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What's your cult favorite?

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Seiji

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I can only speak for Nikkors as I have not used other brands...

I would tell anyone without guilt that the poor man's pro kit is 35-70 and 80-200, with something wide like a 20 f2.8 AF-D prime (plastic sigh)

Here is a sample of my cult classic list

20 f4
28 f2.0/ f2.8 Ai
35 f1.4 AiS
55 f1.2
105 f1.8 AiS
80-200 f2.8 af-d
35-70 f2.8 af-d
20-35 f2.8 af-d
180 f2.8 AiS / f2.8 AF-D

For the price is no limit cult classics:
18 f2.8 Ai
58 f1.2
200 f2 Ais
300 f2.8 AiS
200-400 f4 Ai
Any ultra micro

Most of these are cheaper versions of the great ones, but produce great images. There are better lenses, but these can be had for a fraction of the cost of the more desireable versions. In most cases, these lenses produce exactly the same image quality, but lack the extra features of the newest versions.
 
Still learning about the "cult" lenses but i do have the 80-200 and 180 2.8 - very sweet glass

is there a chance my 18-200 will become cult? ;-)

Luke
Seiji said:
I can only speak for Nikkors as I have not used other brands...
I would tell anyone without guilt that the poor man's pro kit is
35-70 and 80-200, with something wide like a 20 f2.8 AF-D prime
(plastic sigh)

Here is a sample of my cult classic list

20 f4
28 f2.0/ f2.8 Ai
35 f1.4 AiS
55 f1.2
105 f1.8 AiS
80-200 f2.8 af-d
35-70 f2.8 af-d
20-35 f2.8 af-d
180 f2.8 AiS / f2.8 AF-D

For the price is no limit cult classics:
18 f2.8 Ai
58 f1.2
200 f2 Ais
300 f2.8 AiS
200-400 f4 Ai
Any ultra micro

Most of these are cheaper versions of the great ones, but produce
great images. There are better lenses, but these can be had for a
fraction of the cost of the more desireable versions. In most
cases, these lenses produce exactly the same image quality, but
lack the extra features of the newest versions.
Click to expand...
 
I think 18-200 is a Swiss Army knife, it can do many things, but none very well. The cult classics are all originally specialized designs ment for one particular use. Some are katanas and some are scapels.

55 f3.5 compensating version seems to be a cult classic. I have the 55 f2.8 AiS, pretty good, never found the f3.5 compensating version in Ai'd form, I think the one everyone wants is non-Ai and needs to be modified?
 
the classic AF lens would be my 105 f/2D-DC. for many it may too long on digital, but for me it is just right. I love the way it works it's magic when doing what it was designed for - portraits.

JMO
Seiji said:
I can only speak for Nikkors as I have not used other brands...
I would tell anyone without guilt that the poor man's pro kit is
35-70 and 80-200, with something wide like a 20 f2.8 AF-D prime
(plastic sigh)

Here is a sample of my cult classic list

20 f4
28 f2.0/ f2.8 Ai
35 f1.4 AiS
55 f1.2
105 f1.8 AiS
80-200 f2.8 af-d
35-70 f2.8 af-d
20-35 f2.8 af-d
180 f2.8 AiS / f2.8 AF-D

For the price is no limit cult classics:
18 f2.8 Ai
58 f1.2
200 f2 Ais
300 f2.8 AiS
200-400 f4 Ai
Any ultra micro

Most of these are cheaper versions of the great ones, but produce
great images. There are better lenses, but these can be had for a
fraction of the cost of the more desireable versions. In most
cases, these lenses produce exactly the same image quality, but
lack the extra features of the newest versions.
Click to expand...
--
Edward

Lenses listed in profile

 
I completely agree. I was debating about putting multiple versions out there on the list. 105 DC being the more expensive version of the 105 f1.8 didn't got left off by accident more than intentional omission.

Another cult classic that needs to be added is the Gauss design 105 f2.5. What a great lens for only $90
 
I ment to say, 105 DC got left off by accident. It belongs on the cult list, but there are also the 105 f2.5 and 105 f1.8 that are cheaper.
 
That's my vote.

Along with any of the 105mm 2.5 lenses

--
Phil Flash
SF, CA USA

I should probably take more photographs instead of hanging around here posting.

Stuff I own in my profile.
 
My favorite camera shop, Ohba Camera in Shimbashi, is now being raided by US buyers. Could it be me that let people in on this gem of a store? They have everything from large format to Minox.

They have a few of the 45's in stock, all are now more than $80 more expensive than I remember 4 months ago. $390 USD for these guys. Definitely being bought by camera brokers according to the store owner along with the 180 f2.8 AF-D. They seem to be popular with USA market.

I think that's your answer, it is already a cult classic.
 
Across Brands too ;-) ..

28-70 F2.8, both the Nikon AFS and the Canon L variants, both of which IMO are better than the Canon 24-70L overall let alone anything else F2.8 wise in this area for C&N..

Canon 80-200 F2.8L - arguably the sharpest zoom ever made, certainly sharper than the white 70-200 F2.8L & IS and Nikon 70-200 AFS VR as well as sharper than the Sigma 120-300 F2.8 let alone anything wider ..

Nikon 17-35 F2.8 - IMO a better lens than the 17-55DX and was the lens which made Canons F2.8 16/17-35 L wides look the Jokes they really are (though the humble Nikon 18-35 F3.5-4.5 does that also! .

Nikon AIS 50mm F1.8 - better optically than the AF versions IMO.. this lens was a kit lens for many film SLRs - the 135 F2.8 AIS is a classic too, I preferred it to the 105mm version..

Nikon 180mm F2.8 and Canon 200mm F1.8L - these two "easy to design" lenses make knockout teles on APS sensors and are razor sharp wide open. the Canon 1.8 is the best at this focal length and actually manages to beat the Canon 80-200L at 200mm F2.8 (the Nikon 180 merely matches it), the Canon 200mm F2.8 just isn't the same as the Nikon 180..

Canon 100mm USM Macro - the most versatile macro lens out there as it works better as a standard use prime and doesn't extend like the slow focussing Nikon 105D or the older non-USM Canon but is just as good as a macro lens as any of them and IMO outperforms the new 105VR as a macro lens, the price is right too.

Canon 35-350L USM - no IS and a weird focal length on APS but on a 1DS it covers a great focal range and a good copy is sharp end to end - the downer is that many aren't up to much as there was an element coating on internal elements issue with earlier samples (it goes "bitty" and looks like dust - can only be fixed with the elements replaced) canon never admitted this and as usual offered no Recall or free fix :( . There's nothing like this lens on Nikon sadly.. the 28-300 L IS isn't the same.

--
Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

 
Hi Seji!

My favourite all-Nikkor zooms from the days of MF are:

Ais 28-50/3.5
Ais 50-135/3.5
Ais 80-200/2.8
Ais 200-400/4.0

These are the zoom Nikkors I use most / like to use the most.

Regards
Alex

--



carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero

=> Closeup/Macro Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/magma_photography/root
 
I know they're not very popular. I think the donut bokeh is what most photographers concern themselves with. The size compared to conventional 500 is amazing. Sir Isaac Newton really was a genius when he designed the very first reflex telescope.
 
Thanks for the comparison of both major camps. I found it interesting. I can use this information for my Canon buddies!

The 50 f1.8 Ais, 18-35, and 180 Nikkors are definitely modestly priced cult classics. Killer optics for bargain prices.
 
I know about the last two zooms. I have only seen the 200-400 Ais in LA. Silvios in Southern California is asking $7,000 for it. Quite a premium over a brand new VR version! I shot it a couple times and don't know why it is so much more expensive than a VR. I can't get too serious about spending that kind of money on a lens that I could never travel with. Wow is that lens heavy!

The first two on your list interest me, how good are they?
 
Hi Seji!

The nice thing about most of my lenses is, that I bought them when they were brand new back in the days; however, I got myself a spare AIS 200-400 from Adorama for $ 2.000,-- last year, just in case the one copy I allready had could break.

The 28-50 and 50-135 were my standard lenses as a PJ back in the eighties. They are both handy one-touch push pull designs (just like the AIS 80-200 and 200-400) which is just about as good as it get's for swift operation in critical situations. Both of them are highly underrated these days, but provide very good image quality even on digital bodies. The 28-50/3.0 is absolutely comparable to the better known 25-50/4.0, but has a slightly more pronounced field curvature.

Regards
Alex

--



carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero

=> Closeup/Macro Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/magma_photography/root
 
I had a black one that was stolen, and then I could only buy a silver one to replace it. I'm glad I did. The silver looks great on a chrome body, but a bit funny on a black body.

When my Fotodiox adapter gets here, I can't wait to put the 45mm 2.8p on my Canon 5D. That will be a strange sight.

The other beloved culty lens for me is the 35mm F2AIS and 28mm 2.8 AIS. They both have close range correction, and the 28mm is virutally a macro lens -- focusing down to about 3 inches.

--
Phil Flash
SF, CA USA

I should probably take more photographs instead of hanging around here posting.

Stuff I own in my profile.
 
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