If you had to pare down your Nikon F bayonet lens system.... (Improved: Now 55!)

[David H. Hartman]

...to just 55 lenses which 55 lenses would you choose and why?

Dave Hartman

I know this is April 1 but this is a serious question!

By popular demand the limit has been raised to 55. Future improvements are planed.

[Jan-Petter Midtgård]

I have "only" about 20 lenses now, so I would have to start buying more lenses.

[Akira]

I have "only" about 20 lenses now, so I would have to start buying more lenses.

Well, the problem is that you have to accumulate MORE THAN 44 lenses to PARE DOWN!!!   

[David H. Hartman]

Some here might be distressed at the prospect of cutting back to just 44 lenses. The rest need to acquire more.

[Hugh_3170]

It seems to me David, that your paring down could be helpful to the acquirers.   

Some here might be distressed at the prospect of cutting back to just 44 lenses. The rest need to acquire more.

[David H. Hartman]

It seems to me David, that your paring down could be helpful to the acquirers.   

I'm betting that I don't have more than 44 Nikon F bayonet lenses. A the last moment before posting I upped that number from 42 to 44 so I hope I'm safe.

I don't have any particularly rare or expensive lenses. The long and short of it is 400/5.6 ED AI and 15/5.6 AI.

More than anything else I need free time..

Dave

[tommiejeep]

David, I started paring down my Nikon lenses some time back.  When my wife and son opted for Olympus we sold, gave away, all of their Nikon Dx ,and some Olympus, bodies and lenses.  Age caught up with me so I have been selling FX lenses and bodies.  I would have to count but probably about 25 Nikon left with some duplicated Ai/Ais lenses starting to go.   Shooting three systems means even getting rid of lenses in each system including duplicate LMT/Leica M lenses bought for adapted Sony use.  So far I have not regretted any changes.  One of my better recent buys is the 200 f4 Ais.  If I stop shooting Sports/Birds I'll sell more.  I only use 3 lenses regularly on the Df but nice to have a few of other MF lenses in the wings.   I could easily shoot most of what I want/need, to shoot with under 10 Nikons and still have options.

I do not feel as guilty about having so many lenses sit unused now.  At one time I  made sure I used every lens at least once a month but you are right about time (and inclination )  .

I'm off tomorrow on a five day photo trip so deciding which lenses to take.  Not that easy since I am taking 3 systems.  Fortunately I am staying at the same hotel for the entire time and have organized a local Photo  guide ( also my Sherpa but he doesn't know that yet  ) .
Cheers,
Tom

[Matthew Currie]

I'm short a few.  I think someone here should send me a half dozen or so to make up the deficit.

[richardHaw]

I can easily top that but 44!? 

[Arninetyes]

I have 17 F-bayonet lenses, and keep trying to pare down, but with little luck. Apparently, I'm doing it all wrong and need to acquire another 25.

[David H. Hartman]

Yes! Acquire!

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Just 44? That was indeed a long way back. I gave up counting years ago.

No plans of paring down, intentionally at least. However things happen, sometimes a lens breaks beyond resurrection, or it goes astray or is loaned and not coming back to the lens house on its own volition.

Once in a while I get a lens just to find out there is already one of the same specifications present, and I had forgotten all about it.  A part of the process of getting older, I suppose.

[Frank Fremerey]

A good photographer can take good photos with any equipment. But to produce exceptional shots the equipment should become a natural extension of your body. I feel I can master 3 or 4 angles of view. I did 35 50 85 and I am working on 24 105 and 300.

Who owns more than 10 lenses is a collector in my opinion

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Every definition appears to hold an exception

If you are into say beers or wines, you know the futility of your statement. Applies everywhere.

[FGAng]

I pulled an old Nikon lens brochure from 1985 and counted 78 lenses, and a latest Nikon lens brochure and counted a whopping 88 lenses; counting each TC as a lens, and including still-in-production MF.  So there are 8 overlapping lenses between 1985 and 2017.  And yes Dave you have a point here - you have to pare down when you own the entire current production lenses, or some combination of old and new. 

Gee, how many do I have?  My last count was 66 and I definitely added at least 2 more!

Dave I need to know why 44?  Why not 66?  Or 68?  Then I don't have to pare down!

But if you do count the latest Nikon lens lineup, there is an insane 16 normal zooms!  The 18-xxx alone 8 models (including the 17-55 and the latest 18-300).  There are five (5) 24-xx zooms, and two 16-xx zooms.

Makes you wonder why Nikon cannot devote time to update some lenses... O they are updating the 18-xxx zoom!