A country walk with the 43-86mm Ai

[Ian R]

I don't think this lens has been mentioned here on NG, and I know the earlier version was not very good (I can attest to that), but seeing a later Ai version for sale I thought I would give it a try. These late 70's and early 80's Nikkors really were superbly built and take hard use well. Modern lenses do suffer with use but everything in the older lenses runs on grease and tight tolerances. Due to the passing of time we are able to have these older lenses as a choice - a nice choice too.

I found the 43-86 easy to focus and use, there is no zoom creep or undue bad behaviour. As to image quality, it does like to be stopped down then it is up there with other lenses, wide open it is a bit hazy (some may like that though). I used a hood to prevent flare. My father has one too and he very much enjoys his example too. I was wondering if a modern AF equivalent may be possible and popular today. Maybe start from 40mm but keep the 86mm and constant f3.5 aperture? I do know the Series E 36-72 replaced this lens in the line-up. I used a D750 for this set and this is near Drayton Beuchamp.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The build quality of the later  43-86 Nikkors is hard to resist, so it's easy to gloss over the weaknesses of the optics. However, low contrast comes in quite handy at times if you are aware of the characteristic, and provide the 43-86 is stopped down to f/8-f/11 the images can be quite sharp as well.

I kept an early version just to have a benchmark, and CPU-modified a late 43-86 instead to use mainly for IR photography. In fact, its performance in IR is noticably better than for ordinary photography in visible light.

The long near distance can be overcome by adding a short extension tube.

[Frank Fremerey]

#145 is adorable, like a quote from a VanGogh painting with a post ironic frame of leaves in old Roman style

#148 is in pefect balance, the two blue figures are just in the cradling spot of the frame.

I do not understand the other three, but my eyes are not you eyes.

[FredCrowBear]

I bought a AI 43-86 in Hong Kong in 1981 and used it extensively in the 1980s (all over Asia and Europe).  It was the only zoom I could afford at the time.  Although it may not be the best lens optically, I loved using it because of the creative opportunities it offered (compared to a 50mm prime).  I shot a lot of photos with that lens, and the quality of most of those photos were limited by talent and not by the optics!  But I enjoyed taking every photo. 

[Ian R]

Thanks for the comments and input. I do think that I will be using this lens more in the future - as Bjorn says, just because it is so nice to use. That counts for a lot as if the lens is hard to use in any way then you have that to contend with before you even get to taking the photo.

Frank, some photos were personal - you are right there. For the upright ones, each one represents a point where I chose what route to take, and you can see the path leading away in both cases. As the choice at that time will change the whole aspect of the walk and what I will see on it, those points are quite significant to me.

[Frank Fremerey]

Thank you, Ian.

This remembers me of a walk I took on the Isle of Skye in 1998. I decided to take one Slide every one hundred steps to later show my wife what I have seen.

I certainly have to scan all these slides and negatives one day...

[richardHaw]

i just serviced my older generation 43-86mm 
looking at your pictures I can say that it does look better than what the older one can produce.
the older one that i have is pretty sharp wide open at the center but the vignetting is just horrible, almost lomo-like 

i am to get the Ai version in the future and service it as well. i am also going to make a side by side test so that we can see what's really going on in 43mm,60,, and 86mm 

[stenrasmussen]

The older one is prettier...just like it is with women.

[richardHaw]

Yes i agree   but not totally on the part of women hahaha
I got the C version in the junk box last sunday. This week or maybe even tomorrow the Ai version is going to be at my mailbox. After I clean the fungus and overhaul it, i shall give it a test