p.4 #1 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
With colour negative film it does not matter much as long as you give the shadows enough exposure. With BW you can tell them the ISO you've shot it at and they can pull the highlights back by reducing development time. With scanning this is less of an issue though.
p.4 #4 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
I received my 40mm f2 ultron SLII-n today.
I love the size, build feel and the handling is great. I tested it on my Sony with a tripod to get an understanding of the sharpness, bokeh and vignetting. Seems well centered and on sharpness:
- at the edges I'm happy with f5.6, it's a little better by f8 on digital, I'm guessing f4 is probably great on 35mm film, maybe even f2.8
- Center sharpness f2.8 is very good for this little pancake, f2 acceptable for the benefit of character and bokeh for people shots.
Perhaps there's a difference when mounted to Nikon with the edges but thought I'd give it a shot to get a ballpark idea.
Sorry to lean on you guys again about the infinity focus:
On my Sony A7cii, it's like with my other CV lenses, infinity is a hair back from the hard stop as folks mentioned - between the end of the infinity symbol and the 20m mark. I'm certain about this.
However, on my Nikon fm2n, I was expecting to have to pull it back a little again - and it is quite hard to tell - but I think it's at the hardstop. Is that possible? It would really make things a lot easier!
It's very slight but with the split screen it feels like there's a tiny shift when I pull back and a little bit of the haze on the small circle outside of the split image if I pull back to the same position as the Sony. It's very hard to tell for certain.
p.4 #5 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
Yogifi wrote:
I received my 40mm f2 ultron SLII-n today.
I love the size, build feel and the handling is great. I tested it on my Sony with a tripod to get an understanding of the sharpness, bokeh and vignetting. Seems well centered and on sharpness:
- at the edges I'm happy with f5.6, it's a little better by f8 on digital, f4 is probably great on 35mm film.
- Center sharpness f2.8 is very good for this little pancake, f2 acceptable for the benefit of character and bokeh for people shots.
Perhaps there's a difference when mounted to Nikon with the edges but thought I'd give it a shot to get a ballpark idea.
Sorry to lean on you guys again about the infinity focus:
On my Sony A7cii, it's like with my other CV lenses, infinity is a hair back from the hard stop as folks mentioned - between the end of the infinity symbol and the 20m mark. I'm certain about this.
However, on my Nikon fm2n, I was expecting to have to pull it back a little again - and it is quite hard to tell - but I think it's at the hardstop. Is that possible? It would really make things a lot easier!
It's very slight but with the split screen it feels like there's a tiny shift when I pull back and a little bit of the haze on the small circle outside of the split image if I pull back to the same position as the Sony. It's very hard to tell for certain....Show more →
I assume you are using an adapter for the Sony? Most cheap adapters don't have perfect tolerances, possibly deliberately to take into account thermal expansion and contraction. This might account for the difference on the Sony.
p.4 #6 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
Geoff D F wrote:
I assume you are using an adapter for the Sony? Most cheap adapters don't have perfect tolerances, possibly deliberately to take into account thermal expansion and contraction. This might account for the difference on the Sony.
Yes it's the urth one - they're usually pretty good but you might be right.
The thing is I expected it to need to be pulled back from the hard stop after Scott's post and I'm used to that on CV e-mount lenses. What surprised me was it looking like I didn't need to with the FM2n. Just trying to figure out what it should be as it's rather difficult to tell through the viewfinder at that distance.
I will take some test shots and wait see the results, hopefully I'll be able to tell with the end result!
RoamingScott wrote:
I've not used a single nikon mount MF lens that had true infinity at the hard stop, you need to shoot Leica for that, or just 2 brain cells to back it off a smidge.
p.4 #7 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
Unfortunately, the camera body tolerances, focus shift, focal plane curvature and film flatness add more variables. Do a few test shots on a tripod using slow film and "bracket" the focus to find out.
p.4 #8 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
Yogifi wrote:
Yes it's the urth one - they're usually pretty good but you might be right.
The thing is I expected it to need to be pulled back from the hard stop after Scott's post and I'm used to that on CV e-mount lenses. What surprised me was it looking like I didn't need to with the FM2n. Just trying to figure out what it should be as it's rather difficult to tell through the viewfinder at that distance.
I will take some test shots and wait see the results, hopefully I'll be able to tell with the end result!
You’re overthinking it. Film has a thickness that a digital sensor does not. Just go shoot a roll - not test shots but whatever you like - and see how it turns out.
I have a bunch of film Nikons as well as other film cameras and I have never tested for infinity focus etc. It’s 35mm film, just go out and shoot!
p.4 #9 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
Didn't do many infinity shot tests will try and get some clearly in next time but I suspect it is at the hardstop.
fjablo wrote:
The Voigtländer lenses are 100% compatible with the Nikon FM2n. They behave just like Nikon Ai-S glass (technically Ai-P because of the CPU contacts).
I own the 55mm f1.2 as well as the Nikon 50mm f1.4 Ai-S (and also have a 50mm f1.4 AF-D - same lens optically). The Voigtländer is beautifully made, but the Nikon is sharper and signficantly lighter, so I end up using it more often than the Voigtländer. Both are significantly better at f2 than wide-open, both in terms of sharpness but also bokeh quality imo.
The Nikon 50mm f2 is also a really nice lens and one of my favorites. I have a single-coated Nikkor-H variant that was made Ai-compatible, but easier to go for an Ai-version straight away. This is btw something you need to watch out for with legacy Nikon lenses in general - using a Non-Ai lens on the FM2n can damage the lens mount. ...Show more →
Hi fjablo, I wanted to press you on the 50mm f1.4s please - you mentioned owning both the 50mm f1.4 AFD and AIS.
I was wondering about the difference in manual focus feel between the two? Is it noticeably better on the AIS?
Is it a substantial improvement using the AIS for manual focus, despite having the same focus throw?
I really like the clarity in the image I get with the nikon 50mm f1.4 AFD over the voigtlander 40mm ultron, which is really nice to handle though.
It seems I missed focus a few times (both the portraits) with the 50mm f1.4 but I did get a diopter correction since then.
My first roll was mostly practicing focussing and checking the light meter.... but I absolutely love the colours I got even with the kodak 200, next roll is portra 400. Was rushed with this one because of the return window on the fm2n and worried about scratching or light meter issues etc.
Some of the others had even nicer colours but poor focus. And maybe I should have focussed on the kid there instead of the tree - which I was aiming for .
I was really happy with how the shop did the processing, though the resolution was rather small (2MB files), I will ask for higher next time if it's possible there.
The voigtlander I need to play with more but I feel like it's missing some of the "transparency" I'm getting with the nikon 50mm. It's made me hesistant to pick up the 58mm f1.4 a little.
But I definitely need to take more shots.
My last two shots (which were with the ultron) also had these little line of dots that you can see in the centre...I'm not sure what they are but I wonder if it's because I over-tensioned it by reversing at some point mid-roll just to see what it does when you rewind:
Meter seems to be pretty good though, and I will errr on the side of over-exposure for sure.
I'm hesitant about the 50mm f1.2 as I think it's softer than the 50mm f1.4 wide-open in the center (which already is a little bit soft):
And I don't think I would manage focussing at f1.2 with the 55mm either. The only reason I mention wide-open is because that's what the fm2n focusses at. To get it to focus at f1.4 I'd need to hold down the DOF preview right?
The 58mm f1.4 interests me, I just worry about the "transparency" with CV. Nikon just seemed so clear and light (image iq) in comparison to the ultron, which felt a little more grungy (I don't mean the bokeh, it's hard to describe). I didn't take enough to say for certain but I do see it even when I put the ultron on my Sony body.
p.4 #10 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
I would not judge the lenses yet with these lab scans. Low res, and the levels are questionable (e.g. blown skies). You can do better with the phone as a makeshift light source and a macro lens.
Nailing focus can be tricky indeed. You should not worry about stopping down for focusing unless the lens design has a noticeable focus shift or field curvature (plane of focus moves depending on the aperture or frame area). High res scans could show it better.
Cross-check the camera meter with your digital, using a neutral, evenly lit surface. Check several brightness levels - my FE has about 1/2 stop of non-linearity depending on whether it is daylight (bright) or deep shade / indoors.
p.4 #11 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
Thank you, I'll give it a go when I go collect the film and will do some more vigorous testing for the light meter.
I was thinking with focussing at like f2 it would make it easier to see if I actually got the focus right, it's why I've been skeptical about getting the f1.2 50mm or CV 55.
Appreciate all the advice, thank you kindly. Hopefully in time I will be scanning them myself properly. I avoided the easy35 because of quite a few people complaining about vignette I think it was, saying the 125 solved it but wanted to do some research on alternatives. But I'll give the phone/ipad test a go first, I have an old macro lens, maybe with some diffusion material between the phone and the screen.
p.4 #12 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
On manual SLRs, faster lenses often make it easier to nail focus at medium apertures (assuming no focus shift). With slower lenses it is the opposite.
My favourite and most used lens on a Nikon is Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 Ai-S. But due to f/2.8 the viewfinder is rather dim, and the combination of focal length and the maximum aperture add to the depth of field in the viewfinder. At working distances of 3+ metres everything appears sorta in-focus regardless of whether it actually is. In order to make it easier I'd have to get an f/2 or f/1.4 even if I don't intend to shoot at those apertures.
p.4 #13 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
First roll looks good!
And just on Ai/Ai-S vs. AF, yes, the focus experience is night and day. A lot of the AF focus rings (50 f/1.4 included) can be loose, sloppy, sticky, jittery, etc. Ai/Ai-S focus rings will be well dampened and smooth. I use a few AF lenses manually as a matter of utility and it works, but it's not the most pleasant experience.
p.4 #14 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
Yogifi wrote:
Didn't do many infinity shot tests will try and get some clearly in next time but I suspect it is at the hardstop.
Hi fjablo, I wanted to press you on the 50mm f1.4s please - you mentioned owning both the 50mm f1.4 AFD and AIS.
I was wondering about the difference in manual focus feel between the two? Is it noticeably better on the AIS?
Is it a substantial improvement using the AIS for manual focus, despite having the same focus throw?
I really like the clarity in the image I get with the nikon 50mm f1.4 AFD over the voigtlander 40mm ultron, which is really nice to handle though.
It seems I missed focus a few times (both the portraits) with the 50mm f1.4 but I did get a diopter correction since then.
My first roll was mostly practicing focussing and checking the light meter.... but I absolutely love the colours I got even with the kodak 200, next roll is portra 400. Was rushed with this one because of the return window on the fm2n and worried about scratching or light meter issues etc.
Some of the others had even nicer colours but poor focus. And maybe I should have focussed on the kid there instead of the tree - which I was aiming for .
I was really happy with how the shop did the processing, though the resolution was rather small (2MB files), I will ask for higher next time if it's possible there.
The voigtlander I need to play with more but I feel like it's missing some of the "transparency" I'm getting with the nikon 50mm. It's made me hesistant to pick up the 58mm f1.4 a little.
But I definitely need to take more shots.
My last two shots (which were with the ultron) also had these little line of dots that you can see in the centre...I'm not sure what they are but I wonder if it's because I over-tensioned it by reversing at some point mid-roll just to see what it does when you rewind:
Meter seems to be pretty good though, and I will errr on the side of over-exposure for sure.
I'm hesitant about the 50mm f1.2 as I think it's softer than the 50mm f1.4 wide-open in the center (which already is a little bit soft):
And I don't think I would manage focussing at f1.2 with the 55mm either. The only reason I mention wide-open is because that's what the fm2n focusses at. To get it to focus at f1.4 I'd need to hold down the DOF preview right?
The 58mm f1.4 interests me, I just worry about the "transparency" with CV. Nikon just seemed so clear and light (image iq) in comparison to the ultron, which felt a little more grungy (I don't mean the bokeh, it's hard to describe). I didn't take enough to say for certain but I do see it even when I put the ultron on my Sony body. ...Show more →
Focus is significantly nicer on the Ai-S version of the 50mm f1.4. The AF-D focus ring is much more loose and undampened in comparison, which makes the experience not as nice. That said I don't think my hit rate would be all that different between the two.
I also use a Pentax 31mm f1.8 quite a bit, which is more similar to the AF-D in terms of manual focus feel, and my hit rate is just fine with it.
A sharper, more contrasty lens (when wide-open) can help with manual focus. Imo the Voigtländer 55mm f1.2 is a bit harder to focus than the Nikon 50mm f1.4 because it's softer.
Also keep in mind that most of those lenses have some focus shift - usually not an issue up to f2, but f2.8 / f4.0 can be a bit off. Beyond that the increased DOF usually masks any issues again.
p.4 #15 · Your thoughts on qualtiy+compact film camera vs x100vi/Fuji apsc digital
fjablo wrote:
Focus is significantly nicer on the Ai-S version of the 50mm f1.4. The AF-D focus ring is much more loose and undampened in comparison, which makes the experience not as nice. That said I don't think my hit rate would be all that different between the two.
I also use a Pentax 31mm f1.8 quite a bit, which is more similar to the AF-D in terms of manual focus feel, and my hit rate is just fine with it.
A sharper, more contrasty lens (when wide-open) can help with manual focus. Imo the Voigtländer 55mm f1.2 is a bit harder to focus than the Nikon 50mm f1.4 because it's softer.
Also keep in mind that most of those lenses have some focus shift - usually not an issue up to f2, but f2.8 / f4.0 can be a bit off. Beyond that the increased DOF usually masks any issues again. ...Show more →
Thank you for all the tips! I had a feeling it would just be upgrading for the feel of it but was hoping it'd be more than that.
Will hold off for now but maybe in the future once I'm certain it will be my go-to for people shots + combo walkabout.
I'm going to try shooting exclusively f2 with people for the next roll and see how it turns out.
50mm f1.2 looks a little big and appreciate your warning with the 50mm f1.2 softness wide open - I definitely want to make focussing easier not harder on myself at this point!
Was thinking maybe even the 50mm f2 if I'm going to be using the f1.4 at f2 anyway, I heard it was particularly sharp but havent seen a lot of examples of it with people and bokeh.
Maybe the 58mm f1.4 and 28mm AI-S or color skoppar down the line - I remember the warning with the 28, but think I do need one. And I believe the 58mm is quite sharp wide open.
Do you guys sometimes hit the depth of field preview button to try and focus if you're doing f2.8 - f4 with people?
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