Nikkor 50 F2 pre AI

[Vics]

So apart from the Nikkor 50 f2 H, what other pre ai Nikkors stand out, or importantly which ones do not

The 35/2.0 Nikkor-O, 85mm 1.8 Nikkor-H, 24mm 2.8 Nikkor-N, the aforementioned Nikkor-P 105mm f2.5 (a Nikon Legend!), and of course the 180mm f2.8 ED. Those are only the ones I have experience of. There are others...

 

[lxmike]

The 35/2.0 Nikkor-O, 85mm 1.8 Nikkor-H, 24mm 2.8 Nikkor-N, the aforementioned Nikkor-P 105mm f2.5 (a Nikon Legend!), and of course the 180mm f2.8 ED. Those are only the ones I have experience of. There are others...

the 85 will probably be my next big pruchase, but that will have to wait until 2013

 

[lxmike]

I've used a Nikkor-H.C 2/50 on my F bodies, as my main 'daylight' 50 for the past 5 years and really like it. It is sharp across the aperture range with good contrast. It has very nice optical signature with good tonality and smooth bokeh, which is kind of odd, since the aperture opening is a hexagon. Pared with some Tri-X the lens is a winning classic combination.

I have two of these lenses. One was pre-AI, but I upgraded it with a ring.

I also shoot them on my D600 and it goes a long way in removing the 'digital curse' from the files.

Highly recommended. A very underrated lens.

thanks for the reply, I cannot wait for mine to arrive, it should by the weekend and I havea whole week off next week to burn some film

 

[lxmike]

A classic indeed.
Far better than oner might expect.
Mine, from 1972 is still in use.

its surprising how cheaply one can be picked up for

 

[sanmich]

I have quite a few of these lenses (pre-AI, AI, 1.8 af), and as I wanted to test them for sharpness, I reached the following conclusion:
It's far from being a bad lens, resolution wise BUT (and I'm sorry to slightly rain on the parade here...)
...even at f/4 a Summicron collapsible gives a higher resolution, center and corners than the Nikkors.
I know that resolution is not everything but since I wanted to use my nikons for landscapes, it was important to me...
BTW, the new 1.8 AF is better than the f/2 too.
As a result, I have ordered a Micro-nikkor 2.8 which will be used for landscapes.
Just my 2c...

 

[Jerevan]

My 50 is getting a bit dry so I am going to send it off. I could buy some other specimen, but why not keep the repair guys in business? 🙂

And yes, I miss the Nikkor-P 105/2.5 silvernose that I had.

 

[lxmike]

well the 50 F2 H arrived this morning, have not had much play as I am on night shift, but I am very happy with it so far

 

[Vics]

The nice thing about the Nikon F stuff that I've accumulated is how affordable it is to be a sort of "completist." I don't mean it like a collector would, but I'm really closed to having all the Nikon SLR gear I want... except for a nice 20mm and maybe a 28 and...

 

[lxmike]

I was quite surpised when I revisited Nikkors at the price drop since the advent of digital, there are excepts, but also a lot of bargains out there

 

[lxmike]

Lens wise ideally I think i will go for a nai 35/2, 105/2.5 and a 85/1.8 but htis will be a slow process due to budget

 

[agoglanian]

I'd love to track down a 20mm myself, but I think once I get a 105 f/2.5 I'll be pretty set. (Though I think I hear a 180mm f/2.8 ED calling my name)

 

[peterm1]

I have had one of these for years and was lucky enough to find an AI conversion kit on eBay a few years back to convert it into AI (although I could have used the cut and file method). I love the rendering of this lens which works nicely with black and white. Sharp but with very smooth rendering. (Is this a Sonnar design I cannot recall?)

 

[sevo]

Is this a Sonnar design I cannot recall?

No - all Nikon SLR 50mm's are variations on the Double Gauss type. There are no 50mm Sonnar types for SLRs - the rear element distance does not permit it. The closest to it would be the 58/2 Takumar.

 

[Fraser]

I started gathering a nikon F outfit a couple of years ago, all my lenses are pre ai some have been converted just bought a 35mm f2, but together with five Nikon Fs 3 with the F36 drive I have 24mm, 28mm 3.5, 35mm 2.8, 50mm 2 and 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 105mm 2.5, 135 3.5 and 2.8, 180mm 2.8, 200mm 4 and 300mm 4.5. Still looking for a 28mm f2 and maybe a 500mm mirror lens. Pre ai lenses are quite addictive and if you are patient are very cheap!

 

[Vics]

Which is the best (old) 20? UD 3.5, or f4, or2.8?

 

[Travis L.]

The 50 f2 is my favorite Nikkor 50. This one is an H that has been AI'd.

It works great on my D700

D700, 50 Nikkor H, 1:2
1/13@ f8 iso 6400.. handheld

 

[Erik van Straten]

Nikkormat FTn, Nikkor-H 50mm f/2, TriX.

Erik.

 

[mynikonf2]

"Which is the best (old) 20? UD 3.5, or f4, or2.8?
-Vic"

Personally I prefer the UD 20, it is a beautifully crafted lens that is capable of crisp, sharp images with just a trace of softness in the corners but open it up to f5.6 or better & this softness will be resolved. Also, the UD exhibits a remarkable field flatness (think landscapes), even when completely opened up.
At one time I owned 4 UD 20's and currently I own 2 of the earlier Nippon Kogaku marked copies, one very early (within the first 200) & the other copy out of the second production batch. I find that between all the copies I've owned they have exhibited no discernible variation in image quality. I can highly recommend it.

 

[semi-ambivalent]

I started gathering a nikon F outfit a couple of years ago, all my lenses are pre ai some have been converted just bought a 35mm f2, but together with five Nikon Fs 3 with the F36 drive I have 24mm, 28mm 3.5, 35mm 2.8, 50mm 2 and 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 105mm 2.5, 135 3.5 and 2.8, 180mm 2.8, 200mm 4 and 300mm 4.5. Still looking for a 28mm f2 and maybe a 500mm mirror lens. Pre ai lenses are quite addictive and if you are patient are very cheap!

Popping in here to say I have a 35mm f/2.8 Nikkor-S and I like it so much that, on a two week trip to Italy, I took it instead of my 35mm f/1.4 AiS. Didn't miss the 2 stops at all, didn't miss the doubled weight and the rendering with Tri-x (and Rodinal) was beautiful. Often looked down upon, the 2.8 is a very nice lens.