Depp wrote:
Maybe so,but they are quite convenient because of their ability to collapse especially for traveling...for sure,your not going to get the optimized hood for the lens,but it's better then no hood...but without a doubt the hood designed for the lens is the preferable way to go...especially when shooting wide open with wider lenses like ultra-wides where mechanical vignetting can be a problem for non-optimized hoods....obviously stopped down the lens negates this problem.
I'm leaving for Europe in about two weeks and the lens hood for the 50 will be wrapped in underwear in my suitcase and the lens will be in a carry on camera bag. Where there is a will, there is a way.
I recently bought for a friend the 18-35 f/3.5-4.5 that came with a rubber hood. WHY As you suggest, when shooting wide the hood creates an ugly vignette that only went away at 35mm. Who in their right mind would put such a hood on that lens? Obviously someone did because that is the way it came. Needless to say, I bought the correct Nikon hood for the lens.
Those who feel inclined to put a rubber hood on this lens are welcome to do so, but I can't envision any circumstance that would lead me to do so. Call me a purist, anachronistic, quaint, whatever. I don't put bumper stickers on my car either...
CGrindahl wrote:
unlike the newer hoods that reverse back on the lens for more compact storing, these older lenses have metal hoods that screw or snap on and can't be reversed.
If this is anything like the HS-8 I have on my 105, it CAN be reversed. Using the little lever it snaps on in reverse similar to the way it normally mounts. You can even secure it further by twisting it a little which seems to screw it into place. The lens cap will then snap on top of this.
It's possible the construction of the 50 won't allow this but give it a try.
Yes the hood can be reversed on my 50/1.2 and the lens cap snapped into place, but it feels not quite as secure as just having the lens cap on - i.e., it seems like the lens cap comes off easier when it's snapped into the reversed hood.
May I suggest we stop talking about hoods and resume talking about this lens? We can have a discussion about hoods for various and sundry lenses at another time and another location. This is all about appreciating a stellar lens from Nikon...
CGrindahl wrote:
May I suggest we stop talking about hoods and resume talking about this lens? We can have a discussion about hoods for various and sundry lenses at another time and another location. This is all about appreciating a stellar lens from Nikon...
D300 ISO 200, f/2, hand-held. Damn it's hard to nail the focus near wide open.
So I rattled off a series of shots as I was leaning backwards hoping to get one in focus and it looks like I did.
Tried to take some pictures of my 2yo niece eating dinner (she was relatively still) and only got 1 or of 5 critically focused at f/2. The viewfinder of the D300 is just not up to the task of focusing this lens even with a KatzEye (or my KatzEye needs calibration).
A little bit of love for this lens on this thread appears to have motivated a couple of folks to put mint copies of the lens up for sale on the B&S board. Anyone tempted should check them out and join the club.
thedruid wrote:
Be ready to see these "cheap" lens prices go through the roof, that's what happened to all the Contax lenses when Alt users started to put em on Canon DSLR's. Already at KEH the old Nikon MF inventory is about 40% of what it was a while back.
Prices have steadily risen over the last 3 years across the board at KEH. I was looking at a 600 f4 a year ago for ~1700, now it's nearly twice that. Same thing has been happening across all the focal lengths, highest I've seen used Nikon stuff in a long time.
I picked one up from KEH a few days back. It was in "EX" condition. KEH have been known to send really good quality lenses so I was a little disappointed to see this dent:
and this scratch:
Of course their policy says dings and scratches are possible, even with EX quality lenses, but I was really hoping to get higher quality. I immediately returned it. I think I'm going to buy it new when I get my next paycheck!
Mannequin- wrote:
...I think I'm going to buy it new when I get my next paycheck!
OR, you can save a few bucks and buy Mint copies now listed on the board. My experience is that buying from sellers with good feedback on FM is easy and enjoyable. I've met some great folks that way.
But back to the lens and photographs. I was out on the street again this evening and shot this at f/2, 1/80th at ISO 6400 through a glass window into a dimly lit watering hole at the neighboring town, Fairfax, home of the Deadheads.
All these great shots make me regret, a bit, selling my 50/1.2 ais...
Yes...I sold it...
It had some fungus and I didn't have the money to fix it...so I sold it to someone who did and he is soooo happy that it cleaned up nicely...
oh well, I still have the 1.4 ais...and a nice F2...
Received mine yesterday, gotta 'blame' or thank Curtis (depending if it's my wife or I) for the acquisition of such a fine lens.
And echoing many other posters - that's a chunk of glass in a small package!
So far so good, can't wait to bring it out to the field for a good workout...
As you suggest, when shooting wide the hood creates an ugly vignette that only went away at 35mm. Who in their right mind would put such a hood on that lens? Obviously someone did because that is the way it came. Needless to say, I bought the correct Nikon hood for the lens.
