After recommendations for a 24mm or 35mm lens for my FE2

[Carlb]

I recently thought about selling my Nikon FE2 and the 35-105 Nikkor zoom because I don't really use them enough, but when it came to the crunch I realised what a superb camera it is and I decided to keep it.

But the lens is a different matter - it's too heavy for my liking so I want to replace it with a prime that will make it a more manageable package. I've got most focal lengths covered with either Pentax or Olympus gear (20, 28, 40, 50, 100, 135 and 70-210) so there doesn't seem any point in replicating those on the Nikon. A 24mm or 35mm would be good but a quick check on Ebay shows that they seem quite expensive.

Can anyone recommend a good quality non-Nikon 24mm or 35mm that won't cost me a fortune. Or is there a good macro lens that might be worth considering?

And I'm open to suggestions about lenses that I might have overlooked completely.

Or should I just bite the bullet and sell the FE2 and the zoom?

[maclin]

Carlb, I have a pretty good selection of Nikkors which I use on my F2 but one of my favorites.............for its speed and lightness is the Nikkor 24mm f2.0.

[Poohblah]

I am of the opinion that having too many lenses is a bad thing, but that's just personal preference.

That said, I suggest searching for a 24mm lens and getting rid of that massive ol' zoom.

[Mick Fagan]

Sigma Super-Wide II f2.8 24mm. Very good value for money.

I bought mine new around 1984 as a lead in until I could afford a better Nikkor lens, I haven't worried about getting the Nikkor as whilst the Nikkor 24 mm lenses are generally better, they aren't that much better.

I also have the 35 - 105 Nikkor zoom lens, dog of a lens, I also bought that new as well. It's my loaner to students I'm personally teaching, so far none of them has even considered it after using some of the prime lenses.

You'll love the Sigma, it clicks in half stops and focuses the same way as Nikkor optics, plus it runs 52mm filters. If you are really lucky you'll get the heavily scalloped lens hood which came as standard with the lens, it clips in, not a screw in.

I believe that this particular Sigma lens goes for something between $50 - $85 USD or around $100 AUD

Mick.

[Lukas_87]

if you are not rich then get the ai nikkor 2/35
or 1.4/35 if you are rich
or the modern af 2/35 - better optics than ai/ais 2/35 but plastic feeling. and bigger price.

[mgb74]

IMHO, there is a world of difference between a 24mm and a 35mm. So, if you want to use your FE2 as a "specialized" wide angle camera, I'd go for the 24mm (but why, if you have 20 and 28 on your other systems). If you want a relatively small, somewhat wide lens for general use (i.e. "street shooting") I'd go with the 35/2 or equivalent.

[Excalibur2]

****Sigma Super-Wide II f2.8 24mm. Very good value for money.***

Well I second that, if you can get it cheap...and I reckon £15-£20 would be about right, got mine for £10 inc postage last year.

[mudman]

Tamron makes a wonderful 24mm f2.5 adaptall lens. Tack sharp even wide open, with little distortion.

[Roger Thoms]

I'll put in a vote for 24mm focal length for a wide angle, a personal favorite.
Roger

[Chaplain Jeff]

Hello,

The Nikkor 24mm is a great lens - I have the f/2.8 AIc. Just be aware that it is a REAL wide angle lens and you will have all sorts of headaches if you shoot scenes of church steeples, etc., if you're not careful about what you're doing. The lens will bend the steeple backwards if you don't shoot straight. This was the lens that prompted me to buy the grid screen for each of my Nikon bodies.

Personally I prefer the 28mm lenses, but I am probably in a minority here. I use the 28mm on SLRs and RFs as my standard lens on about 85% of my shooting.

I almost never use a 35mm length lens. Too narrow for wide and too wide for portraits.