Nikon FM2n with Nikon 20mm f3.5 Nikkor-UD
The original Nikon 20mm f3.5 Nikkor-UD lens was an incredible piece of optical engineering when it was first introduced all the way back in 1967. This lens did two remarkable things. First, it inched even closer to the 100° (field of view) barrier than any other Nikon non-fisheye lens to that point. The 20mm f3.5 Nikkor-UD wasn't quite there, but at 94° it was a hair closer than the previous Nikon 2.1cm f4 lens achieved (92°).
The second impressive feat by this lens was that it did this without the need for an accessory viewfinder - maintaining through-the-lens viewing that SLR cameras are prized for. That aforementioned 2.1cm lens required the camera's mirror to be locked up since the rear element of the lens had to sit incredibly close to the film plane. The 20mm f3.5 UD on the other hand used an elegant 11 elements in 9 groups design that worked with the camera's mirror in the down position.
But this lens isn't just wide, it is also really good. It is known for being sharp, having few chromatic aberrations and fairly little barrel distortion - all making it prized by Nikon vintage lens enthusiasts even still today. While Nikon would go on to update this lens with later versions, most of the gains were simply reducing the lens' size and improving its ergonomics. The original Nikon 20mm f3.5 UD holds up performance-wise even to its later replacements.
While it was originally manufactured solely with the Non-AI lens mount, this version has been home-modified to work on Nikon AI cameras, like the FM2 pictured here. It isn't a pretty modification but a very functionally effective one.
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