I agree on the EL-Nikkors. They are 6-lens designs and they have excellent performance for macro use.
Back in the days those lenses were quite expensive but today quite cheap.
The Componon-S enlarger lenses also very nice.

Use the HE* compression for minimal quality loss (some file size savings) or HE for slightly more quality loss with further reduction in file size. I think with the latter the camera will do fine with the XQD cards you have, especially if you are not used to shooting at max frame rate indiscriminantly.

If you want to shoot lossless compressed then you may run into some buffer issues if you shoot long bursts at high frame rates. If you use short bursts with short breaks then it probably doesn't become a limitation. I would personally recommend HE* for your situation.

CFexpress cards are very fast but tend to get hot and slow down in case the temperature gets too high, so to get the best extended performance you need to get specific types of CFexpress cards that run particularly cool (Delkin Black is one such example, Prograde Digital's Cobalt is also good, though discontinued / replaced by Iridium).

XQD cards typically don't get hot, so they're very steady. I have Sony XQD and not Lexar myself, but Micron/Lexar had a very good reputation (today's Lexar brand is owned by another company and may be different).

   Agree with every point above. I have gotten a prograde CFexpress because I do shot video here and there too but for dancers, with HE* and 10 fps I have never had a problem with the XQD.

   Another point is the downloading time with CFexpress are way faster if you care about that.

The AI and AI-S 105/4 micro have the same optics as the Bellows-Nikkor 105mm, and they are multicoated. You lose the ability to mount it on a bellows if you need tilt/shift functions, but the micro lenses give you the automatic aperture, a focus ring (infinity to 1:2) and a built-in hood. They are nicely built lenses.

The Medical 120 is an interesting optical design, and despite the short-coming introduced by the lack of an independent aperture ring, is capable of delivering quite excellent results.

My sample has decoupled the internal linkage between focus and aperture, and a CPU added. Thus I can set aperture from the camera, making the lens much more versatile. Usually I don't bother about the internal flash as this actually complicates the matter when aperture is independent.

Decoupling the aperture ring and adding a CPU has lately interested me more and more as the practical realities of 21st century digital photography have greatly outweighed my concerns for a post-apocalyptic world in which only analogue cameras would survive. Which in any case would be well served by my F bodies and old Nikkors. Still, I am, or rather was, reticent about irreversibly "converting" such a good lens. Indeed I even considered adding (came to me in a dream as I rarely drink) an aperture ring after doing all the perfunctory decoupling jazz. (About that not drinking...) Surely, I'm a stickler for punishment if not unnecessary grief and effort. But more to the point, the practical utility of this lens - and I have enjoyed using it - have me thinking this is the season to act. So, suitable CPU hunting I go!?

Hi guys,

I have been dealing with a stain on a glass element of Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 (Please see the pictures). I have tried all the cleaning methods I know without luck. Do you guys know what this is and how to clean it off?

Cheers,
Zang

Judging from a careful examination of the photograph you provided, it appears the lens has more condition problems than a mere insult to the outer element coating would suggest. Being that the Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 can be readily found on the used market in North America and for well under $100USD [re eBay], acquiring a good/excellent used copy might be the best way to go. Of course, if money is a factor - and when isn't it? - or you just can't see yourself discarding the lens without at least attempting to salvage it - something I'm guilty of - then you have to ask yourself: What effect has the coating damage on my images? I had spots on the outer element of a 35-70mm 2.8D that had absolutely no effect on my images - but drove me batty just because they were there! (The spots were attributed to pollen projectiles hitting the unfiltered lens at high velocity, long before I purchased it used for $30.) Years later, when time and constant, near-daily, use necessitated an overhaul after a cam or bushing came loose, the good people at Nikon USA unexpectedly replaced the entire lens group for me for the price of the already agreed upon lens repair and routine cleaning. And I asked them to "just fix the zoom problem".