



Don’t miss out on our fantastic Coronation weekend offers, PLUS some new offers from our wonderful suppliers to sink your teeth into are ending soon:


The lens extends Nikon’s range of high-performance f/4 NIKKOR lenses, and it is the first NIKKOR to be equipped with Nikon’s next-generation Vibration Reduction system that allows for up to 5-stop compensation.
Felix Kunze tells us of his remarkable experience using the extremely rare 13mm f/5.6 Nikkor lens fitted to a Nikon D800 on a shoot.
Felix Kunze Photographs Olympic Champion Pete Reed Using the Extremely Rare 13mm f/5.6 Nikkor Lens
The legendary award-winning Grays of Westminster is a charming period shop, specialising exclusively in Nikon. It offers what is probably the widest range of new and second-hand Nikon in the world. It is situated in a quiet location in central London and offers a fast and reliable mail-order service on any Nikon item - available to all world-wide destinations. Tax free shopping to non-European Community residents is also available.
Grays of Westminster
...Exclusively Nikon
40 Churton Street
Pimlico, London
SW1V 2LP
Tel: +44 (0)20 7828 4925
Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 5783
info@graysofwestminster.co.uk
www.graysofwestminster.co.uk
Don’t miss out on our fantastic Coronation weekend offers, PLUS some new offers from our wonderful suppliers to sink your teeth into are ending soon:
Do you have an old Fujifilm, Mamiya, Bronica, Sony, Canon, Leica, Hasselbad, Rolleiflex or Pentax lurking around, but really want to upgrade to a full-frame Nikon Z camera?
If so, then this is the offer for you – trade-in bonuses of up to £220 against a Z 5, Z 6II and Z 7II until the 31st May 2023!
All you need to do is send us an email using our contact form (or call the shop) detailing your equipment, and we’ll get back to you with a quote.
Ideal for those who want a great all-rounder, the Z 5 is available in the following kit options:
Z 5 body – £80 bonus
Z 5 + 24-50mm – £100 bonus
Z 5 + 24-70mm f/4 – £115 bonus
Z 5 + 24-200mm – £125 bonus
If you want to step up your video graphy game, then the Z 6II is the way to go with impressive stills and video capabilities:
Z 6II body – £125 bonus
Z 6II + 24-70mm f/4 – £160 bonus
For the resolution seekers, the Z 7II has a powerful 45.7mp sensor, perfect for those who need all the details:
Z 7II body – £185 bonus
Z 7II + 24-70mm f/4 – £220 bonus
As always, if you require any assistance or further information, you can contact us on info@graysofwestminster.co.uk or by telephone on +442078284925
by Becky Danese
Perhaps an unusual topic, but certainly one worth keeping on record, is the many versions of the 50mm f/1.8 AIS, a manual focus AIS lens produced between 1981-2005 in one or the other of its forms.
I thought it might be useful for those interested to understand, in simple terms, the key differences between each one, and what to look out for when buying. After all, even Nikon sellers can make this mistake considering the small differences between each.
There are FIVE versions of the AIS lens, plus an AI version produced between 1978-1982. (See our YouTube video on how to tell the difference between AI and AIS.)
Starting from the beginning of the AIS lenses:
This was not a compact or ‘pancake’ lens – produced between 1981-1985, there were just under 170,000 units produced before production petered out. Ironically its production overlapped with the later versions for some years before it was discontinued.
This version was made specifically for the Japanese market, but over the decades has migrated all over the world. Serial numbers begin with the digit ‘2’ and it is often sought after for its close focusing distance – 45cm – as well as it’s light weight and pancake-like design. It is sometimes called the compact ‘A’ version, and was produced between 1980-1982.
This was the mass market compact version, usually called the ‘New’ compact version that took over from the original long-nosed AIS. It features a plastic focusing ring rather than the earlier rubber style, and only focuses 60cm away. For this reason it is usually slightly less desirable, but as it was manufactured for 20 years it is far easier to come by. Nikon produced this lens between 1985-2005.
Series E lenses were produced to be lightweight, cost-effective lenses, originally for pairing with the Nikon EM, FG and FG-20 bodies. There were two versions of the 50mm f/1.8 AIS, both of which will clearly state ‘Series E’ around the front element, so easy enough not to confuse with the regular versions.
The first of these is rather distinctive looking:
There’s a lot of taboo surrounding the Series E lenses. Some say they were produced by other manufacturers, some question whether or not their optics are up to Nikon’s usual standards. It is certain that they were designed by Nikon themselves, whether or not the manufacture was outsourced to other factories, and the idea behind them was admirable. For the most part, these will produce perfectly acceptable results on any film body, but if you’re looking for something to hold its value for years to come you might want to look at one of the non-Series-E lenses as an investment.
There are distinctive design differences between the two versions, the first being a more plastic design while the second looking much closer to a regular 50mm f/1.8 AIS. Both will clearly state ‘Series E’ on them though, so there is no risk of mistaking it when you see one.
Nikon have written an excellent article on their Nikkor – The Thousand and One Nights blog, article No. 60, which you can read in full here.
For more resources, you can also visit the invaluable Photosynthesis website, which provides details of all the different versions of Nikkor lenses and is run independently of any official Nikon database.
We love to see new products coming out that provide us with new ways to enjoy our beloved Nikon cameras.
This week we’ve received the first batch of Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Macro APO-ULTRON lenses for DX Z cameras (Z 30, Z 50 and Z fc), with a super wide aperture and close focusing distance of just 18.3cm, allowing photographers to create extraordinary close-up images.
We’ve also just received a selection of the highly-regarded F mount Voigtlander lenses, including the 28mm f/2.8, 40mm f/2, 58mm f/1.4 and stunningly small 90mm f/2.8.
You can shop the entire range on our website.
We’ve been steadily making our way through the range of Voigtlander lenses, starting with the all-new Z lenses and now beginning with the F mount lenses. If you’re not sure what to think, head over to our YouTube channel to find out more (and subscribe to see our future videos too!).
40 Churton Street
Pimlico, London
SW1V 2LP, England
Telephone: +44 (0)20-7828 4925
E-mail: info@graysofwestminster.co.uk
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Mon - Fri: 10:00am - 5:30pm
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Pimlico, London
SW1V 2LP, England
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