Help Needed: Nikkor Prime Lenses (24 vs. 28 / 85 vs. 105?)

girlwithamoviecamera

girlwithamoviecamera

Active member
Hi everyone,

I have just upgraded my equipment and I'm now the proud owner of a Sony EX1 and Letus Extreme adapter (to use with Nikon lenses). I'm in the market for prime lenses: I currently own a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 AIS lens and I'm looking to get a wide angle and a telephoto lens. I live in Paris, and needless to say, if you factor in US dollar / Euro conversion rates, it's really hard to get good deals on used Nikkor lenses (when I see the prices on U.S. sites I almost want to cry).

I would need some help navigating the offers available to me, since I look for a compromise of quality and price and I am not sure which lenses could lead to vignetting on the LEX.

My two favorite Nikon camera shops have the following offerings:

24mm / f2.8 AI
24mm / f2.8 AIS
28mm / f2.8 AI

(I can't seem to find a Paris camera shop with 24 or 28mm lenses at f/2, 2.8 is all there is). Which lens would you recommend?

I also need a 85mm or 105mm lens for portraits (mostly for interviews indoors). Here's what's available to me from Paris shops:

85mm / f1.4 AIS (I know this is the best lens, but it's priced at 500 Euros=780 dollars!!!)
85mm / f2 AI
105mm / f2.5 AI
105mm / f2.5 AIS

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
 
Why do you go at shops?
I buy almost everything used on Ebay.
I could never have afford my equipment if I would have bought it new.

There are tons of (relativ) cheap Nikon lenses out there on german Ebay and you might get great glass for a much better price.

Frank
 
e-bay will be tricky as a European when you order from American sellers.
Check out the used department of reliable internet sellers like B&H.
I bought 2 Nikkors there and they were top quality.
And cheap.
 
I normally do eBay for a lot of things, but in the case of lenses, I simply do not trust it. Ratings can be subjective or exaggerated. There is also the question of import taxes (for B&H, too) and shipping delays.

I want to inspect the lenses myself, see how much dust / potential scratches they have. I usually go to shops and try the lenses on my Nikon D80; purchasing used, 20+ year old Nikkor lenses off the Internet is out of the question for me.

Now, any advice on the 24mm vs. 28mm / 85mm vs. 105mm lenses listed above?
 
There is no real advantage to choosing the AIS models over AI when using for video, so I would go AI since they are generally cheaper. Number of shutter blades may vary, so you should check each lens individually since it will affect the shape of your out of focus highlights.

I have an 85/2 and it works great for me. 85/1.4 would be great to have, but you're right, it's very very expensive. Maybe you should go for the 2 and keep looking out for a great deal on a 1.4 (they turn up here in the dvxuser marketplace from time to time). I have a 105 too - if you go for an 85mm, I would suggest considering a longer telephoto, like 135. 105 and 85 are pretty close, and 85 makes a great portrait lens for interviews without getting too close.

As for 24mm vs 28mm, I would go 28mm (35mm even better) unless you really like those very wide shots. I use the Redrock M2, and I have noticed vignetting even with my 28mm. I assume it would similar for the Letus products, but maybe not. 28mm/2.8 are pretty easy to find and shouldn't be too expensive. IIRC, the 24mm variety is a little less ubitiquous, and therefore a little more expensive.

Also, you might consider upgrading to the 50mm/1.4. It is literally everywhere, not very pricey, and a great great lens. Sharper than the 1.8 in my opinion.

That's my two cents after using Nikkor lenses for about the last 8 years, on an F3, D50, and Redrock M2.
 
I agree, I don't feel comfortable buying a used lense on ebay. Only way I would buy a used lense is if I inspected it first myself. All the lenses I have bought so far are new.
 
I bought my 24mm 1.4 used for $240, the 105mm for $280 and my 50mm new. They are crazy to ask for that much money - although the 85mm is a really good lens.
Check B&H and all the other big camera sellers in the states. They can't afford to lie about the quality of their used equipment.
 
Thanks for the recommendations Will!!!

Regarding the 85mm vs. 105mm issue, you say, "85 makes a great portrait lens for interviews without getting too close." It's actually far easier for me to find a 105mm lens (the Paris shop with the 85mm is closed throughout the month of August in typical French fashion). Since the lens would be used primarily to shoot interview subjects, would you recommend waiting for the 85mm to become available?
 
I think the 105mm would be fine if you need it right away, but I prefer my 85mm. You'll just be setting up a little further away, which I think is sometimes awkward for an interview setting. And sometimes not practical depending on the space you are in.
 
If the 35mm adapter you have let you zoom in more in the ground glass the 24mm and the 85mm are the best choice because ou can have all the options at the same time. The 85mm are best to face and torax. 105 are best to face only.
 
The Letus / Ex-1 combination will not give you the full SLR field of view but something closer to academy. Hence I would suggest going for the 24 because that will still end up looking more like something between a 28 and a 35mm on the still camera. Also as mentioned here before you can zoom in a bit on the letus with no bad affects so if you want a wide lens go for it from the get go.
You will be zoomed in too far in any case to worry about vignetting.
 
I own both the 85 and 105mm lenses, and the 105 gets far more use, for interview/portrait shots. I have the 105 f/2 DC, but the f/2.5 is supposed to be excellent as well.
 
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