Lenses for my Nikon

[André E.C.]

24mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8 and 180mm 2.8, there you go, a complete kit, you don't need nothing else.



Cheers



André

[elekm]

In general, if you avoid the high-speed lenses, you'll get better deals. What I mean, is opting for the f/1.8 or f/2.0 50mm Nikkor rather than the f/1.2 or f/1.4 version. Same goes for other focal lengths.

25mm and 35mm are very common lengths, so you should be able to get good deals.

I think you should be able to find a nice f/2.5 105mm Nikkor -- a very sharp medium telephoto lens -- at a decent price, as it's commonly available.

[mhanc]

Hi -

1. I've had nothing but great experience at KEH and can recommend then highly. As noted, they grade conservatively, have a no questions asked return policy and short warranty. Also I have never bought from camerarepair.com but it seems like a good place - maybe others here have had some experience with them.

2. I have a 50/1.8 AI and a 28/2.8 AI and really like using and the results from both - sharp but not biting especially with the 28mm. The 28mm is a bit more useful than a 35mm if one already has a 50mm. It is also less expensive than a 24mm and has almost the same angle of view.

3. There is also the option of just having a 50mm. That's all I had for ~30 years and was perfectly happy. I recently started shooting in NYC and found I wanted a wide angel for the "urban landscapes". I still prefer images from the 50mm in terms of perspective, but that's just me. So one should just evaluate their needs and preferences.

[Peter De Smidt]

In general, if you avoid the high-speed lenses, you'll get better deals. What I mean, is opting for the f/1.8 or f/2.0 50mm Nikkor rather than the f/1.2 or f/1.4 version. Same goes for other focal lengths.

Yes, that's what I meant as well. I'm not advocating getting lenses with a maximum aperture of f5.6 or anything. F1.8 or f2, or perhaps f2.8 are still pretty fast.

[BimmerJake]

thanks for all your input. what is a ai converted lens? is this worth wile or something i should avoid?

i think my 50mm is an Ai, how can i tell definitively? also, i don't think my fm10 used the Ai-s functions, so the extra money isn't worth it in my case. unless someone can tell me otherwise.

again, thanks for all the advice, it gives me much to think about and decide on.

[Rol_Lei Nut]

thanks for all your input. what is a ai converted lens? is this worth wile or something i should avoid?

i think my 50mm is an Ai, how can i tell definitively? also, i don't think my fm10 used the Ai-s functions, so the extra money isn't worth it in my case. unless someone can tell me otherwise.

again, thanks for all the advice, it gives me much to think about and decide on.

In some cases an AI converted lens is optically the same (apart from the coating), just a piece has been ground off the aperture ring (or the ring itself has been replaced) to allow full aperture metering on later cameras.

Often, though, the AI/AIS versions are optically upgraded and are preferable (with a few specialist exceptions - the 55mm Micro for close-up work, for example).

The 200mm f/4.0 and older 105mm f/2.5 (at some pre-AI point they changed the formulation), just to name two, are much better in AI/AIS versions.

[dougjgreen]

thanks for all your input. what is a ai converted lens? is this worth wile or something i should avoid?

i think my 50mm is an Ai, how can i tell definitively? also, i don't think my fm10 used the Ai-s functions, so the extra money isn't worth it in my case. unless someone can tell me otherwise.

again, thanks for all the advice, it gives me much to think about and decide on.

http://www.aiconversions.com/compatibilitytable.htm

This website will explain the different versions of the Nikon mount. John White also does excellent conversions of original pre-AI lenses, but he charges around $35 plus shipping for each lens.

For your FM10 camera, you need to use either AI lenses, AIS lenses, or lenses that have been converted to AI. The earliest pre-AI lenses that have been converted to AI will be the most economical ones for you. In some cases, the optical formula is the same in the older lenses and the newer AI and AIS lenses, while in other cases, Nikon has improved the optics over time.

[HarryW]

i think my 50mm is an Ai, how can i tell definitively?

Use the link in post 20 - click on serial numbers - scroll down to 50 mm f2.0 and check the serial number of your lens against those listed. If the lens designation is in blue double click to get a photograph of a similar lens.

Regards

Harry

[BimmerJake]

3. There is also the option of just having a 50mm. That's all I had for ~30 years and was perfectly happy. I recently started shooting in NYC and found I wanted a wide angel for the "urban landscapes". I still prefer images from the 50mm in terms of perspective, but that's just me. So one should just evaluate their needs and preferences.

after much thought i've decided that there's good wisdom in that. i think for a month or so i'll just shoot the 50 and see how it goes and then add from there. not to mention this option fits perfectly into my budget.

thanks again for all your input.

[dougjgreen]

after much thought i've decided that there's good wisdom in that. i think for a month or so i'll just shoot the 50 and see how it goes and then add from there. not to mention this option fits perfectly into my budget.

thanks again for all your input.

That's a pretty wise plan. After you shoot for a while, you'll figure out what you wish that you had. You might find that you wish you had a wider lens, you might find that you wish you had a longer lens, and you might find that you wish you could do close-ups more easily, and you'll figure out if you shoot a lot at f2 and f2.8, or if you shoot mostly at the smaller f-stops.

You have to realize that most of us are, to some extent, gear-heads, so we all would wish to have exactly the perfect lens for every occassion. But the reality is, a 50mm f2 is a perfectly good starting point, and after you use it for a while, you'll have a much better idea what YOU most wish you had in addition - rather than what everyone here wishes they had, or thinks that THEY need to have.