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Nikkor 135mm f/2.8 Ai-S: repair or not
#1
Got this lens in pretty good condition on a flea market. However, it turned out to be totally unsharp even stopped down. Nikon (Berlin) offers an adjustment/calibration plus some cleaning inside etc. for a total of 117 Euro. Is there hope for this lens or is this (potentially) a further waste of money?
#2
why is unsharp?

1 . AF problem?

or

2. decentred lens?

3. low contrast?

or

4.something else
#3
(2) and/or (4) I suppose. The results were really extremely bad at any aperture and there was an unhealthy amount of color artefacts too.
#4
[quote name='Sammy' timestamp='1318445080' post='12300']

Got this lens in pretty good condition on a flea market. However, it turned out to be totally unsharp even stopped down. Nikon (Berlin) offers an adjustment/calibration plus some cleaning inside etc. for a total of 117 Euro. Is there hope for this lens or is this (potentially) a further waste of money?

[/quote]



I guess this is the Series-E lens. I have one, and bought it for 120€ in Vienna (so I can say that the price for repair seems to be too much). Mine was in a very mint condition. Not a killer lens but does a good job. It's compactness is a charm. It suffers from CA but the sharpness is very decent even wide open. And the bokeh is better than ok (for my taste).



I've chosen this lens over 135mm f/2 Ai-S because of the price tag and compactness.



The attached were done @f/5.6 and f/2.8 (on a D700)... Maybe can help you to decide...



Serkan
#5
[quote name='PuxaVida' timestamp='1318488541' post='12308']

I guess this is the Series-E lens.[/quote]



It´s the Ai-S version. Don´t know whether these are optically better than the "E"s though.
#6
[quote name='Sammy' timestamp='1318489432' post='12309']

It´s the Ai-S version. Don´t know whether these are optically better than the "E"s though.

[/quote]



135mm f/2.8 Ai-S has two versions: Series E and the regular one. Surely Series-E should have more plastic feel and a different optical design.



If you want you can check these links for more info... It's a very informative site for MF nikon lenses:



[url="http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/emfgfg20/eserieslenses/htmls/100135mm.htm#135mm"]Series-E 135mm Ai-S[/url]



[url="http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/135mmnikkor/135mm28.htm"]135mm Ai-S[/url]





Serkan
#7
Thx for the link. I was looking here:

http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/lenses.html#135



According to the serial number it´s not an E-series lens. Besides some CA these lenses are (mostly) said to be pretty good.
#8
[quote name='Sammy' timestamp='1318498948' post='12312']

Thx for the link. I was looking here:

[url="http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/lenses.html#135"]http://www.photosynt...lenses.html#135[/url]



According to the serial number it´s not an E-series lens. Besides some CA these lenses are (mostly) said to be pretty good.

[/quote]



This link is also very informative... It includes the min. focus distance and rep.ratio info, which is not easy to find for such old lenses. Thanks...



It's obvious that the different optical design of the non-E version provides better minimum focusing distance and reproduction ratio (for close-ups). Since I don't know the market price for the non-E version, I guess I have to withdraw my statement regarding the price for the repair then <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Wink' />...



Edit: One more remark, these Ai-S lenses do not get on well with the matrix metering (I guess because of the lacking "distance" information). Therefore, I'd suggest to use spot metering in almost all cases.



Serkan
#9
[quote name='PuxaVida' timestamp='1318503953' post='12316']



Edit: One more remark, these Ai-S lenses do not get on well with the matrix metering (I guess because of the lacking "distance" information). Therefore, I'd suggest to use spot metering in almost all cases.



[/quote]



Distance information is only used for flash exposures, as far as I know...
#10
[quote name='BG_Home' timestamp='1318570188' post='12321']

Distance information is only used for flash exposures, as far as I know...

[/quote]



Nope...<img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Smile' /> It's one of the inputs indeed...



[url="http://imaging.nikon.com/history/chronicle/history-f5/img/his6_f5_6.gif"]http://imaging.nikon.com/history/chronicle/history-f5/img/his6_f5_6.gif[/url]

  


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