Your thoughts on Nikkor 50/1.8 AI-S Japanese pancake version

I got the 50/1.8 pancake (not Series E) with an FG body I picked up last month. I'm shocked at how good it is. Sharp everywhere, nice bokeh. I seem to recall that the Series E has the same glass, but cheaper construction and coatings.

I have the 50/1.4 AI, but have not used it yet. I'm thinking of moving it on down the line, as I don't use a 50 prime that much, and when I do, I think I prefer the 50/1.8 pancake.
 
Smaug said:
I got the 50/1.8 pancake (not Series E) with an FG body I picked up last month. I'm shocked at how good it is. Sharp everywhere, nice bokeh. I seem to recall that the Series E has the same glass, but cheaper construction and coatings.

I have the 50/1.4 AI, but have not used it yet. I'm thinking of moving it on down the line, as I don't use a 50 prime that much, and when I do, I think I prefer the 50/1.8 pancake.
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Smaug, do you have the Japanese-market version of the 50/1.8 pancake? As the OP notes, it can easily be identified by a serial number starting with 2, as well as a minimum focus distance of 0.45m. Ken Rockwell also has a good summary of the differences:
https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/50mm-f18-ais-pancake.htm#id
 
I had E version on FG20. Camera was nice, lens was awful. It looks like I had wrong version of 50 1.8.
The naming of Nikon lenses is terrible. Could anyone let me know which 50 1.8 is good one? Ai-S? Will it work on Nikkormat?
Or I'll just get Helios 81H, this one was superior to Crons.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
I had E version on FG20. Camera was nice, lens was awful. It looks like I had wrong version of 50 1.8.
The naming of Nikon lenses is terrible. Could anyone let me know which 50 1.8 is good one? Ai-S? Will it work on Nikkormat?
Or I'll just get Helios 81H, this one was superior to Crons.
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In no particular order, I believe these are the different MF 50/1.8 versions:
  • AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S - Subject of this thread, Japanese-market version;
  • Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI - early version;
  • Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 - plastic pancake, single coated;
  • Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI-s - aka "long nose", with rabbit ears;
  • Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI-s - pancake, with serial numbers starting with 4 and 0.6m MFD.
MIR has a good breakdown of the version history, with different parts for the different versions.
https://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/50mmnikkor/index.htm

As for whether it will mount (and meter) on a Nikkormat, that would depend on which model Nikkormat you have, and whether a lens has "rabbit ears" for the meter coupling prong. So there you go, clear as mud. :D
 
I have the pancake 50mm f1.8 AI-S with a serial number starting with 2. It is so sharp! I love it. It has a bit of fungus on the inner element but I am planning to open it up and clean it (i found a youtube tutoral - else I wouldn’t dare..).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The ‘E’ series lenses, IIRC, were single coated even after all the Nikkors went to multi-coating. I’ve got the heralded 75-150 E; desaturated colors, flare more than I’d like.
Have never been a fan of the 50/1.4 iterations (especially the AF-D) or 1.8. Vanilla.

The 50/1.2 is a far more interesting lens, way sharper @ f/2 that nearly any Nikkor, for a few more $$. Not to mention the NOCT. Even the 45/2.8 pancake has more character. If I were in the market for a “pancake normal”, I’d go for the CV 2/40, hands down. Especially the second version with Macro close-up lenses.
 
Both Ai-S pancakes and the Series E lens share the same optics and offer significantly less distortion than the "long nose" and earlier Ai versions. The only differences between them are the coatings and build quality. I am curious why they changed the minimum focusing distance though. All three perform identically at infinity and down to 0.6 meters.
 
Palmer Segner said:
Both Ai-S pancakes and the Series E lens share the same optics and offer significantly less distortion than the "long nose" and earlier Ai versions. The only differences between them are the coatings and build quality. I am curious why they changed the minimum focusing distance though. All three perform identically at infinity and down to 0.6 meters.
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Perhaps something special for a specific market? Kind of like this Ferrari 348 Serie Speciale, one of only 100 made specifically for North America. :D

Nikon FM2n, AI Nikkor 50mm f/1.8S, Ultrafine Xtreme 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2019.09.25 Roll #221-04055-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr
 
I received an AIS pancake recently. Unfortunately it has an issue with the aperture control somehow being interfered with by the focus. So the aperture opens and closes during focusing when mounted on a camera. And the aperture blades don't return to fully open after firing the shutter. Is this an unusual problem?
 
largedrink said:
I received an AIS pancake recently. Unfortunately it has an issue with the aperture control somehow being interfered with by the focus. So the aperture opens and closes during focusing when mounted on a camera. And the aperture blades don't return to fully open after firing the shutter. Is this an unusual problem?
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I have no idea about the former issue with the focus interfering with the aperture, but neither issue sounds normal to me.

As for the latter, I did have a similar issue with the aperture blades not snapping back open after firing the shutter, but on a different lens, a non-factory AI modded lens. The seller said that whoever re-assembled the lens last didn't line up stop-down lever properly to move the prongs inside. Thankfully, I was able to work out an exchange.
 
largedrink said:
I received an AIS pancake recently. Unfortunately it has an issue with the aperture control somehow being interfered with by the focus. So the aperture opens and closes during focusing when mounted on a camera. And the aperture blades don't return to fully open after firing the shutter. Is this an unusual problem?
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It is actually not. The focus helicoids, if they get full of grit, or the lubricant dries, or locks for another reason, can bind with the aperture mechanism. It happened to one of mine. It was easily fixed by the guy who was then the Nikon service agent here in Adelaide.

Marty
 
 
Not a bad lens at all, one of those pancakes that doesn't feel like a compromise in optical quality. Mine has fungus but it still performs just fine.


Rollei RPX 400 @ 640 in Rodinal


20200103-Image-17-17.jpg
 
I'm enjoying your photos, dourbalistar.

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I was about to sell my 50/1.4 AI and just keep my pancake 50/1.8 AI-S, but then I tried the 50/1.4 AI and it is good too. Just not small & light.

I'm finding that the 1.4 is better on the FE, the 1.8 pancake is better on the FG.
 
Smaug said:
I'm enjoying your photos, dourbalistar.

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I was about to sell my 50/1.4 AI and just keep my pancake 50/1.8 AI-S, but then I tried the 50/1.4 AI and it is good too. Just not small & light.

I'm finding that the 1.4 is better on the FE, the 1.8 pancake is better on the FG.
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Thanks, Smaug! A lot of photography is a series of compromises, and for me, the 50/1.8 AI-S pancake is a great balance between cost, size, performance, and speed. Like Doddle noted, it's a great all-rounder without too many compromises, optical or otherwise. :)
 
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