The Best Value Nikon FA Lenses for Fun and Learning

The Nikon FA uses manual focus F-mount lenses.

There are recommendations for all types of photography and every budget.

Do not attempt to mount “Non-Ai” lenses. They do not have cutouts in the aperture ring. They will damage the FA’s lens mount.

See the Nikon F-mount lens and camera compatibility page for how to identify ’non-Ai’ lenses.

Nikon FA Lens Compatibility

Nikon F-mount Ai, Ai-S, AF, or D series lenses can be used on the Nikon FA.

I do not like how the focus ring feels on AF or D series lenses. They use the mechanical autofocus system, which feels like turning gears, instead of a smooth helicoid.

Lenses designed for DSLRs will not work. For example, G-series lenses have electronically controlled apertures. They don’t have a physical aperture ring.

Non-Ai vs Ai & Ai-S Lenses

The first F-mount lenses are called “non-Ai” lenses. They worked with a meter Coupling Prong.

Non-Ai lenses should have metering prongs sticking out from the aperture ring. They resemble a pair of bunny years.

The aperture ring will have a solid lip that will press against the meter coupling ridge.

They will not easily mount to the FA. Forcing one on can damage the lens mount.

The FA uses a Meter Coupling Ridge for aperture setting. Aperture rings on Ai and Ai-S lenses have cutouts for the Meter Coupling Ridge.

Lenses made around the time when Nikon changed to Ai lenses can have both forms of meter coupling.

Adapting Lenses?

The newest Z-mount lenses for mirrorless cameras can not be used. The Z-mount’s flange focal distance is shorter than the F-mount’s 44.5mm.

That’s also larger than all the other popular 35mm film camera mounts. There aren’t any good options to adapt other lenses to the F-mount.

It’s very easy to use F-mount lenses other cameras. Adapters are plentiful for all of the mirrorless camera mounts.

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50mm Lenses

50mm lenses are my favorite.

They are great for street, general, portraits, landscapes, and grabbing candid shots.

Nikon 50mm f1.8 Series E

• One of the most popular 50mm lenses Nikon ever made.
• Excellent value and easy to find on the used market.
• Light, small, and compact.
• Prefect for travel and street photography.

The massive popularity of the 50mm f/1.8 E Series lens was a surprise to Nikon. It was released as a budget option, but it was a hit with everyone from new photographers to pros.

Look for the version with the chrome ring around the barrel of the lens. Those are the second version of the lens that has a better build quality. The first versions are all black.

The small size and lightweight size means that the FA will stay light and compact. It is the perfect lens to leave on a camera that you just want to be able to grab and go.

Nikon Nikkor 50mm f1.4

• Outstanding optics.
• Optical multi-coatings to reduce flare.
• Easy to find.
• Comparatively low-priced.

It’s 2/3 of a stop faster than the f1.8. The brighter viewfinder be helpful for low light focusing.

A better reason to get it would be the improved optical coatings. If you shoot color, the coatings will reduce chromatic aberrations.

Creating bokeh will be easy with the lens wide open. You’ll have no problems blurring backgrounds.

They aren’t that much more expensive than the various 50mm f1.8 lenses.

Voigtlander 58mm f1.4 Noct

• Exceptional optical quality for sharp images.
• High-end build with a buttery smooth focus ring.
• Has a Meter Coupling Prong that allow it to be used older Nikon SLRs.
• CPU Contacts or focus confirmation and EXIF data on DSLRs.
• Can be purchased new.

The Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4 Noct is one of the best lenses ever made for the F-mount. You’re going to be hard pressed to find a better lens to use on your Nikon FA.

It’s better than the Nikon Nikkor 55mm f1.2 or 50mm f1.2 Ai lenses.

What sets the Voiglander apart is the combination of modern optics, manufacturing, and design. It is a manual focus lens, with an incredibly smooth focus ring.

It has CPU contacts and a meter coupling ridge. Some versions have metering prongs, allowing it to be used on all Nikon F-mount cameras.

If you have a DSLR or adapter with electrical contacts, the lens will provide EXIF data.

It’s one of the best lenses I’ve ever used. I would highly recommend it.

28mm Lenses

Nikon 28mm f2.8 Series E

• Perfect travel kit when combined with a 50mm lens.
• Optical multi-coatings to improve output.
• Very easy to find in good condition used.
• Small and compact design.

The 28mm is a borderline wide angle lens that should cost around half of what a 24mm is going for. It is small and compact, making it perfect as a standard lens or as part of a small kit.

Look for the second version of the 28mm Series E that has a chrome ring around the lens barrel. The construction quality is better than the first, all-black version.

Wide Angle Lenses

Nikon 24mm f2.8 Ai

• Make a great kit when combined with a 50mm lens.
• Optical multi-coatings to improve performance.
• Widely available on the used market.
• Relatively low-priced for a wide angle lens.

The AI, AI-S, AF, and D versions of the 24mm all use the same optical design. Versions with autofocus will have improved lens coatings, but are not as enjoyable to manually focus on the FA as fully manual lenses are.

The Nikon 24mm f/2.8 has the best price-performance ratio of any wide-angle lens for the FA. The Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 does not handle flare well and has more noticeable barrel distortion while also costing more.

Any lens that is wider or faster jumps into price ranges that I would consider to be overpriced. The image quality will also not be as good as a vintage medium format, larger format, or modern wide angle lens.

Portrait & Telephoto Lenses

Nikon DC-Nikkor 105mm f2D

• Defocus Control allows you to control the bokeh.
• So popular among portrait photographers is was produced from 1993 to 2016.
• Ridiculous value used.
• One of the best portrait lenses Nikon has ever made.
• Usable on Nikon DSLRs as it has CPU contacts and autofocus.

The DC-Nikkor 105mm f/2D was made for 23 years. It was still being manufactured after just about every other focal length was updated to the G series. It was and still is a popular lens.

The DC stands for ‘Defocus Image Control’ which allows you to control how the bokeh is rendered. This is a somewhat unique feature. There is also a DC-Nikkor 135mm f/2D.

What really blows my mind is that the DC-Nikkor 105mm f/2D can be found used for around the same price as the Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 Ai.

Nikon 85mm f1.4 Ai

• Overpriced due to photographers adapting it to mirrorless cameras.
• Hard to find in good condition as it was used by professionals.
• Same optical design as the 85mm f/1.4 D series.

I don’t shoot very many portraits. Even if I did, I wouldn’t buy any of the vintage 85mm f/1.4. It doesn’t matter the manufacturer, if it is a vintage 85mm f/1.4, it’s overpriced.

When I originally wrote this, prices had spiked to around $700, which is crazy. Prices have since come down to more reasonable levels.

Under $500 in excellent condition is reasonable. Under $400 in good condition is worth going for. If you want to use the lens on a Nikon SLR with autofocus or DSLR, the 85mm f/1.4D is the better choice.

Haze and dried out helicoid grease are common problems with these lenses due to their age. The “excellent condition” lenses from Japan will not live up to that description.

The lens was included because I know people are going to look for it and buy it regardless of what my warning and thoughts on the lens.

Nikon also made 85mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/2 lenses which are less expensive and easier to find in good condition. Though you still need to pay close attention to lens condition.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the D series autofocus lenses use the same optical design. They are newer, which will make it easier to find a lens in good condition.

The Nikon Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 Ai is in the same price range. It has beautiful bokeh, but it is heavy.

Nikon 100mm f2.8 Series E Lens

• Alternative portrait lenses to the 85mm focal length.
• Great value that is easy to find.
• Uses 52mm filters, which makes it ideal to pair with other Series E lenses.

85mm focal length lenses were not as commonly used as they are today compared to when the FA was first released in 1982. 135mm or 100mm focal lengths were more common because they were less expensive to manufacture.

Just like all of the other Series E lenses listed, the 100mm f/2.8 hits a good balance of functionality, value, and performance. It feels good to use on the Nikon FA. That’s why the lens was favored when released and why numerous copies are readily available on the used market.

Another option is the Nikon 135mm f/2.8 AIS.

Zoom Lenses

In the early 1980’s there were third-party manufacturers producing high quality lenses. Autofocus put an end to many of them.

Some of the best lenses were released with Vivitar branding. Look for Vivitar Series 1 lenses. They have some of the best image quality you’ll see in a vintage zoom.

The biggest issue is finding zooms in good condition. The extra moving parts mean there’s more to break. More elements means more places for lens fungus to grow.

With relatively small apertures, you need to plan ahead with a flash or high ISO film.

Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f3.5

• Covers a popular zoom range.
• Good for sports or wildlife photography.
• A rare example of when a third-party has better image quality than Nikon.

Optically, the performance from this lens is going to be better than any Nikon counterpart. The fit and finish is a little lack luster.

For sharp photos, just like every vintage zoom lens, you will have to stop the lens down to f/5.6. There are no intermediate stops between f/3.5 and f/5.6.

Keep that in mind, as shooting at f/5.6 will make low light photography difficult. You’ll be fine shooting outdoors during the day.

The lens is sold with mounts for other camera systems. If you decide to buy one, make sure that it is for the Nikon F mount.

Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f2.8-3.5

• Covers a useful zoom range.
• Great for everyday general photography.
• A rare time when a third-party lens is the better choice.

Depending on the type of photography you intend to do, this could be a more useful zoom range.

However, owning 58mm and 28mm primes will make a majority of the zoom range redundant. The primes also have better image quality, are smaller, and weigh less.

Nikon Macro Lenses

For capturing photos at macro magnification (1x), a 90mm-105mm lens will be the best choice. These have enough working distance to be able to use a flash or other lighting.

Longer lenses are heavier and more expensive. The weight and longer focal length will often require a tripod to be used.

All of the 50 or 55mm Nikon F-mount macro lenses require the use of extension tubes to reach 1x magnification.

Vivitar 90mm f2.8 Macro Lens

• The best vintage macro lens I’ve used out of more than a dozen.
• Available in multiple lens mounts, so make sure you’re getting on for the Nikon F-mount.
• Does not need an extension tube to reach 1:1 magnification.
• Razor sharp corner to corner at f/5.6 and f/8.

My favorite vintage macro, the 90mm Vivitar, was made with a variety of camera mounts. Fortunately, it is not difficult to find one in a Nikon F mount to use on the FA.

The lens is ideal for shooting macro at 1:1 magnification because you’ll get around 3 inches of working distance. The working distance being the distance from the front of the lens to where the subject is in focus.

Both of the Vivitar macros were made by Komine and were released under several different brand names. If you decide to search for one also look under the Panagor, Elicar, Quantaray, Spiratone, and Rokunar brand names.

There is a Vivitar 90mm Macro Review and a Vivitar 55mm Macro Review.

Vivitar 55mm f2.8 Macro Lens

• The second best vintage macro lens I’ve used.
• Better than the 90mm for close-up photography.
• It doesn’t need an extension tube to achieve life-size magnification.
• Tack sharp corner to corner at f/5.6 and f/8.

The Vivitar 55mm is an excellent choice for close-up photography. That would include copy work, nature, and tabletop photography.

There is not enough working distance to working at 1x magnification. However, an upside to that is that at 0.5x magnification you won’t have to be several feet away from the subject, like with a 90-105mm macro lens.

An earlier f3 version of the lens exists and should be avoided. The f/2.8 version is significantly sharper.