The perfect Nikon manual package

I currently own a Nikon FM with a 50mm f/1.4 and a 28mm f/2.8 Ai-s. I

am considering purchasing a 75-150 f/3.5 Series E Ai-s, because I

have heard that this is a superb zoom for a low used price. Is this a

good purchase? Are there any other lenses I would need (i.e. a larger

zoom, macro, etc.) to make my collection complete?

To make your collection complete you'd need all the other Nikkors.

 

You don't need a macro lens at all, unless you want to get into macro photography, in which case you might want a few macro lenses and some extensions and so on and so forth.

 

You don't need a longer (larger) zoom unless you find 150mm leaves you too far from the action.

 

What you have in hand is ALREADY the perfect Nikon manual focus package for some folks. Add to it whatever you need to get the pictures you want. But don't scratch until you itch (don't buy anything unless you need it).

 

Have fun,

There's no such thing as perfection. Of course, the great thing

about the Nikon system is its versatility -- a bird photographer

would have quite a different wishlist than a portrait artist,

who would be still different from a macrophotographer or

an architectural photographer. But I'd have to

say any general purpose manual focus Nikon collection

is incomplete if it lacks the 105mm f/2.5. I'd also

add an F3 with MD-4 and a few finders. Or at least

an MD-12 for your FM. A 180mm f/2.8 might be

required, as well.

<p>

Oh, face it, your collection will never be complete. Maybe

you should just take out a mortgage now and start browsing

the used camera stores and websites.

That will be an excellent purchase. The sharpness of this 75-150mm f3.5 E series is one of Nikon's well kept secrets, I don't know why Nikon stop making them. It also has a nick name, called "the fashion lens". I have one, and I love it. You can get a decent one for under $100 on ebay today. But you might want to look at the other good Nikkor lenses, like 35mm f2, 85mm f1.8, 105mm f2.5, 180mm f2.8 ED, or go to the high end: 28-70mm f2.8 AF, 80-200mm f2.8 AF...

"Complete Collection", my understanding is, when you looking into your photo gear bag, you find everything you need, nothing you don't, that, I call it COMPLETE.

I have been very happy with a 28mm, 50mm, and 105mm. There have been few if any occasions where I went to take a picture and one of those 3 lenses did not do the job. On the other hand, you may have a different shooting style than me, or have different photographic purposes than me, in which case my opinion means nothing. I can say that I do a lot of general work, outdoor landscape, cityscape, architectural indoor + outdoor, and indoor portraiture.

 

So my answer, yes I think the addition of a 75-150 would make for a fairly complete package for most users.

 

Hope this helps.

The 75-150/3.5 E is a remarkable compromise between price, speed, and size. Optically, it's very good. I bought one just because it was so dang cheap and I thought it might form the long end of a compact lightweight outfit (along with an FG and I'm not sure what else). I shot a few rolls of film with it and I definitely have no complaints, I just don't use it that often.

 

Don't get me started on a 'complete' collection. I am amassing a pretty good-sized pile, but I'm still looking for more.

 

As others have said, your particular interests will lead you to other lenses you 'need'. I'm a 'speed freak', but I avoid the 50mm focal length for whatever reason. With your setup, I might be looking for something in the 85 to 105mm range at f/2 or faster. A 105/1.8, an 85/2 or the older 85/1.8; or the 85/1.4 if you have the bucks.

Assuming you buy the 75~150/3.5 I�d advise getting a 2.9 diopter Nikon 4T close-up lens for the zoom, a 105/2.5 AI or AIS and a 180/2.8ED AI or AIS. Still got money in your pocket? Then I�d add an 85/1.4 AIS, 24/2.8, 20/2.8, PN-11 and PK-13. A second body would be nice.

 

Some will question, why have a 75~150/3.5 as well as a 105/2.5 and 180/2.8ED? Well they over-lap some but they don�t replace each other as far as I�m concerned. If I�m going to shoot at 105 I prefer the 105/2.5 but if I want a small light zoom with high image quality the 75~150/3.5 is hard to beat.

 

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There are a lot of groups of three primes that are really nice to carry. 24/2.8, 35/2.0 and 105/25 or 24/2.8, 55/2.8 and 105/2.5, or 28/2.0, 55/2.8 and 135/3.5, etc. I carry these in a waist pack worn in front. Changing lenses is really easy as there is no need for a third hand. There�s no bag swing are around or pack on one�s back to take off. A 50/1.8 or 1.4 is carries some where else for use in the evening. I don�t own the 28/2.0 as yet, the 75~150/3.5 could replace the 105/2.5 or 135/3.5 depending on potential subject matter or whim.

 

The 28/2.8 AIS enjoys a good reputation and focuses very close. I want the 28/2.0 AI or AIS for low light candid photography. After than I�ll probably want the 28/2.8 AIS too.

 

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Years ago I hated 28mm lenses for no better reason than most everyone bought a 50mm then a 135mm and finally a 28mm. My logic said a 24mm and a 35mm was the way to go. A 24mm is a "real" wide angle and a 35mm is kind of shy about it. As one matures you come to realize the best course of action is to get one or more of every focal length :)

 

Anytime you need help spending money come and see us.

Maxwell, until you tell us what kind of subject matters you shoot, it is impossible to know what a "complete" collection *for you* should be. For example, I shoot a lot of wildlife and one of the lenses I use most often is a 500mm, but for most people, a long lens like that is unnecessary.

I have every focal length in the AI/AIS range from 20mm to 300mm. I use to worry about being covered, and would often carry a large bag-o-glass on long trips. After many years, it seemed that the gear got more attention than the images. I started a reduction of gear thought process. Instead of thinking what I couldn't do with a specific focal length, I would think about the many things I could do... and then I would do (shoot) those things.<P>

 

After a couple of decades, and many trips all over the world, I have settled on the following kits:<P>

 

One lenses: 35mm f/1.4 AIS<br>

Two lenses: 35mm f/1.4 AIS and 105mm AIS<br>

Three lenses: 24mm f/2.8 AIS, 35mm f/1.4 AIS and 105mm AIS<P>

 

These lenses would form my basic gear, and could be supplemented as needed with longer, macro or wider lenses, but I mostly could go anywhere tomorrow with three or less lenses as listed above. For me, less is more.<P>

 

A small folder of shots from a London trip where this kit (plus a Leica with 35mm lens) was used:<a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation.tcl?presentation_id=179356"> London shots </a>

As wide angles go my advice would be to spend a little more, forget the 28mm and pick up a 24mm 2.8. The 24mm Nikkor ai is an awesome lens but it's still relatively easy to control distortion. It seems to me that after the 35mm lens (which everyone should have, 24mm is a more logical jump than 28mm.

Like most everyone else said, there is no perfect kit,

and it really depends on your own taste or preference.

My wife and I like taking photos at the same time when

we travel so we have two

camera bodies, one with a long lens and one with a short.

Manual camera bodies are light, so carrying two isn't

that big of a deal. We often load different kinds of

film in each for more variety. The short lens is either

a 24 or 35 and the long is an 85. To us, that's "our"

perfect kit.

 

Starting all over, it wouldn't be that different:

two fm10s, a 28 2.8 ais and a 105 2.5 ais. It's light,

flexible, brilliantly sharp, and I won't cry if something

bad happens to any of the gear.

I'm with Steve. The 28 2.8 AIS and the 105 2.5 AI or AIS are a killer combo. They won't break your back or your budget, and they bring home the bacon. Believe it.

 

Bob

 

:-)<div></div>

<i>"Is this a good purchase?"</i></p>

 

YESSSSS!! I have one, wouldn't part with it for anything (and I have other Nikkors including the 105 <i>f</i>/2.5). Don't use it a lot, but it's a nice travel lens when you want to go light. It is a sweet lens - sharp, constant <i>f</i>/3.5 aperture, nice bokeh, light, easy handling, well made (better than any cheap AF zoom) and inexpensive. Perfect for your outfit. Look for one with a chrome mounting ring. Many have "zoom creep", but there are lenses out there with tight zoom action if that is important to you.

<i>"The sharpness of this 75-150mm f3.5 E series is one of Nikon's well kept secrets, I don't know why Nikon stop making them."</i></p>

 

Because todays uneducated (re: photography) masses would never buy it! Why would they buy a constant aperture, well made 2X manual focus zoom lens, when they can buy a "better", cheaply made, slow, variable aperture 28~300mm 10X AF "super"zoom for their Rebels loaded up with super-duper Kodak Max 400? You can thank the brilliant marketing departments of 3rd party lens makers for this one. :-)

I�ve seen lenses test showing the 75~150/3.5E as sharper in the center though not as sharp at the edges as the 105/2.5 AIS.

 

The 105/2.5 has a trick up its helical for making unfocused backgrounds mellow at f/2.5~4.0. It has some residual spherical aberration in that range. The sharpest images are obtained at f/5.6. For me the useable range is f/2.5 to f/11, that is I don�t worry about shooting the 105/2.5 wide open.

 

Both lenses scored excellent all over the place in resolution test. One is a general purpose 2x zoom with medium aperture speed. The other is a medium fast portrait lens suitable for many other applications.

 

When pointed into the sun my 75~150/3.5E has a very small but rather bright green ghost or two, the 105/2.5 AIS does not. I find ghosting in all my zooms from about 120~115mm and down where primes are free under the same conditions. This isn�t a warning against the 75~150/3.5 just a general trait of zoom and another reason why I like having both lenses. The 75~150/3.5E should wear an HN-21 lens hood at all times as zooms including this one tend to flare more than primes.

 

If I didn�t mention it before every 75~150/3.5E deserves a 3T or 4T Nikon achromatic close-up lens (1.5 or 2.9 diopter), suggested apertures: f/8.0~f/11. Don�t be surprised if stopping down to f/22 or f/32 is disappointing.

Hood Suggestion for 75-150 f/3.5

 

The hood that I use for this lens is not the one specified by Nikon.

 

I use the HS-7 hood, which is specified for the 58 mm f/1.2 Nocturnal Nikkor, 80 mm f/2.8 AF lens (from the F3AF days) and the 105 mm f/2.8 micro.

 

I find this hood to work fine with the pre-AI 85 mm f1/.8 lens (which had a shallow hood specified, which I find unsatisfactory) and the 75-150 f/3.5.

 

Dimensionally, the HS-7 seems identical to the HN-23 hood specified for the 85 mm f/1.8 AF lens, except that it tapers to a 52 mm thread instead of a 62 mm thread.

 

I use a Nikon 77 mm snap cap and keep the hood on all the time.

 

The HS-7 hood is pricey new ($25), but can usually be had used for $12.

 

I think the 75-150 zoom is a good zoom for those who have not yet decided if they have a preference between the 85 and 105 mm lenses, which typically cost more (but are faster, also).

 

Also, you can usually sell a used 75-150 for about $20 less than what you paid for it, if you bought it used.

Maxwell; The 28/50/75-150 package sounds like a good setup. You could even get a 1.4 converter which would extend that zoom out to 210MM. Possibly an even better package. Regardless, the 75-150 is a fantastic optic which remains a constant F3.5 throughout (4.9 if you attach the converter). F3.5 is just a little over 1/2 a stop from the pro lenses in the F2.8 range. I would like to have seen this lens with an ED element. Guess it was the wrong time.