100E if one shows up at a price I'd pay, f/1.8 a bit pricey for me now, ditto DC. You missed out the Ai 105mm f/2.5 - plus Non-Ai, Ai 105mm f/4 and f/2.8 and the rest you listed I would have all the 105mm Nikon has ever produced for the F mount.
I have an earlier posting comparing CA on the 105mm in this thread. So far my impression (on colour) is that I still love my "first love" Nikkor - the AiS 105mm f/2.5 (actually my second Nikkor after the dinky AiS 35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 of 1984).
Can tune me in on how to mod an MD lens to Nikon F mount? Does the operation allow full aperture metering?
Oh 50mm, my list: Nikkor-S 50mm f/1.4, Ai 50mm f/2, AFD 50mm f/1.4, AFS 50mm f/1.4G all still with me. Those used and sold: Ai 50mm f/1.4, AiS 50mm f/1.4, AF 50mm f/1.4N, AF 50mm f/1.8N, AF 50mm f/1.8D (3 pieces, bought to tie over times I sold my f/1.4 while waiting for the replacement to be purchased or arrived), AiS 50mm f/1.8 (second last version). How's that in comparison with your 50mm? Oh I have FD 50mm f/1.4 and MD 50mm f/1.7, never got to mount them and shoot them.
i forgot versions of the lens.. got series E 100 2.8 1st and 2nd versions plus 10.5cm tick marked and (i think) 9-blade but the last 2 will cost you a fortune>< i tried the 105 2.5, 135 2.8 and 200 4 AIS lenses but neither stood out to me so i looked for alternatives ><
well.. in theory its vv easy to convert.. take off md mount, bring lens 3.5mm closer to film plane, put on nikon mount and you re done. in practice you need to completely disassemble the lens and figure out where you can remove material to allow the lens to come further in. the most i've removed is the konica 100 2.8 where i had to modify 14 parts to bring it 6mm closer to the film plane. you also have to check to see if the lens itself can clear the mirror on the dslr. almost all 100mm and above will be ok but going below that it becomes less clear cut.
i currently use the CZ 45/2.8, nikkor-S 5cm f2 9-blade, 50 1.2 AIS and 55 2.8. i've used and sold:
f1.4: Nikkor S.C. for rangefinder, S, S.C., K, ais, Nikkor-S 5.8cm; of these the AIS is the best for fx, the 5.8cm is fantastic on dx but lousy on fx.
f1.8: ai, series E, and the pancake nikkor version, AF-D. the AI and nikkor pancake version are the best.
f2: nikkor-s 6 blade, H, H.C, AI. the Nikkor S and H.C. are the 'best', but my preference is toward the S for rendition and character esp in BnW
55mm: S f1.2, P f3.5, AIS f3.5, AIS f2.8. both AIS are v good.
also used fujinon-x DM 50 1.6 and 1.9, scheinder xenon 50 2.8, canon FL 58mm 1.2 and FD 58mm 1.2 SSC. converted to F mount. currently working on converting a carl zeiss 50 1.8 with concave element(very very early lens) and have a voigtlander colour ultron 50/2 coming in. did conversion of MD 50 1.4s for someone, but it doesnt clear full frame mirror.
of these the ones that have left the biggest impression on me are the CZ45/2.8, Nikkor-S 5cm f2, 50/1.2, fujinon 50/1.9, FD 58/1.2 SSC. that very last one is really special and renders colour almost exactly as seen. sadly it doesn't clear the mirror on nikon fullframe ><
I would not get the 50mm f1.2 if I were you. Somehow my friend's 50mm f1.4 AFD just simply outresolves it for every single aperture. I'm guessing the AFS version would outdo them both. So unless you are going for the classical rendering, Iwouldn't get it. The look and "3D pop" at f2 is quite amazing though.
20 f4? thats quite tiny! how is it?
anw, if you go for resolution then the 50 1.2 prob isnt for you; not to say its not sharp cos i've not run out of resolution when i get the focus right. the strength of the 50 1.2 is its character: saturation and contrast wide open esp at night, skin tones where its simply unmatched, contrasty out of focus rendition, and contrast from 2.8 and beyond though i hardly shoot there. it has a certain quality/charm neither of the 1.4s i ve tried can reproduce.
also, count me on for the not liking 50mm on dx part. its weird. for dx get the 35 1.8G or nikkor OC 35 f2 instead =P
