I shoot primarily landscapes using prime lenses and I haven't shot Nikon since the film days. I remember using manual focus lenses on my old F100 body and earlier 35mm's but never gave them much thought since switching to digital.

Today I picked up a Nikkor 105mm f2/5 manual focus prime lens that had been chipped for $75, in excellent condition I might add. On the D300, this thing is a work of beauty. I keep hearing how Canon has the best lens lineup but the more I delve into the older Nikon lenses the more truth is beginning to filter in, as all these old Nikon lenses still fit the current bodies.

I'd like to keep looking for more of these old MF Nikkor lenses and was wondering if anybody had suggestions on particular models to keep an eye out for? Also, if anybody knows someplace other than E-Bay where they can be found online, I'd appreciate a heads up.

I love my 105 2.5. It's fantastically sharp and the bokeh is wonderful.

Well, if you want just a basic Nikon/Nikkor kit, you can go with the Nikkor 24/2.8, 50/1.4, 85/2, 135/2.8 (which you can skip with your 105) and either a 180/2.8 or a 200/4. Throw in the Nikon E Series 35/2.5 and 75-150/3.5 plus any Micro-Nikkor and you have yourself a nice all around kit. Wider and longer options are out there, but they get costly.

That's the short answer for getting you started. If you want to really get into it and build a full kit, I'll give you a somewhat different setup. There are other brands that outperform Nikon in some focal lengths, and also might offer a better return for the money. I currently own 50+ MF lenses and only about a third of them are Nikons.

As far as where to buy, I have not found a better place than ebay. I've had to eat a few lenses and send more than a few back, but even with that, it's still a lot cheaper than KEH, B&H and Adorama used stock. Local camera shops don't always know the real value of MF lenses, so you can get a decent deal sometimes. Pawn shops (no kidding) can have the occasional bargain too. I've read of folks getting amazing buys at garage sales, so I tried stopping by a few, but had no such luck myself.

Here is a shot of my daughter using my old 60's 105mm f/2.5 on a D3. It still works great and can see no need to replace it for a new one.

Nikon D3 with 105mm ar f/2.5, available light and handheld at 1/80th, ISO 1000.

Craig: Wow!

I forgot to mention.. as a rule, stick to AI/AIS lenses. Most pre-AI models have lesser coatings and you'll need to spend extra money to have them AI'd.

Craig I think we can play in the same ball park. I also have a 1967 single coated , manual focus Nikkor 105 f2.5 lens that has been converted twice, once for use in film cameras and another for digital bodies; both jobs by John White in Michigan.
The picture of your daughter is excellent and prove of what this classic lens is capable of doing. At times I have been tempted to get the version made in the late 70's with multicoating and a different optical formula but the images from this lens are so good that I have refrained from doing it.
Keep on enjoying the lens. I also use the 35mm f2 and 24mm f2.8 from the 80's for beautiful images. They are all great optics.
William Rodriguez
Miami, Florida.

Even though the MF lenses have been technically discontinued (at least in the UK and US), many of these lenses are still available at retail new, although I'm sure that there will continue to be plenty of MF used lenses on eBay as people update their collections, etc.

A large retailer like BH probably still has a market for these lenses, but I think a smaller retailer would probably want to get rid of MF lenses if they have any stock and would probably be willing to make a deal.

Last time I checked, BH had the following in stock new:
20 2.8 ($510)
24 2.8 ($375)
28 2.8 ($360)
35 1.4 ($700)
50 1.4 ($300) (There's also a 50 1.2, but they don't seem to have it in stock anymore)
55 2.8 micro ($350)
PC85 2.8 micro ($1250, but out of stock)
45 2.8p ($310)
35-200 3.5-4.5 ($900)

I have a 300mm MF f2.8 that I had a chip installed on that I use with extension tubes as a studio macro for plants that is wonderful.

There are some great old MF Nikkors. I use the 16mm 2.8m 18mm 3.5, 20mm 2.8, and 28mm 2.0 on a regular basis, all on my 1DsMKII. The 105 2.5 circa 1978 is every bit as good as any medium Canon tele and is responsible for some my favorite images over the years. It's interesting to revisit some of these older lenses. Others that hold up well today are the 50mm 1.4, the 105 2.8 Micro and extremely well, the 180 2.8 ED MF, which is quite excellent. The one so-called "classic" Nikkor that does not seem to live up to its reputation is the 24mm 2.8, which is actually very good in the center but never quite pulls its weight in the extreme corners. I've got two of those that neither of them gets really sharp in the corner. The Olympus 24mm 2.8, on the other hand....

I don't know Peter, my 24mm f/2.8 that I bought new in 1977 has always been a good performer. Here is a recent photo I took with it on my D3 and it is pretty sharp...

I've bought about 20 or so Nikkor Ai/Ai-S lenses during the last couple of years and use them more than my autofocus lenses. It's true you can sometimes find these lenses cheaper on eBay, but there's also a lot of risk involved too, so for this reason I've bought most of mine at Keh.com. My favorites include the 24/2 Ai-S, 35/1.4 Ai-S, 50/1.2 Ai-S, 58/1.2 NOCT Ai-S and 105/1.8 Ai-S, which are all generally about twenty years old but work wonderfully on the newest DLSRs (especially the D200/300 and professional bodies which can meter these lenses). However, don't overlook the slightly older Ai bodies either. In fact, some of the sharpest manual focus lenses I own are the 28/2 Ai, 50/2 Ai and 105/2.5 Ai. Unfortunately, many others have discovered the joy of MF lenses and you won't find many of these as cheap as they were just a couple of years ago.

28 2.0 50 1.4 85 1.4 135 2.0

IMHO the 24 2.0 is a half step lower....

I use a 105 f/2.5 AI that I bought new in 1980 with my Canon 5D via a Fotodiox adapter. It performs remarkably well in terms of sharpness, contrast, and Bokeh.

The other old Nikkor I still use is a 24mm f/2.8 AIS that I bought new in the mid-80's. In my experience it is extremely sharp, and stopped down slightly, the sharpness is still very good out at the edges. On the 5D it shows very little light fall-off in the corners and thus would work great on a FX format camera. The problem with this lens is that it is prone to secondary lateral chromatic aberration, which seems to be more pronounced on DX format cameras--scenes with bright backgrounds showed very pronounced purple fringing when I tried it on a D200.

If you are looking for a 28mm f/2.8 lens, try to get the AIS version, which is a different optical design than the AI, pre-AI, and the AF versions. The AIS version is considered to be one of Nikon's star performers.

Give this a look: http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html

pat_c wrote:
I use a 105 f/2.5 AI that I bought new in 1980 with my Canon 5D via a Fotodiox adapter. It performs remarkably well in terms of sharpness, contrast, and Bokeh.

The other old Nikkor I still use is a 24mm f/2.8 AIS that I bought new in the mid-80's. In my experience it is extremely sharp, and stopped down slightly, the sharpness is still very good out at the edges. On the 5D it shows very little light fall-off in the corners and thus would work great on a FX format camera. The problem with this lens is that it is prone to secondary lateral chromatic aberration, which seems to be more pronounced on DX format cameras--scenes with bright backgrounds showed very pronounced purple fringing when I tried it on a D200.

If you are looking for a 28mm f/2.8 lens, try to get the AIS version, which is a different optical design than the AI, pre-AI, and the AF versions. The AIS version is considered to be one of Nikon's star performers.



Give this a look: http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html


I agree that the Nikon 28mm f2.8 AIS with CRC is a star performer. How about the Nikon 50mm f1.8 AIS early edition. Djorn Rorslett gave it a rating of 5+ with the D2X

effie imperio

I love Nikon manual focus primes with digital and find them to be superb performers.
My favorites include:
20mm f2.8 AIS
35mm f2 AIS
50mm f1.2 AIS
105mm f1.8 AIS
180mm f2.8 ED AIS

I use my 35 f2 lens a good amount, as well as my 55 f2.8 Macro. Both are fantastic lenses.

I wish I could use my 85mm 1.8 non-AI on my D70. Has anyone had any luck in using a Non-AI'ed lens totally manual on it? I know the manual says not to as you can screw the electronics up on the camera...

is there a workaround for this? I really miss using that lens.. it's crazy sharp!

jeff

Get it converted to AI by John White
http://www.aiconversions.com/

I have an old 400mm f/3.5 Nikkor that I love. Everyone has always said the lens hood is too short, but you can't prove that by me.

The lens is incredibly sharp, especially wide open, and the bokah is wonderful.

BTW, I got it off Ebay. Paid $1500 for it, and it was worth every penny. It hasn't been chipped, but it can be.

Don