From Nikkor -- The Thousand and One Nights
Tale 5: Best-selling Mid-range Telescopic Lens by SATO, Haruo
From Photography in Malaysia
105mm f/2.5 Nikkor Telephoto lenses
Nikkor 105mm f/2.5s
Bjørn Rørslett says (referring to Gauss Type 105 mm f/2.5 Nikkor-P·C (non-AI), AI, and AIS) "Nikon redesigned the popular 105 mm in 1972 and choose to use a new Gauss-type design (5 elements in 4 groups) instead of the earlier tested and tried Sonnar formula. Probably they did this because of the 105 mm's growing popularity as a portrait lens. Since the Gauss formula gave better performance towards the near focusing limit this seems a wise move. The first batch evidently were released without multi-coating and carried the 'P' designation (I own one of them), but these were quickly replaced by multicoated 'P·C'-labelled lenses.
Current versions are outfitted with rubberised focusing collars and the lens data are removed. Compared to the earlier type of the 105/2.5 Nikkor, the new formula offered even better image definition, enhanced close-range performance, and a much improved colour saturation for the multi-coated versions. It performed better than its predecessor wide open, and delivered tremendously sharp images from f/4 onwards. Flare is only a problem under the most extreme of adverse light conditions and ghosting is rarely a threat to image quality.
During the years, it has undergone some external changes, but the optical formula survived to this day. This is one of the truly great lenses of all times and a definite Nikon classic. It easily holds its own again any modern lens - what a pity that this prime lens lost its popularity during the onslaught of low-speed, medium-quality AF zooms. Oh well, the general public always get what they want - don't they."
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