Nikon Series E 50mm f1.8 AIS

No mas. I no longer use an EM.

My EDC, the Nikon FG

Nikon Series E 

50mm f1.8 AIS

s/n 2558598 - 2158745 = CLA

UPDATE: I’ve learned quite a bit about this lens and my photography by using it daily, I use it everywhere. I put together a kit that is economical and I’m not afraid of hard use. This kit gets dragged around often NOT getting used, preserving the wear and tear on my other premium gear. I make this lens run point, if I see something? I use my good cameras and specialty lenses.

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Utility is the name of this lens.

My first camera, a Canon TX had a 50mm f1.8, another camera I used quite a bit early on in my photography was a Pentax K-1000 and it had a 50mm f2. So when I began collecting Nikon F-mounted lenses, I was definitely gun shy about spending a lot of money. I asked my photographer friends and they suggested a Series E 50mm. I bought one. Compared to the Nikkor 50mm, they are inexpensive. The lens arrived and looking at the Nikkor lenses I owned, I could see a difference of lesser quality of materials chosen for construction but the images came out nice.

This is not a review, it’s my story, I’m simply detailing my experience.

Even with my limited knowledge, in comparison to the Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AI ($25 find,) the Series E just wasn’t in the same quality genre. So I put it in the box of purchase mistakes along with the other two Series E lenses I had. I made a decision to only use Nikkor lenses. I’ve since learned more about utility and about being an amateur photographer. I’m definitely not a professional, I show my mistakes and sometimes my mistakes are my best work.

Looking at Series E lenses as a mistake purchase was a mistake, mistakenly made.

Not a bad mistake but a mistake no less. 🤦 Although you can purchase quality, that comes from experience in your photography and I’ve learned that those Series E lenses are not holding me back.

A little later, I bought a Nikon EM. I started to read up on the EM and found that Nikon was putting together cameras and lenses that were good economical choices for non-professional photographers. People that wanted a nice camera at a decent price. 

No mistake about that.

After cleaning up my EM, I gathered all the Series E lenses and put together a camera bag dedicated to them. I sometimes chose this kit to check my skills with. I ask myself if my photography is getting better by taking pictures with the EM FG and Series E. The EM broke and after the third body, I replaced it with the FG. Making this kit is a fun project, a self check that keeps me grounded and honestly reflects on my basic skills as a photographer.

The Series E 50mm was the only 50mm lens I have in my kit. <—- not anymore. I’ve learned quite a bit with this lens and kit…

Edit - I now own 2ea Series E, an AF-S Nikkor AF-S 50mm f1.8 G FX, Nikkor 50mm f1.4 AIS, and the Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS for a total of five, fifty millimeter lens, my most popular focal length. I would love to own the Nikkor 58mm f1.2 NOCT, one day… * Until I can justify that my skill demands spending 30 times what I spent on the Series E, I’ll be using the economy of it and the 50 ~ 1.2 to keep my self in check.

* I can now justify the cost, it’s a much better lens all around and an absolute pleasure to use, the results are excellent.

The above is from a social media post on using the Series E 50mm. I do end up using this lens quite a bit and I enjoy seeing what I can get out of it. I’ll keep it on my EDC (Every Day Camera: Again, not my favorite camera or lens but it’s mounted on my most used camera, the FG) and that camera sits in the floorboard of my Forester, parked in the grass, on the coffee table at home, on a dusty bolder or anywhere it gets put down, the Series G is right there, utility is the name of this lens’ game.

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Resources

Nikon Series E Lenses
MIR: Information About Series E Lenses
VintageNikon.com - The Econoboxes of the 80’s: Some Nikon Series E Lenses

Cleaning Lens Elements in Nikon Series E

My fist photograph with the Series E 50mm f1.8

camera | lens | film | flash