Excited but want suggestion....

Yes I'm excited. My very first Nikon was a black Nikon FM. I had two of them & both were stolen - - one out of my

apartment while I was taking my dog for a walk (they removed the window somehow...) & the second one on a plane

while traveling with my then four month old daughter. Mother-in-law was in charge of my camera, but she forgot it

on the plane & I didn't realize it until the next day.

 

Anyhow, last night on eBay I decided to buy a mint FM & I'm excited about it. I've even bought an eyepiece for

it. Now, I really want it primarily for nostalgic reasons & I have a 50mm f/1.2 for it. But it's a great camera &

I have some film for prints. So I'd like to pick up one more lens. I'm thinking maybe a 24, 28 or 35mm - - but do

I have to buy a MF lens? I'm presuming I can get a AF lens so I can use it with the other cameras as well (N90s,

D200 & D300).

 

Am I lost or correct in this?

 

To those celebrating Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Lil :-)

As long as it is not a G type lens you should be fine. I use lots of AF lenses on my F3 with no problems. I use them on my F too but I have to stop down meter with the F because they do not have the meter coupling

But maybe you would want to take this opportunity to explore some older ai/ais glass anyways. I have

7 of them that I use on my d200, they are inexpensive and some of them are amazing. Maybe try a

105mm f2.5.

You can get AF, but a well-made manual focus lens would be nice to use on a manual body. Those wide AF Nikkors are a bit flimsy and not that precise for manual focusing.

second Phil Evans. I don`t own a full frame zoom for my D700. My pick would be a Ai or later 105 2.5 and a 35 pick your speed.

 

The AF lenses are not made nearly as well, but if/when you go digital, they auto focus. For now stick with Ai or AiS. My 105 2.5 Ai cost $100 at a camera show.

Thanks Michael, Phil, Oscar & Ronald. I'm bidding on a 105mm f/2.5 AiS on eBay right now. Found a few & especially one I like the looks of.

 

I like the old Ai & AiS lenses - one of the reasons I got the 50mm f/1.2 - - & they work well with the D200 & D300 as well.

 

I will look for a 35mm as well....

 

Thanks

 

Lil :-)

Get an AI/AIS lens. While an AF lens will work, manually focusing an AF lens is not quite the same experience.

 

Get a 24mm/2.8 (AI has longer focus throw than the AIS) or a 28mm/2.8 AIS (NOT the AI)

 

On the longer end, get the 105mm/2.5 AI/AIS.

 

My Nikon SLR kit: FM3A, 24/2.8 AIS, ZF 50/1.4 and 105/2.5. I also have an FM2N and 50/1.4 AI.

Thanks Keith,

 

I'm now actively looking for a 24mm f/2.8 as well.

 

Lil :-)

I had the 24mm f2.8 AIS when I had an FE2 and it was a great lens; you are certain to like it. regards, cb :-)

I hate to use AF lenses with MF cameras. The 24/2.8AF focus ring has a not-so-good feel in comparison with MF

versions, but usable. What is really ugly is the aperture ring. Don`t try it.

 

I agree with Keith: from the 24s, my favourite is the Ai version. Sadly, althought seems to share optics with the AFD,

performance is not the same. Perhaps older coatings, dust or whatever; my Ai sample is a bit softer. On the Ai, that

longer throw is great for prefocused shots. Check the clear coloured DoF marks. Also, the Ai black paint will match

the FM paint, thought. Some later AiS versions have a different texture (I`m sorry, I`m a freak, I know).

 

If 24 is too wide or want a better performer, I`d go for the 28/2.8, AiS version. Optics are different.<div></div>

I would not even consider putting an AF lens on a manual focus camera except for a few zooms or "special" lenses. The focussing mechanism of an AF lens is far too sloppy, the focus throw is often very short, the focus ring is usually too thin and they just don't feel right.

 

Get an AI or AIS lens - I'm certain you will be much happier than using any AF lens. Don't worry too much about buying AIS versions rather than AI, except for the 28mm f2.8. This is optically better than the AI-only, but the difference between AI & AIS matters much less for most other Nikkor prime lenses.

Thanks Charles & Jose,

 

I'm now actively looking for a 24mm Ai or AiS f/2.8 & a 28mm AiS - - we'll see which it becomes...

 

Lil :-)

Thanks Alan,

 

since my first lens from Nikon was an AiS lens - those are what I want to this day. I will get either the 24 or the 28mm AiS & a 105mm f/2.5 for it. Those will be fun on the other cameras as well.

 

Thanks

 

Lil :-)

24mm AI or AIS and 28mm AIS are winners.

Lil Judd -

 

With regard to the 28mm AIS - make sure it's the one that focuses to 0.2 meters, not 0.3. See Bjorn Rorslet's page. http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2_PC.html ... there are sig. differences.

 

... It is the sharpest lens I own, bar none. [ poor amateur here :-) ] I use it on my D200 and Nikon F4s all the time. I also procured the 35mm AIS 1.4, and concur that it needs to be at 2.8 or 4.0 to be a razor, esp on the D200 for some reason. Soon I hope to get an FM2n and have some fun, it's been too long since my F2 died, RIP. Happy selection!

 

Jim M.

Lil:

 

I think I may have a 24mm f/2.8 that i can part with. Let me know id you are interested. It would go well with the camera

you are getting.

 

-Owen

Strangely enough, my 28mm f2.8 AIS isn't as "sharp" as my Tamron 17-35mm f2.8-4 is. I'll do more testing, but so far the Tamron beats it on my D700.

Lil,

 

When my brother talked me into getting my first SLR and two lenses, I got an FG, a 75-150mm E and a 35mm f2.0 AF. I still have all of them. The 35mm ( non D ) is just fine to focus with a manual camera. It doesn't quite feel like the other AIS lenses I have, but there is no reason so avoid it at all. It has a shorter throw, but that means getting in focus faster.

Sorry for getting back to you all - Thanksgiving got in the way :-)

 

Thanks for the feedback David, Jim, Owen, Dave & John. I appreciate your comments.

 

Jim, I will make sure I check Bjorn Rorslet's page on the lenses.

 

Owen - - I'll get in contact with you.

 

Dave - - interesting comment on the Tamron vs Nikon. Sounds unusual.

 

John - - thanks for the suggestions.

 

More research to do...

 

Thanks - - and to all who celebrate Thanksgiving - -

 

Happy Thanksgiving from me to you

 

Lil :-)

Careful there, you're on a slippery slope with all this talk of going 'retro'...you may soon be on the prowl for the esteemed F2AS...in black, of course!

Lilly, I just checked - - there's a mint one on eBay right now. :-)

 

Actually the one I'd want is the Gold Plated FM which must have been made for the present Swedish king - - his logo is on it. But it's not like I have almost $ 6,000 for that. :-)

 

No - I'll be happy with a minty black FM

 

Lil :-)

Althought it has been mentioned many times, to the best of my knowledge there isn`t a 28/2.8AiS version who focus close to 0.3meters... never. There is <b>only one version</b>, who focus close up to 0.2. The ones who focus up to 0.3 are the previous <b>Ai and K</b> and and later <b>AF</b> versions.

Jose - from my research on Roland Vink's page I've found out the same the Ai, K, E & AF all focus at 0.3 meter - however the AF D version focuses at 0.25 meter

 

Thanks for reminding me of this.

 

Lil :-)

Congratulations Lil.

 

Of all the manual focus lenses I owned over the years, I kept the 20/4 AI, the 28/2.8 AIS, a 50/1.8 and the 105/2.5 and I wish I had kept the 200/4 AI.

A nice and cheap alternative might be the Nikon-E 28/f2.8

 

I know that the E series are not seen as the greatest lenses but look what Bjorn Rorslet's site has to say about

it. It's a decent lens and it weights next to nothing.