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The classic 105mm/f2.5

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photoholiko

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I kept this lens, 105/f2.5 for a long time but did not buy it new. It comes with 5 elements in 3 groups, with deep blue coating, it was introduced in Feb. 1959 and produced after June 1959. It was originally made for Nikon's rangefinder cameras and changed to bayonet mount to accommodate the introduction of the Nikon F. The serial numbers started with 120102 and mine has a #194281.

I have included a few sample shots I took this morning. all of them have been cropped, especially the last one. I hope I nailed the focus.



595b87c351b54674aafc75414bf9003d.jpg




c84cabd992e144b182702fd182fefdee.jpg




52ac51d416034ae49461071b1e515c75.jpg




61954ddf32814329a9cbf7d421a64fd4.jpg


Thank you.
 
photoholiko said:
I kept this lens, 105/f2.5 for a long time but did not buy it new. It comes with 5 elements in 3 groups, with deep blue coating, it was introduced in Feb. 1959 and produced after June 1959. It was originally made for Nikon's rangefinder cameras and changed to bayonet mount to accommodate the introduction of the Nikon F. The serial numbers started with 120102 and mine has a #194281.

I have included a few sample shots I took this morning. all of them have been cropped, especially the last one. I hope I nailed the focus.

595b87c351b54674aafc75414bf9003d.jpg


c84cabd992e144b182702fd182fefdee.jpg


52ac51d416034ae49461071b1e515c75.jpg


61954ddf32814329a9cbf7d421a64fd4.jpg


Thank you.
Click to expand...
Looks just splendid! Those blades came out just perfect!

--
tordseriksson (at) gmail.....
Owner of a handful of Nikon cameras. And a few lenses. DxO PhotoLab user.
WSSA #456
 
Thank you very much Tord.
 
Your lens looks very sharp and the D700 did well too. I guess my only question is why you used such a high ISO outdoors?
 
photoholiko said:
I kept this lens, 105/f2.5 for a long time but did not buy it new. It comes with 5 elements in 3 groups, with deep blue coating, it was introduced in Feb. 1959 and produced after June 1959. It was originally made for Nikon's rangefinder cameras and changed to bayonet mount to accommodate the introduction of the Nikon F. The serial numbers started with 120102 and mine has a #194281.

I have included a few sample shots I took this morning. all of them have been cropped, especially the last one. I hope I nailed the focus.

595b87c351b54674aafc75414bf9003d.jpg


c84cabd992e144b182702fd182fefdee.jpg


52ac51d416034ae49461071b1e515c75.jpg


61954ddf32814329a9cbf7d421a64fd4.jpg


Thank you.
Click to expand...
You are aware different versions/designs exist? Mine (an Ai-S) has serial number 9222xx. I should start using it on my D850, not just mu FM2n.

--
I'll play it first, and tell you what it is later
Quad 33/303/FM3/CD67, Totem Mite
 
Michiel953 said:
You are aware different versions/designs exist? Mine (an Ai-S) has serial number 9222xx. I should start using it on my D850, not just mu FM2n.
Click to expand...
Mine is a Ai with a serial number 7733xx
 
Hi,

Yep. The AI and AI-S are Gaussian. The later Pre AI were as well. The earlier Pre AI were Sonnar. I have both and the differences are subtle.

There is a detailed thread regarding these. It's worth a read.


Stan

--
Amateur Photographer
Professional Electronics Development Engineer
 
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Hi,

The main difference between AI and AI-S is the stop down rate of the aperture blades. They are inconsistent with AI lenses, and so only correct for full stops.

When Nikon popped out the FA, they added Shutter Priority and Program modes. Those need aperture stop down to be a certain rate and so the change.

With the 105/2.5, the change from Sonnar to Gauss was earlier when they still sported the Type A styling. Hence the silver v black filter ring area to differentiate.

The later Type K styling was carried over to the AI and then to the AI-S.

With the advent of AI-S, there was also a change to several models WRT the focus helicoid rate. They went to 90 degree focus throws from ones which had been longer.

What I can't recall now is if the 105/2.5 focus throw changed or not.....

I lived all this way back when. F2 for Pre-AI, FE for AI and FA for AI-S. My Pre-AI lenses mostly got their aperture rings changes out for AI ones. Nikon did offer such during the AI time prior to AI-S.

Stan
 
The ISO setting was unintentional.
 
Have the camera out as a reminder to pick up a 5 pack of Ektar 100 next time I'm at a local camera store that keeps film in stock. One of these days when I'm feeling flush enough I'll pick up an S to Z convertor to try it out on my Z7 II. Because in all those years of shooting with my F2 and later film Nikon's I never purchased a 105 in an SLR mount. Back in 1973 I purchased a used Nikkormat FS body for a whopping sum of 40 dollars and a 100mm f2.8 Tokina for another 25 dollars. Turned out that both were excellent bargains even though a bit beat up and ugly ex Press camera gear and they still function perfectly today. I'll also note that Tokina was a real stunner in terms of sharpness and the reason why I never got a 105.
 
monte12345 said:
Have the camera out as a reminder to pick up a 5 pack of Ektar 100 next time I'm at a local camera store that keeps film in stock. One of these days when I'm feeling flush enough I'll pick up an S to Z convertor to try it out on my Z7 II. Because in all those years of shooting with my F2 and later film Nikon's I never purchased a 105 in an SLR mount. Back in 1973 I purchased a used Nikkormat FS body for a whopping sum of 40 dollars and a 100mm f2.8 Tokina for another 25 dollars. Turned out that both were excellent bargains even though a bit beat up and ugly ex Press camera gear and they still function perfectly today. I'll also note that Tokina was a real stunner in terms of sharpness and the reason why I never got a 105.
Click to expand...
Are you sure about that Tokina? I'm somewhat interested in these older lenses, and according to my sources, Tokina never made a manual focus 2.8/100 prime lens. They later made 2.8/100 AF macro lenses, but in the early 70s, the closest I could find was the 2.8/135 SL.

Do you still have the lens?

- Chris
 
That's the problem with aging, you get the "C's", as in CRS, CSS, and CHS. I decided to get that old lens out and test it on my Z7 II along with my 135mm f3.5 Nikkor and will get that done today if time permits.
 
I bought one of these around six years ago and found it mediocre at best. It was a tad soft wide open and the rendering was acceptable, but nothing to go crazy over.

So I sold it and tried a 2nd one, which was a bit sharper, but otherwise just "okay."

These days, with modern Z glass, it's rather tough for me to get excited with this aging stuff. We're in a new era of lens design with exotic performance available like never before. We can call these "character lenses" but that's really just a kind way of describing design weaknesses back in the day.

Great glass does not (IMHO) force "character" on an image. Ideally it provides the clearest window and view for the vision and composition of the artist. Following that initial capture, said artist can work whatever magic he/she wishes in the PP process.

Those are my thoughts!

Robert
 
MrHollywood said:
I bought one of these around six years ago and found it mediocre at best. It was a tad soft wide open and the rendering was acceptable, but nothing to go crazy over.

So I sold it and tried a 2nd one, which was a bit sharper, but otherwise just "okay."

These days, with modern Z glass, it's rather tough for me to get excited with this aging stuff. We're in a new era of lens design with exotic performance available like never before. We can call these "character lenses" but that's really just a kind way of describing design weaknesses back in the day.

Great glass does not (IMHO) force "character" on an image. Ideally it provides the clearest window and view for the vision and composition of the artist. Following that initial capture, said artist can work whatever magic he/she wishes in the PP process.

Those are my thoughts!

Robert
Click to expand...
It all depends on what you aim for in an image. That may be sharpness etc, and it may be other things. I wouldn't use the word "character" in what I aim for in an image, but it could be "mood" though.

50/1.2 Ai-S @f1.2 (haziness, design weaknesses!), admittedly on Double-X 5222 @400 ISO:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/67998418?image=0

--
I'll play it first, and tell you what it is later
Quad 33/303/FM3/CD67, Totem Mite
 
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Old memories are sometimes clouded by time. Turns out the Vivitar was pretty soft wide open but stop it down to f5.6 and it sharpens up nicely and it's still quite good at f16. Back when I was using this lens I was sort of hooked into the f64 group methodology so so much of my shooting was at f11 or f16. I also didn't make prints larger than 16x20 because the paper was so expensive for this then college student. On the plus side the photo lab was open to any current or former student and the 4x5 cameras (3) could be checked out if one was available. Tripods for those cameras were massive white oak and had to be 25 lbs. or a bit more.

Anyhow the 135 f3.5 is soft wide open but cleans up quite well at f5.6 and f8 is the sweet spot. My Vivitar will be going back into it's closet, I have a 105mm MC AF Nikkor that is truly near perfect. However that Vivitar may come out of hiding on occasion because it's softness and reduced contrast wide open makes it a lovely lens for Portraits.
 
I have the 105/2.5 P.C. Auto, produced around the time I graduated from high school, just ahead of the Ai version. A lovely lens with a smooth focus, very sharp across the frame, and balances nicely on my D850. I plan on keeping it indefinitely.
 
Here is a pic of my 105 AI mounted on my Z9 via a F-M adapter and a TechArt Pro TZM-02.



72783fc741a54f1fa674c572d9d1e523.jpg


The AF works very well. The throw is a bit limited so you adjust the lens to infinity before starting to shoot. You will get every type of AF that the Z9 offers, which should be enough for most people, and you can focus manually if you insist.

The electrical connections go from the camera to the TZM-02 but no further so you shoot in stop-down mode. In any case I usually shoot manual with auto-ISO so it is no problem.

I much prefer the 105 AI to the 105 MC for the Z mount for portrait purposes (along with my 58) YMMV.
 
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