Eagle Omomuro
Member
I want to throw out a slightly odd and very subjective question.
The reason behind the question is a bit long.
Years ago, my original idea was to use Nikon Df + F3, sharing my big collection of AIS primes from 15mm to 200mm. On paper it sounded perfect, one digital, one film, one mount, one lens universe. But in reality, that didn’t really happen. I realized I don’t enjoy using manual focus lenses on the Df. A small focus miss on digital just looks awful to my eyes, while on film it’s usually forgiven by low scan resolution, grain, and mood. So now my AIS primes all belong to the F3, exclusively.
I also don’t want to rebuild a full lineup of Nikon AF primes either. While working as a photojournalist in 2010s, I had access to literally every one of them, from 18mm f/2.8 to 200mm f/2, you name it. Those superb optics don’t make me excited anymore. I recently sold my last three Nikon AF primes, except the Df special 50mm f/1.8G, and I’m planning to sell all my Nikon flashes that have stayed in a cabinet untouched for over ten years. I’m not planning to return to a place I’ve already left.
A brutal fact is that the Df is my least used camera since I bought it, simply because it was born too late. I bought the Df because I was a long-term Nikon user and always dreamed of a digital full-frame Nikon with mechanical-era control to replace my D3s. But by that time, I had already found that I needed nothing more than an X100 when I go digital. I was one of the early buyers of the original X100, then the S, T, and F. Fujifilm has completely reshaped my digital photography life.
So, I want to make my Df an experimental platform. It’s the only full-frame digital camera I have at the moment, and Nikon F mount itself is a big zoo for third-party lenses.
What third party Nikon F mount primes do you consider genuinely fun, strange, characterful, or simply different?
AF if possible. The quirkier, the better. I’m not looking for the ‘best’, just lenses with a difference.
I’m curious what people here come up with, and I appreciate any suggestions.
The reason behind the question is a bit long.
Years ago, my original idea was to use Nikon Df + F3, sharing my big collection of AIS primes from 15mm to 200mm. On paper it sounded perfect, one digital, one film, one mount, one lens universe. But in reality, that didn’t really happen. I realized I don’t enjoy using manual focus lenses on the Df. A small focus miss on digital just looks awful to my eyes, while on film it’s usually forgiven by low scan resolution, grain, and mood. So now my AIS primes all belong to the F3, exclusively.
I also don’t want to rebuild a full lineup of Nikon AF primes either. While working as a photojournalist in 2010s, I had access to literally every one of them, from 18mm f/2.8 to 200mm f/2, you name it. Those superb optics don’t make me excited anymore. I recently sold my last three Nikon AF primes, except the Df special 50mm f/1.8G, and I’m planning to sell all my Nikon flashes that have stayed in a cabinet untouched for over ten years. I’m not planning to return to a place I’ve already left.
A brutal fact is that the Df is my least used camera since I bought it, simply because it was born too late. I bought the Df because I was a long-term Nikon user and always dreamed of a digital full-frame Nikon with mechanical-era control to replace my D3s. But by that time, I had already found that I needed nothing more than an X100 when I go digital. I was one of the early buyers of the original X100, then the S, T, and F. Fujifilm has completely reshaped my digital photography life.
So, I want to make my Df an experimental platform. It’s the only full-frame digital camera I have at the moment, and Nikon F mount itself is a big zoo for third-party lenses.
What third party Nikon F mount primes do you consider genuinely fun, strange, characterful, or simply different?
AF if possible. The quirkier, the better. I’m not looking for the ‘best’, just lenses with a difference.
I’m curious what people here come up with, and I appreciate any suggestions.
Last edited:
