Scott, Kristian and George's recent nightime shots encouraged me to go outside into the street on a foggy evening just before bedtime. People have started to put up their festive lights so the local area was awash with a soft glow.
Hi Lara, the 35 f/2 is my favorite. I'm classified as severe myopic, with bifocal for added fun... I just use the green/white dot method, other folks have changed out the focusing screens.
lara_ckl wrote:
I am going to dip my toe into the MF Nikon Glass pond.
I have a D810 and D500. Very likely to get a D850 in the future.
I don't have the best eyes for manual focusing. So, any help from the gear (green dot, brighter viewfinder, longer focus throw etc) is appreciated.
My preferred focal length for everyday/walkaround is 35mm (on full frame).
What's the best (for a beginner) 35mm Nikon manual focus to get?
lara_ckl wrote:
I am going to dip my toe into the MF Nikon Glass pond.
I have a D810 and D500. Very likely to get a D850 in the future.
I don't have the best eyes for manual focusing. So, any help from the gear (green dot, brighter viewfinder, longer focus throw etc) is appreciated.
My preferred focal length for everyday/walkaround is 35mm (on full frame).
What's the best (for a beginner) 35mm Nikon manual focus to get?
I think the 35nmm f/1.4 AI-S is the most versatile because it is like getting several lenses in one package, wide open it is a dreamy aberration fest that morphs into a very sharp general purpose optic step by step as you approach f/4 - f/5.6. The AI version has a longer focus throw of 180 degrees vs AI-S's 105 degrees .
I'm not sure about beginners and this lens but would imagine to start out stay stopped down a bit, as you would with a slower 35mm f/2, and as you become more experienced, try more open apertures.
lara_ckl wrote:
I am going to dip my toe into the MF Nikon Glass pond.
I have a D810 and D500. Very likely to get a D850 in the future.
I don't have the best eyes for manual focusing. So, any help from the gear (green dot, brighter viewfinder, longer focus throw etc) is appreciated.
My preferred focal length for everyday/walkaround is 35mm (on full frame).
What's the best (for a beginner) 35mm Nikon manual focus to get?
Hi!
As others have already mentioned, the 35mm f/2 is a great lens. Green dot is a reliable method to confirm what you are seeing on the viewfinder and the larger aperture lenses will be easier to focus than slower zooms. At least until you get used to it.
I am one of the ones who has replaced the viewfinder screen with a split prism and find it great. I currently am using one on my Df.
You mentioned the D850. I had one and it was by far the best DSLR that I have used for ease of manual focusing with the standard screen.
You will get a lot of help and advice on this thread. So jump in and good luck. We are all happy to fuel members with manual focus GAS
Not quite what you asked, but I shoot MF Nikkor's on both Nikon, and Canon bodies. The first pro body Nikon made by itself (D1X) had an audio feature that had carried over from the very first portable pro digital camera made by Kodak, Nikon, and the Associated Press - the NC2000. The audio annotation feature was great for taking notes, but the audio focus beep feature made focus very easy. There are cheap adapters that will convert a MF Nikkor F mount to Canon's EOS mount. Canon's 5D mkII, and 7D both can be setup to beep when focus is achieved when paired with a manual focus lens. It beats the dot big time - IMO. My D2X had a beep feature which only worked in AF mode, and my D800 is the same. I wrote and complained about this easily solvable over site (via a firmware update), but I don't think Nikon ever did anything about it.
lara_ckl wrote:
I am going to dip my toe into the MF Nikon Glass pond.
I have a D810 and D500. Very likely to get a D850 in the future.
I don't have the best eyes for manual focusing. So, any help from the gear (green dot, brighter viewfinder, longer focus throw etc) is appreciated.
My preferred focal length for everyday/walkaround is 35mm (on full frame).
What's the best (for a beginner) 35mm Nikon manual focus to get?
lara_ckl wrote:
I am going to dip my toe into the MF Nikon Glass pond.
I have a D810 and D500. Very likely to get a D850 in the future.
I don't have the best eyes for manual focusing. So, any help from the gear (green dot, brighter viewfinder, longer focus throw etc) is appreciated.
My preferred focal length for everyday/walkaround is 35mm (on full frame).
What's the best (for a beginner) 35mm Nikon manual focus to get?
My first 35mm was the 35mm f/2.0 ais, loved it but bought an older Nikkor-N 35mm f/1.4 (ai-converted), sold the ais lens then bought a 35mm f/2.0 ais, again and then sold the N-series lens I really like the ais version and is now my to go 35mm.
My experience with the 35mm lens and also most mf lenses is that the best way to get focus right is to use live view, but then I need to take some more time and perhaps use a tripod (which I mostly dont carry though...)
I think that the 35mm f/2.0 ais is really easy to use, it´s sharp too!
Thanks Colin! City council have been very generous with christmas decoration this year. I guess people needs some extra light this year. I intend on going there with a tripod and shoot with smaller apertures too...
Take care
Kristian
DeltaSigma wrote:
That image looks like some neural network spreading its tentacles.
Cool shot.
bobbelbob wrote:
Thanks Colin! City council have been very generous with christmas decoration this year. I guess people needs some extra light this year. I intend on going there with a tripod and shoot with smaller apertures too...
Take care
Kristian
I was in the office today in town. I packed a camera and tripod with a view to go and take some pictures of the festive lights in "Main Street" before coming home.
It started to rain and was only a few degrees above freezing so I headed straight to the car instead. Maybe next time.....
DeltaSigma wrote:
I was in the office today in town. I packed a camera and tripod with a view to go and take some pictures of the festive lights in "Main Street" before coming home.
It started to rain and was only a few degrees above freezing so I headed straight to the car instead. Maybe next time.....
Colin
Ahh, too bad. Next time Colin!
I´m hoping for a cold and snowy winter here but on the news they are talking about the hottest november ever. Guess one can dream.....
Love the shot , Kristian - but it does show the "character" of many of these older wide lenses - that wide open coma! I thought it was a flock of butterflies at first! .
I have a 35 f2 AIS, and like George, I it use a lot with my Df - love it - but rarely use it wide open.
Thanks again - love the lights at this time of year (and why January seems so dark )
Reaching back several weeks, here's one I am just getting to from Glacier NP.
The falls colors were a little muted this year due to some unusually early October arctic air.
)