss design) is undeniable. If you don't have a 105mm 2.5, you aren't on board. I bought the 50mm 1.4 he has there in 1962. Still have it, modified to AI. (I know - Sin!) The many later versions are better 1.4s, but it's still very good. Better: A last model 50mm 2.0. This was refined through half a dozen versions since the original in 1959 (which was "modest" at best). Nikon shifted to a 1.8 version in late 1970's to be stylish, but the last 2.0 is a better lens than the compatible 1.4, and you save some money. Spend the savings, and maybe a bit more, when replacing the 24mm 2.8 (A very fine lens, better in non-AF for build quality), with the moderately rare 28mm 2.0. This 28mm is considered one of the very best lenses Nikon ever made, but it costs more than twice the price of the 24mm. There you are: all you need forever. Solid Nikkor thru and thru. And two of the best of the best. And, they all take the Nikon "standard" 52mm threaded lens attachments, like filters- one set to fit them all.

[@katarina7520]

hi randall, im stuck between the 105 2.5 and the 105 2.8 micro. it sounds like you know your stuff, can you help me make my decision?

[@katarina7520]

for some extra info, the 2.5 im looking at is an ai lens while the 2.8 is an ais. i have a nikon f3

[@randallstewart175]

@@katarina7520 Okay. The 105mm 2.5 lens, if truly AI, is the later, slightly better Gauss design. I say truly, because when the AI system was introduced, Nikon offered to update most of its pre-AI lenses to the AI meter/mount for $25 each, and many were modified. I know there is a video out there on how to tell the difference between original AI and updated, but I forget the details. Anyway, having a 105mm 2.5 is a badge of arrival in the Nikon World. The 105mm 2.8 is not. Now this is just my opinion, but I think the 2.5 is sharper at distant and medium subject distances.than the 105mm Micro, but the Micro is sharper in the closer distances and has the advantage of focusing close-up. A 2.5 is probably much cheaper than a Micro (I didn't check.).These differences are quite small and would go unnoticed in regular use. So, if you want one of the best macro lenses made by Nikon, get the Micro. If you are not into macro and do not want to reserve that possibility, get the 2.5. Your F3 doesn't care. (To claeify re the 105mm 2.5 versions, Nikon dropped their Sonnar design in 1975 and introduced a new optical formula, the so-called Double Gauss). I bought the Sonnar version in Japan in 1976 and have many excellent shoots with it. It was stolen years later, so I replaced it with a later Gauss design version. Why so? (1) The Gauss version does not suffer the slight resolution weakness of the Sonnar version at very close focus distances, and (2) The Sonnar version had a separate lens shade, while the Gauss version has a built in, sliding shade - much ore convenient.)

[@FotodioxInc]

Cool!

[@celblau5336]

Excellent video in 2020!

[@Wadidiz]

"Photomic" has nothing to do with Nikon lenses. That refers to the meter heads on Nikon F.

[@goyemission]

Those lenses still use the same mounts for the new body’s? So I could buy a Nikon to canon adapter?

[@Tom_YouTube_stole_my_handle]

They are F mount lenses so they will fit the DSLRs but would require the FTZ adaptor or similar to fit the new Nikon mirrorless cameras.

[@3tz71ji]

I have two 50mm ai lenses (f2 and f1.4) and I've tried them on my D7000. I went into the camera's menu and added each lens successfully using the Non CPU option. I noticed that the lens does not close down the diaphragm/aperture when I take the picture. This means that I'm only able to shoot at wide open apertures (f2 and f1.4). I do see that camera's on screen aperture correctly corresponds to the aperture on the lens but this is of no use if the lens aperture doesn't close to the chosen aperture. Did I do something wrong in my setup or is this a limitation in using ai lenses on dslrs?

[@donnacook7397]

Are you using the diaphragm ring on the lens or the diaphragm adjustment on the body? Use the one on the lens.

[@terrywbreedlove]

I shoot the F3hp.! I have the 135mm F2. A 55mm F2.8 Micro and a 28mm f2.8. Those I shoot all the time. I also have several 50mm 1.8 and one 50mm 1.4. Seems like every time i bought an old Nikon it came with a 50mm 1.8. All my glass is ais except the 50 1.4. I would never trade the 55mm micro for any 1.8 or 1.4 glass. No way

[@daveatlarge5030]

What about the 28mil ?

[@victorycamera2060]

It is tough. I might change the 35mm for a 28mm too. The thing is that I can leave the house with only a 35mm and not feel limited but I would with a 28mm.

[@msbrownbeast]

The Nikkor 50mm F/2 is optically superior to the F1.4 Maybe also cheaper to buy too on the used market

[@tomallen6073]

Yep, I own a bunch of nikons 50’s the f2 is sharper than my dam sharp f1.8g. I have the 50 1.2, multiple 50 1.4s, 50 1.8g, zeiss 50 1.4. Nobody talks about the f2 but it rocks.

[@msbrownbeast]

@@tomallen6073 And it's also very light and compact.. Back in the day, it was offered as the standard lens with the Nikon F, while the 1.4 was a rather costly option. I think I've seen more F cameras paired with the F1.4 than with the F2, so I think it's possible that most buyers of new Nikon F cameras in those days opted for the faster and more expensive lens.

[@paganphil100]

msbrownbeast: Yes.....most f1.4 lenses (from whatever manufacturer) need to be stopped down 1 or 2 stops to get the best results. An f2 or f1.8 will usually be better wide open.

[@randallstewart175]

@@tomallen6073 True, but not always the case. When the Nikon F was introduced in 1959, you had a choice of a 50mm 2.0, taken straight from the Nikon rangefinder lens line, or a newly created 58mm 1.4. (Lens speed sold cameras in those days- period.) The 58mm was bearly adequate, and the 2.0 was a bit of a dog too. Two years later, Nikon replaced the 58mm 1.4 with a new 50mm 1.4 (the lens he has in the video), a stellar design at the time, optically surpassed by only the Leitz 50mm 2.0. Both the 1.4 and 2.0 were redesigned and upgraded into the late 1970s. but the 2.0 improved more - it really is a secret Killer Nikkor. It was replaced in later 1970s with a new 50mm 1.8, mostly because every other maker had replaced their 2.0 models with 1.8 versions - "faster is better, you know". Mainly for marketing reasons. The 1.8 is every bit as good as the 2.0, even when Nikon started having the Chinese make it to save money. I ended up getting two last model 50mm 2.0 AI lenses incidental to acquiring a couple of vintage bodies a few years ago. Much classier than the design of the 1.8s.

[@russellsymmonds6119]

Weird the guy from Fast lane car. . Hi