"T P" <tp@nospam.com> wrote in message news:7vitfvcm1l57m7rbpam4rgo96ae4a6o145@4ax.com...

> "Joseph Kewfi" <Joe_Kewfi@iol.ie> wrote:

 

> >Not being a Nikonian from the manual focus era (I was shooting Canon FD

> >then), I don't know if these lenses are available or where ever made. I

> >would like an old school Nikonian to enlighten me as to the existence of

> >20mm and 24mm Series E AIS lenses, please ?

 

> There were neither 20mm nor 24mm lenses in the Nikon Series E range.

> During the time of Series E, they were only available as AIS Nikkors.

>

> From memory, the Series E lenses were:

>

> 28mm f/2.8 *

> 35mm f/2.5

> 50mm f/1.8

> 100mm f/2.8 **

> 135mm f/2.8

>

> 36-72mm f/3.5 *

> 75-150mm f/3.5 ***

> 70-210mm f/4 **

>

> * = optically good

> ** = optically very good

> *** = optically outstanding

>

> The fixed focal length lenses were all coated, but did not have the

> full Nikon Integrated Coating (NIC) applied. Later versions, with the

> AIS-style chrome ring around the lens barrel, were multi-coated but

> still not up to full NIC standards.

>

> The zooms were all multi-coated from the outset. All the zooms had a

> constant maximum aperture throughout the zoom range. The sublime

> 75-150mm is probably one of the very best zoom lenses ever to bear the

> Nikon brand.

Ummm, my experience with multiple samples of most of the "E"

lenses would indicate the following averages:

28mm f/2.8 x (most samples, with some few exceptions o and *)

35mm f/2.5 o (mixed results, different samples ranging from x to *)

50mm f/1.8 **

100mm f/2.8 ***

135mm f/2.8 **

36-72mm f/3.5 **

75-150mm f/3.5 ***

70-210mm f/4 **

x = optically mediocre to poor

o = optically OK

* = optically good

** = optically very good

*** = optically outstanding

And I would place the 80-200 f2.8 a bit ahead of the 75-150,

particularly wide-open...

For more, see: www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/slemn.html

--

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com

Hey, take a gander at www.visitithaca.com, too...!