Nikon/Nikkor
Normal Lenses
(All Lenses are Not Listed)
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Nikon/Nikkor |
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I classify normal lenses as those from 50mm to 85mm, with the next step shorter as wideangle and the next step up as short to medium telephotos. Others may use a different scale.
By tradition, "normal lenses" are those in the 50 to 55mm range. To me a normal lens should be one that sees things about the same size as your eye does. That would be something like an 85 to 100mm lens. Therefore that is why I have lens as long as 85mm listed here.
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Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 AI, AIS: A great super fast, low-light lens. Construction is 7 elements in 6 groups. It takes a 52mm filter. Weight on the AI is 13.8 ounces while the AIS weighs 13.4. |
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Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AI, AIS, AF: Another fast, low-light lens. Very popular. Filter size is 52mm. For a good normal lens with low-light capability at an aforadable price, the f/1.4 can't be beat. |
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Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI, AIS, AF: This is the standard normal lens. Excellent quality and economical, and can be great for close-up photography. Filter size is 52mm. |
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Nikon 50mm f/1.8 Series E: Six elements in five groups, with a weight of 4.8 ounces. Filter size is 52mm. |
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Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 Micro AI, AIS, AF: This macro lens is a fast close-up lens. Minimum focus is 10 inches and it has a reproduction ratio of 1:1. AI and AIS filter size is 52mm while the AF model increased to 62mm. Weight for the AI and AIS is 10.2 ounces while the AF weighs 14.8 ounces. The AF version had a short production life and is becoming very rare. |
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Nikkor 58mm f/1.2 AI, AIS: The Noct. A low-light lens at its best. Construction is 7 elements in 6 groups. Filter size is 52mm and the weight of the lens is 17.1 ounces. |
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Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 Micro AF: This close-focus lenreplaced the 55mm f/2.8. It has a weight of 16 ounces and is constructed on 8 elements in 7 groups. Filter size is 62mm. |
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Nikkor 80mm f/2.8 AF: This was one of the first auto-focus lenses. It has a construction of 6 elements in 4 groups. Weight is 13.8 ounces and filter size is 52mm. |
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Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 AIS, AF: The AIS weighs 21.9 ounces while the AF is 19.8 ounces. Filter size is 72mm. Construction is 7 elements in 5 groups. A great lens but the AF is not well suited for studio lighting. |
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Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 AF: This is the 85mm for use in the studio, as well as outdoors. Filter size is 62mm and the "D" version weighs 13.2 ounces. |
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Nikkor 85mm f/2 AI, AIS: This was the successor to the older manual-focus 85mm f/1.8. Construction is 5 elements in 5 groups, with a weight of 10.9 ounces, and it uses 52mm filters. |
My Recommendation: Many people bypass a normal lens for a zoom that covers that focal length. However, a normal lens is one of the sharpest lenses a person can have. If you really care about quality, make a normal lens part of your system. The 50mm f/1.8 is the sharpest lens Nikon makes. If you are more into low-light photography the 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.2 might be a better choice and are also very sharp lenses. Another very sharp lens is the 85mm f/1.8, and is a very good choice as a portrait lens. I recommend everyone have a 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 lens, with an 85mm f/1.8 being a very good second "normal" lens for portraits of your loved ones.