Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/01/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> Yes, maybe there are some LUGers using Nikons for tele lenses: ..and for macro lenses and to be honest for nearly everything right now because there is still an ocean between my first Leica (a M4-P lying in a friends room in Boston) and me (I am in Bonn, Germany). > 85/1.8 was made in 1964-1977 A legendary lens, very good wide open. I still > have it! > 85/2.0 was produced during 1977-1988. Avoid it, it is a true low-contrast > dog... I had the 2/85mm Nikkor for several years before I lost it and I now have a 1.8/85mm Auto-Nikkor HC. "A true dog" would be the last designation I would give to the 2/85. Yes, it is lower contrast than most other Nikkors but it is very good at resolving fine details. This lens is addopted to its application which is potraiture at first hand and I took enough pictures with both lenses to convince myself that the differences between them are moreover a matter of taste and not of quality. For street- or theater-photography the 1.8/85mm gives you more of the snap most of us will probably prefer for such applications but for portraiture that is not necessarily the most important criterium. I suggest you put a roll of Tech-Pan into your F5 and give the 2/85 another chance. With slow films the advantages of this lens become most obvious. You will possibly find out what I mean. It is not just soft but very nice at rendering fine details. I got some very appealing results with this lense. One just has to be aware what you get before you put it on the camera. best wishes Stefan BTW. I think it is even more flare resistant than the 1.8/85mm. - -- Stefan Kahlert, Medizinische Poliklnik der Universitaet Bonn uzs13b@uni-bonn.de