Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/2 AI Lens Review

Written by Richard D.

Introduced in 1977, along with the AI 1.4, the 50mm f2 ai was only available for a short time but marked the start of the AI era and due to it's relative low cost sold in large numbers. Optically it was essentially unchanged from the pre-AI version.

It's a classic Nikkor of the period, very solidly built with a precise well marked focus ring that exhibits the lovely smooth viscosity of the best Nikkors. Aperture stops are firm with no looseness.

Lens

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Fact Sheet

Vendor name	Type	Product year
Nikon	Nikkor	1977
Focal Min(mm)	Focal Max(mm)	Focus Min(cm)
50	50	0.45
Aperture Max	Aperture Min.	Barrel length(mm)
2	16	53
Elements In Group	Diaphragm action	Weight (g)
4 in 6	Auto	220
Filter Size (mm)	Push on diameter (mm)	Angular field
52	63.5	46

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User Comments

IMHO, it's on the short list of the best Nikon lenses ever, along with the Gauss version of the 105mm f2.5 and the 180mm f2.8 ED.

(Douglas Green)

I have Nikkor 50mm f2.0 AI -"K" version from midle 70's wich I converted to, so that I can use it with f90x and F70.
It is the best and far the CONTRASTEST 50mm lens.
Virtualy withoud edge fall off, far more sharpest on f2.0 and f8.0 than 50mm f1.8AF.
Real kicker!

(Jovan Ivkovic)

 

The front element is deeply recessed making the lens fairly flare resistant even with the relatively simple multi-coating. Widely regarded as one of Nikon's sharpest lenses, I've compared it with f1.8 and f1.4 versions and at f2 it is the sharpest of the three, giving very good sharpness wide open and superb sharpness at f5.6 and beyond, although on my D200 I've found at minimum aperture (f16) diffraction sometimes softens the image slightly. Colour rendition is typical Nikkor, with strong bright, but not unnatural colours. Contrast is fairly high, bokeh is okay but nothing special. It works well with a reversing ring to give about 1:2 maginfication.

I've owned this lens since I bought my first Nikon FE many years back and it remains one of my favourite lenses on my D200, with the crop factor making it a good lens for portraits and detail shots.

Available cheaply secondhand, if you don't need the extra speed of the other 50mm Nikkors this is a superb choice.

(Richard D.)

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