Angenieux Lenses

I have an "opportunity" to acquire a couple (or one) of Angenieux

lenses in Nikon mounts manufactured, I think, in the mid 1980s. One

is the 180mm/f2.3 APO lens, and the other a 70-210mm/f3.5 Zoom, both

in beautiful condition. I have tried to do some research on the web

without much success, and I am hoping that some Photo-netters out

there have some experience or opinions on the quality(however you

would like to define it) on these lenses. I already own the Nikkor

80-200mm ED AF lens and wonder if either would be an improvement or

detriment. The difference in F stops is not a big deal to me.

Thanks for any help, in advance. Mike

The 180mm f/2.3 is an absolutely terrific lens. In terms of resolution, bokeh, etc. it is

easily the equal of the best of 180mm f/2.8 Nikkors and it is a full 1/2 stop faster. The

downsides of it for me were: it focuses in the opposite direction of all Nikkor lenses, it

wasslow to focus (mine was a little stiff), and it was noticably heavier than the biggest of

the 180mm f/2.8 Nikkors. If these issues don't bother you, you'll really have a great lens.

Michael - Angenieux lenses are made primarily for the motion picture and broadcast television industries and are still availible today for film and t.v. cameras. The cost is considerably higher than even "pro" lenses for still cameras. Quality is extremely high, optically and mechanically, which is why they are heavy - mounted on a film or t.v. camera on a heavy camera dolly this doesn't matter. A number of lenses were produced in the 80's in Nikon F mount - I think Angenieux were "testing the water" of the still camera market, but cost and price considerations defeated the exercise. If you can pick up a good Angenieux for a good price, you should not be dissapointed.

http://www.photodo.com/nav/prodindex.html

 

here you find some lens tests, as you can see the Nikkor 180/2.8 ED is much sharper as the Angenieux 180/2.3

Isn't some of the Angenieux lenses (for 35mm still cameras) were made by Tokina? The 28-70 f/2.6-2.8, for example.

 

Vivek.

Several years ago, I shot some frames through an Angenieux 28-70mm (or maybe it was a 35-70???) that was on consignment at my local camera store. The lens was nice and handled well but I didn't find it any better than the Nikkor 35-70 f2.8 once the slides came back. As nice as the Ang. 180 might be, I wonder how any lens could be sharper than the Nikkor 180 AF-D? If those lenses were available for less than the price of comparable Nikkors, then it might be worth going for. I know Angenieux has a great reputation for lenses but it seems to me that in the Nikon F-mount, at least, they probably appeal most to collectors. Go for it if it's a bargain, though!

It might be a case of different lenses being tested. I owned one 180 f/2.3 and two

versions of the Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 and the Angieneux outperformed the Nikkors. But

hen again I was looking at real photographs made in the real world, on film, and not at

results from an optical bench. I agree that the lens is mostly of interest to collectors.

Thanks for all your help. I decided today to purchase the Angenieux 70-200mm zoom(and did). I found I was not using the f2.8 Nikkor zoom due to its weight and size, and I hope this will make this zoom range more usuable to me. I suppose I could have purchased a smaller Nikkor instead but this example was in such perfect shape, that I went ahead and did it, rather than face the usual analysis paralysis. Thanks again for all your help-both pro and con. Mike Flannery

"A number of lenses were produced in the 80's in Nikon F mount- I think Angenieux were "testing the water" of the still camera market"-Graham Serreta

 

You're wrong, as P.Angenieux was making lenses in 1947 for the 35mm Alpa Reflex (50/1.8 Angenieux Alitar). For Exakta camera in the early 5Os. Very advanced designs like the 50/1.5 and the 90/1.8. BTW a 24mm RETROFOCUS lens, their invention!

 

"But then again I was looking at real photographs made in the real world, on film, and not at results from an optical bench" -Ellis Vener.

 

I would agree with Ellis as I have a 135/3.5 Angenieux Exakta mount. Superb! Photodo, nah!