Thank you, Steven. In this video, you endorse all that I (personally) believe in Nikon Pre - A I, A I, & A I - S optics; the significance of the 'rabbit ear' coupling was not lost on me. Your passion for these cameras & accompanying lenses is clearly defined. I too love my Nikons !

I just fall in love, what a passion you show when talk about all this.

Dear Steven, many thanks for sharing all these videos that are a clear demonstration of your passion for craftmanship.

My father recently passed away and I have all of his Nikon camera equipment. Series F, and FN body plus a range of lenses. Your video was amazing and exactly what I needed to know. I'm looking into a mirrorless Z6ii, I'm so excited to be able to use his old lenses 😊

Like the F3 and the F4, the Nikon FE can also accept the pre-AI lenses, as it also has the button which lifts up the tab on the camera body.

The best overview of Nikon lenses I ever heard. Thank you.

Fantastic video. Great information. Love the B-roll. Love the music. Very interesting naration. Very useful. Thank-you for doing it.

Nikon's commitment to lifelong quality and product compatability is admirable, and typical of Japanese manufacturing. Just like with musical instruments, Japan has the truest dedication to quality. Japanese manufacturers like Murumatsu, Yamaha, and Pearl offer instruments that last a lifetime and give solid performance. Steven, thank you for sharing your passion with the rest of the world.

Nice. This is probably one of the best videos on these lenses. Good explanation of the evolution and functions. I think too many people just copy the info from somewhere else for their script or notes, and the result is all over the place.

I am a Nikon fan, I hope to meet you and go on a long photography tour with you. I greatly admire you and believe that you are the best KZfaqr ever when it comes to talking about Nikon cameras. With full appreciation and respect : ) Anas

OMG I just found your channel and it’s gold! I love vintage and good quality lenses, not these cheap plastic ones from today, which I find very unfortunate from Nikon to have taken that route two decades ago

I bought a Nikkormat in 1972 (I think) with a Nikkor-H 50mm f/2 and later on a Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4 which I still have. I have used these lenses on my Z6 with an FTZ adapter and I love the smoothness and the color in these lenses. The Nikkormat is used by my son when he want to experiment with film.

Just discovered your channel Tanno-san. I am picking up photography again after a 30 year gap. I am a fan of older Nikon glass. I currently only use D90 with both AF and non-AF lenses. Hope for more content on a subject we love .... old Nikon glass !!

Best video I've ever seen regarding lenses, thank you

Just a couple of notes from someone that has used Nikkor/Nikon lenses for fifty years now. Not all ais lenses had their focus throw shortened. Supposedly the aperture control lever was made to make it more linear in actuation. This was done to improve shutter priority exposure accuracy. Another way to tell an ais lens is but a small scoop in the mount. On some cameras it would communicate the focal length. This would help the camera to decide the correct shutter speed range in program mode. Great video! Subscribed.

Pre AI , and the AI are correct for my F3 era. Steven , my Elder sister shot on NIKON until her gear was stolen , she loved that glass.

Super interesting. I have been shooting with a Nikkormat FT3 from around 1983-84 up to when I switched to digital and had no idea why some of my lenses had that shoe. I still have this camera and it works like new. Best camera ever. Thanks for the video!

17:53 Hi, Steven! About a year ago I saw your videos about the Nikon F3 when researching where to strategically spend my money as a student. Your advice helped a lot. Thank you. ❤ Recently I stumbled onto the 35mm f1.4 lens you recommended at a flea market for about 80€. Probably the best value lens purchase I’ve made so far. Thanks you for this amazing tip. Take much care and keep up the great work!

Finally someone producing super high quality videos, its amazing. thanks a lot

You are very knowledgeable about Nikon equipment. I’ve learnt a lot from watching your channel. Great stuff.

My mother used exclusively Nikon in the 80's and 90's. When I shot film I used mostly Minolta, so when I went to take the leap to digital The obvious option was the Nikon Z FC. as soon as I got it my friend gave me a "non working" D200 that actually only needed the battery contacts cleaned. My favorite lens to use on either camera is my old Nikkor-s 55mm, and I had always wondered what that "clip" on the aperture ring was for. Wonderful video.

Fantastic. Great information and very detailed. This is one of the best informative tutorial I have come across on Camera and lenses. Thank you.

Great video as always, but the meter coupling shoe was first intrudice on the original nikon F actually it coupled directly to the photomic metering prism which you you put in place of the norma one giving the camera a metering system. Which happened in 1962 so a bit eralier in some places the nikon F cameras were actually branded Nikkor F thanks to trademark issues.

This video is really helpful! thanks for sharing.

Thank you for this information, very useful!

Nice presentation Tanno-san. During my first visit to Japan in 1971 the Nikormat was available, but to my regret I purchased Canon EE to have Canon change mount many times. Later I bought a Nikon FG with cheap "E" lenses and 8008 Af. I still use the older AF "D" lenses on my newer FX DSLR cameras. Keep up the good work.

Great video. Thanks RS. Canada

I recently changed to a Nikon z 6 II and two of my favorite old ai lenses to use on it with beautiful results is the nikkor 105 mm 2.5 and the nikkor 135mm 2.8 which I was very surprised how sharp it was with manual focus peaking on a mirrorless ! Thanks for the wonderful video , I will think about your recommendations 🙏🏻

Excellent Video and Great Learning Experience.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Im from Brazil

Nikon did share some of their knowledge on vintage lenses on the 1001 nights blog. It's a really interesting blog and their articles are very insightful, they give detailed history and the principlies and goals behind some of the lens designs themselves.

Thank you for another great video. I have the 55mm f2.8 ai-s micro, the 35mm f1.4 and the 28mm f2 are now on my list ❤👍❤

What is not explained here is why Nikon first adopted and retained the "Prong", a clumsy, fussy, and inconvenient external metering coupling system, where other camera makes had adopted internal meter coupling, which was cleaner looking, automatically operating and not exposed to physical damage. The reason is the Nikon F, which was first introduced with no meter to couple to. When it became clear that in-camera metering, then TTL metering was going to a standard requirement of all cameras, Nikon was stuck with a body which could do none of that. so they put the meter in the removable prism, and the lens had to connect to the prism, not the body. The F2 continued that by-then antiquated system, because Nikon had built a huge system around it. When the first Nikkormat was introduced in the late 1960s, it was clear that an internal meter coupling, like later used in the AI system, was in all ways better, but the need to keep the F/F2 as a reference prevented common sense from prevailing for another decade. With introduction of the FT3, FM, and FE, the AI meter coupling system was adopted, and the prong because a useless appendix. Thereafter, new lenses still had the prong for a number of years in order to give backwards compatible function on pre-AI bodies. Later, the prong was dropped, but Nikon would install one for you if you requested it.

Fascinating story. Thanks, Steve!

I have my late fathers lovely old F2, so I absolutely know what those metal “rabbit ears” are for😊

I agree with the labeling of the 55mm f1.2, the 35mm f1.4, and the 28mm f2.0. I use them in video production now mounted on my Canon R6. One other true superstar is the 135mm f2.0. It is equal to the 35mm in sharpness.

Steven, thank you for outstanding and memorable reviews.

That was a very enjoyable watch. You have a wonderful mellow manner and a beautiful accent. Subscribed.

Excellent video - very informative! Well done!!!

Nice video! I think the Nikkor 28mm f/1.4D is widely accepted as legendary

Hi, Steven great job. Thank you for sharing. I use my pre ai 35mm f1.4 and adox film. It’s sharp and nice.

Nikkor ai 135mm f3.5 is a beautiful lens. I don’t know how to explain it, something about the way it renders colours and it’s bokeh is just beautiful! My favourite nikon lens. I never tried the 35mm f1.4. I will have to buy one and try it.

Wonderful video, thank you for making this one! I have an F4 coming so i am looking for a good lens.

I agree, the Pre Ai is the best!!!! 🤙👏👍🇦🇷

So helpful 🎉 Thank you Steven. The overview at 14:30 is really good 👍🏼

so useful and exciting !

Great info my friend. It's interesting how NASA went to a Hasselblad for the moon landing.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

Extremely Worthy Information. Thank You

For Nikorrmat and Nikon F Photomic, after mounting the lens, you need to rotate the aperture ring all the way forward and back to establish the max and min apertures. It was said that you could spot a Nikon shooter from a mile away from this maneuver 😂

Thanks. Your video answers my question as to why I couldn't mount my Pre-AI lens on my Nikon F3. Thanks. Help video. Dealing with Nikons can sometimes be confusing.

I love the old glass myself Steven ... I have many M42 , glass and L39 , also the Exacta mount lenses.

This is a very informative video, thank you. I just bought a D7100 to take some photos of my paintings. I know it's an old camera, but it has a very low SC and works as brand new. And I got it because it opens up the possibility of working with some really amazing lenses. I found a 55ml Nikon Micro F2.8 MF lens. I think 1979. I'm finding out how versatile the lens actually is. They both turned up today, so I've been having fun setting everything up! lol

the 55mm f/1.2 non-AI is a fun lens, great rendering! unique bokeh as well

Excellent introduction to nikon len generations. Sadly my only experience is with the Nikon1 series. Many lens are excellent but they had nylon aperture gears that broke with time.. although i saved a few with custom brass gears * it leaves me cautious of nikon, even as i long for a Df or a modern Zf camera. * i couldnt save my most expensive lens a 32mm nano coated kens used only 3 times before it broke with no manufacturer support... Anyway subd your channel

Thanks for making this detailed video.

❤thank you. Great info,love your details. Much appreciated

Great video.

Thanks by this documentary!!!

I have a 50mm lens with this U mount and vivitar automatic tele converter 3x-3. The vivitar has pin that goes into that slot and u mount so when you adjust aperture ring on 50mm it moves aperture on vivitar. There are no markings and a spring holding tension on vivitar aperture ring so it doesn’t work very well with my other Nikon lenses. I had no idea it was used for anything else, cool!

My first camera was a Nikkormat in the late 70s, then the F2

Well informed on those "AI" differences, thank you 😀

Very helpful!!!

Great video, Steven, very informative ideed! Thank you!

Beautiful video. I just bought a Voightlander 58mm 1.4 nokton for my Nikon F4s •• amazing lens. No one talks about it on KZfaq

Good video, Love it

Great video Steven! I did exactly what you mentioned in modifying my lens with a metering coupler. I modified my Nikkor AF-S 17-35 2.8D. It had the dimples also and so does my Nikkor AF 80-200 2.8D, which I will modify also, CHEERS!

i enjoy adapting these old nikkors on my canon 5Dmkii. I use AI-S, AI, and pre-AI lenses they all work great with simple adaptor

Excellent and very helpful video......now I know which "old" lenses will work on my Nikon F2 (AND on my Nikon D500).

GREAT INFORMATIVE VIDEO!🤘🏾🤘🏾

Thank you so much for your advice ❤️❤️🙏🙏

Steven you're the man!!

I've had a prong mounted on a 35-105 AF lens to use it on my F2 and Nikkormats. I have no newer Nikon SLR's.

it is a mechanical connexion to the aperture information gauge on nikon f and nikon f2 bodies.

Great information and video. My biggest regret was selling my AIS 28mm F2. Still have my AIS 105mm 2.5 though. Once I get the Z fc, will probably get a dumb adaptor to mount it on.

Thank you for this marvelous information

Great information

Hi ))) Wow! And another great video! Thank you!

very nice, thank you

How do you use a Pre Ai lens in a Nikon F4? First push the deph of field button? Measurement the light, release, and then press the shooter button? Great video! 👍👏🤙🇦🇷

So interesting and nice to learn 🙂

Thank you for the info injoyed it !

Thank you

Better overall optical performance alternatives for the Nikkor AIS 35mm f/1.4 are the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 (850 gram) or f/2.0 (570 gram). Get the ZF.2 version for correct CPU communication with the camera.

Thank you for your guidance and passion for Nikon glass. I am new to Nikon after having shot Contax and Zeiss , Canon, Hasselblad and Pentax. I now shoot with Nikon Z and use the ai 105, 2.5 and 28, 3.5 - I also have the Nikon Z 50,1.8 lens which is very nice. Which in your opinion is the best Nikon 50mm lens? Thank you.

谢谢 可以听懂你讲话好开心 我的英语又行了🤣

感謝分享，節奏很舒服，中秋快樂🥮

thanks

Yes 35/1.4 can compete with summilux pre asph And 58mm Noct can compete with original Noctilux 1.2 I'm Nikon and Leica user

👏🏽

Wonderful presentation. How is 24 mm 2.8 Ais in performance

Already have 55mm f/2.8 ais using as normal 50mm and for macro now. Maybe I should try 35mm f/1.4 for street photography.

Great video! only flaw is pronunciation of NIKON. Its [NIKON] not [NAIKON] 🙂

can you share some nikon old zoom lens as they were good and costness

Do you feel that the glass of modern lenses is really all that much better than the ais era glass used in the older lenses?

Very usefull, thank you so much Which lenses would you recommend 85 mm to 105 mm ?

Hi Steven, you explainted perfectly about lenses. I have 28f2.8 Ai and this lens is great, do you think a better is to buy 28f2.8Ais to change from Ai ? or no? particulary sharpnes is important for me. I use with D750. Great yours films about cameras.

Great video! I have a Nikon N70, also known as a F70 in other countries. According to your video, it is AF mount. I would like to buy a 70-200 f2.8 zoom lens. Which one do you recomend? Thanks for the information.

非Aiレンズは、Aiレンズが出た当時は「従来レンズ」と言っていました。

Thanks a lot!