I am keen to know the price of a 13mm lens, rarity & its image quality by personal experience. According to Roland Vink only few hundreds were made over a
2-3 decade!! I know two of these lenses were sold recently at Christie's for USD 5800.00 each. Appreciate any opinion & personal experience of this
beauty.
0 Kudo
Nikon 13mm F5.6 AIS Lens - How rare it is to find one?
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 Chamster |
Nikon 13mm F5.6 AIS Lens - How rare it is to find one? |
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Posts: 116 (08/12/2007 03:49 AM) |
Last Edited By: Chamster 08/14/2007 10:46 PM.
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Edgy01 |
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Posts: 169 (09/05/2007 09:42 AM) |
I've owned one for several years now. It is a very special lens that I use extensively with my D2X for now. I used to use it on my F5. I'm looking
forward to using it on the D3. The only detractor about this lens is the coatings are dated. It flares more than my 14mm lens but it is so much sharper than
any other lens in that range that it is my frequent lens of choice. Check out the Malaysian Nikon site for a photo I took with it. (Google image search for
13mm). I have also used it extensively in Yosemite and throughout Europe. Although a massive lens (particularly when coupled with the F5 equipped with the
action finder!) it generates a lot of conversation all over the world.
It is a very hard lens to find on the used market as they were all made special order. When one does come up you can be assured that there is great competition for them. The best way to get one at a reasonable price is to hunt through the most obscure auction houses and camera houses, otherwise the most popular sites get so much competition going for these that the prices will be up there. Mine was essentially mint when I bought it several years ago with case, filters, etc, and bought it for $6000 on eBay. Dan
Last Edited By: Edgy01
09/05/2007 09:46 AM.
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Chamster |
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Posts: 116 (09/08/2007 04:44 AM) |
Hi Dan,
Many thanks for the reply. I think I already emailed you about it when I found your email address from the Malaysian site. Apparently there were couple of them at Christie's which I missed!!! Please let me know if you try this out on a D3 very curious to know. I know a person in USA that own one he will make his decision for sale in mid October. May be I will be in luck. He said the front cap was damaged but the rest of the lens in Mint condition. Do you have the AI or the AIS version? Is there much difference in coatings between the two? What is your price estimate for a mint 13mm now? Many thanks in advance. |
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Chamster |
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Posts: 116 (12/26/2007 06:47 AM) |
I am now a proud owner of a 13mm!!! I know another contact with a used lens. He might sell it eventually. Please contact me by email directly if interested.
This picture has my garden variety 50/1.8 AIS lens for comparison. 
Last Edited By: Chamster
12/26/2007 07:40 AM.
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NIKON KIU |
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Posts: 2401 (12/26/2007 05:18 PM) Moderator |
Thanks for sharing.
Kiu |
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Chamster |
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Posts: 116 (12/26/2007 09:19 PM) |
now there is one on eBay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270199005082&ssPageName=STRK:MEBI:IT&ih=017 |
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Edgy01 |
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Posts: 169 (07/11/2008 01:35 PM) |
I have been using my Nikkor AIS 13mm extensively on my Nikon D3. It works quite well, althought I will sometimes dial in some exposure compensation.
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Chamster |
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Posts: 116 (08/30/2008 07:57 PM) |
Edgy01 wrote: Could you post some photos? |
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frenchterry |
Shoots with 13 | ||
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Posts: 30 (08/31/2008 12:18 PM) |
Hello there
Here is a little site with pictures made with 13mm AND 8mm wih a D3 Works just great !!! http://web.me.com/magicworldofimaging/Salle3000 Sorry it is in French Terry |
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NIKON KIU |
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Posts: 2401 (08/31/2008 01:40 PM) Moderator |
Luckily, the pictures are in universal language |
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Chamster |
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Posts: 116 (09/05/2008 08:53 PM) |
NIKON KIU wrote:I use bablefish all the time!!!! |
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Chamster |
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Posts: 116 (12/15/2008 07:55 AM) |
There has been few 13/5.6s recently. Look at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eB...eName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=019
Roland will be interested in this as it is 176202 which makes the latest recorded!!!! |
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Glade |
Curious | ||
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Posts: 1 (12/18/2008 08:33 PM) |
Does anyone else find it curious that the lens that sold on eBay a week or so ago was s/n 175909, the first in the range listed on Roland's site and that
the one that is listed on eBay now is the last s/n listed??? What are the odds that both the earliest and latest known examples of the Ai-S would both be
offered for sale on eBay within a week or so of one another?
Still, would love to get one of these and of these were legit listings for no problem examples then I'll be kicking myslef so not putting in a bid. |
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NIKON KIU |
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Posts: 2401 (12/19/2008 01:32 PM) Moderator |
Glade wrote:As you noticed, the odds are pretty good. Consider that Roland's list is not written in stone and this a pretty low production, exclusive lens. We still find strange serial numbers pop up on ebay on 40-50 year old items... Kiu |
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nsp9107 |
13mm | ||
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Posts: 1132 (12/21/2008 12:26 AM) |
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Chamster |
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Posts: 116 (12/25/2008 09:59 AM) |
Ken Rockwell (KR) has done a superb review on it recently with a photo of mine!!!
http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/13mm.htm
Last Edited By: Chamster
01/02/2009 08:49 PM.
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NikonRF |
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Posts: 59 (01/11/2009 10:55 AM) |
Hello, Thanks for sharing this interesting and unusual link! Where the hell did you succeed to find a complete Ai-S 13mm in mint condition!!!???
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Chamster |
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Posts: 116 (01/17/2009 07:36 PM) |
NikonRF wrote:Just lucky!!!!! |
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BillBingham2 |
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Posts: 82 (01/18/2009 12:44 AM) |
Very cool chunk of glass and VERY luck indeed! Thanks for sharing! B2 (;->
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EjaWinter |
13mm | ||
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Posts: 1 (04/12/2009 08:44 PM) |
You said that you know someone who may be willing to sell their 13mm? Is that still true? Do you know how much?
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Chamster |
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Posts: 116 (08/29/2009 12:44 PM) |
I have lost contact with him but I think at the end he did not want to sell it. Good luck anyway.
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