I just stumbled upon your video because I’m searching for a manual focus lens for my Nikon d850. What a great video, watched every bit of it. Thank you for your effort… really appreciated
Thanks for writing, very kind. I'm glad you found it useful. (Note the Japan v3 50 1.8 is better than shown, the aperture was stuck open at f1.8 for all tests so was returned for a replacement.
Hi Matt, interesting comparisons. I have the AI-S Nikkor 50 mm F1.8 with serial number beginning with a 4 which was sold in the US market and which I've had for more than 20 years. It gives me brilliant images with no detectable distortion or chromatic aberration on film. This lens doesn't get enough love from the internet, which usually mentions serial numbers beginning with a 2, and is often not even mentioned. I also have the AIS Micro-Nikkor 55mm F2.8 which is as sharp as you say, but I only use it for macro because the 50mm F1.8 gives a brighter screen and focuses faster. In poor light the split screen will often blank out when I'm focusing the Micro-Nikkor but never with the F1.8.
Thanks Will. Yes I should have mentioned most are the SN 4*** lenses. Almost all on eBay in Europe were 4s and the 2s were often trying to be sold as something special even though for the E series the 2 & 4s are the same. There were no v3 in Europe so I had to go to Japan for it.
I appreciate this video! I lost my Nikon 50mm 1-8 lens (used with my Nikon D750 ) and my camera tech tries to sell me a 18-55mm kit lens, and I finally decided on the Nikkor Micro 55mm 2-8 Manual lens, and have never looked back! It did take some time getting used to the manual focusing, but thei mage qality is great and I can use it for a walkaround lens to go along with a 24-70mm lens. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR VIDEO! HG-Chicago
Hi Matt, from 12,000 miles away, a few brief observations: I bought the Nikkor 35-70 f3.5-4.8 Ai-s on a whim and a very low price (eBay, Japan) and it performs very well; I read of a wedding photog. using one and being pleased with it enough to make it a must use (he supplied sample shots). Not quite in the same league as the staggeringly good Nikkor 35-70 f3.5 (constant) Ai-s which produces fantastic sharpness and colour rendition (bigger and heavier, though), Several years ago while visiting Williamsburg VA at Massey's Camera (now closed) the man generously sold me the Nikon pancake Series E 50/1.8 (single silver band and 0.6m ) for $10. Returning home, I tested it against my other Nikkor 50mm's (an H series 1.4, an Ai-s 1.4) and concluded it clearly had better edge sharpness than the other two!
Thanks! I understand my 35-70 is not as good as other versions as you say but should be good enough when stopped down a little (5.6 ish). I will do more tests as I hope it is good as just so light :) Yes I the the silver band is a great performer! Sry good. I will retest v3 and if still not great at infinity then the silver band will be my travel lens for non close up portraits.
With a new FM in hand, around 1977 I bought a new 55mm 2.8 Micro with the intention of using it as a normal focal length, "every day" lens. Apart from its macro capabilities, It was then reputed to be Nikon's sharpest offering in that focal range, partly owing to the introduction of what Nikon called its "floating element" optical design. This basically adapts zoom lens technology to alter the optical design of the lens as it focuses into closer ranges in order to maximize performance, delivering best imaging at both normal and macro focal distances. It was a very impressive lens, and I used it as planned for more than a decade. It yields a tiny bit to the earlier 55mm 3.5 and the later 60mm 2.8 as a macro lens, but it blows both away at non-macro distances. (I've never understood the obsession evidenced here with the nuanced differences between the various issues of the "pancake" 50mm, which are all basically the Series E 50mm mounted in various degrees of plastic or metal and with coatings from simple single coating to the latest Nikon multi-coatings. I'll reserve disparaging the same for a serious comparison test, but I do not think it holds up well to the regular 50mm 1.8 or the earlier 50mm 2.0.)
Hi Randall, thanks! I later bought the 50mm f2 AIS lens and really love it! Better for portraits than the 55mm but the 55mm is still king for non-portraits. (Thanks re. f3.5 and 60mm). I have the 60D lens but never compared directly to the 55mm.
I love the Nikkor 55mm f2.8 for everything else. But for female glamor portraits, it's a bit stark. On the other hand, if I want to portray an individual in a more harsh manner, the Nikkor 55mm f2.8 can do that. For a more ethereal look, I prefer the Voigtlanders. Now, for a decent all around lens, one could try the Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.4.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom A good video topic might be which prime lenses, including their maximum appiture and focal length, are essential for portraits and weddings so we don't end up buying every Leica, Zeiss, and Voigtlander lens ever made, along with a bevy of vintage glass.
I owned the 35-70 nikkor zoom and it was my main lens for travel (along with a 24mm 2.8 Nikkor) and as you said..it’s crazy light. Good review and thanks for taking the day out plus editing time to do it all!
Great! Thanks for the test. Voigtlander 58 was looking great at 20:17 but unexpectedly at 20:51 it looked dull in front of Nikkor 55 f2.8 macro. Nikkor 55 is cheaply available. Do you suggest buying Voigt ? I already have 50mm f1.4. I mainly do street/ candid
I agree on your choice not using the Nikon D800. I just picked up an adapter for the M8 using Nikkor Lenses. Works best with the Nikkor Lenses with an Aperture Control. I couldn't focus with the Rangefinder like the M lenses but just picked the meters/feet and shot. Pictures were fabulous! Cheers!
I have zero experience with Nikon but I was looking for a film camera that was designed to use modern batteries, lightweight (very important) and inexpensive. Decades ago I borrowed an EM very briefly and liked it. A few days ago I bought an FG and a series E 50mm f/1.8. Should arrive in a couple of days. I had no idea you did videos on brands other than Leica, so I was surprised to find this. Highly informative. Enjoyed your video on the FG-10 too. I have a steep learning curve on Nikon lenses but this was a great start.
Thanks Kevin and congrats on your new camera! If you want to see all the various film cameras i've reviewed sign up to MrLeica.com and I send a freee YT search tool. Quite a few Nikons!
I bought the 55/2.8 in 1983 and still have it, but it suffers from the ‘sticky grease’ problem. I plan to disassemble it and replace the grease! And I once owned the fantastic 50mm/1.4 ai and the 43-86/3.5 Zoom, which classified at the time as crappy. Which it was! Today, I sometimes use the 50/1.8D which is not included in this comparison…
To go with my M8 Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2, Heliar Classic 75mm f1.8, Leica APO-Sumicron f2, Nikkor 24mm f2.8, Zeiss Distagon Vilvus 35mm f2 ZF2 & Makro Planar 50mm f2 ZF, Nikkor 50mm f1.2, f1.4. Going to do the ultimate test with the Nikkor 105mm f2.5, 180mm f2.8 D and 300mm f4 D. Cheers!
I bought the 28-50mm 1:3.5 new in 1985 and used it as a standard lens on the front of my F2s for 15 years. A completely reliable performer. Still got it, though it is beaten up now. Incredibly compact: if only zooms were this small now.
They are even smaller now Peter...Take the Sony FE 28-60mm f4-f5.6, the new kit lens for the Sony A7C...When collapsed down for compact storage it's a lot shorter than the Nikon, it has fast AF, great contrast, good resistance to flare and coma, focuses closer at the wide end than the Nikon, and it's a whole lot lighter...Less than half the weight in fact. (167g vs 395g). If you pixel peep you will find it's not the sharpest lens you have ever used, but it's high contrast makes it seem sharper than it is. It's worst con though, which I soon tired of, is it's slow maximum aperture at both ends, and because of that slowness I have now settled on using three faster and sharper MF primes instead, (the Carl Zeiss 28mm f2.8 Distagon for my wide, the Nikon E Series 50mm f1.8 Ai-S (the silver band in the above comparison test), and the "legendary" Nikon 105mm f2.5 Ai-S for my telephoto end, even if together they are a lot heavier.
Wow you are the first person I've seen on youtube to mention the 28-50 3.5. I picked one up a few months back in real good shape for $50 (Canadian). Wonderful compact walkabout optic on my D610. Cheers from 🇨🇦
@@kennyj604 Well, you have a bargain. It was a terrific little lens, completely novel in its design and form, but it only lasted two years. Why? I bought mine the minute it reached the shops. That was 1984 or 85 I remember.
The 55 micro Nikkor f2.8 AIS is very sharp and does everything I want on my F3s. In fact I only have the 55 and 105 micro Nikkors for my Nikons. They are getting a bit dim for focussing with my old eyes but with the split image screen works fine. As you say, maybe not the choice for feminine faces. I agree entirely with your approach of rating a lens on its final image performance, all the rest is just chatter. A lens cuts it when it produces the result required on a print of appropriate size for the format and viewed at the correct distance. Keep up the good work Matt.
Great info in this vid! At 15:00 you can see the difference between the reflection colors from the coatings of the Series E and the Japanese lens. Series E reflects a more purple color and the Japanese one more blue/green. It's my understanding the Series E is single coated and the Nikkor is multicoated.
Awesome Matt! Thanks for taking the time to do this. Fantastic! Was just looking for this exact comparison. Would love to see the follow up on Japan V3 and infinity focus issues. And was exactly wondering how it compares to the 40mm Ultron. Thanks again!
I have the Nikon 55mm2.8 micro Nikkor. THIS Is the lens others are often judged against. For everyday use, my 50mm f2 Ai is a brilliant all rounder. I use a Nikkor 50mm f1. 4 sc ai converted on my Black Nikkormat ft2 which has a split rangefinder screen. Looks great, wonderful lens for portraits.
I like the 50 pancake on an fe or fm2n making a small street kit. At f/11 can zone focus and preset exposure it becomes a point and shoot. The voigtlander 58 is a bit larger and I like it cranked wide open on the fm2n with 1/4000 or the F5 with 1/8000 for great bokeh and slow shutter speed to blur water.
Your review was excellent. I favor the Voightlander 58mm but do like my Nikkor 55mm, however I tend to use the BR-4 with PK-13 on it. Since you are open to older manual zooms for convenience, you may check out the push pull 35-200mm F3.5~4.5 It is no. 47 on the thousand and one nights Nikon website and though I don't use it all that much, It does come out of the camera bag from time to time with decent results for what it is...
Hi Matt, I'm glad your test proved the E series pancake is superior to your imported "Japan Mk3" version, as I have recently opted to use my E Series as a compact and lightweight "nifty fifty" on my new Sony A7C. I also have the Micro Nikkor 55mm f2.8, but it's bigger, heavier and slower, and from your samples, not that much better than the E series at infinity and f2.8, so the E-Series makes far more sense when paired with a compact body such as the A7C, especially for street photography where a smaller lens often helps to attract less attention from shy subjects to your activities. But did know that you can improve the E series, in particular, even more by always using a lens hood on it? This is because it loses contrast noticeably from strong off axis light sources, and it flares easily too. Even a relatively shallow 1" deep hood makes a world of difference. I made a quick action lens hood for it that slips on or off the focus ring, so that I can use the hood to extended the depth of the focus dial. The hood uses a 62mm lenscap.
Thanks for the hood info. I must confess, the v3 pancake was faulty so it was returned. All images were at f1.8 as the aperture was stuck open. It is sharpen but like you say not by a big margin. See my Leica R6 vs Nikon shoot out vid for sample images. No hood so note the flare.
Felt like it took awhile to get to the comparison but after I got there I saw how well done it was and I'm not disappointed. Thanks for the info and comparisons!
Hey Matt , thanks much for the review.. have you had the opportunity to “re-test” the 28~50 zoom ? I’m newish to photography , and and don’t want to spend a crazy amount on the plethora of lenses out there , in part due to your video I recently purchased a very nice Nikon fe2 and was not happy at all with the 35~70 3.3~4.5 that came with it ..I find it difficult to hit focus.. I also have a Nikon 28mm f2.8 and a 50mm Nikon f1.4 both are AI converted, I prefer prime lenses but when I’m out and about it would perhaps be nice to have somewhat of a do it all lens .. any thoughts or recommendations would be greatly appreciated, keep up the good work you do !!
Thanks! Yes I was interested for my own needs ha. Please note the v3 Japan 50mm f1.8 was stuck wide open at f1.8 for all images hence it didn't perform. I returned it for a good copy.
@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom that's no worry man, still enjoyed it. How did it end up performing btw? I got it in a lot with the e series as well, curious to know how the v3 stacks up!
Wonderful video, thank you for making it! And whew, that near accident, that was a close one :) I own the Micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8, inherited it from my grandpa. Super interesting lens!
I came to this video looking for a second opinion on the 50mm Japanese version vs the micro 55mm because having just bought both I was seeing much nicer results from the 55mm at all distances. I also have Nikons Z f1.8 S on hand. The z lens is sharper everywhere except the centre and more contrasty but I like the size and manual feeling of the old lenses. The 55mm astonished me. Not only is it sharp it has nice contrast. Less extreme than the new lens but more than the 50mm “Japanese” pancake. But its construction does seem to block about a stop of light versus the pancake 50mm. Nice and helpful video. Thanks.
Hi Stuart, yes the 55mm is excellent. My “v3” in this video was faulty and all shots were wide open. I returned it to Japan for a replacement. I like the size but yes 55mm is sharper.
You inspired me to do my own test :) I dont know if its a matter of lightning, sample variation, adapter or camera sensor, but on my Nikon ZF (with FTZII) my Nokton 58mm caught up to my Micro-Nikkor 55/2.8 at F4.0. Both with sharpness and contrasts. I didn't have my Serie E 50mm oe my Micro-Nikkor 60mm AF-D with me.
Sorry for my delayed reply and thank you! Note the v3 lens in the video was not functioning properly and was stuck at f2. I need to post an update on this.. the v3 pancake is amazing if get a working copy but not as sharp as the 55 micro.
Excellent video, comparison of normal lenses & Micro., lens of Nikon. I have the 50mm E series & Basic 50mm f/1.8. Shooting both, I also notice that the normal ai 50mm is sharper, than my pancake E series. Did not notice, that I could focus closer with my normal Ai 50mm lens. The Voigtlander 58mm is awesome, but pricy @ $ 500-600. I got my Nikon 50mm f/1.8 , around 60-85 dollars only each. Thanks for your sharing & info.
Always adjust exposure compensation for Voigtlander 58mm 1.4 to -0.7. It overexposes images. I had both, SL, and SL II. Sold both because of chromatic aberration. Rocks when shooting in the shade , and black and white. Incredible sharpness and rendering. Get latest Voigtlander 40mm f/2 ultron if you like warm color rendering. It is absolutely special, but chromatic aberration again put me off. They are both an absolute joy to shoot manually on Z cameras. I have Nikkor AI 28mm f/3.5, Nikkor AI 50mm 1.4, and Zeiss Planar 85mm 1.4 T* ZF.2.
Thanks Eldin! I have the 28 AI but I think I have the 2.8. I now believe the AIS is better due to close focus from my reading but haven’t tested side by side.
Nice video as always...as a rule when I use my Nikkor Nikon lenses at infinite I always pull back from infinity just ever so slightly and it comes in to sharp focus. I've done this even on Nikon's top of the line lenses. I doesn't happen on all of their lenses but quite a few. I think it's a manufacturing or design flaw issue that's yet to be addressed. I figured it out when shooting at infinity fireworks...so just pull back a wee bit at infinite an you'll be sharp.
Thank you for the very informative review. I did enjoy your video which gave me some better understanding of how these lenses behaved in different situations.
From Nikon, the very best is the 50/1.8 AIS (not the pancake) made in Japan which, if shot at f/2.8 you'll find it equals the Micro. For a benchmark, specially using a Leica M- you should use a Summicron 50/2 v.5 (pre-ASPH) which is undoubtedly the best lens in the 50 focal length, regardless of brand, and last but not least for a useful comparison you need to address more issues besides sharpness and contrast; for a 50ish lens bokeh is very important but there's also chromatic aberration, color aberrations and comma; all three influence sharpness in the image. You have a nice collection but I, for one, would have liked to see spherical performance, corner definition and a more even comparo; oranges to oranges, grapefruits to grapefruits and lemons to lemon. Sometimes the reason for a smaller aperture is that the lens cannot acommodate a larger one.
Thanks JM. Does the 1.8 AIS beat the f2 AIS? That lens is crazy sharp! I have the v5 Cron and it’s definitely not the best but I liked the size. I sold it eventually as never used it. Sharper 50s include ZM Planar, Voigtlander APO, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH to name a few I use/ have used. The Nikkor f2 easily beats my Summicron 50 R v2 (see the Nikon vs Leica shoot out vid ..again it’s flawed as I used the little pancake I like but you might enjoy the real film portraits from both cameras. Yes agreed centre sharpness testing it a bit limited. I’m still learning RU-vid so may do a follow up video in the future. (I’ve do other 50 shootout vids too if you see my Lenses review playlist). Thanks
I really appreciate this video - thank you. I have the 55mm micro, 50mm 1.2 ais, Nikkor-s Auto 50mm 1.4. I like shooting with the 1.2mm the most on digital and the 50mm 1.4 on film (bnw). The 55mm micro was my very first manual focus Nikkor lens and it is great but I do not find myself using it that much any more. I used to have the e series pancake but replaced that with the Nikkor-GN 45mm.
Just rewatched this review and was very interested in the results of the humble 35-70 zoom. It was my first Nikkor and I still have it with the FM2n that it came with. The later AF version is brilliant as a walkabout lens and works great as a travel lens on F5, F100 and F4. I bought one brand new in box from Japan last year. I liked it so much that I bought another in mint condition. As for my favorite 50mm, it is the 50mm F1.4 Ais. Great Bokeh.
Wow what a great job here. Very interresting specially the 50 1.8 pancake japan ver 3. Can t wait more test on infinity focus. This format testing many lenses is great as you do lot of images to compare it is real photos not just usual comment : this one is good and this one is better... You really go deap into the test ... thanks to you for sharing your input and thoughs. Hope you ll be able to do same with some Leica lenses.
Very useful comparison! Personally I was quite surprised by the performance of the Nikon Series E 28mm f2.8. It focuses as close as 0.3m/1ft, it goes all the way up to f22, is pretty light, and quite sharp as soon as f4. Weirdly enough, I found the NIkon Nikkor 50mm f1.4 Ai to be less sharp than the Nikon Nikkor 50mm f2 at times, especially at f5.6. Anyway, this inspired me to do my own testing on the lot of lenses I own, to be aware of their performance
Hello Matt. I discovered your channel yesterday and I am impressed by your vision of things and the quality of the information you share. A few minutes ago I bought on Ebay a Nikon FE2 without a lens. Now I am looking for the ideal lens for portraiture and I am thinking of buying the Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4 SL II-S. In your opinion, is this lens compatible with the Nikon FE2?
Thanks Vincent, yes of course. A killer combo! Search Voigtlander lenses for Nikon and see my video with sample images using that setup. There might be examples in my big Nikon FMs FEs video too.
Hi Matt! I enjoyed this video as well as your others...always very informative, and damn, I wish I could get a chance to photograph the beautiful ladies that you get to!! I recently found a couple of old Nikon FA bodies that my father had, and lenses. One of them was the Nikor Micro 55mm. The focus was very sticky. I sent it to a place in central US to CLA, and for $100 I have practically a brand new lens. I've only started shooting it on my Leica M10M, but it is amazingly sharp as you have found. I'm having fun experimenting with using its macro capabilities on the M10M...I'm looking to maybe getting the Nikon extension tube to hook into it too. I would enjoy another video dedicated to this lens by you...maybe showing off its macro capabilities ? Thank you again and keep up the great content!! CC
I came here from your new video spreadsheet. In fact, I revisited the Canon 50/1.4 first and you mentioned many believed Nikkor to be the best. The 55 micro brought me back to wanting to do some macro photography during lockdown. I wouldn't mind the Leica-R 100mm macro APO but that is very expensive. This rabbit hole has now got me looking at the Nikkor 200mm f4 Micro. By many accounts, this is a great macro lens and I was thinking about getting an adapter and using it on my M10 with Visoflex and mounted on a tripod. Are you familiar with this Nikkor lens and is there anything I should be aware of with this plan? Thanks to you, I have developed a moderate understanding, but a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing as I'm sure there are factors I haven't considered.
Hi James! I hear the Nikkor 200mm is good yes and it will work fine as you described. Maybe see my macro video first as it might give you a few more ideas! / options.
It would be good if you could source a 50 f1.4 from the year 2000 that came with the S3 reissue. It is meant to be one of their best. I have the original 60s "olympic" version which is very similar (but without the modern coatings) and it is a beauty. Quite different from the more ubiquitous 5cm f1.4 of the original S series.
Thanks agreed! If you missed my update my v3 was faulty so aperture stuck at 1.8. I returned it but hope to get another. When manually stopped down it was super sharp as you say 👌🏻
Great video Matt. I couldn't really tell, but for your infinity tests, were you shooting through the window glass as well? If so that could have negatively impacted each lens' performance. Weather permitting, you might get more accurate results doing that test out in the garden
Thanks yes I was and there was definitely reflection in some images. That’s a good point regards doing not through glass. I will learn from my mistakes in this test for future videos.Thanks!
Thanks Paul! Please note the "v3 pancake 50 1.8" was faulty so that's why it performed less than I expected. (The aperture was stuck wide open for all images). I sent it back to Japan and got a replacement copy.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Oh believe me, i watched that one a few times too haha. Was very tempted by the 58 as well, but the form factor and sharpness of the 40 got me. Very excited, congrats on the 28 :)
Hi Matt.... Very interesting recension.. I have don't thinking that you used Nikkor Lens for your Leica camera.. I have until my first Nikkor 50mm f/1,4 AI from my old F2A and F2AS camera. Unfortunately while I was on the train, a little tired I fell asleep, and the bag with some Nikon F2A and F2As equipment and three Nikkor Lenses, were stolen. Today I use the 50mm f/1.4AI still with my Nikon D800, along with the Nikol AF-S VR-II 24-120mm f/4 IF ED. and the manual Fisheye 8mm f/2.8 AIs. I think to start with the Leica M in monochrome, I'll buy the Q2 Monochrome, which with the lens system it has, is ideal for Black and White Street Photography. Instead of as I had thought to buy the M10 Monochrome Wetzlar.... (at the moment, I think that with the Q2 Monochrome, I have a good choice for Black and White street and miscellaneous photography). Greetings from Switzerland..
Hi Cesare, yes the Q2M is excellent for B&W. I will try to get one to make view next year. I rarely use Nikon on Leica but I wanted to show it was possible (and it let me test the Nikon lenses that I use for film). Sorry to hear about your bag :(
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Oh very nice, also yes you liked so as me the Q2Monochrome. I finding very genial the Q2M. First I have thinking to buy the M10 monochrome model Wetzlar, but after looking in the Leica program and have see the Q2M… Wow I saying me, this are the perfect and not the expansive M10-Monochrome.. I like so much the SL system, why I like setting the picture direct from lens. I do very well for beginning with the M system or my Nikon D800 are possibly a little difficult. But is for the first moment to beginning now with the M system. Possibly after one or 3-months are all normal. Greetings 🖖
+1 for the Micro Nikkor. in fact all the 55 Micro are very, very good lenses. I'm not sure whether you mentioned that all of the above lenses suffer barrel distortion to some degree. except the Micro Nikkor. i've been using a chrome nose f/3.5 with my Nikon F and tri-x for a year now and i've got some great prints.
Thanks Matteo! Yes love that lens, especially for non-portraits. You might like the pancake lens to if want something for low light. See my recent Nikon vs Leica shoot out vid on film :)
I did similar except it was a poor mans test with cheaper Nikkors (each costing under £100). The lenses I tested were... 50mm f1.4 Ai, 50mm f1.8 series E (silver), 50mm f2 Ai, 35-70 f2.8 @ 50mm, 35-70 f3.3-4.5 @ 50mm, 55mm f3.5 micro All were judged at comparable aperture so three @ f2 (50mm f1.4, E series f1.8 and Ai f2), Four at f2.8 etc. I was mainly judging sharpness but the sharpest also had the best bokeh. 1. 50mm f1.4 Ai 2. 55mm micro 3. A tie between 1.8 Series E and 35-70 f2.8 @ 50mm 5. 50mm f2 Ai 6. 35-70 f3.3-4.5 There were a couple of surprises, one being that the 2.8 zoom outperformed the f2 Ai @ f2.8 but also that the f1.4 outperformed all the rest including the micro.
Thanks! ..and interesting..many of my subs seem to think the 50 f2 AI is the best. I just got one for that reason and it’s certainly sharp. (I posted an image on Flickr last night - of a Leica R5). It’s a keeper for sure. Now I might need to find a 1.4 to test ha 🙈 Many Thanks!
Hi Matt! I am sorry, but i did not understood your explanation on why you decided to not use the D800 for the test. This comparasion is interesting. I need to test my old -C (coated) Nikkor lenses from the seventies now. Thank you for an inspirational video.
Hi re. d800 it was mostly compared to the mirrorless Leica CL. You can zoom in on every pixel to focus on mirrorless, you can’t with DSLR. When it camera to bokeh test I used live view on M240. I could have used LV on D800 but not as easy to see I think.
Great video even I don't own any Nikkor lens. Love the way you compared the lenses. The only thing missing was an approximate price tag for each of them.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom no worries, I personally was fine without prices because I don't target any of them. I just watched it out of interest and to learn. But others who would consider buying any of them it likely world be helpful - when you said one is cheaper or significantly cheaper than the other, it is hard to figure out what this actually means in pricing.
Hi Blake, I replied but it is saying I didn't so - If S mount Nikkor then no, if an F mount lens then yes. It gets confusing as Nikon did S mount and F mount.
Hi Matt, you mentioned that you have the 50mm 1.2. if you plan in the future doing Nikon lens comparison, can you please include that? I heard that it is way too soft wide open. I have the 50mm f1.4 that came with my F3. I really enjoy it from f2 to f11.
Hi Alan, yes I do. I did some follow up 50mm shoot out test, see my video list and search 50mm. The AI 50 f2 is amazing. The 1.2 wouldn't mount on my SL so I still need to test it properly on digital. It is nice but yes softer. See samples on my Flickr / www.MrLeica.com
Sorry Matt, what for one Leica M digital are, the first or the two model? The Nocton 58mm f/1,4 are very great lens from Voigtländer. The Zoom Nikkor lens 28-50mm are at the time that I have my Nikon F2A and F2AS, I have in the year 1980 tested. A little Nikkor Zoom very fine.. Thanks..
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Not Leica are my first digital, but Nikon D800. I liked fast all Leica M and R camera with the very sharp M or R lens. I have in year 1980 my first Leica M4P and 3- M lenses. 50mm f/2,8 28mm f/2,8 and 90mm f/2,8. Too years after I buy my first Leica R5 an diverse R-Lens. I have for only 1-year the limited Apo Zoom Leica lens 24-70 f/2,8 . I buy to ebay for SFr.11000.- but to beginning year 1990 I have nostalgie from Nikon system, also I selling all my Leica system ans continued with Nikon. The M8, M8.2 and M9 are great camera. In year 2008 I have testing the M6, very nice 👍 camera are. Normally I are Nikon photograf. Yes I have the possibility to testing the Leica, but with the year I coming back to Nikon system. Clear for me are full clear, I can never one confrontation with the Leica or Leica lens to Nikkor or Nikon. I have thinking to buy (possibly) the new Nikon Z7-II system, but for what? I asked me. Better are that I now beginning with Leica system. The Leica SL first I have thinking to buy. But are too much weight as the M system camera with full sharpness system lens. Also forget Nikon, and beginning with Leica Q2 M for black & withe photograhy..
It seems like the 50mm Pancake "Black" being the E-Series was the best performer with the sharpest photos, is this right or have I mistaken it for a different one in the lineup?
Hi, the Japan Pancake had an issue (aperture was stuck wide open) so it wasn't a fair test. The Nikkor 50mm f2 AI is excellent too. I wouldn't consider the basic pancake lenses as the best and most people would agree I think.
You are right, you are not scientific in your approach because you are not controlling important variables like camera shake and light, amongst others. However it is somewhat informative and many of us love the old Nikon /Nikkor lenses. So good on you mate.
Do you know what the magnification ratio is for the f2.8 55mm? I'm interested in the lens as a whole, but also want to use it for scanning film negatives with the SL. I'm confused as some people say it is 1:2 and needs an extension tube, some sources seem to say 1:1 no tube necessary. Would appreciate the help! 🙂
That Nikon 55mm micro-nikkor makes my old D200 in B&W act like a Leica M8 with a 75mm Noctilux stopped down to 2.8 with Leica Q2 Macro ability! Beautiful lens for $60USD
Feel better Matt. I have the nikon 55 3.5 AI micro. It has become my absolute favorite lens for my D750. I have sold my 50 1.8 AIS and my 60 1.8 AF-D since getting acquainted with the 55 3.5 micro. People say the 2.8 is even better and I'm sure they are right, but the 3.5 is stunningly good and $125 plus shipping, mint from Japan. Stick a fork in it. I'm done.
Matt, Matt, Matt! Grab your jeweller's loupe and a small Jeweller's screwdriver, [although some adapters use allen screws] loosen the adapter mount alignment screws, rotate the lens until the fixed infinity mark is at 12 o'clock and tighten!
Hi Matt I have the 55mm f 3.5 micro lens. Thinking of the 50mm f 1.8 silver band 0.6m close focus pancake because its a pancake and it opens to f 1.8. But if you had to describe difference in image rendering between the two are there any apart from sharpness? If you could only keep one which one? Is there any reason to own both?
Hi Tony, I use the v3 pancake (0.45m close focus). The results in this test were not fair on this lens as I found after the aperture was stuck at f1.8 for all tests! I returned it to Japan for a working copy. Best size/performance combo for me but if you only need sharp get the Micro.
Love that format! I would get the japan pancake for the MFD and portability, and the Micro for its micro-contrast! Would love to see same tests with affordable (or not^^) M mount lenses too. Thanks for all this work.
Nice! Really want that 58mm Voigtlander :-) I have the older pre-ai 55mm F3.5 Micro Nikkor. Also a very nice and sharp lens. I like that one a lot. Also have the 50mm F1.2, but I might trade that for the Voigtlander 58mm!
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I'm actually pretty happy with the F1.2 wide open. Weirdly, it's the sharpness and resolution at F5.6 and F8 I'm not that happy with :-) But it could be my lens just needs a CLA. I compared it to my Nikkor 85mm F1.4 and it lacked some punch and sharpness compared to that one.
10/10 George! Correct! I wrote a follow up post on Patreon a few days ago when I realised during retesting. I must mention it in the next RU-vid vid. It seems obvious looking back now at the test results but I was too dumb to put 2+2 together. Thanks for spotting it. No one else did.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom 'Digital Hasselblad + Nikon 58mm f⁄1.2 for a true medium format look' -He has done it on digital Hassy. Don't know whether there is one for the V system?
Just curious as to why no 50mm F1.4 Nikon Ais (or Ai) lens in the test? You did mention some other Nikons you didn’t include but if my grey matter is correct no F1.4 nikkor.
Thanks Martin, I sold my 1.4D as not good enough, I loaned my 1.4 SC as not good enough for my taste. I hear the 1.4 AI is great but i've not used one so couldn't include here, sorry.
Hey Matt, I currently have the Nikkor 60mm f2.8 AF-D (I which I occasionally use for portraits.) Ignoring AF, have you any thoughts on how the 60 AF-D compares for look with the 55 AI-S Micro you discuss here? P.S. You are tempting me with this Voigtlanders LOL.
Hi! Yes the 55mm and 60mm are both excellent. I use the AF 60 on AF bodies and 55 on MF bodies. I would say they are similar enough so just watch my Voigtlander for Nikon video! :P That will give you a different look.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Cheers Matt. My FE & FE2 were may fave film bodies of all time, but I'm not tempted to return to film now. I would love to try the Voigtlander 58mm on D3X, D3s, & D4 though (I like those oldies better than the more modern bodies.) PS. The hated and derided 50mm f1.4D isn't that bad - once you get north of f2.0 😀
@@Cotictimmy thanks, I think I was used to using lenses wide open so when it wasn’t great wide open I sold it ha. I recently bought the pre ai 50 f2 so you will probably appreciate that when I do the video! :)
I have read that George Lucas used a 55mm Micro Nikkor for the opening scene with the battle cruiser in the original 1977 Star Wars movie. Apparently Lucas chose the f/3.5 version of this Macro lens which he considered to be even sharper than the f/2.8 Micro! The f/2.8 AIS lens was first released in 1979, Ken Rockwell gives the dates 1969 to 1979 for the AI version of the 3.5/55. I would assume Lucas used this lens for the sequence. BTW: For this scene, the model space ship was stationary, with the lens & camera combination being racked backwards on a rail system. ;-)
I have both lenses, and I can't tell which one is sharper as a macro lens (on a 42mp sensor that is). For far away subjects the 2.8 is definitely sharper.
Guess! :) No. the 28-50 didn’t perform sadly so went back to eBay. The 35-70 can make nice images for a plastic piece of junk feeling lens but I’ve not used it since. (Always testing different stuff so usually only the best get used again)
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Interesting… I’ve seen some other reasonably positive reviews of the 28-50. Can’t say I’ve noticed any standout positive reviews of the 35-70 Plastic Fantastic. I’m wondering if the 28-50 might be ok as a single walk around for run and gun street photography where it’s not required to be super sharp for portrait duty..? I’m thinking solo night time urbex in potentially dodgy parts of town where carrying the most expensive kit might not be a smart move.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I got a good deal on a 1.8 v3. The size plus the close focus distance is a nice combination. For macro shots I'm looking after a 105mm 2.8 micro to use it also for scanning negatives. Do you think this is a good option?
Test pictures should be taken in controlled environment on a tripod with remote shutter and with identical controlled lighting to get accurate test comparison photos.
Thanks yes as mentioned I didn’t set out to make this test, it just evolved as I was inquisitive about some of my lenses. The tripod aspect would only impact the few f8 images and I couldn’t do controlled light infinity testing. When I get fine to retest some of the lenses I will add a note to this video with the results.
F8 should give you larger depth of field and help you not miss focus. Pictures through a window also is not a good measure of lenses but at least it hampers the lenses equally. You have some nice portraits so seems you know what you are doing. Nikkor K series 135mm 2.8 Is also to sharp for female portraits but the nikkor 135mm f2 ai is good with great bokeh. The nikkor 55mm 1.2 ai or NC for color or N for black and white is also a good lens for portraits with nice bokeh wide open.
@@willapanews9761 thanks yes in theory I know what I’m doing. It wasn’t a very well thought out test down to the detail level. I used aperture priority for the test which I never use normally. That gave me motion blur which I never see when I normally shoot in manual mode (1/60 minimum). Thanks yes I have the 135 pre-ai 2.8. Very sharp! I have quite a lot of lenses so maybe I can share more going forward. Most of my channel want Leica content so these videos are never that popular sadly.
I have bunch of nikkor lenses. Would like to try Leica camera some time. Not sure if I can justify the cost. Nikkor 300mm 2.8 ais also a good portrait bokeh lens, except it is heavy.
Am I crazy or do a lot of them mostly look great? Have the silver band pancake and the voigt 58 myself. Haven’t heard of the 55 macro before, how does it compare to the 60 d version macro?
