As a ‘Techie’, I have a huge interest in my photographic equipment. I like the old lenses and have had many of them for a long time. I have added CPUs to my manual focus lenses so they will work with the most modern digitals cameras. After lots of buying and selling, here is a list of my favorite cameras and lenses.
Cameras – My main choice in digital cameras
Nikon Df – Nikon released the Df as a retro style camera. In addition to the manual control dials and buttons, it is able to mount and shoot with the oldest Non-AI Nikon lenses. The sensor is from the Nikon D4 and still is a favorite of wedding and event photographers. This is my normal carry around camera and probably most of my photos are made with it.
Nikon D850 – This is Nikon’s latest and greatest 48mp DSLR camera. It works great with my telephoto lenses and unlike other DSLR cameras, the sensor can shoot long exposures without a cooldown period. It is one of the best cameras for shooting fireworks. I use this camera for Airshows, Sporting events, Motorsports, sunsets, celestial events and fireworks. It is large to carry around.
Ricoh GR iii – My pocket camera. The GR iii is no bigger than a common point and shoot but has a DX size sensor and a high quality 28mm equivalent lens. I carry this camera in my pocket and is handy when I don’t want to carry a large camera kit. The Ricoh GR iii has its own cult following and is a favorite of street photographers. When I go out at night, I have mine setup in “Stealth” mode with no screen display, absolutely no lights and no sound. I can sneak photos and no one even notices.l Focus Lenses – “If you want the vintage look, you need to use vintage lenses”
Nikon Z50 full spectrum converted – I have converted a few cameras to full spectrum by removing the infrared filter from the sensor. The Z50 is a very good camera for this conversion and I usually just use the kit lens. My two choices of filters are the IR Chrome from Kolari which produces a good Aerchrome emulation and an 850nm filter that produces awesome B&W infrared photos.
Nikon 58 F1.2 Noct – Probably the most sought after manual focus Nikon lens. It was designed by Nikon for NASA and has hand ground elements. It was expensive when I bought it and today it is worth way more than I paid for it. It is meant for low light photography and is sharp when shot wide open. Most other lenses, even new lenses are not as sharp when wide open.
Nikkor S 5.8 cm, F 1.4 – This lens was made in 1962 and was the first fast aperture lens from Nikon. The 5.8 cm focal length was chosen over the standard 5 cm because the large rear element would be too far back and interfere with the shutter. The lens was Non-AI but mine had a professional AI conversion done and I added a CPU so it works with my modern digital cameras. This lens is not as sharp wide open as the Noct but it has the great vintage look.
Nikkor 105 mm 2.5 Sonnar and Gaussen types – I have both types. The Nikkor 105 2.5 is an all time favorite portrait lens and it is also a nice carry around short telephoto for landscape and travel. The Gaussen type is newer and has a little better performance. I usually carry the Gaussen type in my bag but if I was only shooting portraits, I would choose the Sonnar lens. Both lenses are AI and have CPUs added.
Nikon 35 mm O. C. F 2 – This is probably one of the best 35 mm lens made by Nikon. This was the common wide angle lens used during the film era. Makes a nice walk around lens for my Df. The CPU has been added.
Nikon 35 mm F 1.4 AIS – While not as good as the Noct wide open, this is quite nice as a fast 35 mm. I usually carry this if I know I am going to be out at night. This was one of the most difficult lenses to add the CPU as it required cutting of the lens baffle.
Nikon 20 mm F 3.5 – This is a great super wide carry lens. There are better 20s from Nikon but this one is nice and small. Easy to keep in the bag. The CPU has been added and it is an AI lens.
Nikkor UD 20 mm F 3.5 – This is my favorite Nikon 20 and has a nice vintage look with beautiful color rendering. It is on the larger side so I don’t usually carry it in my bag. I was able to find and AI kit to update mine and I added the CPU.
Nikkor 200 mm F 4 – Years ago, this was your only choice in long telephoto lenses. They are found cheap on the auctions. I think I paid $40 for mine at a camera shop. Many are already AI and easy to add a CPU. The photos it makes are quite nice. I don’t usually carry this because I have telephotos in my AF kit.
Auto Focus Lenses – While I love my vintage lenses, sometimes you need the most modern equipment.
Nikon 500 mm F 5.6 AFS PF VR – This is my latest addition. The PF stands for Phase Fresnel (pronounced ‘Frennel’) and is a special lens design that allows the 500 mm lens to be not much bigger than my 70-200 zoom. I bought this lens for air shows, races, wildlife and other events. Unfortunately since COVID, there have been no air shows and other events. Hopefully as they come back, I will get lots of use out of this lens.
Nikon 300 mm F 4 AFS PF VR – Nikon made this before the 500 PF and I have had mine for several years. The 300 F 4 was always my ‘go to’ telephoto and the 300 PF is even smaller than my 70-200. I have used it for air shows and sporting events. It works great with the TC-14 teleconverter and makes an easy combination to carry around. The AFS means that the focus motor is inside the lens and controlled electronically. It is very fast to focus.
Nikon 70-200 mm F 2.8 VR II – The 70-200 zoom is a ‘must have’ for most photographers. I have the second generation Nikon. The latest release does not have anything more than my VR II. Having the 2.8 aperture allows the lens to have that awesome out of focus background that is great for portraits.
Nikon 85 mm F 1.4 AF – I bought this lens new many years ago. Nikon has released a newer version but I am happy with the AF. The forums always called this “the Cream Machine” because of the beautiful rendering of the out of focus background (Bokeh). This is also a very good night time hand held photography lens.
Nikon 28 mm F 1.4 AFD – Another specialty lens made by Nikon. This lens has aspherical ground elements and is made to be shot wide open. Night time and low light photography are fun with this lens. I believe this and the 58 mm F 1.2 Noct are the two finest lenses Nikon ever made.
Nikon 18 mm F 2.8 AFD Super Wide – This lens gets mixed reviews. I think because the original price was so high when it was new but they are much more reasonable on the used market. I think this is an awesome Super Wide lens and works great on my D850. It is only 2 mm wider than the 20 but that is a huge difference on a wide angle.
Nikon TC – 14E and TC – 20E – These are teleconverters that extend my telephoto lenses. These are matched to my newer lenses. The TC – 14E on my 300 F4 gives me 420 mm at F 5.6 and I often use this combination for air shows. I used the TC – 20E on my 300 F4 to get the pictures of the solar eclipse in 2017. I still had to do a little cropping but still got great images. I have not had a good opportunity to use them on my 500 PF but looking forward to seeing the results.
Nikon 70-300 mm F 4.5-5.6 AF – I got this lens for $50 at auction. I love it for fireworks and because I shoot at F 11 or above, the wider aperture is not important. The main reason I like this lens is ‘Sunstars’. Sunstars are the star shaped flare around bright points of light. Most modern lenses have rounded aperture blades to reduce the Sunstar effect. Why? If you want great looking Sunstars in your night photos, you need to use a vintage lens like the 70-300 AF.