Best Nikon Manual Lenses

Originally introduced in 1977, Nikon’s AI (Automatic Indexing) lenses are renowned for their exceptional build quality and optical performance.

Whether you’re shooting on 35mm film or adapting to a digital body, these lenses remain outstanding choices—rugged, compact, and often surprisingly affordable.

First, we’ll review some quick Nikon lens terminology – and then jump into the recommendations. Let’s go!

Pre-AI vs AI/AI-S

  • AI = Automatic Indexing, an old technology that communicates the lens’ max aperture to the camera’s light meter.
  • Pre-AI lenses (aka “non-AI”) can be optically excellent and affordable, but do not mount safely on many Nikon film and DSLRs without modification.
  • Shooting mirrorless? It makes no difference because the dummy adapter doesn’t care – every lens on this page will work fine.
  • AI lenses (introduced in 1977) are usually the best value: same optics as AI-S, cheaper price.
  • AI-S lenses (introduced in 1981) are newer and more compatible with later Nikon film bodies and metering systems, and may be in better condition overall.
  • AI and AI-S lenses typically share the exact same optical formulas (the 28mm f/2.8 AI-S being a rare exception). This means you can often save money by choosing the older AI versions without sacrificing image quality.

Now, let’s identify the best Nikon lens picks (organized by focal range). First, let’s handle the pre-AI lenses (all prices in US Dollars).

The Best Pre-AI Nikkors

Lens Summary Price
24mm f/2.8 Better than expected; decent coatings, nice flare handling.
 75
28mm f/3.5 Budget wide with excellent sharpness 55
35mm f/2 Similar to AI version. Excellent optically, though quality varies. Avoid hazy/fungus samples. Best stopped down to f/2.8 or beyond. 140
50mm f/1.4 Known for unique character and creamy bokeh. Great for cinematic portraits. 65
50mm f/2 Inexpensive, sharp, with smooth bokeh and great colors. A serious sleeper pick. 75
55mm f/3.5 Micro-Nikkor Bitingly sharp macro lens – same optical design as AI version. Amazing value.
 75
105mm f/2.5
(Sonnar type)		 Slightly different rendering from the famous AI version. Warmer, softer bokeh.
 130
135mm f/2.8 As good as AI version, but often cheaper 75
135mm f/3.5 Cheap, light, and optically strong. 50

🧪 These Pre-AI lenses offer incredible value and character—especially if you’re adapting to mirrorless cameras.

Most can’t be safely mounted on Nikon AF film/DSLR bodies unless they’ve been AI-converted, so double-check compatibility if you’re shooting on a Nikon film or DSLR body.

Best AI / AI-S Lenses

There are many great lenses to recommend here – I’ve split them up by focal range. Below each lens, I’ve indicated whether to get the AI, AI-S, or either one.

Wide Angle Primes

Lens Summary Price
20mm f/2.8
AI-S		 Sharp, compact, better coatings and corner performance than earlier 20mm f/3.5 and f/4 versions. A key ultra-wide for adapted/cine use.
 260
24mm f/2
AI or AI-S		 Fast wide-angle, favored for both photography and cine work. Slightly more character (and flare) than the 2.8; best stopped down a little. 220
24mm f/2.8
AI or AI-S		 Same optical formula as the later AF-D version. Iconic, classic, sharp favorite of landscape & adventure photographers. 150
28mm f/2
AI or AI-S		 Underappreciated fast wide with good contrast and bokeh. Loved by adapters/cinemods. Lower distortion than expected. Rare.
 250
Nikon 28mm f/2.8
AI-S		 Sharp edge-to-edge (even wide open), great close focus. A favorite for landscapes and street work. Note: AI-S close-focus version with CRC is superior. 180
Nikon 28mm f/3.5
AI		 A true bargain lens. Modest speed, but very sharp and compact. Bonus: excellent for IR (infrared) – no hotspots. 80
35mm f/1.4
AI or AI-S		 Important part of many cine sets; softer wide open but strong character. Dreamy at f/1.4, clean by f/2.8. Pricier, but a solid alternative to Leica/Zeiss. Character lens—less sharp wide open, best stopped down slightly. 400
Nikon 35mm f/2
AI or AI-S		 Classic street/travel lens. Compact, fast, and punchy rendering.  High sample variation, so inspect carefully! 200

Building your first kit? Try the Nikon 28mm f/3.5 AI.

Normal Primes

Lens Summary Price
50mm f/1.2
AI-S		 Nikon’s fastest 50 and beloved for dreamy rendering. Not clinically sharp wide open; for character, not pixel-peeping.
 350
50mm f/1.4
AI or AI-S		 Bright, versatile, with classic rendering. Slightly soft wide open, sharpens nicely by f/2.
 130
50mm f/1.8
AI or AI-S		 Affordable and reliable. A great walkaround lens.  160
50mm f/1.8
Series E		 Pancake-style lens with great portability and good optics. Perfect for compact film setups. Great “starter” budget kit lens.
 40
50mm f/2
AI		 Sharp, cheap, and one of Nikon’s best-value 50s. Great rendering (the “Japanese Summicron”).
 100
55mm f/1.2
AI		 Fast and dreamy. Not technically perfect, but beloved for its rendering. Character lens—less sharp wide open, best stopped down slightly. 250
55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor One of the sharpest vintage macro lenses ever made. Great for close-ups and product photography. Only available as AI-S. 130
55mm f/3.5 Micro-Nikkor Excellent budget macro. Slightly slower but optically superb. AI (or pre-AI) only. 50

Honorable mention: 58mm f/1.2 Noct-Nikkor AI-S. What would a Nikon lens roundup be without the OG Noct?! Legendary night performance, minimal coma. Extremely expensive. Rare.

Telephoto Primes

Lens Summary Price
85mm f/1.4
AI-S		 A portrait legend. Creamy bokeh, solid wide-open performance, sharp stopped down. Get AI-S only. 400
85mm f/1.8
AI or AI-S		 More compact and affordable than the f/1.4; excellent portrait lens. Slightly less creamy, but optically strong.
Note: most you’ll see online are “AI converted”		 200
85mm f/2
AI or AI-S		 Smaller, lighter, and cheaper than the 85/1.4, but still delivers great portraits. 250
100mm f/2.8
Series E		 Lightweight and often overlooked. Excellent value for portraits. Compact and good for beginners or casual film shooters. 60
105mm f/1.8
AI-S		 Less well-known but superb for portraits with shallow depth of field. Sharp and fast, though heavy. 400
105mm f/2.5
AI or AI-S		 One of Nikon’s most iconic lenses. Used by Steve McCurry (Afghan Girl). All versions are great. 200
135mm f/2.8
AI or AI-S		 Sharp, flattering portrait focal length. Slightly underrated. 100
135mm f/3.5
AI		 Budget-friendly telephoto with surprising sharpness. 60
180mm f/2.8 AI-S (ED version) Legendary telephoto. Excellent contrast, sharpness, and bokeh. 300
200mm f/4
AI or AI-S		 Affordable telephoto sleeper—sharp, contrasty, and small. Often overlooked due to slow max aperture. 100

Honorable mention: 200mm f/2 AI-S ED-IF. Creamy bokeh, insane isolation. Heavy, rare, and expensive—best for portrait specialists.

Zoom Lenses

Lens Summary Price
25–50mm f/4
AI-S		 Widely respected vintage wide-to-standard zoom. Excellent build and optical quality. One of Nikon’s best manual zooms.
 100
35–70mm f/3.5
AI-S		 Standard zoom with solid IQ, sharp stopped down. Popular among cine adapters. Push-pull zoom; a compact alternative to carrying multiple wide-to-normal primes.
 100
75–150mm f/3.5 Series E Push-pull zoom with surprisingly good optics. Known for great value and portrait use. Downsides: zoom creep, dust entry. 50
80–200mm f/4
AI-S		 Extremely sharp and well-built mid-tele zoom. Excellent for portraits or compressed landscapes. More compact than later AF versions.
 100

Just starting out? The 75-150mm Series E is a good choice!

Rational Lens Kits

Here are some great lens kits for different use cases:

🎒 The Budget Set

A compact, affordable starter kit that punches above its price. Perfect for: Students, film shooters, travel photographers, casual mirrorless users.

  • 28mm f/3.5 AI or Pre-AI: Compact and tack-sharp.
  • 50mm f/2 AI or Pre-AI: Sharp, lovely rendering, very affordable.
  • 135mm f/3.5 AI or Pre-AI: Incredibly cheap for the image quality.
  • Optional: 75–150mm f/3.5 Series E: Great value zoom, especially for portraits and events.

Optional swap: 55mm f/3.5 Micro-Nikkor if macro is needed.

🔬 The Pixel-Peeper Set

Built for sharpness, contrast, and optical precision across the frame. Perfect for: Landscape, macro, product photography, or high-res mirrorless users.

  • 28mm f/2.8 AI-S (CRC version): Edge-to-edge sharpness, especially stopped down.
  • 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor AI-S: One of Nikon’s sharpest ever.
  • 105mm f/2.5 AI-S: Sharp, contrasty, with lovely rendering.

📷 Optional: Use with high-res digital sensors (Z8, D850, Sony A7R series) for best results.

🎥 Starter Cine/Adapted Set

Balanced for sharpness, vintage rendering, and lens-to-lens consistency.

  • 24mm f/2.8 AI-S
  • 35mm f/2 AI
  • 50mm f/1.2 or f/1.4 AI-S
  • 85mm f/1.8 AI
  • 105mm f/2.5 AI-S

Optional: 135mm f/2.8 or 180mm f/2.8 AI-S if needed

🎬 Pro Cinematic Video Set

A full manual-focus set with strong character and rendering, ideal for cine-modding or mirrorless video rigs. Perfect for: Indie filmmakers, mirrorless users, those building a vintage prime kit for video.

  • 20mm f/2.8 AI-S: Solid coatings, good flare control. Compact.
  • 24mm f/2 AI or AI-S: Great character and speed for wide shots.
  • 35mm f/1.4 AI or AI-S: Classic dreamy rendering at f/1.4; strong cine mod base.
  • 50mm f/1.2 AI-S: Excellent subject isolation; bokeh-rich look.
  • 85mm f/1.4 AI-S: Smooth bokeh, cinematic favorite.
  • 105mm f/1.8 AI-S: Great for interviews, detail, or shallow DoF shots.

🎥 Optional: add 135mm f/2.8 AI for compressed looks and/or 35–70mm f/3.5 AI-S for handheld doc work.

✅ Tip: All lenses have long focus throws and de-clickable apertures, great for cine mods.

Links and Resources

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