Nikkor 105mm f2.5 thread

Nikkor 105mm f2.5

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Good to see high-quality images from this lens.

I had high-hopes when I got one many years ago. It was a poor sample. My 105 Micro Nikkor outperformed it in every way.

I might try getting another one, seeing your images.

Rich

Hi,

There were other versions of the 105/2.5....

dprevived.com/t/cks-lens-post-nikon-105mm-non-macro-short-history/1168/

Stan

Yes changed the title.

Hi,

I have both a Type A Sonnar and a Type K Gauss. Those were Pre AI and I changed out the aperture rings to make them AI. That was once an option from Nikon - replacement aperture rings.

The type K Gauss became AI and then AIS over time. The only real difference for the 105/2.5 from AI is that AIS changes to a standardized stop down rate for the aperture blades across all the lenses. Before that, different lenses had different stop down rates and so we're only true to any given aperture at the aperture ring stops.

When Nikon came out with the FA, that offered S and P modes for the first time, and so that AIS change was necessary. I did buy some AIS lenses with my brand-new FA but not another 105/2.5 as I already had two left over from my predecessor F2.

Stan

Nice. I have two - one AI and another AIS, both the same optical design I think.

I tried a lot to find patents on this lens but no luck.

Here are the designs I was able to find.

Older Rangefinder design:

You could check the link Stan posted above but I think the first lens is a Pre 197x sonnar - possibly ai converted and the second is a double Gauss AI-S.
As well as the fluted barrel on the sonnar vs the diamond pattern on the Gauss, the rear element on the sonnar is much smaller than that on the double Gauss.

I have the former.

Richard

I have the Nikon 105mm f2.5 ais lens and its a wonderful lens.

Surprisingly Nikon's exellent series "Nikkor - Thousand and One Nights" has not yet been mentioned in this thread.
So I must do it. There is great stories and lens designs of four 105mm Nikkors and one Micro-Nikkor (+ a little more):

imaging.nikon.com/imaging/information/story/0005/index.html
imaging.nikon.com/imaging/information/story/0021/index.html
imaging.nikon.com/imaging/information/story/0045/index.html
imaging.nikon.com/imaging/information/story/0059/index.html

imaging.nikon.com/imaging/information/story/0072/index.html

I found the whole list of those lens stories in Bill Claff's site
www.photonstophotos.net/GeneralTopics/Lenses/OpticalBench/Tales.htm

That 105mm lens is a real workhorse. Strongly recommended.

Don.

Hi,

There was another thread about these here.

dprevived.com/t/cks-lens-post-nikon-105mm-non-macro-short-history/1168/

Lots of pics of all of the variations.

And there was one over on DP Review. I'll see if I can find that one.

Success!

www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54989533

It begins with one all in pieces. And there are photos in there showing the different rear elements on the Sonnav v Gauss.

www.dpreview.com/forums/post/61780863

If someone doesn't want to read all of the thread.

As for all the edits, it was a work in progress there for a while. ;)

Stan

I bought a Laowa Smooth Trans Focus AiS 105/t3.2 (f/2.5) dual diaphragm lens a few years ago - sold the 105 f/2.5 Nikkor AiS. I prefer the out-of-focus rendition of the Laowa, particularly with the rounder t diaphragm. Cannot knock the Nikkor, though - it was tops for many years.

Certainly there are other optics with different characteristics- this 105 does what I expect such a lens to do. My only gripe is that the sunshade tends to fall off.

p.

Try an HN-8 hood.

the one I am using is teh one with buttons marked 105 and 135 and Nikon, but no code written on it.

Sounds like an early snap-on HS-8. The HN-8 screws on. One was recently available on E-Bay for $10 US.

If you cannot find an HN-8 hood, you might remove the glass from a 52mm filter you don't need, clip your present hood onto the ring, and cement it with Super-Glue or thread locker. Check before cementing that it doesn't vignette - with one filter ring it should not - and if you subsequently intend to use a filter, test first with 2 filters.