Nikon Fe2-what is the very best lens?

mdarnton said:
The 28/2 is excellent, but too large and heavy for me to carry regularly.
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You're the second person to mention the 28/2 being too large and heavy. The lens isn't really that large or anything to even think about weight wise. It's a whopping 100g heavier and 1cm longer than a 24/2.8.

28/2.0: 345g, 63x58.5mm
24/2.8: 250g, 63x46mm
50/1.4: 250g, 63x40mm

My favorite carry-around lenses are the 24/2.8 and 50/1.4, which give a good spacing, and they're both relatively lightweight.
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If I had to sell all my Nikkors and keep one it'd probably be my 35/1.4NC. Runner-ups would be the 28/2.0 or 20/2.8.
 
28/2.8 AIS.

40/2 CV.

105/2.5 is better on an F3. For the FM take the slight performance hit and use the 85//2 AIS.

A lot of the bigger lenses work better on an F3, or on an FE/FM with a motor attached.

For example, my favorite: 180/2.8 ED AIS
 
raid said:
Keep it simple, Dave.
Even the cheap 50/1.8 is excellent. The 50/1.4 is superb.
It is true that as a tele, the 105/2.5 is awesome. Any version of it is awesome.
I like the Nikkor 24/2.8. It is a classic.
The old 55/3.5 micro is sharp as a razor, and it is cheap.
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This is good advice. Although the 105mm is kind of a "funny" focal length to me, one I never bonded with, all the lenses mentioned are first-rate. The 24/2.8 is a lens I can't do without--excuse me--without which, I cannot do.

For me personally, I use the 35mm focal length a lot. The 35/2 Nikkor has been faulted for ghost images in night photography. Other than that, it's another top-notch Nikkor. Presently (I know this supposed to be about Nikkors), I'm using the 35/2 Zeiss ZF2 with complete satisfaction.

And for those of us who like to keep verticals vertical, I can't end this without mentioning my 28mm PC Nikkor. Superb lens!

Oh, yeah, the 55/3.5 micro is just as good as Raid says, but if it's a non-AI, don't try to put it on a Nikon other than one that accepts non-AI lenses, OK?
 
I am reading this thread with interest. I now own two Nikon bodies (FE and FE2), but only one Series E 50mm f/1.8 lens. I don't know if I should go wide or tele, or maybe go for a proper Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
 
CliveC said:
I am reading this thread with interest. I now own two Nikon bodies (FE and FE2), but only one Series E 50mm f/1.8 lens. I don't know if I should go wide or tele, or maybe go for a proper Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
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The primary difference between the Series E and the Nikkor AI/AI-S (aside from build materials and mount finish) is that the Series E are single coated and the AI/AI-S are multicoated.

I had 50/1.4 preAI, 50/1.8E, 50/1.4 AI-S, and now have 50/1.2 AI-S. Of the four, the 50E was the best bang for the buck (cost me $10 at a flea market in 1982 and I used it for almost 20 years), but I always kept a hood on it and never put a filter on it. The bokeh isn't anything special, but it's a good, sharp lens. The 50/1.2 AI-S is very nice, if overly large and heavy.

Both of the 50/1.4s had generally nice bokeh (nothing like a Zeiss or Leica 50mm lens, tho), were very sharp, and the multicoating on the AI-S made it easier to work with.

G
 
Funny, I don't think anyone mentioned the 45mm f/2.8 pancake "p" lens. This is a nice lens for a compact outfit on an FE2 or an FM3a. Many rave about its imaging.
 
CliveC said:
I am reading this thread with interest. I now own two Nikon bodies (FE and FE2), but only one Series E 50mm f/1.8 lens. I don't know if I should go wide or tele, or maybe go for a proper Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
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The line of manual focus Nikkor lenses is good enough and inexpensive enough to dabble in wides and teles without feeling much pain in your pocketbook. I don't feel like it's a waste of money to keep them around even though I don't use them much. Still might pick up one of those fabled 105mm 2.5's someday.
 
furbs said:
The line of manual focus Nikkor lenses is good enough and inexpensive enough to dabble in wides and teles without feeling much pain in your pocketbook. I don't feel like it's a waste of money to keep them around even though I don't use them much. Still might pick up one of those fabled 105mm 2.5's someday.
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Probably true. My problem is that I have no less than six mount systems on the go now for SLRs alone. I kinda have to pick and choose.
 
ferider said:
Dave,

I just went through this in the last year, putting a nikkor kit together. Here is a great minimal kit, and it's not what's typically touted on the net:

- 6 element 35/2.8 - show me another wide with no distortion (1)...
- 50/1.8S ais (short nose and min focus). Stunning lens and small.
- 105/2.8 ais micro. Believe it or not, it's better than the 105/2.5
- 300/4.5 if ais

The first two lenses are kind of hard to find, but they are there if you are patient.

A single lens ? The 50/1.8s. Can compete with any 50 ....

Cheers.

Roland.
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RE: (1) The 24mm f/2.8 Ais !!!! and very sharp also. must have less than 1% distortion... I have never seen any in my film scans of Downtown Indianapolis highrise buildings. It also has the Close Focus Correction.
My favorite on my FE..

also the 50mm f/1.8 Ais LONG NOSE..[it was an "Export Only" lens.] (The one with the finer threads inside the deep cone area, there is another with coarser threads inside the deep cone, NOT the coarser threaded deep cone) Very Sharp, lovely Bokeh, also hard to find.
 
it really depends on you choice of focal length... 105/2.5 is awesome, 85/1.4 is the bomb...but the 50/1.2 is it for most folks!

Todd
 
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