Author Topic: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S  (Read 4287 times)

Zang

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 630
  • You ARE NikonGear
Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« on: November 29, 2022, 14:20:09 »
Last night, I decided to overhaul my 85mm f2. This time, I started doing in dark, meaning doing no research upfront. Surprisingly, the lens is pretty easy for guesswork. After opening the back and some assessment, you'll know already how to work with the lens. I like its clear and simple design. My lens actually does not require cleaning, it is just me getting bored :)

Zang

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 630
  • You ARE NikonGear
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2022, 14:33:52 »
Updates: even though, the lens did not have signs for cleaning need, it got a few benefits from doing so:

- I found oil in a few places where I do not expect it to be (like under the focus scale ring, chrome ring and more).
- Focusing is a bit smoother now.
- I bent the aperture click metal sheet (not sure how to call it properly) to adjust the aperture ring movement to my taste.
- I could thoroughly wash the focusing rubber without a need of removing it from the ring.

Like many other primes, I did not have chances to use 85/2 a lot. Here is a few test shots after the lens was assembled.

Roland Vink

  • NG Supporter
  • **
  • Posts: 1523
  • Nikon Nerd from New Zealand
    • Nikon Database
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2022, 21:58:04 »
The AIS 85/2 was one of the first Nikkors I bought. It was a second hand lens but like new. This was in the 1990s when people were upgrading to AF cameras and lenses. It had a tight spot in the focus range so I had it serviced, after that it was and remains one of the smoothest focusing lenses I own. At first the focal length felt odd to me, after using a standard 50mm lens the narrower field of view felt very restrictive, but I have come to appreciate and love short telephoto lenses.

Optically this lens is very good. The AI version has the same optics and some reviewers say it has low contrast, designed to be more flattering for portraiture but less good for general photography. Maybe Nikon changed the coatings with the AIS version as I find the contrast and colour rendition the same other Nikkors from the same era. I remember being impressed at how sharp it is even wide open, it is probably the first lens I had that I was comfortable shooting at full aperture, although I usually stop down a little. Compared to my AI 105/2.5 the entrance pupil is almost identical to the so it has the same ability to throw backgrounds out of focus, but with a wider field of view. The background rendition is not quite as smooth and with straight-edge aperture blades the bokeh is not as quite as rounded as the 105/2.5, but it still a good portrait lens. The shorter focal length combined with the 2/3 stop faster aperture means it has a one-stop advantage when shooting hand-held in low light. It's an amazingly compact lens, much smaller than the previous pre-AI 85/1.8 version and the AF lenses which came later. Outwardly, I think it is a very well proportioned lens, one of the more attractive-looking lenses in my kit.

I haven't used this lens much recently but I still have a soft spot for it. It has only minor deficiencies - the straight-edge aperture ring (which produce wonderful diffraction stars) and slightly harder background rendition, and it would be nice if it focused a little closer than 0.85m. I'm sure modern lenses with newer coatings and ED glass would be clinically sharper, but it is still capable of producing great images.

Zang

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 630
  • You ARE NikonGear
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2022, 02:24:16 »
Thank you Roland for sharing your story and I am glad you like the lens. For long time, I was reluctant to buy this after reading Bjorn's average rating for the lens. I then found a fresh looking copy for 150 CAD about 5 years ago and decided to give it a try and I immediately fell in love with it. My impression was exactly like yours. I like the look, the size, the angle of view and I found the lens good enough wide open.

Checking again, mine is AI but not AI-S :)

MEPER

  • NG Supporter
  • **
  • Posts: 1051
  • You ARE NikonGear
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2022, 08:11:23 »
The 50/1.7 Rokkor may also be a nice lens on a Nikon Z body?

I made a test many years ago where I short 85/2, 85/1.8 HC, 80/2.8, AF 85/1.4D at same target and could not see any lack of performance using the 85/2. But I have never used it in the field.
In the field I have always used the 85/1.8 HC which I like very much. I have special feelings for that lens. Maybe I should try it on my Z-body!

Zang

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 630
  • You ARE NikonGear
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2022, 21:24:41 »
I tried the Rokkor. It is OK but nothing stands out.

Snoogly

  • NG Supporter
  • **
  • Posts: 595
  • Flipping the bird
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2022, 04:54:19 »
A recent comparison

https://youtu.be/fC_vQe3q0dE
***************
Richard Hawking (not Richard Haw!), in Tokyo

Zang

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 630
  • You ARE NikonGear
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2022, 18:36:58 »

Snoogly

  • NG Supporter
  • **
  • Posts: 595
  • Flipping the bird
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #8 on: December 02, 2022, 20:39:41 »
Not me!
***************
Richard Hawking (not Richard Haw!), in Tokyo

MEPER

  • NG Supporter
  • **
  • Posts: 1051
  • You ARE NikonGear
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #9 on: December 02, 2022, 23:58:25 »
It is very easy to hear that the reviewer is Danish :-)
The English "accent" is very "Danish".

It could be interesting to know if AI-lens was focused for the corners or it was focused for the center when looking at the corners. Often these vintage nikkors is not 100% flat field at close distances?

Regarding focus breathing I watched a video about a very expensive lens for movie camera. They solved it by implementing a small zoom. So, when focusing the lens also zoomed a bit to compensate for the breathing.
Is there another way to solve this?

Zang

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 630
  • You ARE NikonGear
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2022, 00:43:09 »
Not me!

:D I was hopping to see/hear a real NG member :D

Zang

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 630
  • You ARE NikonGear
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #11 on: December 03, 2022, 00:48:14 »
It is very easy to hear that the reviewer is Danish :-)
The English "accent" is very "Danish".

It could be interesting to know if AI-lens was focused for the corners or it was focused for the center when looking at the corners. Often these vintage nikkors is not 100% flat field at close distances?

Regarding focus breathing I watched a video about a very expensive lens for movie camera. They solved it by implementing a small zoom. So, when focusing the lens also zoomed a bit to compensate for the breathing.
Is there another way to solve this?

:D I have Vietnamese background but my English accent is actually Polish :D

That zooming in those movie lenses is kind of cheating! I heard about a similar story for constant aperture where they actually change the pupil during zomoing.

Roland Vink

  • NG Supporter
  • **
  • Posts: 1523
  • Nikon Nerd from New Zealand
    • Nikon Database
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2022, 00:54:54 »
Regarding focus breathing I watched a video about a very expensive lens for movie camera. They solved it by implementing a small zoom. So, when focusing the lens also zoomed a bit to compensate for the breathing.
Is there another way to solve this?
When unit-focusing lenses like the AI 85/2 are focused close the entire optical unit moves away from the image plane, the projected image enlarges (breaths) and the field of view narrows in proportion to the distance the lens is extended. To prevent focus breathing, the focal length needs to reduce as the lens focuses closer so the field of view remains constant. Internal focusing on many lenses has the side-effect of reducing the focal length when focusing closer, so I imagine the focus breathing is also reduced.

MEPER

  • NG Supporter
  • **
  • Posts: 1051
  • You ARE NikonGear
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #13 on: December 05, 2022, 08:28:02 »
Yes, the 50/1.8 S has not much focus breathing, and this is a lens using internal focusing. But 85/1.8 S which also has internal focusing was reported to have as much focus breathing as the AI 85/2?
Do you think 50/1.8 S zooms a bit to avoid much breathing?

Hans_S

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 428
  • Melbourne, Australia
Re: Thoughts on Nikkor 85mm f2 AI-S
« Reply #14 on: December 10, 2022, 11:58:16 »
Zang, you have convinced my to get my AI version out of storage. Here's last nights misty moon...
Hans Schepers