Old 50mm Nikon Lens

<p>I have just been given a 40 year old Nikon 50mm f1.8 lens by my father in law, my Nikon D40 will not auto focus this lens, but to be honest i could not care less, its beautifully made and the pictures i am getting i am very pleased with. What are the prime uses for a 50mm lens, i am guessing mainly portrait and macro, anything else? Is this a good low light lens also? I can only use it in M mode, but that's not a problem, it's really exciting to breath some new life into an old lens and get some lovely results, i have never used anything of this age. He also had a Nikon Camera of the same age and two other lenses, they were so heavy i did not bring them back with me to America, was this a mistake?<br>

<a href="http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/gorringeman/?action=view&current=lens002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/gorringeman/lens002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p>

<p>Beautiful lens. The principal use in film days was that the 50mm was the all purpose lens, virtually came with every camera, most people never even got a 2nd or 3rd lens. Enjoy using it.</p>

<p>"He also had a Nikon Camera of the same age and two other lenses, they were so heavy i did not bring them back with me to America, was this a mistake?"<br>

Possibly. Ask him to ship them to you if the offer is still open. You might have some fun with them.</p>

<p>You should have plenty of good shooting with that lens!</p>

<p>Simon,</p>

<p>I have a newer version of that lens. It works fantastically on my D40x, and I don't mind M mode either...I prefer it in fact. Enjoy using it at 1.8...if anything, it will show you just how sensitive focusing can be with a fast lens.</p>

<p>One thing to watch out for on those older lenses is the lack of multi-coating. That makes the lens more susceptible to flare when there is a bright light source in or near the view of the lens. A hood helps, but only one. You can always put a quality multi-coated UV filter in front of it, if that turns into a problem. Have fun!</p>

<p>I don't think it is quite that old, Matt. ;)</p>

<p>Good point about the hood... they are useful even with multicoating.</p>

<p>Its almost as old as me Brian and that's not young :)<br>

I will bear that in mind Matt, so is this a good low light lens?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>It's a pretty good low light lens. It'll be much better than your standard zoom, which normally f/3.5. f/1.8 is two stops faster, meaning it only needs a 1/4 the light. <br>

For normal indoor light, ISO 400, f/1.8 and 1/45 shutter speed will give you proper exposure. That means you can use it indoors without a flash, a tripod, or a super high ISO.</p>

 

<p>This look like the Ai version of the 50/1.8. More like 30 years old and is definitly multi-coated. Big (= expensive then) Nikkor zoom of that era are mostly good (ie: 80-200, 50-300, 50-135). Should have bought them back.</p>

<p>This lens is a 1.8 rather than the older 2.0 and it's AI (the meter coupling prong has holes in it) so it dates from the late 1970s or early 1980s. In other words it's more like 30 years old at the most, not 40. And it is multicoated. On a D40, a 50mm has the angle of view of a 75 on a film camera, so this is very useful as a short portrait length lens. If you keep it open to 2 or 2.8 you can throw the backgrounds reasonably out of focus for good "bokeh." I just used my 1976 50 f/2 to shoot the annual Christmas portrait of my kids. In addition to being much faster than the kit lenses sold with cameras like the D40, this lens is far sharper and of far higher build quality. It's not quite a macro lens -- you want the 55 3.5 or newer 55 2.8 for that -- but it will focus down to about a foot than the three feet or so typical with a kit zoom. It can go closer with PK series extension rings or the high-quality Nikon close-up accessory lenses (much better than the cheapy third-party closeup lenses). Excellent lens. Definitely pay the shipping for the others if they are still available.</p>

<p>In the scheme of the 80 year old 50mm Nikkor lens design and len coating you have a modern gem; its just like a new 50mm F1.8 nikkor and it has multicoating too. The latest multicoating is only an enhanced multicoat. The 50mm Nikkor came out in the 1930's as the 5cm F2; post Ww2 it became coated; then it became multicoated about 1973; then it became a F1.8; then it got an enhanced multicoat. Its like you own last years Imac; or jsut an F5 instead of an F6 :)</p>

<p>You have an AI Nikon 50mm F1.8 from about 1980; its about 28 years old</p>

<p>Thanks for that advice Chris, i really don't like using a flash unless i have to, i will be interested to take some night/street shots with it and see what happens. Tommy thanks for the info, the other two lenses were Vivitar and like lead, seriously heavy, so i decided against it. When i got the lens i messed about with it a bit on Christmas Day when i should have been socialising :) I don't know why but the 50mm seems to give me a warmer picture than my 18-55mm kit lens, is this possible or just my imagination?<br>

This was just a quicky i took, please ignore composition :)<br>

<a href="http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/gorringeman/?action=view&current=EnglandChristmas057.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/gorringeman/EnglandChristmas057.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></p>

<p>Simon; if ypu bought a brand new 50mm F1.8 Nikkor today you would find little if any difference in performance at all; this 50mm lens is a fully mature lens design.</p>

<p>Thanks Craig and Kelly, i posted as you did, its great to get some information on this lens my father in law can be a bit vague at times :)<br>

For some reason i thought my camera would not take older lenses, but know i now its just auto focus that won't operate, no biggy.<br>

Its a great free addition for me, as you said Craig the build is fabulous, it even sounds quality when you take a picture, i am looking forward to learning more about its capabilities.</p>

 

<p>I have a bag full of similar Ais lenses I use on my D700. Enjoy. If you get a D200 or higher it will work in both M and A mode. AF is not appropiate for 90% of what I do.</p>

<p>A 24 and 35 should round out your kit nicely. They will all work fine on Fx if you ever get there. </p>

<p>Can i ask why a 24 and 35mm would be good additions, does it mean i can get in closer?<br>

What is Fx?</p>

 

<p>You might be able to use a 50mm lens if your camera has 1.6X or 1.5X factor. That would make it the equivalent of an 80mm lens which is the standard lens for portraiture. Usually a 50mm lens is an all general lens that is supposed to match the vision of the human eye. Mostly all manufacturers have pretty good 50mm lenses. They are easy to make, are free from distortion and are generally very fast. You won't have to refinance your home to purchase one either. </p>

<p>Here is what a 5cm F2 Nikkor Leica Thread Mount lens does with an Epson RD-1S digital rangefinder; that has a 1/1.5x sensor. This shot is with the F stop set between F4 and F5.6; the lens is single coated; its from the 1950's. The lens cost me about 9 bucks on ebay; I was the only bidder in a 10 day auction; it was listed as an enlarging lens. Your "old" lens is about 30 years newer than this old 5cm F2 Nikkor.<br>

<img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/EPSON%20R-D1/_EPS3677NIKKOR5cmF2FULL.jpg?t=1230609132" alt="" /> <img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/EPSON%20R-D1/_EPS3677NIKKOR5cmF2boxcar.jpg?t=1230609352" alt="" width="695" height="681" /> <img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/EPSON%20R-D1/_EPS3677NIKKOR5cmDEERE.jpg?t=1230609389" alt="" width="712" height="690" /></p>

<p><strong><em>"What are the prime uses for a 50mm lens, i am guessing mainly portrait and macro, anything else? Is this a good low light lens also?"</em></strong><br>

<br>

Delightful on your Digital camera at the Pub when sitting across the table from beautiful woman bathed in soft window light - shoot at F2 or F2.2 - a tight head and shoulders at about 4 or 5ft Subject Distance. <br>

<br>

You will be working with about 2 inches Depth of Field - awesome.<br>

<br>

***<br>

<br>

<strong><em>"Can i ask why a 24 and 35mm would be good additions, does it mean i can get in closer?"</em></strong><br>

<br>

Not answering for Ronald, my opinion only: a 24 and a 35 on your D40, give make up one of the "standard" set of Prime Lenses many Photographers had with their 135 film cameras.<br>

<br>

On your D40 the 24mm, 35mm and 50mm lenses approximate the Field of View we had with a 35mm Film SLR and a set of 3 Prime Lenses, they being: 35mm 50mm and 75/85mm. Other passionately sought after Primes were 105mm and 135mm.<br>

<br>

Remember, it was not that long ago when Zoom lenses were either very expensive (by comparison) or not such good quality, or both.<br>

<br>

*** <br>

<br>

<strong><em>"What is Fx?"</em></strong><br>

<br>

Dunno? I am guessing "Full Frame Digital SLR" - but I want to know too. <br>

<br>

Happy new year, Simon.<br>

<br>

regards,<br>

<br>

WW</p>

<p>Guess that makes my lens seem pretty new Kelly :)<br>

Hi William, i have to admit, its a corker, first time i have ever used a fast lens and really understood what it means, like your description pub/window light/beautiful woman, depth of field is incredible, im going to have alot of fun with this.<br>

Thanks for this info, so its really best as a portrait lens, not the sort of lens you might take to the beach for sunrise or set?<br>

Happy New Year to you Also<br>

Regards<br>

Simon.</p>

<p><em><strong>"so its really best as a portrait lens, not the sort of lens you might take to the beach for sunrise or set?"</strong></em><br>

<br>

I am reasonably sure I know your meaning, (from our previous chats), but: the way I would phrase it is "so one of its main uses is as a portrait lens" - do not let your brain rule out other uses . . . <br>

<br>

A fast lens is a fast lens . . . as an example my F2.8L zoom and telephoto were both TOO SLOW here (below), I had an EF85/F1.8. OK I had to shift my viewpoint slightly and frame the shot a bit wider, but I still think I placed the emphasis on the Lane 6 start, which was my intent.<br>

<br>

5D EF85/F1.8: 1/800s @ F1.8 @ ISO 3200<br>

<br>

The point is, the light was so bad at this venue, I needed F1.8 to get 1/800s and I know that 1/640s is the absolute slowest I can go for a backstroke start (for swimmers at this level) . . . and then I have to be a bit lucky.<br>

<br>

So this shot is an example equivalent to your 50mm, wide open on your D40 . . . nothing to do with portraiture at all, just using all the aperture speed to get the shutter speed, to get the shot.<br>

<br>

WW</p>

<div></div>

<p>Yep i am getting the picture William, i do try and pigeon hole things so it makes me understand it all so i can see it more clearly, not always the way to go.<br>

I see here you have used the 50mm to stop motion, i was playing around with that last night, very interesting too.<br>

Thanks for this info:<br>

Regards<br>

Simon</p>

<p>Simon: some interesting things happen when change from a 50mm focal length to something more like 30mm. If you keep your subject roughly the same size in the frame (which would involve moving closer, going from 50mm to 30mm), your angle view is wider... and you get more of the background in the frame. For environmental portraits, or shots that are trying to provide a context for the subject in the foreground, wider is sometimes better.<br /><br />On the other hand, sometimes the background is actually a distraction. Too much <em>stuff</em> there, taking your eye away from your subject. A longer focal length lens narrows your angle of view, and cuts down on the amount of background stuff you'll see. These are things that contribute to your choice of lens when you're setting up a shot. Different focal lengths provide lots of narrative control - and faster lenses, as you've seen, allow you to not only work in dim (and sometimes much more interesting) light, but also to use your control over depth of field to help direct the viewer's eye.</p><div></div>

<p>Matt i just can't understand that if a 30mm has a smaller aperture than an 50mm lens, then why does the 30mm give you more of the bench or background? I would have thought it would have been the other way around?<br>

Bigger hole = Wider View.<br>

Or so my brain is telling me.</p>

<p>Along the same line of discussion Matt was making: <br>

<br>

Portraiture, and close in, can be done with a 24mm lens (or on your D40 that would be about a 17mm lens).<br>

<br>

Though not everyone's cup of tea, I took this Informal Portrait with a 24mm lens on a 5D, and I was very close in . . . it was mainly the two groups of colours which captured my composition - and I needed all the backgrounds to give that effect, so I needed very wide lens and to work close, so the subject was not overpowered by both the background and the colours.<br>

<br>

Irrespective of how the debate on whether I was successful or not, I think that many photographers dismiss out of hand the use of wider lenses for Portraiture, and never really value how a wider lens can indeed create emphasis, and a narrow focus of the viewer's eye, like in Matt’s workshop image above.<br>

<br>

WW</p><div></div>