Nikkor 50mm f1.4 AI-s: 43 years later! RETRO review

Trying out the vintage Nikon 50mm f1.4 AI-s lens from 1981 - 43 YEARS later!

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00:00 - Nikkor 50mm f1.4 AI-s introduction

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[deathdoor]

Better is Worse.
These old lenses really produce a different feel. It's hard to describe but so satisfying.

[thissidetowardscreen]

Brilliant video Gordon, As a Pentaxian, I been engaged in vintage lens on digital cameras for a long time, Some of the best images are from 1970-80 Pentax lens, the bokeh is so buttery. The coating on lens also give some images a very attractive look. There are so many vintage lens out there. I even use a 8mm film camera lens on one camera, can not match what modern lens can do for unique looks. I stopped buying cameras and turned to buying lens. What a difference it makes. Thanks for sharing!

[robertbirnbach]

More, please !!!! Any vintage lens reviews in your style would be a win from my perspective!

[oetproductions]

Make no mistake Gordon, you definitely are dreamy. Loved this video!

[victorlim]

Great video, Gordon. Mounted on the Nikon Zf or Z6iii, you can get the brilliant eye tracking in manual focus. Game changer. My Niikor 105mm F2.5 AIS got a new lease of life.

[blue]

Great video Gordon, love that youre now featuring vintage lenses aside from vintage cameras! One thing I think would like to see though is a sprinkling of images taken with the cameras/lenses althroughout the video instead of just the end.
Cheers!

[TheRealRichardWong]

Great video Gordon! Thanks for the Nikon vintage lens 101 course you threw in as well which would be really helpful for a lot of people. Regarding how to test it, there is only one proper way, it is to test it on a F2 Titan! You knew you have to pick one up on your next Japan trip😂 and thanks for the shout out ❤

[kevin.itruth]

I had this lens collecting dust and I just bought the Nikon ZF last month. Just got the Shoten NF to NZ adapter in the mail today, put it on the camera and it looks amazing. Can't wait to take it out to shoot.

[tomscott]

Hey Gordon, long time admirer from around 2004-5 when I was 16 and got into photography. The 300v was my first camera quickly followed by a 350d but man I love this channel! Really great work, takes me back and my collection is more modern SLRs and the vintage early SLRS like the 350 and 40d but I do have a a bronica ETRSi and a Leica SL which was my great aunts but really enjoyed watching these vintage vids! Keep it up!

[abinam]

I bought my FM with 50/1.4 second hand in Manchester in 1979 when I turned 18 and got into Uni and got a 'cash gift' from my dad (not sure the gift was for which!). Still my favorite camera and lens today, despite a run of plasticy digi SLRs and Compacts with severe "battery anxiety" whenever on holidays. This lens gave the sharpest pictures ever, and the f1.4 ... well the bokeh is something else.

[markteague]

Congrats on scoring one in a vintage camera shop. I bought one to pair with my F3 body (replacing the 1.8 E series with it that came with an FG purchased in 1981 by my parents). Like you, I was pleased as punch to lay hands on a lens I had coveted from having seen it in the Nikon catalogs in the early 1980s. It’s just too bad that film is no longer produced in sufficient volumes as to make it affordable for mere mortals.

[brianmckeever]

Congratulations on achieving one of your heart's desires! And congratulations on being in your teens in 1981, some of us are not so fortunate ;-) FWIW, this seems like a great video formula for presenting vintage lenses to my eyes. Cheers!

[alandyer]

Excellent! You prompted me to dig out my old 50mm 1.4 S-C with a serial number 152xxxx. That puts in the 1973 to 75 era but I had it converted to AI. And yes, the lens mounting flange has been machined out to reveal bare metal but with enough metal left to create the indexing tabs. And there’s no fancy rubberized rings - the focus and aperture rings are machined metal with knurling on them. Ditto on a 105mm 2.5 P-C with serial 536xxx from the same era. Thanks!

[khanscombe]

8:54 better Nikon Af bodies have digital electronic rangefinder focus assist. You absolutely can utilise this on AI-s manual focus assistance. I think it works better than focus peaking. Rack it in as close as you think by eye, then follow the directional arrows to tack it in by solid dot. Snap! And Bob is your uncle.

[FidelisG]

Hi Gordon, great video as always!
If I may suggest, how about the Nikkor 105mm f2.5 vs the 105mm f2D? Both great lenses, would like to hear your thoughts on them.

In fact, why not have a old vs new theme every now and then? That sort of content resonates with me as a vintage lens collector.

[molybdnum]

@13:00 really is a night and day. Your insights into the subject and creative choices are spot-on. I think balanced-lighting people portraits are the most forgiving of 'vintage' glass flaws; other subjects or scenarios tend to have much sharper highlight contrast areas (inviting wild color-fringing) or would IMHO be better served with more sharpness on the subject. It is of course also a matter of skill and smart choices behind the camera; I love the test shots of the lifeguard stand or old pier when stopped down, and the disco-ball lamp at night where the magenta fringe and corner distortion contribute to the atmosphere. As you say in your conclusion, the magic of cheap, manual fast 50s being so easily adaptable is that you have both the creative control to use extremely shallow DoF and also the more involved controls forcing you to actively decide when to use it.

[ericj.w.ruijssenaars]

What a fun video to watch, Gordon! I myself use a Nikkor 50mm 1.4 and a 24mm 2.8 on my Samsung NX1000 APS-C camera. More episodes on the use of vintage lenses on digital camera's would be awesome 😄.

[RJW]

I have only last week bought a Nikon ZF. I have 50mm f1.2, 35mm f2 and and 24mm f2.8 ais lenses from my film camera days. I will get an adaptor and try it out now. Thanks.

[rbob]

Very knowledgeable and informative video, a trip down memory lane.
I still have mine, bought new in 1981.

Keep up the good work !

[ScottMicciche]

Excellent review, Gordon. It would be interesting to compare the generation before, the AI, with the longer focus through and standard NIC coatings.