dave lackey
Veteran
Is it going to be a Nikkor?
Nikon Fe2-what is the very best lens?
- Thread starter dave lackey
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 67
- Views 5K
filmfan
Well-known
28mm f/2.8 AIS
helen.HH
To Light & Love ...
i will admit i am not too knowledgeable with nikkor glass
but if your going wide the 28 2.8 is Wonderful
hah, filmfan beat me to it ....
but if your going wide the 28 2.8 is Wonderful
hah, filmfan beat me to it ....
Nokton48
Veteran
105mm F2.5 AIS Nikkor. Sharpest one in the lineup depending on who you ask.
Also the 28mm F3.5 PC Nikkor. When I was using FE2's for shooting commercial architectural projects the 28mm PC was my main lens to go to. Amazing glass.
Also the 28mm F3.5 PC Nikkor. When I was using FE2's for shooting commercial architectural projects the 28mm PC was my main lens to go to. Amazing glass.
mfunnell
Shaken, so blurred
I don't have one and I'm probably going to have to get one, just to find out if I can see the magic. I'm rather partial to the CV 40/2, myself, though I also like the Nikkor 24/2.8.
...Mike
lynnb
Veteran
I'm very partial to the 105/2.5 AIS. Must use it more often.
stompyq
Well-known
Very best in what? Sharpness? Bokeh? signature?
Sharpness - Micro Nikkor 55mm 3.5 (the older pre-Ai version)
Bokeh - nikon 105mm 2.4
Signature - Noct nikkor
Honorable mentions - Nikon AIS 24mm 2.8, Nikon 28mm 3.5 (with IR film, meh with regular film)
kshapero
South Florida Man
28/2.8 AIS
50/1.8 AIS (not the E)
105/2.5 AIS
You are done
50/1.8 AIS (not the E)
105/2.5 AIS
You are done
RichC
Well-known
55mm Micro-Nikkor AIS. Brilliant lens, close up and at infinity. Remarkable resolution with no distortion, and no need for a lens hood with deeply recessed front element.
I use the autofocus version (same glass) as my main lens on my Nikon D800E as it's so good...
I use the autofocus version (same glass) as my main lens on my Nikon D800E as it's so good...
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Yes, although some people are partial to the modern Zeiss ZF lenses too.
There are many superb Nikkors ... the "very best" depends on what you are trying to photograph. I've had Nikons and Nikkor lenses since 1969 ... My favorites:
- Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 AI-S (52mm filter mount) :: small, light, very sharp.
- Nikkor 28mm f/2 AI :: bulky, heavy, but one of the best 28s ever made.
- Nikkor 35mm f/2 AI-S :: much maligned, but lovely imaging qualities IMO.
- Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 AI-S :: I think there are three f/1.2 normal lenses, and one of them is the fabled Noct-Nikkor 58mm f/1.2 which goes for fabulous prices nowadays. I've had all three, and this late-'70s model to my eye has the nicest bokeh.
- Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 pre-AI :: The later models are faster, but I haven't found any that are actually better performers.
- - Nikkor-H 85mm f/1.8 pre-AI :: Had one of these on loan from my uncle for a couple of years, then had the more modern 85/2 AI-S. Both were good, but the bulky, heavy pre-AI just has a particular magic to it that I really like.
- Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 AI-S :: there have been at least four versions of the manual focus 105/2.5. I had three of them. The late '70s/early '80s version AI-S is my favorite.
- Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 AI-S and AF-D :: Nikon's particularly good with macro lenses and this is no exception. To my delight, both the AF and MF versions of this lens are still in production! I had the AF version and just acquired the MF version (not new, tho ...).
- Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 AI-S ED :: The ED version of this lens stepped into the "legendary" class for me. Big, heavy, optimized to shoot wide open ... and buttery beautiful bokeh, a superb indoor sports lens. The later AF version is the also superb optically but I didn't like the feel as much.
- Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4 ED-IF AI-S :: The best long macro lens I've ever used. 1:2 focusing in the lens, relatively light and a superb tripod mounting.
- Almost any Nikkor 300mm f/4 :: I've had two or three of the pre-AI and AI-S models over the years. I just don't use such a long lens often enough so I buy, use for a bit, then sell.
G
redisburning
Well-known
no.
from a purely technical standpoint, the old Nikkors do not fit the bill.
the current best lenses you can use on an FE2 are the Zeiss ZF.2 135mm APO Sonnar, the Leica 180mm f2.8 APO-Elmarit-R, or a speicality lens like the Coastal Optics UV-VIS-IR 60mm Apo Macro.
while all of the lenses in this thread are exceptional optics in a world full of mediocre lenses, they simply are not in the same league as the above for working on medium speed (e.g. Acros, Delta 100, TMax 100) or low speed (e.g. Adox CMS 20, Rollei ATP, Rollei ORTO) films with high end enlarging or scanning equipment.
if you want my pick for the best lens you can purchase for F mount, all things considered (so resolution, accutance, OoF rendering, handling, focal length), my answer would be the E60 50mm Summilux-R.
mdarnton
Well-known
None of the old ones are really horrible. Perhaps you need to define what you are looking for. For me, a lens that's the wrong focal length or too heavy to bring along is a "bad" lens. In my world, anything longer than about 50mm is useless. The best lens is the one I actually want to take with me and use.
I have three micros, pre-ai, ai, and D, and they're all superb and equal, really. The pre-ai has a myth about it, thanks to Bjorn Rorslett, but it's not particularly different, in my experience, and I use them interchangably.
The 28/2 is excellent, but too large and heavy for me to carry regularly. The 105/2.5 has a beautiful look to the pictures, but I don't find the FL too useful for general work.
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.
Really, it's hard to go wrong. I have to laugh at people who will only have the newest and most expensive, but if that's what you're into, well, then you need the newest and most expensive, don't you?
I have three micros, pre-ai, ai, and D, and they're all superb and equal, really. The pre-ai has a myth about it, thanks to Bjorn Rorslett, but it's not particularly different, in my experience, and I use them interchangably.
The 28/2 is excellent, but too large and heavy for me to carry regularly. The 105/2.5 has a beautiful look to the pictures, but I don't find the FL too useful for general work.
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.
Really, it's hard to go wrong. I have to laugh at people who will only have the newest and most expensive, but if that's what you're into, well, then you need the newest and most expensive, don't you?
yossarian123
Sam I Am
For me, it's the 50mm f/1.2 AIS. Wide open it's decently sharp, and by f/1.8-f/2 it's brain melting sharp. Very versatile FL and sees in the dark.
mfogiel
Veteran
If in doubt, you can consult this:
http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html
http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html
kxl
Social Documentary
In general, the Nikkors already mentioned are excellent.
For color film especially, I would say the very best are the Zeiss ZF (or ZF.2) lenses - if you don't mind the bulk. The way Zeiss lenses render color is just magical.
For sharpness, the macro lenses (55mm, 105mm, 200mm Micro Nikkors) are tough to beat.
Other macro lenses worth considering (assuming sharpness is a priority): Kiron (aka Lester Dine aka other rebrands) 105/2.5 are among the sharpest; the Vivitar S1 lenses (90mm/105mm), Tokina 90mm and others...
For color film especially, I would say the very best are the Zeiss ZF (or ZF.2) lenses - if you don't mind the bulk. The way Zeiss lenses render color is just magical.
For sharpness, the macro lenses (55mm, 105mm, 200mm Micro Nikkors) are tough to beat.
Other macro lenses worth considering (assuming sharpness is a priority): Kiron (aka Lester Dine aka other rebrands) 105/2.5 are among the sharpest; the Vivitar S1 lenses (90mm/105mm), Tokina 90mm and others...
Same for the post 2002 Nikkors with Nikon's improved multi-coating (Nikon Super Integrated Coating a.k.a SIC). They are very Zeiss-like in their colour rendering. I couldn't tell the difference between a 2006 production Ai-S 50mm F1.4 and a ZF 50/1.4.
My kit is:
Ai-S 28mm F2.8 (2006 production)
Ai-S 50mm F1.4 (2006 production)
Ai-S 105mm F2.5 (very late production, maybe 2003 or 2004)
When I bought my Ai-S 105mm F2.5, I compared four very late s/n lenses at a shop in Tokyo. Compared side by side, the difference between the Nikon Integrated Coating (NIC) of the earlier lenses and the SIC coating of the later lenses was obvious. No. 1042xxx (and an earlier lens) had the NIC coating, and No. 1049xxx (and another later lens) had the SIC coating. I took No. 1049xxx.
Ronald_H
Don't call me Ron
This is my favorite lens on my Nikons (all of them). It will be fantastic on your FE-2:
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f/2 SL II
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f/2 SL II
kxl
Social Documentary
In general I agree, except maybe for red hues. To my eyes at least, the reds seem to be "richer" from Zeiss lenses.
dave lackey
Veteran
Hmmm...a Voigtlander lens fits on the FE2 body? That would be interesting. Likewise a Leica 80mm Summilux R that is presently on the R4...who has adaptors for these and how do they work?
dbarnes
Well-known
The very best Nikkor....
...is not that much better than the other models, which generally are terrific.
...is the one you can afford.
...is the one on your camera when the right moment arrives.
Seriously, this is a gearhead forum and we ask questions like this one, but at some point, with the Nikkor range as broad as it is, one might as well ask, "What is the best color?"
OK, hold a gun to my head: The very best Nikkor is the 105/2.5. But I'll leave it behind and take a 35/2 and an 85/2, any day of the week. (Better yet, add a 24/2.8 and a 180/2.8.)
...is not that much better than the other models, which generally are terrific.
...is the one you can afford.
...is the one on your camera when the right moment arrives.
Seriously, this is a gearhead forum and we ask questions like this one, but at some point, with the Nikkor range as broad as it is, one might as well ask, "What is the best color?"
OK, hold a gun to my head: The very best Nikkor is the 105/2.5. But I'll leave it behind and take a 35/2 and an 85/2, any day of the week. (Better yet, add a 24/2.8 and a 180/2.8.)
Similar threads
