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My brother has had that lens since buying it new in the 1970's. It is absolutely sharpest lens that Nikon made back then. If you put that on the correct full frame Nikon body, it's hard to beat. It's well worth the price even if it was twice as expensive!
I've had that lens for many years, just sitting on a shelf, about a year ago I thought before I got rid of it I would stick it on my D810 and boy I was surprised by how much I liked the results I was getting. The lens now lives in my camera bag. :)
If want to have this 105mm manual lens for the D810 than I would suggest looking for the AI series or the AIS series of lenses because the D810 has an aperture tab so it could auto index when selecting a different aperture. The lens would have a tab on the rear end that would hook up with the tab on the F mount. Non AIS lenses may not work with the D810 unless the lens was modified with an AI upgrade. You still need the tab part on the back of the lens to work this camera. Peace, Flood!
kitkaneth all Nikon lenses from the 1950’s on, with a few exceptions for old versions of very wide lenses, are completely usable in manual on any Nikon film or digital body. You might lose AF, you might lose matrix metering (in some cases). The issues you run into are generally whether the body will auto focus the older lens or not. This is a manual lens, so it’s a moot point. I’ve used it on a D3, D300, D80, D300s, FM, FA, FM2, Fuji Digital...you get the point.
evelasq1 this is only true if you require the auto indexing, which is a great feature. Thankfully, great copies of this lens are available in AI for not much more than the $80 Matt says he paid.
I have a 50mm Nikkor S-C f1.4 that I use on a Sony A6000. Super creamy bokeh and great for portraits. I also have a same era 135mm f2.8 that's very, very good as well. Great video Matt!
that price is an incredible bargain!, although i suppose its one of the older non-ai versions. I had the ai second hand from about 1981 until the D200 came out and i needed to sell to get an AF lens - what a mistake. I just got one back again this week for £141, and am really looking forward to using it again.
When I first became interested in photography back in the late 70's I had a Cannon AE-1 which had matched needle metering and manual focus. I loved that camera, the manual focus made me feel somehow more connected to the process of capturing an image.
I like the 135, 2.8 myself, though I rarely use it these days. I still own the old 50, 1.4 as well and I won't get rid of any of them even if I moved on to mirrorless. I feel like that we should all hold a few vintage film and old DSLR lenses just because of their imperfections. You get a certain effect from them. The new mirrorless lenses are far superior in sharpens, but those tend to also make everything look too sharp and commercial.
I bought one a couple years ago for about $60. This 105 lens is probably my favorite Nikon lens. This spring (2021) I picked up some Pentax & M42 lenses and a 10 year old Pentax K10D and have been blown away by the colors the Pentax setup produces.
The best lens I've ever used is the MF Samyang/Rokinon 135mm f2, it's a stunner! Sure, you gotta take a little more time to nail the focus point, but the results beat anything I've seen, and it's pretty cheap!
I've picked up a few great manual lenses at the local flea markets, some for less than $10. I look for M42 screw mounts, which are really easy to adapt to Sony.
Dear Matt, Thank you for the excellent video. I own a great set of manual lenses and I often use them for my portrait work. Some of them are older AIS Nikkor lenses. My favorite nikkor are the 105mm f/2.5 AIS, the 135mm f/2.8 AIS and the 200mm f/4 AIS. Then, I have Zeiss Planar 85mm f/1.4 and Voigtländer 58mm nokton f/1.4 All these lenses are pure gems, and especially the older nikkor AIS lenses, because they were purchased for about 100$ each. The results are amazing. Such a richness in color, contrast and saturation without almost any post-processing required! I use them on my D850 body, but also my friend used them on a much cheaper D750 without any problems.
I have 2 manual Nikon lenses that I LOVE, one is the 105mm 2.5 Ai, and the other one is the 135mm 2.8 AIS....please check out the last one...you'll be amazed!
I totally agree with your thought on using old manual lenses if fast-action-shooting is off the table. The old Nikon F mount lenses I love (and pretty dirt cheap) are: - For general purposes = Nikkor 50 1.4 Pre-ai - For macro = Vivitar 100 F3.5 Macro (It's 1:2 magnification, but with a hollow extension tube, the combination is perfect for budget macro shoot [around 60$].) - Telephoto Portrait = Nikkor 135 F3.5 Ai-S (This one is not so dirt cheap, but superb IQ edge-to-edge.) - Telephoto Candid, Zoo-seeing, Landscape = Nikkor 200 F4 Ai-S All Lenses I mentioned can be hunted for under 100$ price point. At first I paired them with my good old D5200, then I earned more money from my full time job, so here comes A7ii. People always guess wrong about lenses I use for my photos because the IQ is superb! Everyone wants great modern expensive lenses, but not everyone is of convenience to afford one (including myself). A lot of people have a misconception that good lenses need to be expensive. If we think about it, the manual focus primes, back in the day, used to be professional grade lenses too! I watched Karl Taylor rant (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4GflhBUSpdQ.html) and he was right. The expensive tools are for better business efficiency which they would get a lot more money in return.
kitkaneth I have my 135/3.5 on my D5500 for all portrait shots. That lens has taught me more than all vids on RU-vid combined about the exposure triangle.
Paid $70us for a 135 f3.5 ai in nice condition recently. The more costly lens was a 105 f2.5 ai in very good condition, at around $200us. Also picked up a 50 f2 to go along with the 28 f2.8 that I bought in 1978. Focus peaking would be nice for my aging eyes, but the rangefinder dots work okay too. Get great results with these amazingly constructed lenses. Looking for a 180 or 200mm next.
Love this lens Love to see you trying it on the Medium format :-) For Portraits I like the Nikkor 180mm 2.8 ai-s Ed (payed 150 dollars for it) And the SMC Takumar 135mm 2.5 (6 element version) Also the SMC Takumar 85mm 1.8 I am using them on the Sony A7ii
I own five pre-AI Nikkors formerly used on my old Nikon F2, namely 24 mm F2.8, 35 mm F2, 50 mm F2, 105 mm F2.5 and 200 mm F4. Are they usable without modification on modern digital bodies like D7100 and D610 which I now have ? I thought they wouldn't even mount...
All the Nikkor ais lenses are in my eyes utterly irresistible. The way they are made….its just so comfortable and fun shooting with them, its hard to describe. The Nikkor ais lenses are all manual off course, but they don’t necessary comes cheap. Its true, they are old but not that old, they are Nikon’s newest manual lenses. They are old enough and represent a totally different era, and maybe its because of that they are so fun to play with, together with the image quality they delivers and the amazing craftmanship. I own 7 or 8 of them and they’re all good, but l had to pick one favorite, it must be the 135mm f2.8. First time l used in street photography l was blown away by the results, this one is my prescious one. I will never get rid of it, most likely l will take it with me in my grave if not some family relatives or friends will use it in a proper way😊 How can something that good, be so cheap ($100)?? I have a Nikon FA thats double the fun, but film sometimes have been hard to get, so l started use it on my Z6 and that was even more fun. Now they have vr too😁👍 The potential with mirrorless cameras are awsome, also with regards to the old manual lenses. Soon l seriously believe that l will equally easy to use the old nikkors on Sony, Fuji and Canon as it is to put them on a Nikon Z. Maybe there will be a renewed demand for old gems from all this brands. From Nikon l have only one wish, please make a fullframe version of the Nikon Zfc with ibis. MANY would purchase it, and l would be the first in line!! Oh wait, how about a full frame Nikon Zfc like mirrorless with F-mount?
@@mattgranger True, but that was’nt mirrorless l believe. I was talking about a (dreamin’) about a mirrorless f-mount, because of all the mirrorless advantages. But that would mean a brand new concept so it will propably never happen
Matt thanks for bringing attention to one of my favorite lenses. I just started reusing my old Nikon 105AIS on a new Z6 Nikon and as expected was blown away. This lens for the money will beat any other newer lens I have .such my Zeiss 75 Biotar 1.5 or Leica R 90mm f2. There really is something special about this lens and I wouldn't trade for a newer one.
Olympus OM Zuiko 2.0/85. Yes, yes, I know - no Nikon, no budget lens. But on of my all-time favorite lenses nonetheless, and extremely compact (it looks more like an APS-C lens than a 35 mm lens). So, yes, old glass has its merits!
I do own a good number of vintage lenses that are manual focus from Nikon. You are right about these vintage lenses because they are great because they have less elements and they do allow more light into the sensor and film. I do like the Hassalblad and Nikon 105mm combo. It really looks great for portraiture. You should keep taking pictures with this combo.
I have a D700 and Rokinon 85mm 1.4. I paid $375 for the D700 and $200 for the glass and it's a really sweet portrait rig- Not quite as budget as sir-clicks-alot, but still very reasonable! Neat video, Matt. Thanks for the great content.
In the late ‘90s I bought a copy of the original version of this lens on eBay. It came calibrated for accurate focus on Contax (Zeiss) rather than Nikon rangefinder cameras. There was a Leica compatible version too. These days I use it on a Sony A7iii via a double adapter rig: Contax-to-Leica and then Techart Pro AF. Performs great!
Really fun video. I just bought a sonnar version of this lens. (In great shape on eBay for exactly $100.). Its going on my Canon R6. I guess that’s like putting a Ford motor in a Chevy.
I've used an AI'd converted model of that lens on my D200 and it works nicely for my purposes, but I've found I've used the 135mm f/2.8 and 180mm f/2.8 more often. Much easier for me to dial in the focus on the D700 though! One thing I'd add is that that lens was a premium lens when it came out and probably cost a pretty penny. Just our luck we can get them so cheaply today :) :)
Bought the AI-S version a couple of years ago from ebay and it really is absolutely brilliant. Because of the compression and DOF falloff it is also great for still life in addition to portraits.
Based on your comparison of the DOF of the X1D and D200 with the 105mm f/2.5 lens, it seems like the logical choice to get the best compromise between budgetography and sweet buttery portrait bokeh is to put the 105mm f/2.5 on an older, used full-frame camera like a D700 instead of a medium format. Then you could spend $600 on a camera and $80 on lens and get the benefits of full-frame, DOF, and bokeh.
Hi Matt, my suggestion for Budgetography is clearly the D800. 36 Megapixel for under 1000$ used. The only downside is 4 pics/sec. I use it with all my screwdriver AF lenses, including the legendary 80-200 2.8 AF-D II with amazing results.
I Purchased a 105 mm P from a famous Italian fashion photographer for about €20 in 1973. The lens was in such bad shape that nobody wanted to buy it but performance was excellent on film camera of that time and STILL today perform very well on a Sony A 6300
Man I wish we could get those lenses that cheap in the UK, they are £225-350 here. Out of interest, you make a note in the description about damage to a modern DSLR body, is there an adapter that makes it suitable? Was interested to try it on my D7200 if I can stumble upon a bargain one.
Recently sold my D200 & a handful of lenses to buy a Fujifilm xt-1 & one fujifilm lens. I then bought a few asahi pentax vintage lenses & completely fell in love with them. All be it somewhat battered the 135 is a fantastic portrait lens. Haven't used a modern lens since.
A little late, but better late than never 🙂 After I switched to mirrorless, I got into using manual lenses. I really like it, to the point that I prefer manual lenses to af lenses for my street photography and other types of photography, which doesn't demand quick focus. Even focusing manually with my af lenses is a dread in comparison. My favorite lens is without a doubt my Nikkor-S 50mm f/1.4 non-AI. Love that lens. I've also got my hands in the f/2 Nikkor-H 50mm version, 200mm Nikkor f/4 AI, Olympus Zuiko 135mm f/3.5, as well as a modern 28mm f/1.4 Kamlan lens. I'm definitely not done investing in vintage lenses, that's for sure. They might not cover all my needs, but when it comes to the more artistic part of my photography, then I prefer them.
I collect and use old lenses. While some are a disappointment, most provide a much more organic feel to the images they help me create. Furthermore, most of the old lenses I have, turned out to be exceptional and affordable, relatively. Digital bodies are another matter... Really good digital bodies tend to be really expensive. I own a Canon system and an Olympus system, and fortunately, they offer good and excellent compatibility with old lenses respectively. Unfortunately, I cannot, even remotely, justify the expense of a medium format digital body, or even a new, so-called, full-format digital body. My solution was to look back again, and pick up some film era cameras. Once I rediscovered film, I realized just how much I appreciated the look it can afford. I now own a number of native film bodies for my lenses, including a medium format 6x6 camera. The results I get are remarkable. They have helped to bring back the magic that I experienced when I picked up my first camera in the 1970's. They also offer a look, natively, that digital doesn't without some considerable post processing manipulation, and even then, I'd argue, the result is less appealing. I would say that an old lens is the first step. Follow it up with an old body, and film, and you're on your way to some beautiful images with a softer gentler quality, in a very good way. Now when I compare the two, I find that many digital images look far too "sharp" - almost clinical by comparison. Anyway, my two-bits.. Now, if I could afford a digital Hassy, would I own one and use one? Almost certainly, but what I'm trying to relate here, is the look that analog era equipment offers (lenses and media) is incomparable in my opinion. Thanks for sharing your experience with the old Nikkor.
Cool video on the Nikon NAI 105mm, f2.5 lens. Do the NAI 105mm lens work well with the full frame DSLR camera ? You have a nice cat (Loki), do you still have Loki ?
I actually like the P version a bit more than the Ai version. The build quality is even better. There is an early sonnar type and your all black version is probably similar to the ai.
I have that exact same lens but it was converted to a newer style AI aperture ring. You’re exactly right Matt... it’s fantastic! I absolutely love it on my Nikon full frame cameras and it auto meters in aperture mode perfectly.
I have no doubt that some of these ai-s lenses would work on model DSLRs. In fact, I used them when I had my D700. However, just because it can take pictures doesn't necessary mean it has the resolving power for the 36/46 MP sensor. Keep in mind that these lenses are from the film era, and they are not optimal for high mega pixel sensors.
I think this video shows what is important to the individual. So many vintage lenses give more fidelity and render more beautiful images but they are are technically inferior. Have more C/A and less corner to corner sharpness and overall resolution but I just think the images are more beautiful. Some folks prefer the technically more perfect image and that is up to them.
What I've heard is if you shoot film, definitely put your money In lenses, but if you shoot digital, definitely the body, because on film, all that affects the final image is the film and the optics. But for digital, the color science is also affected by the image sensor. Just my 2 cents worth.
GREAT LENSES! And great vid Matt! I'm so glad you are taking this subject so far. I went the same way irl. I got the 50mm f2 as a budget 50 and loved it... Now I have the 50 f2, 50 f1.4, 105 f2.5 and 135 f3.5. All pre Ai. I also got an enlarger eyepiece for my d3300 and an original Nikkormat ftn. I Just love it. It is budgetograpy buy it is also just a choice. Tnx again, great vid.
When everyone else got in on the adapted glass train for full frame and APS-C, I was dismissive because I saw it as a stop-gap for the lack of native glass. Now that medium format mirrorless cameras are here, I’m completely on board with adapting glass. Mostly because, as we see here, a $100 lens is competitive with $2,000 lenses, and I’ve seen other inexpensive modern adapted glass work just as well. I’m all for digital medium format, and I get why the bodies cost more (and I might be willing to pay that price), but I don’t see why the lenses cost so much.
I 1st bought one back in DEC 2017 when I switched over from Sony A Mount to E-mount. I had been boasting about it for months but the people I'm around quite often just chalked it up as another classic lens that I was trying to hype up. Tunes have changed lately lol.
I think it's fair to say that the f/2.5 105mm Nikkor is a bad-boy of a lens. I don't own one but for now my 40yr+ old Pentax Asahi Takumar f/1.4 is a beauty.
I have the Nikkor P 105/2.5 and a Nikon D200, but today I use m43, both Panasonic and Olympus bodies. And the reason why I went for m43 was the Metabones Speedbooster for Nikkor F to m43. With that, the Nikkor P 105/2.5 is very comparbly with the Olympus 75/1.8 and maybe one of the best Olympus lenses there is. But, somehow the images with the Nikkor are better than the Oly.
Good tips! I have a 1962 NIKKOR 135 f/3.5 with my D3X. It does outperform many other lenses but wide open has a lot of chromatic aberration so using it on f/5.6 or smaller is best. Manual focusing using the little arrows and dot is not as easy as in the old days with the split circle focus indicators. Still love it though!
The yongnuo 100mm F2 lens is pretty good also, not so expensive and gives some nice results with my 5Dmk2. Just the AF is sometimes terrible. It is sharp, but the flares and low contrast when shooting against light, at some degree gives the feeling of a vintage lens
Sotto Sopra Don’t buy lenses from 60s or older, from any manufacturer. I also don’t prefer lenses made in the 70s, with a few exceptions. Keep in mind that every older, vintage lens will not have the coatings that are available today on modern lenses, so glaring and ghosting is an issue. You can overcome some of these issues with a matte box. Do your research; every lens is completely different and articles written at the time of lens release will not completely apply to modern, digital sensor cameras. Also, ebay is the wild west when buying lenses. Some sellers list the lens incorrectly or use terms very similar to the lens you are searching. Most vintage lens contain dust because they were not sealed like modern lenses. Some contain mold. And some have “balsam lens separation,” which is when two clear lens elements are glued together during manufacture, become unglued, or slightly unglued, due to heat, like left in attic for years. I needed to say all that first before you just jump in. I prefer Nikon AI-S lens from the 80s. Also Nikon lenses from the 90s are great too. Some Zeiss Distagon *T are nice too. I always compare modern to vintage before purchase; sometimes modern lenses are the same price! Adorama is a safe bet when buying, but there are other websites that pre-approve all sales to be of a specific quality and are upfront & clear about what you are buying. ebay & paypal returns are agonizing.
I still have my Pentax 67 set up. I got an adapter to use on my Canon EOS digital camera it takes some very nice photos. Great video and goes to show what you can do with older lenses.
I bought the Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 AIS brand new in 1979 for $173 US. It has been my favorite portrait lens for almost 40 years now, but unfortunately it has become somewhat difficult to use for portraiture on crop sensor cameras though still doable. It has always been a wonderfully sharp lens producing beautiful colors but it is quite heavy even though consisting of only 4 elements. I would never part with it.
Just one note regarding the version of lens. The P version may be the least compatible with modern cameras. It is much better to look for AI od AI-S variants. They might be slightly more expensive but metering will function much better. Also, old non AI lenses (S,P,K versions) had to be AI upgraded in order to fit on newer cameras. Without this upgrade you cannot physically mount these lenses on semi or pro cameras that have this aperture slug around bayonet.
I would advice of getting a nikon 85mm1.4d. Its worth saving for. It runs $400-$500 online but its worth it. Its a screwdriver type lens but very fast on a pro body. I have been using one for 8 years now for portraits. Mind blowing pictures.
Old lens use is one of the reasons I bought Nikon. And compatibility with them is why I picked the D7200 over the D5200 the other year. Haven't had a chance to do any portrait shooting but would like to pick up a 50 or 55 f1.2 at some stage. I have a 50 f2 pre ai on my dad's old Nikkormat if I want something now.
Hi, Just a quick question about this lens. Has the AI or AI-s conversion been preformed on it to make it mechanically compatible with your relatively modern cameras?
I love this lens and I'm waiting to buy it. I didn't know McCurry used this one in particular but it is truth for all the Ai serie: DESPITE THE REVIEWS YOU FIND FROM NEVER SHOOTING FORUM NERDS these are amazingly good lenses, still in digital era. Probably much better then plastic and later autofocus. I got the 20mm FD and I'm going to sell it to replace it with the older Ai. I got the 28 and I'm looking for 24 and 35 as well. I paid the 28mm 40euro because it open at 3.5 but with easily 1600is of a not even so modern camera what is the issue? You can easily shoot at f3.5 fo3 1/30 sec and get one of the greatest lenses of the early 80s for the price of few beers. And you can bet they will survive you no matter where you bring them or how bad you'll be with them.
This is a lens that I would love to get a hold of. My choice budget portrait lens (manual focus) Nikkor 50mm 1.4 non ai lens chrome front. That has been the only one I have ever used and just as you mentioned in this video with the 105mm, the colour representation is awesome. It even looks much better than my 50mm 1.8D Nikkor lens.
Be very careful with this, I’m not sure I understand which lens this is. It has the external meter coupling claw. Therefore I assume it does not have the cut out in the mounting ring to allow the actuator arm on a newer camera to move. If you try to mount a lens without the cut out in the rain you will do major damage to the camera by. Nikon specifically states that the warranty on the camera will not cover this. Anyone who wishes to try this should look very closely at the mounting ring on the lens and be sure the cut out is there. I personally don’t know of any that had the external meter coupling claw and the cut out. I’m pretty confused about what’s going on here.
Admire you Matt for this video. As you know I own this AIS105mm lens. However I use it on DX body and had to learn how to use it again with focus confirmation (took it quite a while). But I would not trade it for modern fancy monster. Have to take deep breath steady hand and images are just magic. Lens is almost always on my camera when I want shoot portrait.
Nice video. I'm having a lot of fun with an obscure "Lumetar" 135mm f2.8 m42 lens on my A7R2. $10 so well spent... and the cat bed is cool, we just saw one in a local shop.
I get the argument of cheap lens vs cheap body but it's really unfair to put the 105mm in the same category as other cheap lenses. Nothing about the 105 is cheap(other than price lol), their build quality is fantastic and their image quality is unique. They were made for 50 years and very expensive, they could not be any further from a kit lens.
I have 3 old E series lenses, a 28mm f2.8, a 50mm f1.8 and the100mm f2.8 and are all super sharp on my D810. Total cost £120/$150(US)/$210(Australia) for the 3. And the 50mm is sharper than my AFS 50mm f1.8 G. I'm looking out for the 35mm f2.5 and the 135mm f2.8 to make a full set.
Careful Matt, There is a Nikon Fanboy demon on your right. ;) If you are quiet you can banish it with a medium format RB67. :) Great vid - interesting results. Thanks
Honestly that 105 2.5 is an amazing cheap lens so you can’t really do the cheap lens expensive body argument with this one. it’s cheap just because it’s old and isn’t directly compatible on a lot of bodies (it isn’t even compatible on some Nikon film bodies because this PC lens is non AI and wouldn’t mount due to the AI lever on some Nikon body)
Hi Matt, you said that the NIKKOR - P 105mm f2.5 has metering issues on the D200 - well it would, wouldn't it as this is a pre-ai lens!!! You would need an Ai or Ai converted lens to meter on the D200. :)
My pelican cases full of 60's-70's Minolta, Zeiss and even a single Leica lens agree with you. Now I just need the A7m3 to come down in price a bit :) or for the Canon or Nikon mirrorless to show up.
I bought an old Hanimex 70-200 very cheap and an even cheaper M42 converter to fit the Canon, I had to drill a hole in the converter to hold the pin in to use the aperture but I was shocked with the results. Bokehlicious ;-)
- Nikon 100mm f/2.8 series-E. Low cost, lightweight, compact, easy to repair and clean, smooth focus ring, metering like any high-end AI-S lens, sharp enough for my old 12Mp Nikon D700 sensor, very nice with a rubber telescopic hood. The 50mm f/1.8 is also a pretty good budget lens. - Samyang AE 85mm f/1.4 IF UMC. More expensive but can be found at a good price used, MF modern lens, with a chip on Nikon version (complete EXIF), aperture controlled by body on Nikon modern bodies or by ring on any other bodies, compact, smooth focus ring, sharp sharp sharp, tiny DoF.
Totally agree on the Nikon Series E 100mm 2.8. VERY sharp, compact. Lovely lens. Ridiculously cheap, like $70 bucks or so. The Series E 135mm 2.8 also good along with the 50mm. The Series E 28mm is not so good, and has a bad reputation.
I was under the impression that you were not able to utilize a non-AI lens on a modern Nikon DSLR because it can damage the coupling pin on the camera.I have a few non-Ai lens and I do enjoyI using it on my Z5 with the adapter but I was strongly advised never to install that lens on my D850. It would be great if I could. Nice lens review, Thx
I'm so happy that you touched on this lens. I have the slightly newer version, the Ai-S version, and it works beautifully on my D810, and also produces stunning photos on my Sony a7, and Fuji X-T10 :) I love this lens and the Ai-S version can be had fairly cheap too :)
Hi Matt, do you have a modified pre ai version, because i have exactly the same lens, but it dosent work on my nikon bodys which are D850, D7200, d200 and F4, but it works perfect on my A7r3 with adapter! Problem is, i have no controll for the aperture. Maybe you have an Ai curve on your lens which was made afterwards, Please can you check this? And yes, this lens is amazing!
great thoughts, and yes, somewhat a no brainer. yet, worth saying. I like the idea of adapting lenses, finding the best lenses can be trial and error. :)
