Huss, following your posts with the Cinestill monobath over on the other forum, glad to see it works well with the right technique! I have some ways to go with the workflow.
Sorry for the loss of your golfing buddy and "nature's gentleman". Lovely roses!
Oosty wrote:
Sadly, a good friend and golfing buddy passed on yesterday morning. It was the 3rd day of being able to leave home for exercise and he died of a heart attack while walking in one of Knysna's hillier suburbs. He had a full life and was what appeared to be a very fit 82 - but one never knows. In 2012 I visited his magnificent rose garden and took a few shots that I've reprocessed with a lot better technique than then.
All with the 80-200 f4 ais wide open (what did I know about DOF). A floral tribute to Hugh Collier, one of nature's gentlemen.
Curtis, that 50-300 is a very chunky lens.... weighing a smidge over 5 pounds.
CGrindahl wrote:
What you've done Ken is what all of us are doing in one way or another... buying lenses because they are so affordable and then playing to see what suits our preferred style of picture taking. And that can change with circumstances. I've not been inclined toward zoom lenses, preferring to use primes. I generally leave my camera bag in the trunk of my car and carry only the lens mounted on the camera. I've done that during this shelter-in-place but found as the days sped past that carrying a zoom lens gave me more flexibility... which is what they're about in the first place. And because I like to shoot flowers close, having longer zooms is fine. Even the 100-300 f/5.6 AI-s worked and that is a lens that had been stuck in the back of my cabinet for over five years.
I look at the kit you take when you travel and wonder whether you've considered leaving the 105 and 135 and taking the 50-135 f/3.5 AI-s that does an excellent job of covering that focal range... just a thought. I read about that lens recently and learned it was produced at the end of the manual focus era as automatic focus lenses were arriving on the scene. It was only manufactured for two and a half years. It was considered a very fine lens but the market must have disappeared. That particular focal range was not translated by Nikon into an AF lens. It is a winner...
Are you planning on selling lenses or opening a lending library? I'll check out the 50-300 if you do...
I have a pretty good selection of manual focus lenses from the late 80s when I briefly earned a living shooting film. When digital hit I bought a D70 and it wouldn't meter with my manual lens so I just put them away. Very recently I learned there are some Nikon bodies that have aperture feelers and can meter in M or A mode. That makes me want to pick up one just to let them see the light again. I have a 24mm f2.8, 35mm f2, 105mm f1.8 and a 180mm f.2.8 that were quite expensive new, and they were all quite sharp on film. I also have a Tokina 400mm f5.6 that I used to shoot football and it was much better than you would expect. I also had a Tokina 17mm that was surprisingly good but I have searched the house from end to end and can't find it anywhere. I can't decide whether to go really cheap and get a super cheap DX body like a D200 or spend more and find a used D700 or D3. I like the idea of the bigger viewfinder and non-cropping of a FX camera. When I looked thru my FM2 recently it reminded me of how dinky and small the DX finders really are.
I apologize if this isn't the right forum since it's more of a musing about gear choices than photo results, but I figured if there was anywhere someone had gone thru the same thought process it would be in a forum dedicated to manual lenses.
If those lenses are AI or AI-s, then D700 or D3 will work just fine. I've used mine with the D200 as well.
You may want to check your old camera bags for that 17mm
The DF can use the Non-AI lenses too.
The cameras have a "non-CPU lens" database, you can input up to 9 lenses in, so that they'll show in the EXIF and meter correctly. Sadly Nikon hasn't seen fit to increase this capacity in any of the newer cameras either.
Elkins45 wrote:
I have a pretty good selection of manual focus lenses from the late 80s when I briefly earned a living shooting film. When digital hit I bought a D70 and it wouldn't meter with my manual lens so I just put them away. Very recently I learned there are some Nikon bodies that have aperture feelers and can meter in M or A mode. That makes me want to pick up one just to let them see the light again. I have a 24mm f2.8, 35mm f2, 105mm f1.8 and a 180mm f.2.8 that were quite expensive new, and they were all quite sharp on film. I also have a Tokina 400mm f5.6 that I used to shoot football and it was much better than you would expect. I also had a Tokina 17mm that was surprisingly good but I have searched the house from end to end and can't find it anywhere. I can't decide whether to go really cheap and get a super cheap DX body like a D200 or spend more and find a used D700 or D3. I like the idea of the bigger viewfinder and non-cropping of a FX camera. When I looked thru my FM2 recently it reminded me of how dinky and small the DX finders really are.
I apologize if this isn't the right forum since it's more of a musing about gear choices than photo results, but I figured if there was anywhere someone had gone thru the same thought process it would be in a forum dedicated to manual lenses....Show more →
The cameras have a "non-CPU lens" database, you can input up to 9 lenses in, so that they'll show in the EXIF and meter correctly. Sadly Nikon hasn't seen fit to increase this capacity in any of the newer cameras either.
The Z6/7 can register 20 lenses, I'm not sure on the Z50.
Elkins45 wrote:
I have a pretty good selection of manual focus lenses from the late 80s when I briefly earned a living shooting film. When digital hit I bought a D70 and it wouldn't meter with my manual lens so I just put them away. Very recently I learned there are some Nikon bodies that have aperture feelers and can meter in M or A mode. That makes me want to pick up one just to let them see the light again. I have a 24mm f2.8, 35mm f2, 105mm f1.8 and a 180mm f.2.8 that were quite expensive new, and they were all quite sharp on film. I also have a Tokina 400mm f5.6 that I used to shoot football and it was much better than you would expect. I also had a Tokina 17mm that was surprisingly good but I have searched the house from end to end and can't find it anywhere. I can't decide whether to go really cheap and get a super cheap DX body like a D200 or spend more and find a used D700 or D3. I like the idea of the bigger viewfinder and non-cropping of a FX camera. When I looked thru my FM2 recently it reminded me of how dinky and small the DX finders really are.
I apologize if this isn't the right forum since it's more of a musing about gear choices than photo results, but I figured if there was anywhere someone had gone thru the same thought process it would be in a forum dedicated to manual lenses....Show more →
You can also use any of the mirrorless cameras and use an adapter. I use a Fuji X-T2 with my Nikkors via an adapter, works brilliantly. Welcome to FM.
leighton w wrote:
There are a couple of reasons why I might switch to Mac
I love Windows 7, but I'm not crazy about Windows 10.
Once this market season is over and I'm finally retired, I won't need to worry about using the software I currently use, or maintaining files for the market. It will be a fresh start.
I'll probably dump LR and switch over to Capture One.
And one of the main reasons is...I want to challenge myself learning something new. In this case, a new operating system and a whole new computer ecosystem. But who knows, the new Dell XPS 15 coming soon looks REALLY interesting and it has the ability of do-it-yourself upgrades of internal components. Decisions...decisions. ...Show more →
Leighton, I've been learning to use CaptureOne. It is a far more capable program than LR, but nowhere near as easy to use. When I get proficient in it, I'll probably enjoy it; but at this point it feels like endless frustration. Please note that I'm not knocking CaptureOne but rather my aging brain that doesn't accommodate change as effortlessly as when younger. My one big complaint is the documentation. Finding an answer to a specific question can consume hours. When I find it, the program works well, but it doesn't feel intuitive to me.
raboof wrote:
That is true, Curtis. You will need a tripod for it. I do
Those are the words that destroy a fantasy... As I found when I bought the 400 f/5.6 ED-IF AI-s and ended up with a monopod. Kevin gave me a tripod but it is still in the storage locker...
Footloose and fancy free for me, for better or worse.
Elkins45 wrote:
I have a pretty good selection of manual focus lenses from the late 80s when I briefly earned a living shooting film. When digital hit I bought a D70 and it wouldn't meter with my manual lens so I just put them away. Very recently I learned there are some Nikon bodies that have aperture feelers and can meter in M or A mode. That makes me want to pick up one just to let them see the light again. I have a 24mm f2.8, 35mm f2, 105mm f1.8 and a 180mm f.2.8 that were quite expensive new, and they were all quite sharp on film. I also have a Tokina 400mm f5.6 that I used to shoot football and it was much better than you would expect. I also had a Tokina 17mm that was surprisingly good but I have searched the house from end to end and can't find it anywhere. I can't decide whether to go really cheap and get a super cheap DX body like a D200 or spend more and find a used D700 or D3. I like the idea of the bigger viewfinder and non-cropping of a FX camera. When I looked thru my FM2 recently it reminded me of how dinky and small the DX finders really are.
I apologize if this isn't the right forum since it's more of a musing about gear choices than photo results, but I figured if there was anywhere someone had gone thru the same thought process it would be in a forum dedicated to manual lenses....Show more →
Welcome Mr. Elkins! I note that you registered on FM today and this is your first post. I'm guessing we have something you're interested in. Believe it or not that has happened many times on the past... folks have come to FM JUST because of this thread. That is at once humbling and quite satisfying. We've been doing this for almost ten years and over time have attracted some great people who love these lenses. And that means, of course, that there is a wealth of information here for someone exploring. It often happens that manual focus lenses are discovered at the back of closets or in attics... long ignored because automatic focus is so EASY. Those of us who returned to manual focus have been reminded of what photography is really all about. Yes, fast focus can be important in some situations, but personally, I find watching focus appear in the viewfinder as I turn the focusing ring of the lens a wonderful experience.
So you've been told you can mount these lenses on just about any camera with the right adaptor... Folks have done that and are enjoying themselves. But let's get serious here. These lenses were designed to be used on Nikon cameras and more recent cameras have features that allow easy use to these lenses. I note you have the D90 which is a cropped camera that does not play nicely with these lenses. But you know the Nikon environment. Personally, I love mounting these lenses on a Df, which is a 16 megapixel camera with the D4 sensor. It has a Non-CPU Lens register that takes nine manual focus lenses. But if I were exploring I'd likely begin with the D700 which can be bought at a much friendlier price. Of course, if you have a few more dollars to spend and find the D3 appealing you might want to check out this listing on the Buy and Sell forum.
Stick around and you'll get all the support you need. And, we're on a first name basis, so I'd invite you to add your first name to your profile. Some of us also add a bit of biographical information. Amazingly, it is possible to develop friendships through cyberspace. You're welcome to join us.
Ballard wrote:
Leighton, I've been learning to use CaptureOne. It is a far more capable program than LR, but nowhere near as easy to use. When I get proficient in it, I'll probably enjoy it; but at this point it feels like endless frustration. Please note that I'm not knocking CaptureOne but rather my aging brain that doesn't accommodate change as effortlessly as when younger. My one big complaint is the documentation. Finding an answer to a specific question can consume hours. When I find it, the program works well, but it doesn't feel intuitive to me.
Ken I know what you mean. I've tried it out and at first, it was quite daunting. But after looking at a bunch of Youtube videos I think I can make it work for my needs. Plus, it has the added benefit of exercising your brain. We'll see, I may end up sticking with LR in the end.
I'll check out the 50-300 if you do...
