New-Nikkor 18mm f/4

[richardHaw]

https://richardhaw.com/2025/08/02/repair-new-nikkor-18mm-f-4/ 

[Birna Rørslett]

The Nikkor 18mm f/4 is a wonderful lens and one I always lusted for as a young aspiring photographer in the '70s. Then I used it occasionally as a loaner in the non-AI first version and decided to buy it for myself as soon as possible. Which due to circumstances in life one never can control, took almost 2 decades

Richard has mentioned most of the lens characteristics already, thus I'll only add a few images of my own to illustrate other aspects of the 18/4 not generally known. The 18/4 has the ability to do ultraviolet (UV), which is most unusual for a superwide lens, and it excels in IR as well. It has no hot spot in IR, which makes it quite unique.

First, a few UV examples, taken either on Nikon D40x or D3200 with internal Baader U 'Venus' filter.

[Birna Rørslett]

Then, move over to IR. Images are just splendid in their crispness and as mentioned earlier, there is no hot spot. Examples are with D200 or D5300.

The last in this sequence is Aurora Borealis Northern Lights in Lofoten. I have never seen  this depicted in IR before.

[Birna Rørslett]

Round off my contribution by demonstrating the 18/4 Nikkor delivers also in visible light. Images are rendered with a very nice 'roundness' for lack of a better descriptor.


The first is girls at famous Karlov Most bridge in Prague, Czech republic.

The last is night lights in Dubai.

Both done on Nikon D3S.

[golunvolo]

Impressive, both of you. Thanks a lot for sharing it.

[richardHaw]

Birna do you mind me sharing these

[Birna Rørslett]

Please, do.

[richardHaw]

I have mixed feelings about this lens, it's mediocre in nearly every way but if one considers when it came out, it is clearly a masterpiece
It's not so bad

[pluton]

... it's mediocre in nearly every way but if one considers when it came out, it is clearly a masterpiece...

Aside from being a design masterpiece in its time, it is also, as an industrial design, one of nicest looking Nikkors of its era.  Looks wide...IS wide!

[richardHaw]

shared 

[bobfriedman]

Nikon D200 ,Nikkor 18mm f/4 AI, RG-715 red/blue swap
1/160s f/8.0 at 18.0mm iso200


1/250s f/8.0 at 18.0mm iso200