45mm P - silly money now!

[Ian Rance]

Looking at the online sales of this lens, I am shocked by the price it is selling for. 18 months ago, when I was

looking for one, I felt sore paying £150 second hand, but now the prices have gone up even higher. Is this trend likely

to continue, or will the price settle down do you recon?

 

My Father is wanting a copy of this lens for his cycle tours (fitted to an FE), but at this current rate it looks like it is

out of my price range now, and for the forseeable future.

 

For those who have been with Nikon for a while and know how these go, is there a hope that the prices will stabilise

and hopefully start dropping soon?

 

Ian

[ilkka_nissila]

It's very, very small and has got a chip in it so it works on all current Nikons, with full metering. What more could one ask? ;-) I would like to get the black version but it seems to be rare.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Here last year I got a used 45mm F2.8 GN for 165 bucks; it came with a working black Nikon F2 with meter prism too. It was the "normal lens" listed with this camera body; bought as a spare. The bizzare thing is that folks were listing the 45mm GN or body as separates at a greater price than this combo. Ebay!

[Rene11664880918]

You can get it from Japan. Right now I just looked it up, 7 black and 1 silver. They go for around 400 USD (£200)

[ShunCheung]

When it was available new 3, 4 years ago, a lot of us considered the $250 price tag high for a relatively slow 45mm lens. I suppose certain products have become collector's items nowadays, like the FM3a is now going for much higher than its last new price.

[waltflanagan]

I saw it selling for well over $400 last year so when I saw a local Craiglist ad for $300 I immediately bought

it. I look at it and it seems like more of a collectors item than a practical lens. The 50 f1.8 is far more

practical (cheaper, faster, AF) Given those circumstances prices should continue to rise since collectors will

buy them and just keep them in the closet forever decreasing the supply.

[Ian Rance]

"collectors will buy them and just keep them in the closet forever..."

 

That is a sad thought for me (but all too true).

[constance_cook]

I got my FM3a and the 45p in Japan when they came out. Mine has never been in the closet and as far as I can remember, it has not been off that camera. I would give up all my 50 mm lenses, and I've got a lot of them, before I'd give up my 45p. I'm happy it has the chip but it really doesn't matter to me.

 

If I'm carrying a full kit, the FM3a and 45p are in the backpack. And although I like my VCs for street photography, I like this FM3a with the 45p better.

 

Conni

[wj_lee]

This is my most used lens. I find 45mm angle of view far more practical than 50mm and for general walk around it

is perfect. It's sharp, has nice bokeh, the colour saturation is the best I've seen and the images have rather

unique look to them. It did come with the NC filter and a hood so perhaps not as over priced as some would think

plus the build quality is superb.

[Ian Rance]

Yes, they are a wonderful combination, aren’t they? Do you have any images to share Constance using the FM3a and 45p - I would love to see them.

 

http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/6316358-md.jpg

 

Is one of mine - nothing exciting, but the sort of result I like.

 

Ian

[leicaglow]

While the 45P is small, I think the 50mm f/1.8 AF is every bit the match for much less money. I believe the latter to have a very similar "look" with sharpness, bokeh, and slightly warm image rendering. For some reason I have always been a 45mm fanatic as well though. The 45mm seems like such a natural perspective to me.

[juanjo_viagran]

very small indeed..

<img src="http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc112/Juanjo_Viagran/BS/_D242135-1.jpg">

[luisarguelles]

Not a lens for the closet. I would like to invite you to see a series of pictures taken while a Salgado exhibition here. I took

them with my FM2. 17 out of the 20 pictures were taken with the 45mm f/2.8 lens (just click on every image to see the next

one): http://www.holos-photo.com/sebastian/1.html

[Ian Rance]

Lovely Luis - thank you for sharing.

[harvey_edelstein1]

You Know that Cosina made the 45P lenses for Nikon. Now Cosina has a newer Voigtlander 40mm f2.0 lens that is also a pancake lens, look at this link the extra faster stop and shortened DOF may be what your looking for.

 

http://www.cameraquest.com/Voigt_SL2.htm

[User_502260]

I have a 45/2.8 C GN Nikkor which I bought about a year ago. It's a nice lens and I don't really use the GN feature. The earlier non-C model is supposed to have better bokeh because it has 9 blades but the bokeh from mine looks fine. There is the novelty of the small size even if my GN isn't that light in weight. I wouldn't say that my GN is any sharper than a 50/2 K, a 50/2 AI or a 50/1.8 AI. When I see what the new 45 sells for I just can't believe it's that much sharper than the other 50s I mentioned. The difference in focal length between 45 and 50 is also not very significant. My favorite "pancake" lens is probably the 40/1.8 Konica Hexanon. I think I have three of them. These are extremely sharp but they are not nearly as well built as the 45mm GN Nikkors. There are many excellent 50mm lenses for Nikons and for other cameras. If someone wants to spend $400 for a the current 45 I think it's 15% for the size, 84% for the novelty factor and 1% for the overall image and build quality.

[Ian Rance]

Concerning the Voigtlander 40mm f2.0, it looks a superb lens, but I heard that the out of focus elements are rendered

rather harshly due to the aspheric design. I say "I heard" as it is only from the internet - and anything goes there.

Anyone compared it directly to the 45mm P?

 

Ian

[alan_wilder1]

I've tried both. The differences were quite stark with the 45/2.8 P having the best OOF rendering of any lens in the 40-

50 mm focal length (can't speak to the GN as I've never used it). The CV 40/2 in the AI mount had very harsh

distracting OOF rendering of highlights. The 50 f/1.8 and f/1.4 also suffer from some harsh OOF rendering but the

40/2 was the worst by far. Sad because technically it was pretty sharp in terms of resolving power. Overall, if you

want a Nikkor with a pleasing creamy OOF rendering and don't need the speed, the 45/2.8 is a true gem and worth

whatever it costs. Too bad it's so compact that handling between the aperture ring and focus ring can be somewhat

clumsy if you shoot in a hurry.

[ofey_kalakar]

Alan, the 35 f2 is also an excellent lens for OOF elements.<div></div>

[ofey_kalakar]

Here is one with the 45AiP on the FM3A<div></div>

[alan_wilder1]

The above photo perfectly demonstrates the creamy bokeh (OOF rendering) that makes this lens so desirable.

[mharris]

I have that lens, the older one. I hardly ever use it anymore but it is a very nice lens.

[bernard_korites]

I have both the 45p and the 50/1.8.

 

A few years ago, after having buyers remorse for paying so much for the 45p, I took both lenses, a tripod, an 8008

and a roll of Astia on a landscape test trip. I would set up the camera, take a shot with the 45, change lenses, then

another shot with the 50. I used up a roll of film that way, shooting under a more or less random variety of conditions.

 

The conclusion I came to is both lenses are about equally sharp as far as ability to resolve distant objects goes. This

is surprising since the 45p has a wider field of view so it must be gathering more information that the 50.

 

The biggest difference, as far as I could tell, was the color. The 45p has much better color rendition than the 50/1.8.

They seem to be much deeper and richer. Also, while the 45p has equal resolving power to the 50, its images seem

to have a softer, more pleasant, look.

 

I paid $300 for my 45p when I bought it new from BH. When you consider the cost of cameras, film, processing,

photo trips etc, a few hundred dollars more, for what I consider to be the best lens I have, isn't that significant.

[wuyeah]

I have this lens and i'll say its not too silly for what it is. Of course, i got it with regular retail price. This lens prob never will leave me. Here is my reason why:

 

45mm P is the only old style lens that is full metal body from head to toe. The package included with original Nikon matching silver filter and lens hood which was never offered for AiS lens. It has chip to work with modern body which is a plus although i never try it. The lenses have very special multi-coating treatment, although it has no ED, it produces noticable saturate color. The saturation capability works even better to shoot B&W images, it will make image more contrasty. Close to Leica lens color.

 

This lens sure its first time Nikon ever did such thing, really its one of the kind. The lens got introduced at a wrong time when consumer are mainly after auto equipment. I have no doubt Nikon will not going to make this kinda lens again. It had a short run and short production, the price gone up, really not suprised me at all but "silly" in my honest opinion, definately not. I enjoy the result came out from this lens.

 

p.s. i do hv one complain, 45mm P is a bit too small. It is smaller than early 50mm f1.8 AiS. The unique bezel on Aperture and focus ring its kinda hard to use if you are too used to old AiS lenses. Does need time to get comfortable using it, so you won't accidentally change aperture ring when you wanna focus. After learning period, it is all sweet. Its a keeper.