Your thoughts on Nikkor 50/1.8 AI-S Japanese pancake version

[dourbalistar]

If you like this era of Nikkors, low light is what the Ai-S Noct-Nikkor was made for, really. But don’t expect to get one for the price of the pancake.

View attachment 4828042

Marty

Unfortunately, my pockets are not deep enough for the Noct-Nikkor. Instead, I have the more price-accesible Nikkor-S Auto 55mm f/1.2. I believe mine is a Version 3 circa 1971-72, factory converted to AI. But that's a different lens (from a different era) for a different thread. 😉

Nikkor-S 55mm f/1.2 Experiences?

Hey Folks! I have the opportunity to buy a Nikkor-S 55mm f/1.2 locally for an incredible price. The lens is 9/10 condition with only slight wear on the barrel (glass is immaculate) and the gentleman is selling it for less than half the price of what one in similar condition goes for. The...

rangefinderforum.com

 

[dourbalistar]

Of course for low light images, if using the pancake adapted on today's image stabilised digital mirrorless cameras and their previously unachievable iso capabilities with this lens, there's a lot of scope for, for want of a better phrase "getting away with it" which I beleive was the case with the below image.
Untitled by Otim, on Flickr

Haha, yes, image stabilization and a thousand million ISO with modern digital cameras definitely falls in the "other tools" category. 🤣 The new Nikon Z f claims 8 stops of in-body stabilization, which is bonkers. Side note, the Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 (SE) looks suspiciously like the AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S.

 

[Freakscene]

I've heard that the 50/1.8 AF-D is exactly the same lens as the Japanese pancake lens, but in different clothes. Said to be optically the same.

The same formula, but if you use them with black and white film you'll see a lot of difference in tonality, especially the highlights, due to very different internal coating and light damping.

 

[Freakscene]

Unfortunately, my pockets are not deep enough for the Noct-Nikkor. Instead, I have the more price-accesible Nikkor-S Auto 55mm f/1.2. I believe mine is a Version 3 circa 1971-72, factory converted to AI. But that's a different lens (from a different era) for a different thread. 😉

Nikkor-S 55mm f/1.2 Experiences?

Hey Folks! I have the opportunity to buy a Nikkor-S 55mm f/1.2 locally for an incredible price. The lens is 9/10 condition with only slight wear on the barrel (glass is immaculate) and the gentleman is selling it for less than half the price of what one in similar condition goes for. The...

rangefinderforum.com

Oh sure, the 55/1.2 is very good in low light too, as is the 50/1.2 Ai-S. The Noct-Nikkor is definitely not cheap.

Marty

 

[dourbalistar]

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2023.04.13 Roll #330-08067-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

 

[dourbalistar]

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


Upper Inspiration Point Triptych by dourbalistar, on Flickr

 

[dourbalistar]

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2023.04.22 Roll #333-08102-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

 

[dourbalistar]

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2023.07.07 Roll #336-08194-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

 

[sojournerphoto]

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2023.04.22 Roll #333-08102-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

This is such a great picture

 

[dourbalistar]

This is such a great picture

Thank you for the kind words, much appreciated!

 

[dourbalistar]

Accidentally left the aperture at f/2.8 (I meant to stop down more), but the result is sharper than I expected. There's enough detail at the center of the frame to make out a fire lookout on the silhouette of the ridge.

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2023.08.05 Roll #339-08251-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

 

[Slumgullion]

Not sure if this article has been linked in the previous 41 pages:

【光学エンジニアの解説】 ニコン標準レンズ NIKON AI AF NIKKOR 50mm F1.8D-分析016

NIKON NIKKORレンズシリーズより伝統の大口径標準単焦点50ｍｍ F1.8Dを特許情報と実写による作例から分析します。

lensreview.xyz

Google translate has gotten so much better with Japanese-to-English in the last few years. You can actually read this...and it makes sense.

Fun little tidbit...the 50/1.8 was made using only two glass types. Makes you really appreciate the efficiency and economy of design.

 

[dourbalistar]

Not sure if this article has been linked in the previous 41 pages:

【光学エンジニアの解説】 ニコン標準レンズ NIKON AI AF NIKKOR 50mm F1.8D-分析016

NIKON NIKKORレンズシリーズより伝統の大口径標準単焦点50ｍｍ F1.8Dを特許情報と実写による作例から分析します。

lensreview.xyz

Google translate has gotten so much better with Japanese-to-English in the last few years. You can actually read this...and it makes sense.

Fun little tidbit...the 50/1.8 was made using only two glass types. Makes you really appreciate the efficiency and economy of design.

Thanks for sharing that! Economy of design that actually translated to economy of price, too! I found this Google translation hilarious, even though I'm not quite sure what to make of it:

This Nikon 50mm f/1.8 is generally referred to as a "bait lens", and if you buy it on impulse due to its low price, it is a product that has a terrible curse-like power that will drag you into a dark and deep lens swamp.

 

[Slumgullion]

Thanks for sharing that! Economy of design that actually translated to economy of price, too! I found this Google translation hilarious, even though I'm not quite sure what to make of it:

Google translate is doing a good job translating fairly descriptive, colorful prose in a way that only a robot would.

 

[Freakscene]

Thanks for sharing that! Economy of design that actually translated to economy of price, too! I found this Google translation hilarious, even though I'm not quite sure what to make of it:

I laugh, but I have a corner of a room that is definitely a ‘lens swamp’. Sad.

 

[dourbalistar]

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2023.07.07 Roll #336-08217-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

 

[dourbalistar]

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2023.08.05 Roll #339-08249-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

 

[dourbalistar]

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2023.07.07 Roll #336-08207-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

 

[hellojamin]

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2023.07.07 Roll #336-08217-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

Great photo, what do you use to scan?

 

[dourbalistar]

Great photo, what do you use to scan?

Thank you for the kind words, @hellojamin, and welcome to the forum!

All my B&W photos are home developed and digitized using an old Sony NEX-5T digital camera. I use a Voigtlander VM-E close focus adapter on a Leica BEOON copy stand, with an EL-Nikkor 50mm f/2.8 enlarging lens, and a Huion L4S light pad from Amazon. For 120 film, I take two (or three for 6x7) overlapping frames, and merge them in Lightroom using the "Panorama Merge" function. I hope that helps!