The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 10/16/26

Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 100mm f/2.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 10/15/26

Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 100mm f/2.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 10/14/26

Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 100mm f/2.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 10/13/26

Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 100mm f/2.8

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Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 100mm f/2.8

CCD Resurgence: Images with a manual-focus legacy renowned for its exceptional sharpness, the Nikon Series E 100mm f/2.8, on an equally applaudable 10MP CCD Nikon D200.

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The Nikon Series E 100mm f/2.8, a classic manual-focus telephoto prime lens, often mentioned as a 'sleeper' or a 'hidden gem' by vintage enthusiasts, was the first of Nikon Series E lenses. The Ai-S-compatible F-mount lens was launched in 1979 alongside budget-friendly film camera bodies like the Nikon EM (and later the FG), a series designed as an economical alternative to the traditional 'Nikkor' line while offering strong optical performance.

The lens, a 4-element, 4-group Ernostar-type design with 7 aperture blades, has a closest focusing distance of 1 meter, measures 63 mm (diameter) x 58mm (length), accepts 52mm filters, and weighs approximately 215-225 grams.

Others in the series includes the 28mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2.5, 50mm f/1.8, 135mm f/2.8, 36-72mm f/3.5, 75-150mm f/3.5, and 70-210mm f/4.0.

The lenses were also manufactured in two iterations, with the initial series featuring an all-black plastic (polycarbonate) barrel, reportedly with a rather flimsy aperture ring and a bland appearance.

The series was later updated with a chrome/silver ring for improved durability and a closer affinity to the professional Ai-S series lenses.

The lens is recognized for its solid center sharpness, low distortion, and strong contrast. With its single-coated optic, however, the lens is prone to lens flare when shooting into bright light sources. The lens works well with its original focal length of 100mm for head-and-shoulders portraits with natural depth-of-field separation. On the Nikon D200, the lens provides a 150mm equivalent field of view, ideal for discreet candid shots, travel, and close-up detail work.

The Nikon Series E lenses were also known to be manufactured in two iterations, with the initial series featuring an all-black plastic (polycarbonate) barrel, reportedly with a rather flimsy aperture ring, and a bland appearance. The series was later updated with a chrome/silver ring for improved durability and a closer affinity to the professional Ai-S series lenses.

Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 100mm f/2.8

The Nikon D200, a mid‑high‑end APS‑C DSLR introduced in 2005, remains highly regarded by legacy camera and lens enthusiasts as one of the best 'prosumer' Nikons ever produced. Built on a magnesium-alloy chassis, the camera features a weather‑sealed body, a large optical pentaprism viewfinder, and is equipped with a 10MP CCD sensor that produces a unique, saturated, and filmic look. Its classic Nikon handling layout makes it popular among film-style shooters and collectors alike.

The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 10/10/25

Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 35mm f/2.5

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 10/09/25

Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 35mm f/2.5

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 10/08/25

Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 35mm f/2.5

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 10/07/25

Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 35mm f/2.5

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Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 35mm f/2.5

CCD Resurgence: Images with an iconic award winner (Camera Grand Prix 2006 Award) Nikon D200 DSLR with a manual-focus Nikon 35mm f/2.5 Series E lens, a budget-friendly, retro setup with a standard normal 52.5mm equivalent focal length.

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The Nikon Series E 35mm f/2.5, a standout among the group of Nikon Series E lenses introduced with the launch of the Nikon EM in 1979, has a slightly larger maximum aperture than the rest of the series.

The lens is capable of delivering smooth heptagonal bokeh and pleasing sharpness, especially when stopped down to its 'sweet spot,' between f/5.6 and f/8.

It is a simple 5-element in 5-group design with 7 aperture blades, a closest focusing distance of 0.3 meters, a non-rotating front element, measures 62.5 × 35mm (length), accepts 52mm filters, and weighs approximately 150 grams.

Nikon Series E lenses includes the 28mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2.5, 50mm f/1.8, 100mm f/2.8, and 135mm f/2.8. These compact, lightweight, and affordable lenses were introduced as lower-cost alternatives to lenses from third-party independent lens makers.

The lenses were designed with optical formulas similar to those of mainstream Nikkor lenses and feature the same F-mount for use on AI-spec Nikon SLR bodies. The initial iteration of the series, which featured a less durable plastic aperture ring, was later upgraded with an aluminum aperture ring, providing the lens with better tactile feedback and shooting experience.

Nikon Series E lenses are not fitted with the 'rabbit ears' or meter coupling arm. This omission makes them incompatible with automatic exposure modes on older Nikon bodies (such as Nikon F, F2, and Nikkormat), although they can still be used in stop-down metering mode.

Generally, these lenses are recognised for their optimum performance, the use of NIC (Nikon Integrated Coating) throughout the series, and overall optical quality that is above average compared to third-party lenses, and should do well for vintage digital enthusiasts looking for legacies that can be used as standard normal equivalents on their APS-C sensors.

On the Nikon D200, the Series E 35mm 1:2.5 is equivalent to a 52.5mm lens on a full-frame camera, a focal length still within the standard normal lens classification, capable of capturing images that look natural and realistic, with a perspective that closely matches what the human eye sees. The lens is a very apt and excellent choice as a walk-around lens when adapted to other digital SLR cameras with 1.5x crop APS-C sensors as well.

Nikon D200, Nikon Series E 35mm f/2.5

The Nikon D200, a prosumer-level DSLR camera with a 10.2MP APS-C CCD sensor, was launched by Nikon in 2005, with features and functionalities that include an 11-area autofocus system, 5fps continuous shooting, a top LCD panel, a 2.5-inch rear LCD, with various shooting modes (Program, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, and Manual). The camera bridges the gap between the consumer-oriented D70 and the professional-grade D2 series, boasts a sturdy magnesium alloy body, weather sealing, and compatibility with a wide range of Nikon lenses. The D200 was succeeded by the D300 in 2007.

The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 01/31/25

Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro, Nikon Series E 35mm 1:2.5

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 01/30/25

Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro, Nikon Series E 35mm 1:2.5

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 01/29/25

Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro, Nikon Series E 35mm 1:2.5

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 01/28/25

Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro, Nikon Series E 35mm 1:2.5

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Sunny 16 Rule, Keeping It Within The Exposure Triangle

Sunny 16 Rule: Keeping it within the exposure triangle, fully manual exposure images shot with a vintage legacy Nikon Series E 35mm f/2.5, mounted on a Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro.

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While fully manual shooting is possible with most modern digital cameras fitted with PASM (Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, Manual) modes, there are situations with earlier digital SLR cameras, for example, the Nikon D80 and Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro, where the camera does not meter when mounted with legacy lenses.

A way to avoid this situation is to use the 'Sunny 16 Rule' as a guide for estimating the correct exposure for a photograph taken on a sunny day without using a light meter.

The Sunny 16 rule states, 'On a sunny day, set the aperture to f/16 and shutter speed to the [reciprocal of the] ISO film speed [or ISO setting] for a subject in direct sunlight.' So, if you're shooting at ISO 100, set the aperture to f/16 and shutter speed to 1/90 or 1/125 sec.

The rule is based on incident light rather than reflected light and is less susceptible to errors caused by high-contrast scenes.

The rule is also flexible, can be interpolated, and should work as long as the camera settings are maintained within the recommendations of the exposure triangle. To adjust to variations of the bright daylight conditions, the aperture should be adjusted to f/11 for a slight overcast, f/8 for overcast conditions, f/5.6 for heavy overcast, and f/4 for sunset or twilight sessions.

For a grainy black-and-white night shot, set the camera ISO speed to 1600, the lens aperture to its widest, and 'chimp' your way through a bracket of shutter speeds (say 1/90, 1/125, and 1/180 sec. or nearest) to get the best exposure possible. Further tweaks and converting the image to black-and-white, if you are shooting in JPEG colors, are recommended on the desktop image editor at a later stage.

The Series E 35mm f/2.5, a legacy lens produced for the Nikon EM (1979), FG (1982), and FG20 (1984) 35mm SLR camera series, is noted as capable of producing sharp images, especially when stopped down, though not for any explicit bokeh quality. A good copy of the lens, which is pretty old by now, may still have its smooth focusing action and the long focus throw that is frequently commented on. The lens focuses down to 0.3 meters with decent macro capabilities.

Legacy lenses, older lenses originally designed for film cameras, such as 35mm or medium format systems, are characterized by their manual focusing capabilities and are frequently sought after for their unique optical qualities. The manual focus lenses group, on the other hand, also includes modern lenses designed without autofocus, which may feature advanced optical formulas and are built with exotic materials, targeted to enthusiasts who prefer the tactile experience of manual focusing or specific artistic effects.

Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro, Nikon Series E 35mm f/2.5

As with the Nikon D80, the Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro's menu system does not list a lens registry item to index the focal length of the lens, and the camera is not fitted with an aperture coupling arm either, a feature, when available on other cameras, enables the aperture of the lens to be controlled by the camera automatically. Shooting with the Series E 35mm f/2.5 lens mounted is fully manual.

The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 05/10/24

Nikon D80, Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 05/09/24

Nikon D80, Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 05/08/24

Nikon D80, Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 05/07/24

Nikon D80, Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8

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Nikon D80, Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8

Sunny 16 Rule: Keeping it within the exposure triangle, fully manual exposure images shot with a vintage legacy Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8, mounted on a Nikon D80.

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While some of us may think that the Sunny 16 rule is a leftover from the past, where images captured on older cameras needed to be exposed manually, the rule is still valid and usable today, even with a digital camera.

This is a case in point where I am using a vintage Nikon digital SLR camera, the 10.2MP CCD Nikon D80, introduced in 2006, mounted with an equally vintage manual focus Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 lens, introduced in 1995.

The Nikon D80, an entry-level digital SLR camera, does not come with the 'Non-CPU Lens Data' input option, nor does it have the aperture-indexing finger for metering with older 'AI' lenses.

This means that when mounted with a vintage MF lens, say Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 (an excellent choice for a starter lens), the D80 does not work in any of its automated exposure (Program, Aperture, or Shutter priority) modes. Exposures are executed manually with the mode dial set to M, and the camera prepped with the appropriate ISO and shutter speed settings.

As with images from the community garden where these test shots were taken (and others as well), learning the basics of the Sunny 16 Rule for manual exposures is fairly easy and straightforward.

Nikon D80, Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8

First, prep the camera with the ISO speed setting to 100 or 200, and the Shutter speed similarly to 1/100 or 1/200 (or to the nearest) second. Next, set the lens aperture opening based on the lighting condition of the scene: 1:16 for Sunny, 1:11 for Slightly Cloudy, 1:8 for Cloudy, 1:5.6 for Overcast, 1:4 for Dark Skies, and 1:2.8 for Low Light conditions. Last, frame and focus the scene, and shoot away.