Nikkor AI 50mm f=1:1.4

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

This is a lens that, sharpness wise, beats the Contax/Zeiss Planar 1.4/50 and gets VERY close to the Leica Summicron-R 50:

But as you can see from the picture, the colour rendition isn't nowhere near that of German or Russian lenses.

If you shoot digital, you can correct it (at the risk of clipping important image information), but if you shoot slides, this can make a decisive difference, as you will need a denser and probably slower film in order to make up.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Thanks, Orio!

This is a conclusion which I have made several times as well.

Japanese lenses in general and Nikkors in particular (I like Nikkors a lot, you can tell!) are extremely good at detail reproduction, resolution and sharpness but there is rarely this "special" feeling about colours that Russian or German glass provides.

Something that is hard to measure and thus normally does nor show in test diagrams.

Anyway, as a lens fan who really likes German or Russian glass, I meanwhile have found quite a number of Japanese lenses that I am fascinated of - and not, or not only, because of their immense sharpness, but because of their overall performance.

Nikkor lenses tend to be the best Japanese lenses, followed by Tamron, Tomioka, Kiron, Komine and sometimes Tokina and Soligor (actually, Soligor often ordered lenses by those others).

TDN · Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 321 Location: Belgium

you forgot to mention Pentax Carsten! grrrr Twisted Evil

lol

Looks very sharp indeed. But like Carsten said, some German lenses have something special in their colour rendition that's just great. I guess it depends on the application Smile

Tom

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

revlimiter · Joined: 17 May 2007 Posts: 20 Location: New Mexico, USA

Very nice! I ebay'd one last week. I'm eager for it to arrive.

Ballu · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 4:46 pm Post subject:

Can we have different sub section for 50mm.. so that I dont have to open those threads... I have these 50mm

Canon EF 50mm f1.8
Oly 50mm f1.8
CZ Planar 50mm f1.7
Super Takumar 50mm f1.4
INDUSTAR-50-2 50mm f3.5
Industar-61 LZ MC 50mm f2.8
Pentacon 50mm f1.8 Multi Coating
Nikon Series E 50mm f1.8

And I dont want to count any 55mm and zoom covering this range...
Oly 50mm f1.4 is already in the list (if I can get really cheap).. And I am resisting adding Nikon in this list...

Although my Tak 1.4 is my one of the best buddy...

Keeping different threads will keep my life simple... Razz

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

One more 1.4, Ballu Olympus OM 50 f1.4 good as Nikkor perhaps better Smile

Ballu · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 7:54 pm Post subject:

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Sorry I was blind Smile