Help me choose a good 100mm

Ivan Lee · Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:01 am Post subject: Help me choose a good 100mm

I have an excelent Minolta Rokkor f/2.5, it's almost perfect, it's very sharp straight from wide-open, but its aperture blades give a very acentuated hexagonal bokeh.

What 100mm lens will give a more "rounded" stoped-down bokeh?

Minolta 100mm wide-open:

at f/4, look at the strong hexagonal bokeh.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing... but I would like to have another option, like a more rounded f/4 and f/5.6 apertures.

thanks!

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7554 Location: Hong Kong

Meyer 100mm F2.8 Trioplan. Wink

RioRico · Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:47 am Post subject:

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

aoleg · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 1389 Location: Berlin, DE

Nikkor 105/2.5 in Ai or "K" designations has rounded aperture blades producing smooth and round bokeh at f/2.5 to f/4. Otherwise, a very old Tokina made 105/2.8 (can be labeled Hanimex, Prinz Galaxy or whatever) has 10 or more blades, producing very round highlights. That lens is not overly sharp though Smile

I say, the Nikkor is your best bet.

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

I have an Aetna 100/2.5 with a lovely round preset iris. Lens was also available as a Mayfair Sankor. The lens is nice and sharp from f4 and has lovely bokeh Smile

integrale · Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 136 Location: Denmark

I recently acquired a mint Leica APO-Macro-Elmarit-R 100/2.8 - it has a very pleasing, creamy bokeh:

#1

#2

poilu · Expire: 2019-08-29

Nikos · Expire: 2015-01-02

djmike · Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 930 Location: Taiwan

Zeeke · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 174 Location: Sweden

Myer-Optik G�rlitz Orestor 2.8/100
A small Juwel often at a good price....

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Arkku · Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 1416 Location: Helsinki, Finland

Any Meyer 100mm f/2.8 with many aperture blades is indeed a good choice. The Trioplan has very busy bokeh wide open, but stopped down it actually becomes quite smooth.

One lens with smooth creamy bokeh is the Sankyo Kohki Komura 105mm f/2.5, but it may be difficult to find. (The bokeh is also somewhat swirly at wide apertures, despite being smooth.)

james · Expire: 2011-12-28

The Nikkor 105/2.5 AI gets my vote for inexpensive and legendary.

Kathmandu · Expire: 2012-04-08

Its not exacktly 100mm but I find the bokeh appealing and the sharpness sweet. The lens is short , can be bought cheaply if you find it.

Boomer Depp · Expire: 2011-12-04

Zeeke · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 174 Location: Sweden

Pentax K-x and Orestor 2.8/100

FernandoB12 · Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:14 pm Post subject:

My Nikkor P.C 105 2.5 has a great bokeh.

Arctures · Joined: 10 Jul 2009 Posts: 295

Guys who can shed a light on what are the IQ/bokeh differences between 105mm Nikkors? Who is the champ 105mm Nikkor? There are plenty of 105mm Nikkors around and I cannot define which one to catch.

Boomer Depp · Expire: 2011-12-04

In manual focus lenses the Photodo site,testing showed the Nikkor 105mm f1.8 AI-S to be just a dad sharper wide open and stopped down a few stops(but hardly enough to be noticable) then the (large rear element Gauss) Nikkor 105mm f2.5 AI-S (from f4-5.6 on the 2.5 is sharper)next the Nikon 100mm f2.8 E.followed by the (small rear element Sonnar) Nikkor 105mm f2.5 non-AI.....the Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8 does quite well at infinity,but not quite as sharp for macro and closeups.All of these lenses have pleasing bokeh.

I have all the lenses above(except the Micro-Nikkor which I sold last year) and they show the same.

Bj�rn R�rslett & David Ruether rate the lenses about the same,but both rate the 2.5 AI-S higher then the 1.8 AI-S.....

http://web.archive.org/web/20031009001142/www.ferrario.com/ruether/slemn.html

http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I also rate 105mm f2.5 AIS above any other 105mm Nikkor lenses.

aoleg · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 1389 Location: Berlin, DE

Boomer Depp · Expire: 2011-12-04

For the sake of comparison,I've known many who prefer the Sonnar(small rear element silver nose) over the the later modified double-Gauss for portrait work.By the same token,there are those who who prefer the F,C,K and AI versions for the curved aperture blades and the HS-8 lens hood rather then the smaller pull out hood of the AI-S.I also know many who prefer 'agonal bokeh highlights at times versus round or egg-shapped highlights....then you get the camp that says the AI-S versions have the best lens coating and think the micro-contrast is better.

I never jumped on the thread about the discussion of Nikon's use of the trademark name Xenotar (the Schneider licensed name for their modification of the double-Gauss) in a thread here last fall,I didn't want to muddy the waters even more.There are those who feel the Xenotar reference on the Nikkor site is a misnomer....http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/technology/nikkor/n05_e.htm.....

You can look around the net for discussions on this....in this interesting discussion the Planar is initially the topic discussed,further along the Xenotar is discussed....http://photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00WRWn?start=0....

"Xenotar is a Schneider trademark.There are some Xenotar and Planars(Zeiss trademark) that are almost identical in design;ie both double Gauss types;with slightly different design tweaks; glass types; spacings; elements"....

"In the Nikon Schools they called the new 105mm a Gauss type lens. Typically vendors prefer to call their products by the design; and NOT another"s trademark of a competitor; ie Planar or Xenotar"....

"There are Xenotars and Planars that look like they are exact clones; and ones that look a lot different; ie glaring; ie one extra element. Thus dwelling on whether x-brand 80mm F2.8 is a Planar or Xenotar is absurd from an Engineering standpoint; since neither Planar nor Xenotar has an exact definition.....

"In lens design programs optical engineers use,there are examples of old designs one can play with. Most of the time the patent number; name of the lens and guy who designed it are right there; plus reference that the name is a trademark

"It is really poor practice for a Nikon article to use another's brand name like it is generic; Schneider could do this too and try to make Nikons trade-names generic. Smile

The article should at least mention that Xenotar is a Schneider name; ie gain some professionalism. In the old days with editors one could not publish stuff without real references; today it is common.

Personally I think each lens has it's own particular character and all are capable lenses for their intended use.

Nikkor 105mm f2.5 AI-S @ f2.8

hexi · Expire: 2011-11-18

Some fine lenses here

i'd like to know if some of you have the Olympus 100mm 2.8 and what's their opinions on that one, cos i plan to buy one; thanx

sorry for the thread stealing Wink

indianadinos · Expire: 2011-12-05

What about an SMC Takumar 105/2.8 ?

The lens ...

At f/4:

At f/5.6:

Cheers