Just a quick observation for you Z body owners and manual focus zoom lenses...
When using a non-CPU zoom lens AND you want to use in body stabilization you really need to pay attention to the focal length you enter into the camera database. Stabilization of non-cpu lenses is based on the focal length of the lens and what you enter. For example with the 35-200 AIS lens... If you enter 200mm as the FL, image stabilization at wider zoom FL will be erratic and vice versa.
pbraymond wrote:
Love that tent selfie, Peter. Great read on the link to the nuclear test too.
funny thing, the selfie made it into Flickr Explore today, and near the top. It was picked likely due to all the banter in comments about my stuffed hiking buddy (makes it look "interesting" to the AI that picks images), and not because of any actual great photographic achievement.
Even funnier is that it got more views than almost all my other Explored images...
soon it will be time to say goodbye to my old weight lifting gear... I haven't used it for exercise or photography in over 18 months. It likely is just nostalgia that had me keep it that long, although for a while the used market was rather depressed on those big lenses.
Since I spent a few hours with studio lights and umbrellas and soft boxes to get some decent shots of the lens, I have some Nikon AI-S porn to share.
The lens was made in the final run of 600mm F4.0 EDIF AI-S before Nikon came out with their first AF 600mm in the late 90s.
Specs:
8 elements in 6 groups. Both large front elements are ED glass. Front dustproof glass plate to protect ED elements. Picture angle 4.1 degrees. Distance scale from 25 feet to infinity. Aperture scale from f/4 to f/22. IF focusing (unlike the older versions of the lens). Built in 360 degree rotatable tripod collar and foot. Extension lens hood provided. Slip in filter holders for 39mm screw-in filters and a gelatin filter holder are provided. And now the fun stuff: diameter 173mm by length 465.5mm. Weight 5650g or 12.5lbs
pburke wrote:
soon it will be time to say goodbye to my old weight lifting gear... I haven't used it for exercise or photography in over 18 months. It likely is just nostalgia that had me keep it that long, although for a while the used market was rather depressed on those big lenses.
Since I spent a few hours with studio lights and umbrellas and soft boxes to get some decent shots of the lens, I have some Nikon AI-S porn to share.
The lens was made in the final run of 600mm F4.0 EDIF AI-S before Nikon came out with their first AF 600mm in the late 90s.
Specs:
8 elements in 6 groups. Both large front elements are ED glass. Front dustproof glass plate to protect ED elements. Picture angle 4.1 degrees. Distance scale from 25 feet to infinity. Aperture scale from f/4 to f/22. IF focusing (unlike the older versions of the lens). Built in 360 degree rotatable tripod collar and foot. Extension lens hood provided. Slip in filter holders for 39mm screw-in filters and a gelatin filter holder are provided. And now the fun stuff: diameter 173mm by length 465.5mm. Weight 5650g or 12.5lbs
pburke wrote:
soon it will be time to say goodbye to my old weight lifting gear... I haven't used it for exercise or photography in over 18 months. It likely is just nostalgia that had me keep it that long, although for a while the used market was rather depressed on those big lenses.
Since I spent a few hours with studio lights and umbrellas and soft boxes to get some decent shots of the lens, I have some Nikon AI-S porn to share.
The lens was made in the final run of 600mm F4.0 EDIF AI-S before Nikon came out with their first AF 600mm in the late 90s.
Specs:
8 elements in 6 groups. Both large front elements are ED glass. Front dustproof glass plate to protect ED elements. Picture angle 4.1 degrees. Distance scale from 25 feet to infinity. Aperture scale from f/4 to f/22. IF focusing (unlike the older versions of the lens). Built in 360 degree rotatable tripod collar and foot. Extension lens hood provided. Slip in filter holders for 39mm screw-in filters and a gelatin filter holder are provided. And now the fun stuff: diameter 173mm by length 465.5mm. Weight 5650g or 12.5lbs
For a collector my copy of thelens may have too many miles on it, but it still looks good compared to those I see for sale these days labeled as "Excellent" - this is a very clean lens, especially the glass. Not a mark on it. Some brassing on the carry strap rings and the mount, and some minor surface smoothing of the finish (before my ownership) make it less than mint. Even the "leatherette" lens hood is like new:
It's a rare lens. I think. Most likely used by press photographers and beat up. The majority I see listed for sale loop like they have been in a war zone.
Ai-S 600/4 IF-ED New MIJ 5+ serial numbers 200015 - 202626. 2626 built between March 1986 - 1998
I plan to throw in my DSLR-hacked TC-16a AF teleconverter - works ok for what it is (pre-focus, or on stationary subjects) and give the lens some basic AF capability. Maybe that'll get more people interested in it. I never used that TC on anything other than this lens.
Before I actually list to sell it, I will take another round of photos of it on white background. I'm not really happy with the black on black look for a auction listing. Maybe a few frames, but the primary shots need to be bright. I just need to get two PC sync cable splitters to hook up some additional lights.
Just to bring back some 600mm f/4 MF goodness, several shots from a few years ago that stand out in my memory, showing what this 30 year old lens is all about.
For all you gear nerds, here is an article by Kolarivision (the IR/UV camera conversion company) posting about the teardown and assembly of the Nikon Z6. Discusses build quality, weather sealing etc.
One excerpt is spot on for this thread.
...The lowpass IR/UV cut filer underneath is thicker, at 0.8mm. This puts the total thickness of the Nikon Z6’s sensor glass at 1.1mm, identical to the Z7. This makes the Z6 an excellent candidate for adapting legacy film and rangefinder lenses. ...
I haven't been feeling any inspiration lately. I have tried forcing myself to shoot, but the results look ... well sort of forced and uninspired. Also, my 28/2.8 AI-s has oil on the blades for the second time in a year. I hadn't heard of that being a problem with this lens. Anybody else here have that problem?
A couple of troll's eye views with 105/2.5 AI-s on Df.
Ballard wrote:
I haven't been feeling any inspiration lately. I have tried forcing myself to shoot, but the results look ... well sort of forced and uninspired. Also, my 28/2.8 AI-s has oil on the blades for the second time in a year. I hadn't heard of that being a problem with this lens. Anybody else here have that problem?
A couple of troll's eye views with 105/2.5 AI-s on Df.
Very nice pair Ken - tack sharp and beautifully converted to mono. Now get out there and shoot!
Ballard wrote:
I haven't been feeling any inspiration lately. I have tried forcing myself to shoot, but the results look ... well sort of forced and uninspired. Also, my 28/2.8 AI-s has oil on the blades for the second time in a year. I hadn't heard of that being a problem with this lens. Anybody else here have that problem?
A couple of troll's eye views with 105/2.5 AI-s on Df.
Ken,
These are great and certainly float my boat.
I am not an expert but have read problems can occur if the wrong (thin) grease is used on the helicoids as it makes its way places it shouldn't. Did you have it fixed and the problem has re-appeared?
I plan to CLA a couple of lenses this holiday period so have been reading about the topic.
Both have loose, metal-on-metal, focus movements.
Nicely done, Ken. Don't feel you have to rush things. I went the opposite direction, took a camera everywhere and shot something, for me, it was a good release. Be good to yourself.
Ballard wrote:
I haven't been feeling any inspiration lately. I have tried forcing myself to shoot, but the results look ... well sort of forced and uninspired. Also, my 28/2.8 AI-s has oil on the blades for the second time in a year. I hadn't heard of that being a problem with this lens. Anybody else here have that problem?
A couple of troll's eye views with 105/2.5 AI-s on Df.
I often read Thomas Pindelski's blog as he has no hesitation in being blunt. Sometimes a bit of a know all but at least he says what he thinks.
This article http://pindelski.org/Photography/2018/11/26/4mp-is-all-you-need/ made me think about the need for all the megapixels that we chase so I took the D200 out of the cupboard put on the 5cm f2 and put the 50mm f2 H on the D7100 and took exactly 4 shots in the garden of agapanthus.
IMO the images are all acceptable - none is good - but what they do show is the difference in the rendering by the sensors. Also the D7100 is distinctly cooler than the D200 but that's probably me. Processed in Camera raw at 'auto', then ColorEfex pro Pro Contrast at exactly the same settings, unsharp mask and resize. If nothing else an amusing 45 minutes
