Help evaluating and pricing old school lenses and camera bodies

Dave_W

The Dude
My neighbor brought over a big bag full of her father's old camera equipment and lenses that she would like to sell. The lenses are in excellent condition but I have to admit, I don't very much about these older lenses and some of them I can't figure out what their focal length is.
So I would very much appreciate some help of both identifying these lenses. Are they compatible with current digital (are they AiS or?) and what the approximate value of them are so I can pass this information on to her.
TIA

First off is this lens that I'm confused about. It says 1 : 3.5 but then is reads f = 28cm. Is it a 280mm or ?

28.jpg

2nd is 1.4, 50mm Auto-S (actually there are 2 of these lenses but I've only photographed one of them, both are in perfect condition)

50-1.jpg

3rd is a 1.4, 50mm but not an auto-S

50-2.jpg

4th is 105mm, f/2.5

105.jpg

5th one is a complete unknown to me. It says Nikkor-Q auto 1:4 f=20cm. It seems like a zoom but I'm not sure what the range is.

unk-1-sm.jpg

Next is a "soligor" 70-220mm, 3.5

sol.jpg

A Tonika, 28-85mm, 3.5-4.5

tonk.jpg

A Vivitar 70-210mm; 2.8-4.0 macro

viv.jpg

And finally 3 camera bodies -

body1.jpgbody2-sm.jpgbody3-sm.jpg
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Tiny lens says 2.8cm, not 28cm. At least that's the way I see the photo. The bigger one you show saying 20cm, which makes sense as a 200mm.
 

Dave_W

The Dude
Tiny lens says 2.8cm, not 28cm. At least that's the way I see the photo. The bigger one you show saying 20cm, which makes sense as a 200mm.

Ahhh...you are correct, sir! Strange how they used to use "f" as focal length instead of f-stop. Do you know if these are what they called "AiS" lenses?
 

Dave_W

The Dude
Okay - I've discovered the 105mm is a "non-Ai" lens. What exactly does that mean?

Scratch that, I'm now not so sure it's an non-Ai, I'm now thinking it's an Ai lens. Where's Eye-level when you need him?
 

Dave_W

The Dude
How strange is this, some of the lenses are non-Ai's and others are Ai. I'm a little surprised they would all have worked on the EL and the 2 x EF2 bodies.
 

stmv

Senior Member
that is a nice set of old lens, pretty old version 200 F4,, but still wil render sharp lens,,


these lens will range from 20 dollars to near couple hundred (the 50mm 1.4)


you could take them to a store that buys used gear, and they will 25-50% of what you could do on Ebay.

Those old bodies are not worth much between 25-75 dollars each.

Personally, I would keep the Nikkors, sell off the aftermarket, and camera bodies.

expecially the
35,
50 1.4
105 2.5
200 F4

nice set of old lens. for manual shooting,
 

Eye-level

Banned
The 105 is the most interesting lens of the bunch. It is part of the first production run starting 1977. At that point Canon and everyone else was kicking Nikon's @ss with auto exposure. They had to do something anything...first it was Ai...then Ais...

That particular lens you have is basically just a non Ai modern Gauss design enhanced for close focus that has been factory Ai'd...that is some of the best 35mm format glass ever made period. Made in Japan.

Anyone who owns a D800 should own that lens...
 
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Eye-level

Banned
The second fast fifty...Nikkor 50/1.4 is a legendary fast fifty is the kind of lens I like to buy to match the F2 date wise..that lens is probably a 1974 or 5 model so it matches my camera...non Ai...likely a K lens because it has the modern barrel...it won't work on your 800...but it will on my 5000... :)

The 28mm or 2.8cm/3.5 is an old version of the cheapest Nikkor you can buy...it is also a gem of a Nikkor too imagine that! Also will not work on a lot of cameras unless it is converted...sad to see an old lens like that converted but if it means it makes snaps again than that is alright... :)

Nice bunch...somebody loved photography and had good equipment...the 105 is really really nice...
 
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Dave_W

The Dude
Thanks Jeff
Something I didn't show in the photos is that the lenses have their original lens caps that have the little metal ball that you press to take them off and put them back on. I'd never seen this style before and I like it. I wonder why Nikon doesn't still use this style?

There's also a handle-thingie connected to what looks like an L-brace but it's different than the L-braces I'm used to. I'll try to get a photo of it tomorrow.

Btw - she wants to sell all these lenses so if you're interested any of them, PM me.
 
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STM

Senior Member
Go grab a soda or a cup of coffee and a snack, this will take a little while!

The first lens is a 2.8 cm (28mm) f/3.5 very early auto, non-AI Nikkor. A very good lens but had a lot of elements and only single coated. It was prone to flare.

The next is a 50mm f/1.4 non-AI Nikkor, again an early version. Ditto on the coating, but an excellent lens nonetheless. Keep the sun or a bright light out of the frame or expect more ghosts than a haunted house on Halloween. Not nearly as bad as the miserable 43-86 f/3.5, but still something to be mindful of.

Next is a 50mm f/1.4 non-AI Nikkor, but an updated version with the NIC (Nikon Integrated Coating) multicoating. A fine lens by any standard. It also has its own clip on metal lens shade. I have one, you can reverse it on the lens for storage. I have a later version of this lens which I AI'd myself with a Dremel and a cutting wheel. That macro shot I have of the housefly was taken with that lens reversed on a bellows.

Next is a 105mm f/2.5 earlier AI Nikkor with NIC. A Nikon legend. One of the finest lenses in that focal length ever made. Had a very handy metal clip-on lens shade which you can also reverse on the lens for storage.

Next is a 20cm (200mm) f/4 non-AI Nikkor, again a very early version. Not a bad lens but not all that great a one either, very weakly coated and prone to flare. The AIS version was MUCH improved over this one.

The next lenses are aftermarket lenses in Nikon F mount. The first one is a Soligor zoom in what looks like a non-AI mount. Not a great lens, but ok. The next is a Tokina, not Tonika, in AI or possibly AIS mount. Again, not a bad lens but nothing to write home about. If I was a betting man, I would bet it is somewhat of a dog of a lens but would make a nice looking paper weight or door stop nonetheless. You might even let the dog play with it. The next two are Viviar Series 1 zooms in Nikon AI or maybe even AIS mount. The Series 1 lenses were actually very good lenses for their day. Those are both keepers for sure.

The camera bodies are all Nikkormats (Nikon's "consumer" grade SLR), and are all outstanding bodies, though not with a lot of bells and whistles. They all have CDS metering cells and 1-1/1000 shutters. They are all 70's vintage. The first two are FT2's (an updated FTN with a hotshoe). but still had the horizontal fabric shutter so the synch speed was 1/60. They have the meter coupling prong around the lens mount which allows full aperture metering. They were unique in that the shutter speed ring is around the lens mount. You adjust it with a tab on the ring. I have an FT3, which accepted AI's and AIS's but not non-AI's unless you flipped the meter coupling tab out of the way, and I love it. It is big and heavy and the finder a little dark, but some of the best images I have ever taken were made with it. You can drive railroad spikes with it. Typical Nikon 70's ruggedness. The shutter speed ring was more convenient than one on the top of the right deck The other is a Nikkormat EL, which was Nikon's first electronic camera, pre-dating the F3. It too has the meter coupling prong. It had a vertical, metal shutter and 1/125 X synch. The key with these bodies is whether the meters work or not. The shutters on the FT2's were mechanical, but the EL was electronic. The battery on the EL was in a really weird place, on the bottom of the mirror box. You had to lock the mirror up to change it. Check the battery compartments to make sure there is no corrosion from old batteries. The good news is that you should still be able to find batteries to work with them, unlike some early Canon bodies which required batteries which the tree huggers got banned and which no current day equivalent can be found without a very rare and hard to find adapter. Canon really screwed a lot of their loyal fans, especially when their digital cameras came out and they changed their mounts. Now all those excellent FD lenses are for the most part useless.

Honestly, everything appears to be in good shape but I would not give him more than $600 - $650 for the entire lot. The lenses will all work perfectly on the Nikkormats but you can forget using any of them except the 105mm Nikkor, the Tokina and Vivitars on any later film or digital SLR's without AI modification. For a long time Nikon would AI older lenses but that went away several years ago. If you are extremely lucky, you may be able to find AI aperture rings for some of those lenses and you can swap them out yourself if you are somewhat mechanically inclined.
 
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