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Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s
NIKKOR ( ---- - ---- )
© 2015 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Usage Recommendations
Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s (FX, DX and 35mm coverage, ##mm filters, xx oz./xxg, x'/xm close focus, about $xxx used). enlarge. This free website's biggest source of support is when you use any of these links, especially this direct link to this lens at eBay (see How to Win at eBay), or at Adorama, when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks! Ken.
February 2015 Nikon Reviews Nikon Lenses All Reviews
Why fixed lenses take better pictures
Great for
kkkl
Not for
I wouldn't bother with this on a DX camera. I'd use any DX lens, like the 18-55mm kit lens, instead. As a manual focus lens, I wouldn't use it for sports, kids or action since it's too hard to track focus by hand.
| Optics: |  |
| Ergonomics: | (manual focus) |
| Usefulness: | |
| Availability: | |
| Overall: | |
Introduction top
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Usage Recommendations
Compatibility History Production Pricing
Adorama pays top dollar for your used gear. I use these stores. I can't vouch for ads below.
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The Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s works
This manual-focus Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s works great with most Nikon cameras, 35mm and digital.
It works flawlessly with every manual focus Nikon ever made, from the original Nikon F of 1959 through the FM3a and today's FM-10.
On DSLRs and the F6, use the "Non-CPU Lens Data" menu option to set MMmm and f/FF to get full color matrix metering, EXIF data and finder read-out of set aperture. It works great in aperture-preferred as well as manual modes on these cameras.
It works perfectly on every professional 35mm camera (F, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6), and adds Matrix metering on the FA, F4 and F6.
The meters of cheaper digital (D90, D5500 and below) and cheaper 35mm cameras (N80 and below) will not couple (or work at all) with this lens, so you'll be on your own guessing exposure using the rear LCD or an external meter, or get a tiny Gossen Digisix meter and hotshoe adapter, or the free Pocket Light Meter app to meter manually.
See Nikon Lens Compatibility for details on your camera. Read down the "AI, AI-s" column for this lens.
AI-s.
Close Range Correction (CRC) system
1974-1977
Nikon
1981 September
Nikon f
Nikon made about ------- of these MMmm f/FF lenses.
Price, new* |
Price in that era's dollars |
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1966 |
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1977 |
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1982 |
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1983 |
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1986 |
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1987 |
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1988 |
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1991 |
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1992 |
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1994 |
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1995 |
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1996 |
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1997 |
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1998 |
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1999 |
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2000 |
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2005 |
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2015 |
used |
* Corrected for inflation, 2015, and at full NYC discount. Very few people bought their lenses this inexpensively back then.
** USA/gray.
Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s. enlarge.
Specifications top
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Usage Recommendations
Name
Nikon calls this the
Optics top
Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s. enlarge.
---- elements in --------- groups.
Nikon calls the floating element system "CRC," for close-range correction. This means this lens optimizes its design for perfect performance as you focus at any distance.
It's multicoated, which Nikon calls Nikon Super Integrated Coating.
Diaphragm top
Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s at f/5.6. enlarge.
------ straight blades.
Stops down to f/----.
Aperture Ring top
Yes No.
Plastic Metal.
Full-stop clicks.
Close Focus top
------ feet.
---------- meters.
Working Distance top
----" (----mm).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio top
1:-------.
Angle of View top
XXX° -XX° diagonal on FX and 35mm.
XX° - XX ° diagonal on small-format DX.
Focal Length top
MMmm.
On a small-format DX camera, this lens makes pictures that see an angle-of-view similar to what an ---mm lens would see on a full-frame camera.
Hard Infinity Focus Stop? top
No Yes.
This is great for astronomy; just turn to the stop and you have fixed laboratory-perfect focus all night.
Focus Scale top
No Yes.
Depth-of-Field Scale top
No.
Yes, colored lines corresponding to the colored f/stops on the aperture ring.
Infra-Red Focus Index top
No Yes: red dot near depth-of-field scale.
Filter Thread top
------mm, plastic metal.
Does not rotate. Rotates with ----- but not with -------.
Tripod Collar top
Yes No.
Removable Does not come off.
Size top
Nikon specifies ------mm extension from flange (---mm overall) by ----mm diameter.
Weight top
------- oz. (-----------g).
Lens alone: -------------- oz. (-----------g).
With contemporary caps (no hood): ------------ oz. (------------g).
With hood (no caps): ----------- oz. (--------------g).
With contemporary caps and hood: -------------- oz. (-----------g).
Hood alone (with painted markings): --------------- oz. (--------------g).
Nikon specifies ----- oz. (-----------g).
Hood top
Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s. enlarge.
HN- ---------------- metal screw-in, not included.
Case top
CL- -----------, included optional, or pouch No. ---------.
Made in top
Japan.
Quality top
Lens: Made in People's Republic of China.
LR-4 rear cap: Made in Thailand.
LC-58 front cap: Made in Thailand.
Teleconverters top
TC-200/201 and TC-14A.
Nikon warns of potential "uneven exposure" at high shutter speeds or apertures smaller than f/11, but after reading these warnings for over 25 years I still have no idea what they're talking about.
Packaging top
Gold-foil box,
Introduced top
Available top
The ---- was very hard to get until ---.
Nikon Product Number top
----.
Price, USA top
$ , USA.
Performance top
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Usage Recommendations
Overall Focus Bokeh Color Coma Distortion Ergonomics Falloff Filters Focus Breathing Ghosts
Hood Color Fringes Macro Mechanics Sharpness Spherochromatism Sunstars Tripod Collar Zooming
Overall performance top
The MMmm f/FF AI-s is
Focus performance top
Manual focus is ----------------.
Focus is as smooth as silk, perfectly damped with no play.
Manual focus is flawless, both with a real camera like the Nikon F3, or with the three-way ( " > o < " ) manual focus indicators on newer cameras like the D4, D600, D800, D800E, D3X, D3s, D3, D700, F4, F5, F6 and most professional AF cameras.
Lesser digital cameras, like the D300s and down, usually have just one "OK" focus dot, which is not as precise as two arrows and a dot.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the character of out-of-focus backgrounds, not simply how far out of focus they are, is
Here are crops from the center of 100% FX 12MP (D3 or D700) images, focused on a reference phase lattice at 3 meters (10 feet) with synthetic reference vegetation at 15 meters (50 feet). Printed full-image at this size, these would be about 42 x 28" (105 x 70cm) prints, at least as seen on most 100 DPI computer monitors:
Color Rendition performance top
The color rendition of this Nikon MMmm f/FF
Coma performance top
Coma is weird smeared blobs that appear around bright points of light in the corners. They happen with fast and wide lenses at large apertures. Coma goes away as stopped down, and tends not to be seen in slower and tele lenses. Coma is an artifact of spherical aberration.
Distortion performance top
The Nikon MMmm f/FF has -- distortion.
It can be corrected by plugging these figures into Photoshop's lens distortion filter. These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
FX and Film |
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∞ |
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30' (10m) |
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10' (3m) |
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3' (1m) |
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1' (0.3m) |
© 2015 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
FX and Film |
FX and Film |
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28mm |
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35mm |
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50mm |
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85mm |
© 2015 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics performance top
Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s. enlarge.
The Nikon MMmm f/FF's ergonomics are
Aperture setting is as expected, just turn the ring. Real shooters can set it with their eyes closed; we count clicks.
Falloff (darkened corners) performance top
Falloff on FX is ------
It won't be an issue at all on DX (see crop factor).
I've exaggerated this by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background.
Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s falloff on FX and film at infinity, no correction.
© 2015 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
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Filters, Use with performance top
There is no problem with vignetting, even with combinations of thick filters.
Flare and Ghosts performance top
Focus Breathing performance top
Of interest mostly to cinematographers focusing back and forth between two subjects, the image from the Nikon MMmm f/FF AF-S gets ---- as focused more closely.
Hood performance top
Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s. enlarge.
The hood is ------ included.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are ------------ lateral color fringes on the D300 or D3, which would correct them if the lens had any.
Macro performance top
At closest focus distance on FX or 35mm. (Shot on DX, the crop factor will make it seem 50% bigger).
Mechanics performance top
Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s. enlarge.
Like all Nikkor manual focus AI-s lenses, the Nikon NIKKOR MMmm f/FF AI-s is built to the highest mechanical standards of any lens ever made.
Barrel Exterior
Anodized and enameled aluminum.
Filter Threads
Anodized aluminum.
Hood
Threaded anodized aluminum, extra-thick.
Focus Ring
Metal, rubber covered.
Focus Helicoids
Feels like brass: smooth and silky with no play or need for damping grease.
Depth-of-Field Scale
Engraved into barrel and filled with different colors of paint.
Internals
All metal.
Aperture Ring
Cast aluminum, anodized and enameled.
Engraved markings filled with different colors of paint coded to the depth-of-field scale.
Automatic Aperture-Coupling Prong
Solid chromed, machined brass.
Stamped stainless steel.
Mount
Dull-chromed brass.
Markings
Engraved into the metal and filled with paint.
Identity and Serial Number
On the front of the lens, inside the filter ring, engraved into the metal and filled with paint.
Moisture Seal at Mount
No.
Noises When Shaken
Mild clicking from the diaphragm blades and actuation system.
Made in
Japan.
Sharpness performance top
Warning 1: Image sharpness depends more on you than your lens.
Warning 2: Lens sharpness doesn't mean much to good photographers.
With those caveats, the MMmm f/FF AI-s is
At f/1.4
The MMmm f/FF AI-s is
At f/2
Contrast is
At f/2.8
The
At f/4
The
At f/5.6
The
At f/8
The
At f/11
The
At f/16 and smaller
Diffraction limits performance more than the optics themselves.
At f/22
Diffraction limits performance.
At f/32
Diffraction limits performance.
Spherochromatism performance top
The Nikon MMmm f/FF has some spherochromatism, meaning that out-of-focus highlights can sometimes take on a little bit of green or magenta color fringes.
Sunstars performance top
With its straight ------- -bladed diaphragm, the MMmm f/FF makes magnificent great Nikon-standard ------ -pointed sunstars on bright points of light.
Tripod Collar performance top
Zooming performance top
Compared top
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Recommendations
Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s. enlarge.
I compared it directly to the
Usage top
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Usage Recommendations
Recommendations top
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Usage Recommendations
The Nikon MMmm f/FF AI-s is a manual-focus only lens.
Deployment top
52mm
I'd pitch the flat Nikon cap that came with this lens new, and get a new "pinch" type cap. I'm not kidding: the new fatter caps are much easier to use in the field.
I'd leave either a 52mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV) filter, or a 52mm Hoya Super HMC UV on the lens at all times. I would leave the hood at home.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 52mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
For color slides like Velvia 50, I use an old Nikon A2 or new 52mm Hoya HMC 81A outdoors.
For B&W film outdoors, I'd use an old Nikon Y48 or O56, or a new 52mm Hoya HMC K2 Yellow or 52mm Hoya HMC Orange.
62mm
I'd pitch the flat Nikon cap that came with this lens new, and get a new "pinch" type cap. I'm not kidding: the new fatter caps are much easier to use in the field.
I'd leave either a 62mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV) filter, or a 62mm Hoya Super HMC UV on the lens at all times.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 62mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
For color slides like Velvia 50, I use a 62mm Nikon A2 or a 62mm Hoya HMC 81A outdoors.
For B&W film outdoors, I'd use a 62mm Nikon Y48 or 62mm Hoya HMC K2 Yellow, or 62mm Nikon O56 or 62mm Hoya HMC Orange.
For integration within a larger professional Nikon system, you may want to use a 62mm -> 77mm adapter ring, and treat this as 77mm lens for the sake of your own sanity. If you do, than I'd forget 62mm filters and caps, and then:
Get a new 77mm Nikon front cap.
I'd leave either a 77mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV) filter, or a 77mm Hoya Super HMC UV on the lens at all times.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 77mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
For color slides like Velvia 50, I use a 77mm Hoya HMC 81A or Nikon A2 filter outdoors.
For B&W film outdoors, I'd use a 77mm Hoya HMC Yellow K2 or 77mm Hoya HMC Orange.
67mm
I'd leave either a 67mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV) filter, or a 67mm Hoya Super HMC UV on the lens at all times. I would leave the hood at home.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 67mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
For color slides like Velvia 50, I use a 67mm Hoya HMC 81A outdoors.
For B&W film outdoors, I'd use a 67mm Hoya HMC K2 Yellow or 67mm Hoya HMC Orange.
The smartest thing to do is to get a 67mm -> 77mm step-up ring, and treat this lens as a 77mm-threaded lens from now to eternity. This will save you a lot of aggravation, unless you really do build a system around 67mm filters.
72mm Filters
Get a new pinch-type 72mm Nikon front cap. THe flatter originals never were as handy.
I'd leave either a 72mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV) filter, or a 72mm Hoya Super HMC UV on the lens at all times.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 72mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
For color slides like Velvia 50, I use a 72mm Nikon A2 filter outdoors.
For B&W film outdoors, I'd use a 72mm Hoya HMC Yellow K2 or 72mm Hoya HMC Orange.
77mm Filters
If you step-up to 77mm filters as I suggest, be sure to get a new 77mm Nikon front cap, and then use:
I'd leave either a 77mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV) filter, or a 77mm Hoya Super HMC UV on the lens at all times. I would leave the hood at home.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 77mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
For color slides like Velvia 50, I use a 77mm Hoya HMC 81A or Nikon A2 filter outdoors.
For B&W film outdoors, I'd use a 77mm Hoya HMC Yellow K2 or 77mm Hoya HMC Orange.
72/77mm
I'd leave either a 72mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV) filter, or a 72mm Hoya Super HMC UV on the lens at all times. I would leave the hood at home.
If I was going to use this as part of a larger pro system, I'd attach a 72->77mm step-up-ring to convert this to today's pro standard of 77mm, and use a 77mm Nikon UV or Hoya UV filter for protection. This is what I really do; I just put on a step-up ring when I get a lens like this and treat it as if it's a 77mm filter thread len as long as I have it.
I'd leave either a 77mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV) filter, or a 77mm Hoya Super HMC UV on the lens at all times. I would leave the hood at home.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 77mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
I'd pitch the flat Nikon cap that came with this lens new, and get a new "pinch" type cap in 72mm (or 77mm), too. I'm not kidding: the new fatter caps are much easier to use in the field.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and use an uncoated 72mm Tiffen UV filter instead (or in 77mm). Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
For color slides like Velvia 50, I use a 77mm Nikon A2 or 77mm Hoya HMC 81A outdoors.
For B&W film outdoors, I'd use a 77mm Nikon Y48 or O56 filter, or 77mm Hoya HMC K2 Yellow or 77mm Hoya HMC Orange.
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