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Archive 2015 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question

  
 
uintaangler
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


Is there a Manual Focus, Legacy Glass, Zoom lens in the 70-200mm range that has enough resolution to provide great results on a 36mp sensor?
Has to be small enough to make sense on a Sony A7r body.
Would the Series E 75-150 offer the resolution required?
Thanks.



May 24, 2015 at 09:54 AM
jhinkey
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


I replied to your other thread already, but I'll add that with such zooms they typically will be quite loose in their zoom/focusing action if they have the single zoom/focus action. This can be mitigated somewhat, but something to look out for when purchasing.

Some of these zooms are pretty inexpensive - so I'd suggest trying the different lenses that will be recommended by responders to see for yourself.



May 24, 2015 at 10:50 AM
Norm Shapiro
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


The 75-150 series E is a great lens. The E series optics were very good but their build was very different. If I remember correctly the 75-150 zoom had a piece of felt in in which was used to like a gasket for smooth zoom action. And I believe it could be replaced if needed.


May 24, 2015 at 10:54 PM
rankamateur
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


Both taken with a $40 80-200 4.5













May 25, 2015 at 07:16 AM
asiostygius
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


I second Norman sugestion:
The 75-150 E is an overlooked gem of a lens.

A quick google search and:

http://www.throughthefmount.com/articles_rev_75_150e.html

http://www.ishootshows.com/2011/06/21/review-nikon-75-150mm-f3-5-series-e/

and another more detailed review in a 24Mp sensor:
http://matthewdurrphotography.com/2012/08/22/lens-review-nikon-75-150mm-f3-5-series-e/



This zoom is also very good with tubes and/or close up lenses for macro work.
Samples:

Grasshoper with Nikon 75-150mm + tube by Jose, no Flickr

D600 + PN-11 (52.5mm) tube + Nikon 75-150mm f/3.5 E @ 150mm hand held, ISO 320, f/8 at 1/400s.



Lichens with Nikon 75-150mm f/3.5 E @ 150mm by Jose, no Flickr

D600 + Nikon 75-150mm f/3.5 E @ 150mm, hand held, ISO 200, f/8 at 1/1250s; ~25% cropped. Bariloche's temperate forest, Argentina.



Excellent at infinity too:

Nahuel Huapi National Park - unidentified point - 7 shots pano by Jose, no Flickr

D600 + Nikon 75-150mm f/3.5 E @ 75mm, hand held, ISO 100, f/ 5.6 at 1/800s. 7-vertical shots panoramic.
Nahuel Huapi National Park, Argentina.



It is so cheap and good that I am considering to buy a second copy!






May 25, 2015 at 08:02 AM
Ray S.
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


Another vote for the 75-150. I didn't know anything about it and picked it up for $75 from ebay on a whim. Lens bargain of a lifetime! The zoom action gets REALLY loose on these, but just stick a couple of strips of electrical tape vertically along the barrel and it works really nicely. I'm still kind of shocked by how good this lens is. Here are a couple of samples, although they probably don't show off it's IQ as well as the above shots:

NYC day 9-227-Edit by Ray, on Flickr

NYC day 9-310-Edit by Ray, on Flickr

NYC - day 5-112-Edit by Ray, on Flickr

-Ray



May 25, 2015 at 12:26 PM
AmbientMike
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


I only tested at one fl, I think, but the 75-150 OM seemed better. I have a mc one, though, which may be tough to find. Probably not much difference between that and E, though.

The more resolution you get from a sensor, the less you should need from a lens for a given result. At least that was true of film, and I saw it from a 35-85 SerI on ff wide open. That lens is really good stopped down, but wasnt really usable wide open on my APS body imo



May 25, 2015 at 09:27 PM
timballic
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


AmbientMike wrote:
I only tested at one fl, I think, but the 75-150 OM seemed better. I have a mc one, though, which may be tough to find. Probably not much difference between that and E, though.

The more resolution you get from a sensor, the less you should need from a lens for a given result. At least that was true of film, and I saw it from a 35-85 SerI on ff wide open. That lens is really good stopped down, but wasnt really usable wide open on my APS body imo


I second this, at least for the 100mm setting where I tested mine, also MC, (though apparently only one element is MC!)
The caveat, at least with mine, is a rather strong blue cast.



May 26, 2015 at 10:28 AM
jhinkey
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


I did test a 75-150E Nikkor the other day and all I can say is that it's pretty decent on my D800 at all focal lengths. Won't reach pixel-level sharpness, but it was very good. Wide open it had a little "glow" (lowered contrast), but I've seen far worse from Nikon and others. Did not test it for flare/ghosting . . .

The copy I tested was in excellent condition except the zoom/focus ring was terribly lose . . .



May 26, 2015 at 10:32 AM
AmbientMike
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question



timballic wrote:
I second this, at least for the 100mm setting where I tested mine, also MC, (though apparently only one element is MC!)
The caveat, at least with mine, is a rather strong blue cast.


I think I tested mine at 100 or so,too! It only seemed to have that one element mc, but so did the 65-200 OM, another good lens. What's your serial number? Mine is 42xxxx. Don't remember a blue cast, can you take it out with color temperature?

I used this or an 80-210 Tamron on film quite a bit on an OM-1, it goes to 1:2.8. The E would probably be in between these 2 in sharpness, but is a well thought of Nikkor. I first heard about it from the Del's Camera ads in Shutterbug. I don't think there would be a lot of difference between the E and the MC OM

The single coated 75-150 OM should be pretty good, too, based on the old Modern Photography tests.




May 26, 2015 at 11:29 AM
philip_pj
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


AM, thanks for saying so. ALL lenses improve on higher res cameras. The Nikkor E zoom was also used by Galen Rowell on occasion way back then. These zooms all work well for the simple reason of zoom range. Back then makers cared more for IQ than range, hence all the 2:1 zooms, e.g. 35-70, 75-150, now we have Nikon's 14-24, Tamron's 18-35. No coincidence. More please, Carl Zeiss.


May 27, 2015 at 07:26 AM
Reagan
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


There is an 80-200 on the B/S board for $85 you can't go wrong for that price

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1365872/0#13019140

Reagan



May 27, 2015 at 08:24 AM
timballic
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


AmbientMike wrote:

I think I tested mine at 100 or so,too! It only seemed to have that one element mc, but so did the 65-200 OM, another good lens. What's your serial number? Mine is 42xxxx. Don't remember a blue cast, can you take it out with color temperature?



Mine is 483xxx. Yes, the blue cast can be removed with colour temp, but it makes the image look so "flat" until you do, then it seems to come alive!

I'm intending to test the extremes this w/e, weather permitting



May 28, 2015 at 08:38 AM
the solitaire
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


On film I used the 80-200 f4 Ai-S Nikkor quite a bit. Also tried it on my D300 and was quite happy with the results. Pixel density of the D300 (12,3 Mpix) is not that far behind the 36 Mpix (which is about 15 Mpix in an 0,66x crop like on a DX sized sensor).

One thing I could not complain about was resolution. Nor a lack of sharpness and contrast. The aperture ring on my copy was really stiff though because of a damaged mount. Sold the lens a while back so I can not test it on my girlfriends D800 but I think it would perform just fine.

The 80-200 f4 is small, has 62mm filters, is lightweight compared to many modern lenses and I personally liked the double action zoom/focus ring design. It's intuitive and quite accurate.

For the current going rates ($100) pick one up and try it. If you don't like what you get, sell it without a loss (except maybe shipping fees)

EDIT:: sometimes I regret selling mine so I guess I will pick up a copy of that lens some time



May 28, 2015 at 11:57 AM
f.hayek
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


jhinkey wrote:
I did test a 75-150E Nikkor the other day and all I can say is that it's pretty decent on my D800 at all focal lengths. Won't reach pixel-level sharpness, but it was very good. Wide open it had a little "glow" (lowered contrast), but I've seen far worse from Nikon and others. Did not test it for flare/ghosting . . .

The copy I tested was in excellent condition except the zoom/focus ring was terribly lose . . .


Ditto.

I found one for ~$50 some years back and used it on my late, great D700. The zoom creep/slip was less pronounced because it was one of the later models, but still there. The 75-150 hits its peak by ƒ/11, already in the diffraction zone for the D8**. Colors were generally muted, also flared a bit (single-coated, I think).

For 50 bucks, I couldn't complain but not really recommended on high MP sensors.



May 28, 2015 at 09:04 PM
AmbientMike
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


f.hayek wrote:
Ditto.

I found one for ~$50 some years back and used it on my late, great D700. The zoom creep/slip was less pronounced because it was one of the later models, but still there. The 75-150 hits its peak by ƒ/11, already in the diffraction zone for the D8**. Colors were generally muted, also flared a bit (single-coated, I think).

For 50 bucks, I couldn't complain but not really recommended on high MP sensors.


That sounds similar to my 65-200 OM, which I really like, but don't use much. Similar in that you use it at f\8 it seems for best sharpness. A stop either way, f\5.6 or 11, sharpness seems to go down a bit. 2 stops, f\16 or 4, and it goes down more, I just see it as a classic zoom and more expect this.

I think that the E and OM 75-150 may be similar, but maybe a bit better wide open.




May 28, 2015 at 10:54 PM
f.hayek
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


The consumer-grade E series Nikkors weren't even made by Nikon at all but Kiron, in fact. The lens appeared in Kiron and Vivitar versions but something like 2/10ths of a stop slower. The Nikon was the outlier of the E series in its superior capabilities but ultimately a simple, single-coated creature of a bygone age, nowhere near the capabilities of a Zeiss or Leica zoom of similar vintage.


May 29, 2015 at 07:19 AM
mirkoc
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


jhinkey wrote:
I did test a 75-150E Nikkor the other day and all I can say is that it's pretty decent on my D800 at all focal lengths. Won't reach pixel-level sharpness, but it was very good. Wide open it had a little "glow" (lowered contrast), but I've seen far worse from Nikon and others. Did not test it for flare/ghosting . . .

The copy I tested was in excellent condition except the zoom/focus ring was terribly lose . . .



+1 at all above.

My copy (with 5Dc) wasn't as sharp at 100-135 as at 75 and 150mm, a bad copy perhaps?
Charming rendering in my book.



May 29, 2015 at 07:30 AM
AmbientMike
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question



f.hayek wrote:
The consumer-grade E series Nikkors weren't even made by Nikon at all but Kiron, in fact. The lens appeared in Kiron and Vivitar versions but something like 2/10ths of a stop slower. The Nikon was the outlier of the E series in its superior capabilities but ultimately a simple, single-coated creature of a bygone age, nowhere near the capabilities of a Zeiss or Leica zoom of similar vintage.


I checked, mine is MC, Ser# 304xxxx. It had green reflections. I think the E series had cheaper construction, but optics were fine. But compared to today's lenses they are fairly solid.

There seems to be a lot of rebranding in lenses. I had a Sigma 75-300 APO, which was a really good lens. I bought it after a great pop photo test. Was reading pop photo later, saw a Nikon lens with the same specs, and a $1100 or so price (not sure if it was MSRP or not.) Wonder if Sigma made it for them?

Minolta and Sigma made lenses for Leica, which is a small company.




mirkoc wrote:
+1 at all above.

My copy (with 5Dc) wasn't as sharp at 100-135 as at 75 and 150mm, a bad copy perhaps?
Charming rendering in my book.


I'm not surprised if the E has better performance at 75, xx-300 zooms seem to do a lot better at the wide end.



May 29, 2015 at 01:34 PM
f.hayek
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · To all you Nikon legacy glass MF dudes, a zoom question


AmbientMike wrote:
I checked, mine is MC, Ser# 304xxxx. It had green reflections. I think the E series had cheaper construction, but optics were fine. But compared to today's lenses they are fairly solid.

There seems to be a lot of rebranding in lenses. I had a Sigma 75-300 APO, which was a really good lens. I bought it after a great pop photo test. Was reading pop photo later, saw a Nikon lens with the same specs, and a $1100 or so price (not sure if it was MSRP or not.) Wonder if Sigma made it for them?

Minolta and Sigma made
...Show more

No knock on Sigma, Minolta or Kiron; they made great stuff. The character of Minolta lenses that led Leica to partner with them for zooms and the 24 Elmarit, carried over to later Minolta glass and is appreciated by Sony DSLR users.

You pay a premium for the 'Nikon' badge when the exact same lens with a Vivitar or Sigma badge sells for <1/2 and delivers identical results.



May 30, 2015 at 09:18 AM
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