Let me see if I can get something uploaded. Currently I'm not subscribed to be able to upload images AND most of the images are of little girls (so there is some sensitivity there to publishing images of other peoples kids). I'll work on it.
jhinkey wrote:
Let me see if I can get something uploaded. Currently I'm not subscribed to be able to upload images AND most of the images are of little girls (so there is some sensitivity there to publishing images of other peoples kids). I'll work on it.
- John
If that's the case then don't worry about it! Less temptation to buy this lens = good! haha
upload your samples that do NOT include the girls to nikonimages.com
You really need to be careful. I have a stalker in Canada that has been hounding me for years and is a real nut case. needless to say, I don't post any family or kid pictures unless it is a secure site.
Jorge Torralba wrote:
upload your samples that do NOT include the girls to nikonimages.com
You really need to be careful. I have a stalker in Canada that has been hounding me for years and is a real nut case. needless to say, I don't post any family or kid pictures unless it is a secure site.
Yes, I have a Zenfolio account (www.hinkey.zenfolio.com) that I typically upload images to and have all the family stuff locked down with passwords and are not searchable via Google, etc. for just such reasons.
Just for MY update... the MF quadrinity I was after is complete (for now anyway). Landed the last of the four today. Four excellent condition MF lenses - from L to R the 28mm/f3.5 AI-s, 50mm/f2 AI, 105mm/f2.5 AI-s, and 200mm/f4 AI. I've tested them all and they're all great. I'm now ditching at long last my 28/f2.8 AF lens which never did me as well as I hoped it would and it never got used. The 28/f3.5 I picked up is crazy clean, I'd believe you if you told me it was brand new. And it's plain better IQ than the f2.8 AF I'm getting rid of, even at f3.5. In fact, all four of these lenses have impressed me with the IQ they're capable of. They may not quite have the contrast of the 14-24, 24-70, and 70-200VR2, don't shoot towards the sun with as nice results, and well heck they don't AF. But they're very impressively sharp and punchy in most shooting situations.
So 4 lenses in less than 2 weeks, for a grand total of $400. It was fun and not a huge financial drain at all...
I think these old lenses can stand the test of time! the 28mm f/2 AI-S and 105mm f/2.5 AI-S I got were in great condition as well! The build quality of them are outstanding to say the least!
I think we're beginning to have some real fun now... I occasionally look at the Alternative Gear and Lenses forum and think to myself that all these gorgeous old lenses would qualify... except for the fact they are "native" on Nikon cameras and thus don't qualify, unless of course someone mounted them on a 5D MkII. I wouldn't assert that these lenses measure up to some that are touted on that board, but I don't think we have to apologize for what they're capable of doing. I say, lets celebrate what we do have... these excellent old manual focus lenses.
Incidentally, talking about pristine quality... I visited the New Zealand website that has specifications and serial numbers for Nikon lenses and discovered, much to my surprise, that the 20 f/2.8 AI-s lens I bought a couple of weeks ago on this board, is the LAST number listed. I don't know whether it is the last manufactured, since perhaps Nikon continues to produce this lens, but I was pleasantly surprised. The person I bought it from picked it up new as an import from B&H. I put it back in the box, but doubtless it will make its way to my camera once the 50 f/1.2 is finally ready for a brief rest...
I just did a quick comparison of my 50/1.8 AF-D (the sharpest lens I've owned at 50mm) to the 50/1.2 AIS at f/2 and the 50/1.2 was sharper. The center sharpness was about the same, but off-center the 50/1.2 was clearly more sharp.
I'm very impressed with the 50/1.2.
Love seeing those lenses in a row DJ. They feel so good in the hand... real works of art in themselves. Not to knock Nikon's other top of the line lenses, but the combination of size, weight and feel of these old lenses is a delight. No doubt, seeing one mounted on a D3s adds to their charm. I learned a few years ago when I picked up a Canon 1D that my arthritic shoulder simply can't handle one of these big mothers. I'll have to wait, fingers crossed, until an upgrade of the D700 comes along with something akin to the D3s sensor. I don't need 20 megapixels but would love the improved low-light capacity. As I said to Vlad, shooting with an f/1.2 lens on a D3s really permits shooting in the dark.
I shot this a couple of nights ago in my small downtown, with the help of shop lights, of course...
dj dunzie wrote:
Just for MY update... the MF quadrinity I was after is complete (for now anyway). Landed the last of the four today. Four excellent condition MF lenses - from L to R the 28mm/f3.5 AI-s, 50mm/f2 AI, 105mm/f2.5 AI-s, and 200mm/f4 AI. I've tested them all and they're all great. I'm now ditching at long last my 28/f2.8 AF lens which never did me as well as I hoped it would and it never got used. The 28/f3.5 I picked up is crazy clean, I'd believe you if you told me it was brand new. And it's plain better IQ than the f2.8 AF I'm getting rid of, even at f3.5. In fact, all four of these lenses have impressed me with the IQ they're capable of. They may not quite have the contrast of the 14-24, 24-70, and 70-200VR2, don't shoot towards the sun with as nice results, and well heck they don't AF. But they're very impressively sharp and punchy in most shooting situations.
So 4 lenses in less than 2 weeks, for a grand total of $400. It was fun and not a huge financial drain at all...
As I said, this one in particular is just MINTY...
(taken with the 105/f2.5 AI-s on a D700)...Show more →
Good for you DJ! These lenses are gems and I find myself using them more often than the so called Nikon pro lenses.... Unique character which is not found with newer models.
Gary Clennan wrote:
These lenses are gems and I find myself using them more often than the so called Nikon pro lenses.... Unique character which is not found with newer models.
Yeah couldn't agree more... and as I said, try and cover off 4 focal points with fairly fast primes between 28mm and 200mm for $400 with new glass!!
As I said, been playing around with these things all week and haven't gotten around to testing out the 14-24 yet!! I never would have seen that coming.
Inspired by DJ to share a photo of my new friends, all acquired over the last two months as I've explored the pleasure of shooting MF on the D700. I'm certainly still learning, but I'm definitely having a great deal of fun...
Left to right: 180 f/2.8, 200 f/4, 105 f/2.5, 50 f/1.2, 28 f/2.8, 20 f/2.8, all AI-s lenses, the first three bought on E-Bay, the last three on this board.
Gary Clennan wrote:
Very nice collection. Looks very similar to mine!
Thanks Gary. After a few years of buying Canon professional lenses at a thousand dollars a pop and more, it was an epiphany to discover I could buy great Nikon glass for less that $200 if I were willing to shoot manual focus. I still shake my head when I think of how much pleasure this collection of lenses is giving me. And, the huge gift is that slowing down to shoot manual focus has motivated me to get out and shoot more. The single AI-s lens that I'm ambivalent about is the 35 f/1.4 which is loved by some but not by all users. Add on top of that the price tag for that particular lens and I'm forced to consider whether it might not make more sense to invest in more expensive glass like the Zeiss ZF 35 f/2. At the moment I don't need to solve that question, though there happens to be a 35 f/1.4 on the board at the moment...
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