Nikon Series E 35mm f/2.5

I’m generally not too keen on Nikon’s Series E lenses, but I acquired a 35mm Series E with a Nikon FM I bought. I put it aside and didn’t use it, until now. I thought it would be good to try it out and see what images taken with this lens look like. I’ve mounted it on an FE2 – and I will say the FE2 is a fine film camera, but the fact that it prohibits you from shooting/metering until you get to frame number 1 is a bit annoying. I always like to get an extra frame or 2 on my role of film, and you are pretty much prevented from doing this with the FE2. Film costs money, and I always like to feel like I’m getting something extra, getting a couple extra shots on a role… that’s just me, and my mental issue I suppose. I almost feel like they’re cheating me out of something by not allowing the camera to function before frame 1.

Now, back to the lens. At first glance, the lens is lighter due to an amount of plastic used to make it, compared to other AI and AI-S lenses. Although it’s light and has a bit of a “plastic” feel, it’s not bad once you get used to it. And, it is lighter to carry around.

So, in spite of the lower quality build and feel, how will it perform and how will images look compared to the other lenses I’ve tested? Well, let’s take a look.

So I think the images look sharp. The color and contrast looks good. As far as the Series E lenses are built, I’m not a fan of the plastic feel – but as far as performance, this lens seems to create nice images.

Let me know what you think. Series E lenses can be found online for very reasonable prices, so given their performance, do you think they are worth it?