A 35mm lens for an FM3A

[Shab]

Hi,

I'm looking for a 35mm lens for a nikon fm3a. I will use it with B/W film.

I have used a Zuiko OM 35mm 2.0 on my OM-1n in the last 15 years... someone has talk about the Nikkor 35mm 1.4 AIS... and there is the Zeiss 2.0/35 Distagon ZF.2... I used a 2.0/35 Biogon in a Zeiss Ikon ZM and it was a lovely lens. Is the Distagon near to the Biogon? Or these are very different lenses?

Which one would you use? Any other sugestion?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Freakscene]

Hi,

I'm looking for a 35mm lens for a nikon fm3a. I will use it with B/W film.

I have used a Zuiko OM 35mm 2.0 on my OM-1n in the last 15 years... someone has talk about the Nikkor 35mm 1.4 AIS... and there is the Zeiss 2.0/35 Distagon ZF.2... I used a 2.0/35 Biogon in a Zeiss Ikon ZM and it was a lovely lens. Is the Distagon near to the Biogon? Or these are very different lenses?

Which one would you use? Any other sugestion?

Thanks for your help!

I don't love the Zuiko 35/2 like a lot of people do. I found it one of the worst of the OM lenses. In that context . . .

The Zeiss 35mm f2 Distagon ZF.2 or the Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/1.4 ZF.2 are excellent. They are much better than any of the manual focus Nikkors. The Zeiss Milvus 35/2 and 35/1.4 lenses have the same design as the ZF.2 lenses but a different barrel and mechanical design and have good weather sealing. The best manual focus Nikkor 35s are the 35/2 Ai (not AiS) and the 35/1.4 AiS, but they stopped advancing these designs in the early 1980s. On film, particularly fast film, you're unlikely to see a huge amount of difference apart from flare. The Zeiss T* coating is amazing, and their lenses handle bad light better than the old Nikkors so they do produce better photos in difficult situations.

I don't have any samples on hand, but I loved both of these when I tested them back when they came out and I was reviewing gear for magazines.


This is taken with the Nikkor 35/2 Ai on a Nikon FM2n, I think. Tri-X, Xtol 1+3.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I don't love the Zuiko 35/2 like a lot of people do. I found it one of the worst of the OM lenses. In that context . . .

The Zeiss 35mm f2 Distagon ZF.2 or the Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/1.4 ZF.2 are excellent. They are much better than any of the manual focus Nikkors. The Zeiss Milvus 35/2 and 35/1.4 lenses have the same design as the ZF.2 lenses but a different barrel and mechanical design and have good weather sealing. The best manual focus Nikkor 35s are the 35/2 Ai (not AiS) and the 35/1.4 AiS, but they stopped advancing these designs in the early 1980s. On film, particularly fast film, you're unlikely to see a huge amount of difference apart from flare. The Zeiss T* coating is amazing, and their lenses handle bad light better than the old Nikkors so they do produce better photos in difficult situations.

I don't have any samples on hand, but I loved both of these when I tested them back when they came out and I was reviewing gear for magazines.

View attachment 4863073
This is taken with the Nikkor 35/2 Ai on a Nikon FM2n, I think. Tri-X, Xtol 1+3.

Why is the 35mm f2 AiS inferior to the Ai version? Don't they have the same optical design?

 

[mrtoml]

Why is the 35mm f2 AiS inferior to the Ai version? Don't they have the same optical design?

I have the 35/2 AI and it is pretty sharp. They go for about £150 in the UK. I have just read that the only real difference is that the AI has 7 blades vs 9 for the AIS. Some of the later versions have a better coating.

Just searching my database I found a couple of examples using a D7100:

 

[Shab]

I don't love the Zuiko 35/2 like a lot of people do. I found it one of the worst of the OM lenses. In that context . . .

The Zeiss 35mm f2 Distagon ZF.2 or the Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/1.4 ZF.2 are excellent. They are much better than any of the manual focus Nikkors. The Zeiss Milvus 35/2 and 35/1.4 lenses have the same design as the ZF.2 lenses but a different barrel and mechanical design and have good weather sealing. The best manual focus Nikkor 35s are the 35/2 Ai (not AiS) and the 35/1.4 AiS, but they stopped advancing these designs in the early 1980s. On film, particularly fast film, you're unlikely to see a huge amount of difference apart from flare. The Zeiss T* coating is amazing, and their lenses handle bad light better than the old Nikkors so they do produce better photos in difficult situations.

I don't have any samples on hand, but I loved both of these when I tested them back when they came out and I was reviewing gear for magazines.

View attachment 4863073
This is taken with the Nikkor 35/2 Ai on a Nikon FM2n, I think. Tri-X, Xtol 1+3.

Thank you for your answer!

I'm not a very technic photographer and maybe so I love the pictures I make with the Zuiko OM 35mm 2.0:


I have a VM 35mm 1.7 Ultron on my M5 and this is a very different lens... absolut sharpness, contrast... and I also love the photographs I make with it but in a different way. Zuiko is "Soft", Ultron is "Clinic" (for me).



Your portrait with the 35mm 2.0 Ai is so good...

I think the Distagon 2.0 can be a great lens for the fm3a... I will continue in my search.

 

[Malcolm M]

My first-choice 35mm Nikkor.

 

[Freakscene]

Why is the 35mm f2 AiS inferior to the Ai version? Don't they have the same optical design?

The AiS is tweaked for better MTF at small image sizes, in the 10-40 lp/mm range, and for colour fidelity. On black and white film, particularly 400+ speed film, I like the Ai much better. The 5 lp/mm trace is higher and the near tonal range contrast is better.

 

[Freakscene]

Thank you for your answer!

I'm not a very technic photographer and maybe so I love the pictures I make with the Zuiko OM 35mm 2.0:
View attachment 4863083

I have a VM 35mm 1.7 Ultron on my M5 and this is a very different lens... absolut sharpness, contrast... and I also love the photographs I make with it but in a different way. Zuiko is "Soft", Ultron is "Clinic" (for me).

View attachment 4863085

Your portrait with the 35mm 2.0 Ai is so good...

Thank you. We’ve been together for 30 years now. There is a lot of hope in that photo.

Your photo with the Zuiko is great, and shows why photos beat lenses. I don’t like the field curvature or the directionally smeared look in the out of focus. It’s still a great photo.

I think the Distagon 2.0 can be a great lens for the fm3a... I will continue in my search.

If you are not very technical, and you want to save some money, buy an optically good Nikkor and go for it. Even the Series E 35/2.5 is pretty decent. If you like lens signatures and want the ‘best’ look at lots of photos online and decide whether you like the signature of the Zeiss 35 f2 or f1.4 ZF.2 and see if you like the ZF.2 or Milvus body designs, and go from there.

 

[wlewisiii]

I use the Nikkor 35/2 Pre-AI that I had cut to fit on the AI cameras. It's lovely and was cheap. It's on my F4 right now.

 

[skopar steve]

Here is a sample of the Nikon 35mm 1.4 AI on400speed film. HP5 most likely. Shot wide open.