GeorgeBo wrote:
The calendar may say September, but the weather is prime summer. Hazy view of the mountains with the tiny 2.5cm f/4 LTM Nikkor. This lens is no bigger than a small stack of quarters and is welcome in a backpack
This is an X-Pan ratio crop from a single image on the Z8. Late afternoon, elevation about 4700'
ocean2059 wrote:
How do you like the 35/1.4 Ai-S? I am thinking about getting one.
In my personal opinion the 35mm 1.4 in any version is an excellent and very useful lens, I have four, two Ns and Two ais, one a series 4XXXXX and the other the last run of 6XXXXX. All of them are excellent, my sharpest being the oldest, all are multicoated, the N and N.C have Thorium radioactive glass that yellows with age, but for digital cameras that is not very important. All of them are excellent from 2.0 up, at 1.4 they are sharp but will smear any bright lights badly. The 35mm 2.0 may be a better buy.
This last one is from the 6XXXXX ais at 1.4, I think you will agree with me that the detail/sharpness and contrast at 1.4 is quite nice, even the depth of field is ample, but strong lights/highlights are dicey, this gets much better at 2.0
ocean2059 wrote:
How do you like the 35/1.4 Ai-S? I am thinking about getting one.
I'm not crazy about it... Mainly because it seems so big! Adding a lens hood turns that size up to 11. I also shoot Leica gear, and the equivalent 35 1.4 (CV 35 1.4 II) is literally haif the size. Mine is in like new condition....
At 1.4 is it all soft n dreamy - especially up close (all pics on film with an F3):
From f2.8-ish it snaps into sharpness with still having narrow DOF - of course as long as your subject is close!
And then when I think is it ok, I get back lit shots like this taken two days ago:
Another sunsetting pic, this time to my back:
I had this one pic which showed crazy amount of chroma. It only appeared on this one image on the entire roll, even though I had plenty of other shots against the light w high contrast. Not sure why it only happened on this one. Possibly because this was the only one taken in those conditions wide open:
Crop from above:
Build quality etc of course is when stuff was built to last forever!
rafaelcasd wrote:
In my personal opinion the 35mm 1.4 in any version is an excellent and very useful lens, I have four, two Ns and Two ais, one a series 4XXXXX and the other the last run of 6XXXXX. All of them are excellent, my sharpest being the oldest, all are multicoated, the N and N.C have Thorium radioactive glass that yellows with age, but for digital cameras that is not very important. All of them are excellent from 2.0 up, at 1.4 they are sharp but will smear any bright lights badly. The 35mm 2.0 may be a better buy.
This last one is from the 6XXXXX ais at 1.4, I think you will agree with me that the detail/sharpness and contrast at 1.4 is quite nice, even the depth of field is ample, but strong lights/highlights are dicey, this gets much better at 2.0
Thank you so much for the detail version information of the 35/1.4 and these beautiful sample images. I will definitely take that into the consideration! Thanks again!
Desmolicious wrote:
I'm not crazy about it... Mainly because it seems so big! Adding a lens hood turns that size up to 11. I also shoot Leica gear, and the equivalent 35 1.4 (CV 35 1.4 II) is literally haif the size. Mine is in like new condition....
At 1.4 is it all soft n dreamy - especially up close (all pics on film with an F3):
I had this one pic which showed crazy amount of chroma. It only appeared on this one image on the entire roll, even though I had plenty of other shots against the light w high contrast. Not sure why it only happened on this one. Possibly because this was the only one taken in those conditions wide open:
Build quality etc of course is when stuff was built to last forever!...Show more →
Thank you so much for your comments and feedback on the lens and for your nice street images, as always! Much appreciated. The main reason I am looking into this is that I got an Ai-S version of 35/2 early this year and I quite like it. The 35/1.4 was one of the fast Nikkor lenses that I would like to get could never afford when I was a student in the early 80's. Recently, I notice a few that were below $300.
Fuji and Hasselblad made 35mm cameras that would shoot panorama images that provided 65x24mm negative size across the film giving you a uncropped panorama image.
The Fujis were models TX-1 and TX-2 and I think the Hasselblad XPans were rebranded Fujis. The Hasselblad and Fuji medium format digitals have that crop mode as an option and I like shooting landscape with that crop vs stitching together images.
The Z8 with 45.7 megapixels to work with gave me enough to try that crop with a 65x25 ratio with the 2.5cm lens.
leighton w wrote:
Would you explain the "X-Pan ratio crop" please?
This thread is regaining its mystical power to influence my spending habits and inspire my gear choices. Having very recently purchased a few new lenses (and with an barely manageable desire to obtain more, such as a 35 f/2 or a 50 f/2), I'm now thinking I should get out and take my 35 f/1.4's (both N and Ai-s) and my 200 f/2 Ai for a spin which, in turn, may make me want to show my D800E some of the sunlight it hasn't seen in a long time. And all this is happening while I have yet to take my new-to-me 25-50 f/4 Ai-s for its first trial run! As my mother would have said, I have an embarrassment of photographic riches!
While I cogitate over these idea-provoking options, here is my final pair of IR images from the Coombs classic car show. I previously posted a monochrome version of the first of these, but both of the photos below are faux colour, and both were taken with the 24 f/2.8 NC on my 590 nM converted Fuji X-T2 and Lens Turbo II focal reducer.
What is it - 24 or 25? I'm assuming the Z8 crop is in post not in camera ?
(I DO like a 65:24 on my GFX !)
GeorgeBo wrote:
Fuji and Hasselblad made 35mm cameras that would shoot panorama images that provided 65x24mm negative size across the film giving you a uncropped panorama image.
The Fujis were models TX-1 and TX-2 and I think the Hasselblad XPans were rebranded Fujis. The Hasselblad and Fuji medium format digitals have that crop mode as an option and I like shooting landscape with that crop vs stitching together images.
The Z8 with 45.7 megapixels to work with gave me enough to try that crop with a 65x25 ratio with the 2.5cm lens.
It is as I expected (and already knew tbh) suited to subjects I don't really shoot, portraits etc.
I have the 200-500 AF-S for birds and wildlife (recently added used as I sold my 500PF which I LOVED before going to NZ last year, a decision I came to regret when shooting seals, Gannets and Crested Grebes in NZ but there you go. Couldn't really justify buying another so got the 200-500)
Like I said previously, I have 105/1.8 Ais, 135/2 Ais and 2 copies of the 180ED already despite only shooting landscapes and birds, just like playing with big heavy manual focus lenses.
So far I have resisted !
Incidentally, I don't fly to NZ again until 15th October but I do have room in my suitcases for the 2.4kg behemoth 200/2
Andy - Say you did get that 200mm and made a commitment to actually use it your NZ adventure would let you capture unique photographs that your other lenses could not approach.
Its one of those extreme tools that could push your vision in new directions.
And if you found it too heavy you could always sell it!
CGrindahl wrote:
Thanks Chris and Regina. It has taken me a long time to understand I don't need to go through life's challenges on my own... it is okay to say I NEED help and to accept it when it is offered. This thread has always been a very generous place in many ways. How else could one describe what happened with the Great Nikon Lens Adventure. As Chin explained when he related telling friends about what we were doing. They came up will all kinds of horror stories. We didn't really know one another well but we succeeded. Here's the card I found when I opened the box with Nikki...
I don't think about this community when considering the support I need around health related issues... and yet, I recall difficult moments that came in many forms and how generous people here were. So thanks for the support in this moment. I'm reminding what a very special place this is in cyberspace. ...Show more →
The Nikki adventure was so cool. Something I'll never forget.
ocean2059 wrote:
Thank you so much for your comments and feedback on the lens and for your nice street images, as always! Much appreciated. The main reason I am looking into this is that I got an Ai-S version of 35/2 early this year and I quite like it. The 35/1.4 was one of the fast Nikkor lenses that I would like to get could never afford when I was a student in the early 80's. Recently, I notice a few that were below $300.
I agree with Huss, I never warmed to mine and ended up selling it. If I ever got another 35mm, it would be the f2. Just my 2¢.
GeorgeBo wrote:
Fuji and Hasselblad made 35mm cameras that would shoot panorama images that provided 65x24mm negative size across the film giving you a uncropped panorama image.
The Fujis were models TX-1 and TX-2 and I think the Hasselblad XPans were rebranded Fujis. The Hasselblad and Fuji medium format digitals have that crop mode as an option and I like shooting landscape with that crop vs stitching together images.
The Z8 with 45.7 megapixels to work with gave me enough to try that crop with a 65x25 ratio with the 2.5cm lens.
I guess my old brain wasn't working. I knew about the Hassie and the Fuji cameras, but I wasn't thinking about the actual size of the image. I thought maybe the Z8 had a special X-Pan mode. Thanks for setting me straight.
Do I hear some discouragement for a lens acquisition? An f1.4 legend nonetheless? I know it was a hot day yesterday for folks in the US, but it was not that hot!!!
Thanks for setting me straight.
