your favorite manual focus lenses!

<p>In order of preference (highest top):<br>

Summicron 50mm f/2<br>

Summicron 35m f.2 ASPH<br>

Nikkor 28mm f/2<br>

Nikkor 105mm f/2.5<br>

Pentax SMC Takumar 55mm f/1.8 (screw mount)</p>

 

<p>I didn't think I would get used to the perspective but the 24/2.8 AIS is my current favorite (28/2.8 AIS second). Along with this I also like the 100/2.8 E which has shown to be light and sharp. Would definitely like to add the 35/2 if I could find one for a good price.</p>

<p>My two favourite manual Nikkor lenses are the AIS 35mm f/2 and the 45mm f/2.8 AI-P. Aside contrast and sharpnes, both exhibit one of the nicest bokeh in the Nikkor range, specially the 45mm.</p>

 

<p>Some of my best AI-S lenses ever:<br>

180 2.8 ED AI-S, 105 1.8 AI-S and 28 2.8 AI-S<br /><img src="http://www.pbase.com/antoniojv/image/114997891/original.jpg" alt="" /></p>

The 28/3.5 or 2.8, the 180/2.8 and the old 500/8 mirror lens. Not their sharpest but a lot of reach in a small package. And of course the 55/1.2. I need to find one of those again.

 

Rick H.

<p>I've only got 2 :-( But I love them both: Ai 24 f/2.8 and a AI'd 105 f/2.5. I think I love the 105 more, because it is older than I am (by some 6 months approx., it's the first generation Gauss without multicoating, from 1973) and it just shows what build quality should be like. But I use the 24 f/2.8 way more often.</p>

<p>I would love to add a 35 f/1.4 (but too expensive at the moment). And I'd love to have a 24 PC-E probably even more, but again the budget says "no"...</p>

<p>200/4, 135/2.8, 85/2, and 35/2. I use and love them all.</p>

<p>50/1.8 AIS, 28/3.5 AIS, 55/2.8 Micro AIS on D 300.<br>

Regards, Marko</p>

<p>Cron 50<br>

Planar 50 1.7<br>

Nikkor would be AIS 50 1.2</p>

<p>Nikkor 28/2,8 AIS<br>

Nikkor 105/2,5 AIS<br>

Nikkor 75-150/3.5 E<br>

Zeiss ZF 35/2</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I found a new Cosina Voightlander 58 1.4 SLII is my favorite manual focus lens for now. Its bokeh would be excellent compared to the popular Nikon 85 1.4D (even though it is AF).</p>

<p>Micro 55/3.5 pre-AI comp. ap.; 28/3.5 AI; 50/2 AI.</p>

<p>My three favorite manual focus lenses, in order, are: Nikon 500mm f 4.0 P lens; Nikon 55mm f 2.8 macro; and the Nikon 400mm f 3.5. Joe Smith</p>

<p>28/2 AI, 50/1.4<br>

By the way, can I still find AI conversion kits (no 32) nowadays?</p>

 

<p>Nothing new here, but my fav's are, AIS 200 f/4, AIS 35 f/2.0 & an old AI'd 85 f/1.8 which is heavy, but I find is definitely sharper than my 85 f/2.0. The good old 50mm f/1.8 is a great performer, actually I prefer it over my f/1.4, but somehow doesn't see a lot of usage.</p>

<p>Although someone who mentions 1 or 2 lenses is a different weighting than someone who mentions 5 or 6, the running count for 3 or more occurences looks like (excuse me for any errors):<br />10. 105 mm f/2.5<br />8. 28 mm f/2.8 Ais<br />7. 35 mm f/1.4 <br />6. 180 mm f/2.8; 55 mm f/3.5; 50 mm f/1.2; 28 mm f/3.5<br />5. 200 mm f/4; 35 mm f/2<br />4. 500 mm f/4; 28 mm f/2; 24 mm f/2; 50 mm f/1.4<br />3. 75-150 mm f/3.5 Ais; 85 mm f/1.8; 85 mm f/2; 55 mm f/2.8; 50 mm f/2; 45 mm f/2.8 Ai-P</p>

<p>Zeiss ZF 25/2.8. It also doubles as a macro lens. The object can be as close as 2'' from the lens.</p>

<p>I am very happy with my 50mm 1.2</p>

<p>(Film only) 24/2.8, 35/3.5 PC, 50/1.4, 105/2.5, 180/2.8</p>

<p>In my film days my bag had a 43-86/3.5 AI zoom. Certainly not a perfect lens, but so well made and fun to handle. I used it for a long time, and it gave me some great pictures that projected with the best of them. Currently I use a 50/1.2 on a D3......but there is a drawer full of old Nikkors waiting to breakout. </p>

<p>28mm F2 AIS<br>

105 F2.5 AIS<br>

55mm F2.8 micro<br>

50-135 F3.5<br>

And lastly a Vivitar 70-150 3.8 that won't make other lists, but the price was almost free, the size very small, and the images quite nice.</p>

<p >Of the 12 manual focus Nikon lenses that I own and use primarily on, here are my favorites for use on my 35mm film cameras:</p>

<p > </p>

<p >35mm f/1.4 (this lens replaced a previous favorite -- the 35mm f/2)</p>

<p >85mm f/1.8 (never felt the need to replace it with the f/1.4 version)</p>

<p >180mm f/2.8</p>

<p >55mm f/3.5 macro (or micro as Nikon likes to call it)</p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

<p >Of the 12 manual focus Nikon lenses that I own and use, here are my favorites for use on my DX digital camera:</p>

<p > </p>

<p >16mm f/2.8 fisheye</p>

<p >55mm f/3.5 macro (great for close-ups, head & shoulder portraits, and macro)</p>

<p>My favorites in this order. 28MM F2 AIS (One sweet, sharp lens), the 20MM F2.8 AIS (When wide counts), the 50MM F1.8 AIS (Made 1981-1985, I believe)and lastly the new 85MM F1.8 AF (Great colors out of that lens).</p>

<p>200~400mm F4 ED, So sharp even with 1.4 Teleconverter. I sold mine when I switched over to canon in 2001..... I still miss it to this day. Canon won't or can't make one, so I might be forced to buy another manual 2~400 with a lens moiunt converter to use with my canon digital bodies.</p>

I'm late to this thread, but I've been shooting Nikon equipment since the sixties, and still regularly use a Nikkormat FTN and Nikon F2. My favorite lenses from most used to least:

 

45/2.8 GN - it's miniscule size and weight make it a delight to carry, and it's plenty sharp (yeah, we first got it in 1972 to use with manual electronic flashes)

 

105/2.5 - no need for details, this is one of the greats; I'm still using the one my parents got in 1966... it's never even needed a CLA!

 

35/2 - my "normal" lens; I also have two 50/1.4s and a 55/3.5, but I never use them (I liked using this one so much that I got a Zuiko 35/2 as my normal lens for my OM cameras)

 

28/3.5 - when I feel the need to go wider; the aperture click stops are mushy, but its optics are still fine