Nikon Series E 75-150mm f/3.5 Zoom Lens

Don’t let the “budget” Series E badge fool you — the Nikon 75-150mm f/3.5 is one of the most beloved sleeper lenses Nikon ever made. Designed by Yutaka Iizuka, one of Nikon’s top optical engineers, it was marketed as an affordable consumer zoom and promptly won over professionals. Galen Rowell shot his legendary “Rainbow over the Potala Palace” with this exact lens — arguably the most famous photograph ever taken on “budget” glass.

The formula is simple and brilliant. A constant f/3.5 maximum aperture across the whole zoom range — faster than the pro 80-200mm f/4 of its day — in a body so compact it takes the same 52mm filters as classic Nikkor primes. The 75-150mm range is the portrait sweet spot: 75mm for environmental portraits, 150mm for tight headshots with lovely compression, and everything between via the smooth one-touch push-pull zoom. Sharpness is genuinely excellent, and the bokeh has that smooth, film-era character that keeps this lens in demand with both film shooters and mirrorless adapters.

It’s an AI-s spec manual focus lens, so it mounts on decades of Nikon F-mount film bodies with full metering — and adapts beautifully to Sony, Fuji, and other mirrorless systems, where it has a second cult following as a vintage portrait lens.

If you shoot a Nikon SLR and want a telephoto that punches far above its price, this is the one everyone recommends. Glass checked and tested by our team at Photodom.

Features:
Constant f/3.5 maximum aperture across the zoom range. 75-150mm portrait-perfect focal range. One-touch push-pull zoom and focus design. Compact build with common 52mm filter thread. Nikon AI-s spec — meters on manual-focus Nikon film bodies. Excellent sharpness with smooth, film-era bokeh. Metal construction. Adapts easily to mirrorless systems.

Condition:
Used – Tested. Optics clean and clear, free of fungus and haze. Aperture blades snappy and oil-free. Zoom and focus operate smoothly. Shows normal cosmetic wear consistent with age. (Note if this copy exhibits any zoom creep — common on this push-pull design and worth disclosing.)

Included Items:
Nikon Series E 75-150mm f/3.5 lens with front and rear caps. (Adjust based on what’s included.)

Why Buy From Photodom:
Every lens we sell is inspected by film photographers in our Brooklyn lab — glass checked for fungus, haze, and separation, aperture and focus tested. Mount it on a body in the shop before you buy, grab a roll of film, and process it all under one roof at 1717 Broadway.