Nikkor-P 105mm f/2.5

[etorix]

Right .. ive never had one of these, the legendary 105mm 2.5, any vintage, any type, none of em

but now this thread is intended to attract one to me automagically

[Ray Parkhurst]

My personal favorite is the P.C. version, which is a late F mount with multicoating. I had a factory-AI'd one years ago but needed to sell it, and finally found a nice replacement recently after a year of searching. One of my favorite lenses of all time.

Ray

[luisalegria]

Common, not expensive, well known so easy to resell.
Buy one and try it, resell if it doesn't suit you.
Buying one is more like a rental with a deposit, for this class of lens.
Buy it at a reasonable price and you will get your money back.
I've had three or four over the years and still have one.
Not being a Nikon guy I don't really have a reason to hold on to it but what the heck.

[etorix]

i'm actually looking at the rangefinder versions too ..

but first i may go for an affordable one in reasonable nick, but with nasty scratches on the front element .. good condition otherwise

which i'm fairly sure should work ok with the india ink trick ..

[rudolfkremers]

I have this lens and its stunning. I actually used it a lot for portraits. (I can't show them here a they are of my children, and we keep their photos private)

I think I may have posted other stuff with this lens in the past though...

Ah yes:

Here
and
Here

Some samples:

[etorix]

[araucaria]

The lens is a classic and you can't go wrong with any of the versions.

[etorix]

aargh, got sniped last minute on a silvernose

irritating

but nevermind, theres a lot of these about

[clockwork247]

[Ray Parkhurst]

[luisalegria]

On US eBay at least there are lots of the old non-AI going for under $100
Just have to look a bit I think.

[uhoh7]

RF and pre-1970 versions are a totally different lens and a the RF is lot more expensive:

DSC00169 by unoh7, on Flickr

"The same formula (1953 10.5cm f/2.5) has been replicated to the F-mount version until another Nikon optical designer, SHIMIZU, Yoshiyuki revised the design for the version that was appeared in the early '70. The original 105/2.5 has a Gauss design following the Carl Zeiss Sonnar optical principle (5E/3G). The revised model in '70 was using slightly different German's Schneider Xenotar (5E/4G) optical formula."

" How this Nikkor-P telephoto lens evolved itself from here:- Both the Nikkor-P 105/2.5 and Nikkor-T 105/4.0 telephoto lenses had been replicated into F-mount version for the Nikon F/Nikkormat SLRs between 1959/1960. In 1970, the Nikkor-P was started to use a new scallop focusing ring design. The version appeared in 1973 was the work of Mr. SHIMIZU, Yoshiyuki where the traditional 5E/3G was first changed to a new formula of 5E/4G formation. The Pre-Ai version in 1975 with the same revised optical design has use a new hard-rubberised covering. The Ai version of the same lens was introduced in 1977 which was followed by the Ai-S 105/2.5 model in 1981."

from MIR

For pure performance, if mount is OK for you, I would choose the AIS verison. This lens is still pretty cheap since many many were made.

Ken Rockwell claims the 105/1.8 is sharper, it may be true.

Most valuable of all 105/2.5 would be a LTM version in good shape. That would go easily for 500USD or more.

I have both a Nikon and Contax mount 10.5CM RF version. I should use them more, but they are really heavy, and the external mount is a real pain.

VERY sexy though LOL


DSC05920 by unoh7, on Flickr

[uhoh7]

Here's the contax mount WO

a7r_nikkor_105mm_RF by unoh7, on Flickr

and around f/8:

DSC01984 by unoh7, on Flickr

on A7r

[etorix]

WO .. Contax mount 10.5CM RF version .. thats obscure for sure

seems works well too, from the sample shots

[uhoh7]

[etorix]

cool. nice to see ..

[Ray Parkhurst]

[etorix]

hmm .. when i was looking at available 105s a few months ago there were several RF models that i both 'liked' and could afford

not so atm, not sure why

i was kinda concerned to get one with 'character' or so, i was also seriously looking at an example with nasty scratches to the front element

which could usefully be filled with Indian Ink .. metal-focussing-ring but all-black, worth a punt at the price

today i'm seriously looking at one in Japan, rubber focussing-ring, dates to late 70s near as i can see, i kinda 'like' it

and its actually not that much more to buy than the scratched-up one

good caps


front seems ok


as does rear .. not a lot of wear

[Ray Parkhurst]

Kind of looks like a bit of fungus or separation on the edges of rear elements?

[etorix]

hmm .. not according to sellers' dsecription

[Ray Parkhurst]

[etorix]

hmm .. the seller is a fairly hi-end shop in Osaka, Japan

i'm not paying top price, as they go, i imagine this is for a reason

quite what that reason is exactly should become apparent after it arrives

me i just hope it has the good sharp

my next lens-target after this will prolly be a Micro-Nikkor 105mm 2.8

dunno tho, i just watched a Nikkor 20mm 3.5 auction .. wondering how it would work/perform on M43

tho actually the Lumix 20mm would be neater

[uhoh7]

such a lens, perfect, should easily be found for 130USD

[etorix]

[Ray Parkhurst]