In the 1970s Nikon was comparably busy releasing f/1.2 F-mount lenses and the last of them was this Nikon Nikkor 50mm 1.2, first released in 1978. I already reviewed the first f/1.2 F-mount lens, the Nikon 55mm 1.2 from 1965, and also the famous and rare 58mm 1.2 Noct-Nikkor from 1977, so today we will have a look at a late sample of this Nikon Nikkor 50mm 1.2 Ai-s.
At the beginning of the 1990s Nikon released two special portrait lenses featuring a “Defocus Control” mechanism, which allows you to make the bokeh smoother or harsher. This Nikon AF-D 135mm 2.0 DC is the longer of the two DC lenses and in this review I will tell you how it works and if it is still a useful portrait lens today.
Zeiss Jena designed the first Pancolar 50mm with a maximum aperture of f/2 in 1960, partly to offer a faster and better-performing alternative to the Tessar 50mm f/2.8. As competitors began designing and releasing standard 50mm lenses with f/1.8 apertures, Zeiss found it necessary to respond with a lens of similar specification. The result was the Pancolar 50mm f/1.8, which was designed and produced starting in 1964. It was considered one of the best lenses of its era and remains quite popular today. When this lens was around, I was using Japanese cameras and lenses, so I’ve often wondered whether it was better than what I had. Let’s see how it actually performs by modern standards.
I tested this lens on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf)
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.
Continue reading REVIEW: Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm f/1.8 MC
For 36 years this Nikon Nikkor 105mm 1.8 Ai-S has been the fastest 105mm photography lens. Despite its fast maximum aperture it is made of only five elements, can that actually be enough for appealing image quality? Let’s try to find out in this review.
About a year after the release of the Zeiss Otus 28mm 1.4 Distagon – to the surprise of many – Zeiss released this Zeiss Milvus 25mm 1.4 Distagon. Almost as complex optical design, almost as big, almost as heavy, but “only” half the price – making it the most expensive lens of the Milvus lineup. What are you giving up in terms of performance compared to the 28mm Otus? Let’s try to find out in this review.
