Category : The Learning Center

I’ve had a week to review images and look closely, that further examination has led me to believe that for certain circumstances the classic manual focus glass is a great choice!  Especially for landscape and close-up work.  In both of these fields you want to control depth-of-field closely, and the great depth markings on the old manual lenses is a great help.  Also with the advent of the Live View, with magnification, precise focusing can really be achieved, like never before. I also noticed that the depth of color was also amazing.  The shot below of rocks in the surf at Little Hunter’s Beach in Acadia N.P. was a good example.

 

In another close-up situation I wanted to capture the delicate colors in a flower at the Acadia Garden, the 105 Micro Nikkor f 2.8 did a sterling job. The color was spot on and the sharpness was great in the area of shallow focus.  The tactile pleasure of working with old dissimilar metal racing’s in the helicoids makes the shooting process so much fun.  It really takes you back to the “old” days.  As I said before I don’t see the manual lenses so much as a replacement for current lenses, but just as a great way to vary the process.

 

Then there is the cost factor, many of these classic old lenses can be purchased used in very good condition for 1/4th to 1/3rd the cost of current glass.  I’ve found mint condition 24mm f 2.8’s for around $150., 105 mm Micro Nikkor f 2.8’s for around $300.  By-the-way if anyone ever finds a mint condition 25-50 f 4 AIS Nikkor zoom let me know, I’ve been looking for one, for some time and would  love to add it to my classic collection!

 

As of today my manual lens collection consists of:

 

24mm f 2.8 Nikkor

55mm Micro Nikkor f 2.8

50-135 Nikkor f 3.5 zoom

105 mm f 2.5 Nikkor telephoto  (the classic portrait lens)

105 mm Micro Nikkor f 2.8

80-200 Nikkor zooms (both the f 4.5 and f4)

300 mm IF-ED f 4.5 Nikkor telelphoto

400mm IF-ED f 3.5 Nikkor telephoto  (One of my favorite lenses of all time!)

 

I’m still looking for the 25-50 and the 28 mm f 2.8 lens!  I’ve got to stay out of camera stores that sell a lot of used glass!!!!!

 

Give one a try, I believe you will enjoy it!

 

the pilgrim

Nikon just released information about two new lenses that I believe will be a very welcome additions to the lens line.  Above the new 18-300 AF-S DX f 3.5-5.6 G ED VR lens is the 28-300 lens for DX, however with the 1.5 cropping factor of DX sensors it will be the equivalent of a whopping, 27 mm to 450 mm super zoom!  I have not gotten my sample yet, but based on the spectacular performance of the 28-300 FX lens, this one should be very special.  I can see it as a great all around lens for travel, sports and nature.  teamed with a 10-24 or 12-24 and you could cover from 15 mm or 18 mm all the way to 450 mm, what a range!

The other lens below is less expensive version of Nikon’s tremendously sharp, 24-70 f 2.8 lens, and this one will include VR II which will make the lens even more useful.  The AF-S Nikkor 24-85 f 3.5-4.5G  ED VR should be a wonderful FX lens for those folks looking for a midrange zoom that is more affordable, yet very capable.  I will test both lenses when I get them and keep you posted, I am expecting big things from both!

 

Stay tuned!

 

the pilgrim

Well, tomorrow the actual Nikon workshop starts and there will be little or no time to test the manual lenses for the rest of this trip.  So what have I learned?  Here goes:

 

1.  Not too surprising the older classic manual Nikkors were tack sharp back then and they still are today.  Are they sharper than current lenses?  No, but they are a lot better than you might think.  Some individual lenses are still very viable if you don’t mind the effort.

 

2.  The effort to use the older manual focus glass is considerable.  I found my work flow in the field to be a lot more “fits and starts”.   If you want to make yourself slow down and work more carefully, this is a great way.  Through out the trip I found myself missing, the shorter zooms, autofocus, and the general comfort zone I’ve come to have with the modern lenses.

 

3.  What will I do in the future?  I enjoyed the experiment and I’m certain that, from time to time, I will get back on and ride these horses some more, but I won’t sell all my modern lenses, I just need to be able to work faster much of the time and the manual focus workflow, does slow things down, considerably.

 

4.  The final conclusion is that the old Nikkors hold up very well when compared to modern glass, but they do lack the more modern coatings, and except for close-up work, where I always focus manually anyway, I really missed the speed of the new lenses.  What’s neat is that manual lenses are still plentiful and can be an attractive bargain for something you just would love to play around with.  One thing is for sure, I don’t think my work suffered, it was quite pleasant to slow down and remember how things used to be!!!!!

 

the pilgrim

Day two was a lot smoother than day one, big surprise!  The light as better, well actually not as good, but brighter. Today, I made myself slow down and remember all the things I’ve been telling you guys, and it paid off!  Wow, I’m smarter than I thought or look!  So by working very diligently with live view to aid in focusing and being very careful with movement, (tripod, cable release, and mirror lock-up).  I didn’t get fearful about f 22, or even f32, and the results held up very well. The color from these lenses, is very sweet and pure.  I’m falling in love all over again with these classic Nikkors.  I knew from years of experience that the Micro Nikkors were just outrageously sharp, and that the 80-200 f 4.5  is one very sharp zoom.  The real surprise was to be reminded of just how wonderful the 24mm is.  O.K. sorry about that, I was starting to sound like a Nikon tech rep!!

 

The test continues tomorrow, but I’m getting really excited about shooting some more stuff and finished the scouting for the Bio Communication workshop!  I will try very hard to do some good stuff.  I know what your thinking, would I ever give up the new, autofocus glass?  Of course not, but this opens up some wonderful new windows, when the timing is right!!

Enjoy,

the pilgrim

 

Below, D800, 24mm Micro Nikkor

Below, D800, 105mm Micro Nikkor

D800. 24mm Nikkor @ f22

D800, 55mm Micro Nikkor

D800, 55mm Micro Nikkor.

D800, 55mm Micro Nikkor two version of Birch shot/