About This Item

Carefully inspected used manual focus lens from Japan.
We specialize in pre-owned cameras and lenses and inspect each item carefully before listing and before shipment.

Appearance

This is a used manual focus lens. It remains in very good cosmetic condition for a pre-owned item.
Please carefully check the photos for the exact condition of the item.

Condition

The lens has been tested and confirmed to work properly.

• Focus ring works smoothly
• Aperture ring clicks properly
• Aperture blades move smoothly

Please note that this is a used manual focus lens, so minor signs of age or use may be present.
Normal mechanical feel is expected for a pre-owned vintage lens.

Optical System

• No fungus
• No haze or fog
• No scratches
• No balsam separation

The optics are clear and suitable for normal shooting.

Included Items

Lens 
Nikon front/rear lens cap
Kenko MC SKYLIGHT 52mm

Nikon NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 AI-S Pancake MF Prime Lens 

Product Specifications

• Brand: Nikon

• Model: NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 AI-S

• Lens Type: Standard Prime Lens

• Version: Japanese Domestic Market Pancake Version

• Lens Mount: Nikon F Mount (AI-S)

• Focal Length: 50mm

• Maximum Aperture: f/1.8

• Minimum Aperture: f/22

• Focus Type: Manual Focus

• Optical Construction: 6 Elements in 5 Groups

• Aperture Blades: 7

• Minimum Focusing Distance: 0.45m / 1.48ft

• Angle of View: 46° (Full Frame)

• Filter Thread Size: 52mm

• Maximum Magnification: Approximately 0.15x

• Dimensions: Approximately 63mm Diameter × 27.5mm Length

• Weight: Approximately 170g

• Lens Coating: Nikon Integrated Coating (NIC)

• Supported Format: Full Frame (35mm)

• Country of Manufacture: Japan

• Focus Mechanism: Mechanical Manual Focus

• Aperture Control: Manual Aperture Ring

• Autofocus: No

• Image Stabilization: No

Why We Recommend This Lens – From a Japanese Used Camera Specialist

The Nikon NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 AI-S Pancake is one of Nikon's classic manual-focus prime lenses, combining excellent optical performance with a remarkably compact and lightweight design.

As a Japanese used camera specialist, we highly recommend this lens to photographers who appreciate traditional Nikon craftsmanship, beautiful optical rendering, and the unique experience of manual-focus photography.

1. Excellent Sharpness and Natural Image Quality

Featuring a classic 6-element, 5-group optical construction, this lens delivers excellent sharpness, natural colors, and pleasing contrast.

Its 50mm focal length provides a natural perspective, making it an excellent choice for street photography, everyday snapshots, landscapes, travel photography, and portraits.

2. Compact and Lightweight Pancake Design

One of the greatest advantages of this lens is its slim pancake-style construction.

Its compact size makes it an ideal companion for classic Nikon film cameras, creating a lightweight and well-balanced camera setup.

For photographers who prefer carrying minimal equipment without sacrificing image quality, this lens is an excellent choice.

3. Bright f/1.8 Aperture for Creative Photography

The bright f/1.8 maximum aperture offers excellent creative flexibility.

Photographers can achieve attractive background separation and shallow depth of field, making this lens especially enjoyable for portraits and detail photography.

The wide aperture also provides additional flexibility when shooting in natural light or relatively low-light environments.

4. Desirable Japanese Domestic Market Version

This lens is the Japanese domestic market version of the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AI-S pancake lens.

One of its particularly attractive features is the minimum focusing distance of just 0.45 meters.

Compared with the later pancake version featuring a 0.6-meter minimum focusing distance, this version allows photographers to focus closer to their subjects.

This makes it especially versatile for everyday details, food photography, travel snapshots, and creative close-up compositions.

5. Classic Nikon Manual-Focus Experience

The dedicated aperture ring and mechanical manual-focus system offer a traditional photographic experience that many Nikon enthusiasts continue to appreciate.

Manual focusing encourages careful composition and deliberate shooting, providing a rewarding alternative to modern autofocus photography.

The classic Nikon design also makes this lens especially appealing to vintage camera enthusiasts.

6. Excellent Choice for Nikon Film Camera Enthusiasts

This lens is particularly well suited to photographers who enjoy classic Nikon F-mount film cameras.

It can also be used with usable Nikon digital SLR cameras and mirrorless cameras with suitable adapters.

Usability, metering, and aperture control functions vary depending on the camera body and adapter.

Our Specialist's Recommendation

The Nikon NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 AI-S Japanese Pancake is an outstanding choice for photographers seeking a compact, sharp, and characterful standard prime lens.

What makes this version particularly appealing is its combination of traditional Nikon optical quality, a bright f/1.8 aperture, slim pancake construction, and convenient 0.45m minimum focusing distance.

Whether you enjoy classic film photography, vintage Nikon equipment, street photography, or adapting manual-focus lenses to modern digital cameras, this lens offers a highly rewarding shooting experience.

Its natural perspective, compact dimensions, and timeless mechanical design make it a versatile addition to any Nikon lens collection.

A classic Japanese-made NIKKOR lens that combines portability, optical quality, and the timeless enjoyment of manual-focus photography.

Everything shown in the photos is included in the package.

Specialty Store for Used Cameras & Lenses

We are a Japan-based specialty store focusing on used cameras and lenses.
Our items are carefully inspected and described as accurately as possible for international buyers.

Shipping from Japan

All items are shipped directly from Japan with tracking.
Each item is packed carefully with protective materials and sturdy packaging for safe international delivery.