Nikon AIS 105mm f/2.5

Nikon AIS 105mm

This is one of my all-time favorite lenses. I don’t get to use it much anymore, but still, I can’t imagine selling this one on. It is the oldest lens I have, having been with me for quite a while now and it still feels and performs wonderfully.

As you can probably deduce from the last sentence, this lens like Nikon manual focus lenses in general, is built beautifully. If you’ve started your photographic interest in the last few years with AF & AF-S lenses, you may not have ever held a manual focus lens. This would be a shame, as the manual focus rings on these lenses are totally different, they are so buttery smooth and clearly last and last. We gained a lot with newer lenses, but this is one aspect that was lost for the most part.

When I get to use this lens, it is really only for one purpose and its because it excels at it. Portraits, this is one of the best portrait lenses Nikon has ever made. In fact, I’d even go so far as say this is one the best lenses they’ve ever made from the dozens and dozens I’ve used. The good news, if you have a D200/300 or anything higher in the current digital range, this lens performs just as well on digital as it ever did for its intended film.

Whilst it may be not be exceptionally fast aperture wise, it is very good straight from max aperture. I would have no qualms about using this one at f/2.5 and there is only marginal improvement up-to f/4 & f/5.6. Sharpness is great across the board, f/2.5 included although more so in the centre there but even at the extreme’s its good. Distortions are not a concern, neither is CA for the most part. This lens will give you lovely and vivid images with wonderful bokeh; and for a portrait lens, what more can one possibly need.

Perhaps the best news, is that this lens is quite reasonable to buy. If you are looking for a used sample, you’re in luck as they have been made for ever and day so there are loads of them floating about which keeps the price down. So, we have an all time great, with fantastic performance, lovely bokeh that is relatively easy to find and at a reasonable price most of the time. If at all interested in a manual focus portrait lens, what are you waiting for, go find one now. Love it, so yeah, you better believe I’d recommend it.