p.1 #1 · New to FM – Nikon F6 lens advice for portraits & travel
Hi, new to the forums, but I’ve been shooting photography for more than a minute. I use the Canon R system for work, and over the years I’ve spent time with Leica, Rolleiflex, Hasselblad and Pentax 6×7 on the film side.
I recently picked up a Nikon F6 and I’m looking to build a small lens kit. I mostly shoot portraits and travel photography in a documentary style—lots of environmental portraits, street moments, and everyday life scenes. I really enjoy a vintage look to my images.
Right now I’m specifically looking at the 105mm AI‑S f/2.5 because of its classic rendering, and I’m thinking of pairing it with the 28mm f/2.8 AI‑S for a compact, on‑the‑go kit.
For those of you who’ve spent time with the F6 (or other Nikon film bodies), how do these two lenses perform on film, and are there any alternatives you’d recommend for portraits and travel/documentary work?
Any thoughts on a good two‑ or three‑lens setup to begin with would be much appreciated.
p.1 #2 · New to FM – Nikon F6 lens advice for portraits & travel
tofunjay wrote:
Hi, new to the forums, but I’ve been shooting photography for more than a minute. I use the Canon R system for work, and over the years I’ve spent time with Leica, Rolleiflex, Hasselblad and Pentax 6×7 on the film side.
I recently picked up a Nikon F6 and I’m looking to build a small lens kit. I mostly shoot portraits and travel photography in a documentary style—lots of environmental portraits, street moments, and everyday life scenes. I really enjoy a vintage look to my images.
Right now I’m specifically looking at the 105mm AI‑S f/2.5 because of its classic rendering, and I’m thinking of pairing it with the 28mm f/2.8 AI‑S for a compact, on‑the‑go kit.
For those of you who’ve spent time with the F6 (or other Nikon film bodies), how do these two lenses perform on film, and are there any alternatives you’d recommend for portraits and travel/documentary work?
Any thoughts on a good two‑ or three‑lens setup to begin with would be much appreciated....Show more →
You've got a great start with those 2x. They both perform great on film.
The 28 f/2 AI-S I find to perhaps be a touch stronger at mid to far distances than the 28/2.8 whereas the 28/2.8 is better at close distances, although the former is no slouch. I personally enjoy the 50/1.2 AI-S in the middle of that trio, although the 50/1.8 AI-S (either long nose or pancake, but not Series E) is a touch cheaper and no slouch. The 55/2.8 AI-S or 55/3.5 AI-S are also a great middle lens to use. Those are optimized for macro more than general purposes shooting so perhaps less ideal for closer portraits, but is still a great lens.
28 + 50-58 + 105 has always been my preferred set of lenses for Nikon film bodies (and at sometimes I've carried at 180/2.8 or a 20/4 long ago. There's very little in the type of shooting you've described that you can't do with that set of lenses.
p.1 #3 · New to FM – Nikon F6 lens advice for portraits & travel
The 28 f/2.8 Ai-S and 105 f/2.5 are classics for a reason. Can't really go wrong with 'em. Agree with @huddy@ on the 28 comparison. The 28 f/2 Ai-S is a bit stronger at distance, the 28 f/2. 8 Ai-S is a bit better up close. Both good, but the f/2.8 has a price premium lately. I like the f/2, personally.
I do disagree on avoiding the 50 f/1.8 Series E, though. It's practically just as good as the long nose 50 f/1.8 Ai-S, just some subtle coatings differences. Just don't pay Ai-S prices for the Series E. The long nose ergonomics are a bit better, though.
My F6 kit is mostly just the 28 f/1.8G or 35 f/1.4 Ai-S. Sometimes I use the 35 f/1.4G if it's largely for family stuff. And don't overlook the AF/AF-D lenses, either. The 24 f/2.8D, 28 f/2.8D, 35 f/2D, 50 f/1.8D, 85 f/1.4D or 85 f/1.8D, and the 28 f/1.4D if you want to spend on it are all great choices.
