Nikon Nikkor AI-S

The Zero Optik Nikon AI-S are made up of 13 spherical prime lenses that were popular among still photographers in the 1970s and 80s. Considered by many to be the highest performing and most reliable SLR lenses ever produced, it's simple to see why this series, and these cherry-picked examples, were adapted for cinema use.  Focal lengths for this set are 15mm, 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 45mm, 50mm, 55mm, 58mm, 85mm, 105mm, 135mm, and 200mm. They are known for their technical excellence, spectacular contrast, strong color, and unique rendering. They are lightweight and compact, making them perfect for use with a gimbal. They are known to be sharp, but with less micro contrast than most primes, which works well for skin tones. The highlights tend to have a slight glow, and the faster lenses can deliver unique blooming effects and aberrations when shot wide-open. The 58mm is a real stand-out performer in this lineup, being the sharpest and fastest lens Nikon ever produced. This lens is engineered to exist at peak performance while wideopen, and very notably, to eliminate sagittal flares or “Coma” that can often be seen in the corners of very fast lenses. This lens exhibits none of these problems, providing an exceptionally clean and fastlook with no distracting imperfections. Match these lenses with the Modern Cooke LF Varotal Zooms or the Angenieux LF EZ Zooms. The Nikkor AI-S lenses are available to rent or sub-rent from Cine Visuals in full sets, partial sets, or as single lenses.