Sleeping Legacies: Nikkor AI/AI-S Cult Classics

Many new comers exploring Nikkor's vintage F-mount AI/AI-S lineup are usual presented with the same set of legendary lens, but its often worth considering the rest of the expansive Nikkor catalog. Whilst there are poor lenses in the historic Nikkor lineup, there are other lenses which are often overlooked by the mainstream and they exist with their own cult statuses.

Lazy tooling: Magick Image Annotations

Preparing various images of different sizes for a standardised dsiplay can be hugely time consuming and manual. How can we be lazy about this?

Short Tele, Alternative Legacy: The 85mm f/2 AI-S

When discussing short Nikkor telephotos or classic portrait lenses, a number of lenses come to mind: the 105mm f/2.5 AI-S and the 85mm f/1.4 AI-S. However there was another: the 85mm f/2 AI-S.


^{85mm f/2 AI-S sitting between a 105mm f/2.5 AI-S and 50mm f/1.8 AI-S pancake}

An economical wide alternative: 28mm f/3.5 AI

The 28mm f/3.5 has a long history reaching back to 1960, with the Auto-H, and cumulating in the Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 AI/AIS of the late 70s/early 80s. All variations had a 6/6 design although the Auto-H and the AI/AI-S having different optical formula. By the time the AI/AI-S was released in 1977/1981, it was already seen as the economical 28mm with its slower f/3.5 max aperture with the f/2 K and f/2.8 K/AI making its debuts in 1975 and 1974 respectively.

The f/3.5 AI-S was sunset in 1983 by which time the very well regarded 28mm f/2.8 AI-S had been released. Over time, the 28mm f/2.8 AI-S reputation (and its long production run) keeps it in conversations but if you were to consider a manual 28mm, is the slower f/3.5 worth considering?

A joyless jaunt: 135mm f/2.8 AI Repair/Service

The 135mm f/2.8 AI was produced from the 1977 - 1981 and lived in the shadow of its faster f/2 sibling and also had competition from the 105mm variants. Its a compact rugged lens but its not a lens I'd seek out myself except to rip it apart for curiousity

Reverse the macro trend: the Nikon BR-2A Macro Adaptor Ring

Getting into macro photography has its challenges, typically given the need for a suitable lenses. However, there is another option with reversing ring such as the Nikon BR-2A that can be used your existing lens.

Widely Regarded: Nikkor 20mm f/4 AI

The Nikkor 20mm f/4 AI (and its near identical predecessor, the K) was the optical successor to the very well regarded Nikkor-UD 20mm f/3.5 Auto. The K was produced from 1974 to 1977 and the AI released for a short period after til the start of 1978, at which point the Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 AI had been released. Both the f/4 AI and f/3.5 AI lenses had good reputations - with the f/4 AI lens' reputation enhanced by well respected nature photographer Galen Rowell's recommenation - but how good are they really?


^{Nikkor 20mm f/4 K with factory AI conversion aperture ring}

Precision Macro: Using the Nikon D300 with LiveView and Focus Peaking on Linux

Macro photography is a game of millimeters. When you are shooting at 1:1 magnification, the depth of field is so thin that even the slightest movement or a poorly calibrated viewfinder can ruin a shot.

The Nikon D300, while a solid workhorse even more than a decade and a half later, lacks the modern "Focus Peaking" found in mirrorless cameras. However, with a Linux machine, some open-source tools, and a custom Python script, we can give legacy liveview enabled DSLR real-time focus assistance.