Interesting lenses for the Nikon ZF!

“Interesting” means different things to different people.

Examples of what may be considered interesting would be a Trioplan design that gives soap bubble bokeh, for which the cheapest option would be a TTArtisan 100mm f2.8 in M42 mount. Or a Biotar design that gives swirly bokeh, the cheapest option being one of the earlier Helios-44 version lenses, again in M42 mount. There are also a number of Lensbaby lenses with various effects, none of which I have used.

Hope this is a start…

I know that interesting means different things - I haven’t got an idea of what I’d like - so your suggestions are most welcome

KieranSQ said:

I know that interesting means different things - I haven’t got an idea of what I’d like - so your suggestions are most welcome

Click to expand...

For my Zf, you can see the lenses I have below my signature.

I'm covered with zooms from 15mmEq to 1260mmEq.
I don't own the 24-120 because the range is covered by the 18-140 on the Z30.

Interesting lenses for me as a DX zooms shooter are two:
> Wide & VeryWide lenses
> Portrait & Macro lens.>>> to use eventually with extension ring.

It ended up on a long hunt to find them staying under approx 800€ in total for both.
I finalized it yesterday. It lasted 4 months.

For a Portrait+Macro lens, I sorted these ones:

* Meike 85f1.8; >200€ the least performer in comparisons, with many good reviews
* Viltrox 85f1.8; > 350€
* Meike 85f1.4; > 600€
* Nikon 85f1.6S > 950€
* Z MC 105f2.8 S > 1050 > the serious contender

I concluded with the following result:

I choose for myself the -540grViltrox 85mm f/1.8 <337€> @rollei.com>
... instead of the -745gr MEIKE 85mm f1.4 <559€ @Az.it> a little better but

Saved 200gr and 220€ and that's not a little

NOTE >> For a lens I will use only on specific Occasions + Macro,
>>> Maybe not even 5% of all my shots,
with a cost nearly triple the sum I'm tossing, Nikon's cost is unreachable:
-460gr Nikon 85mm f1.6 z S <896€> sales prices today @Nikon.it>

VW

Besides all the above reasoning ... there is a wide lens on my bucket list!!!

At 350€ that leaves enough budget later for:

* AF 20f2.8Z Viltrox <190€> the cheapest
* AF 13mm Viltrox <450€>
* Laowa 9mm ZEROD <400$> the beautiful and maybe "the Chosen"
* Nisi 9mm ASPH Z <460$>

It will take some time to decide what to choose and that list...
.... see below for arguments:

The list contains lenses with low or no curvature:
Using the TTartisan 25F2 I discovered I hate it.

I own also a 50f2 TTartisan, it's fun to use.

That allowed me to re-discover and return to manual focus.

MF is not usable the way I shoot on too many occasions,
so, if I choose manual instead of AF this will be a lens that will be used seldom,
only in specific situations

( In the hunt I excluded all the manual lenses like Voightlander )

PS:
The Viltrox lineage:
Viltrox 35, 50, 85 f1.8 > with prices

Hope It Helps

I have both the Voigtlander 40 1.2 ZF and the 75 1.5 ZF

I wouldn't dream of using any other lens right now because I think it adds to the photo capture experience.

BUT.

Make sure you can live with manual focusing only, even though the ZF assists are amazing, there's still some work you have to put in.

The images coming out of that combo are worth it though, but not everyone will agree.

The 40 1.2 specially has somewhat of a cult following, mostly on FredMiranda.

I hope Sigma some day brings the DG DN I series to Z mount, I'd buy most of them in a heartbeat!