Jump to content

Nikon world


Phil Rhodes

Recommended Posts

  • Premium Member

Aye agreed on the versatility of Nikon; it's why I love them so much. And do I smell a kickstarter you can sell as a DIY kit to people with a quick instructional video and thereby finance your own production company-- because I think that's a brill idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Nikon world is a place where cinematographers with no budget go to lament their lot in life. It is a dimensionless void rent by the howls of tortured souls, separated from the seventh circle of Hades' own eternal damned kindom only by the spent husks of those unfortunate enough to have tried to shoot on EF stills lenses.

 

And kickstarter? I dunno. I think there are already low-cost options out of China if you're really desperate. I did have a crazy idea about doing a timecode slate the same way. Many things can now, in theory, be built around a collection of circuit boards easily purchasable from eBay, without even requiring much by way of soldering. The time is in writing the firmware.

 

P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nikon world is a place where cinematographers with no budget go to lament their lot in life. It is a dimensionless void rent by the howls of tortured souls, separated from the seventh circle of Hades' own eternal damned kindom only by the spent husks of those unfortunate enough to have tried to shoot on EF stills lenses.

 

 

Oh, better than Legoland, then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Do you know which version of the 105mm it is? The f1.8 is absolutely brilliant and probably one of the best portrait lenses from that time. I did shoot with a 24 1.4 on a GH4 once (ultra low budget music video), and it worked fine for what I needed, but the chromatic abberation can be a bit much, especially, I imagine, for everything above 1080p.

 

Another problem could be the color rendition. I didn't do any professional tests concerning that, but it felt to me like the colors are slightly shifted towards a brownish hue, so maybe not the best option if you want to go for a clear-2016-look.

 

But at least compared to other photo lenses, they are build like tanks and have their own pull-out-lens-hoods.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, this is my family off nikkor lenses. I hope to just share my experience of them and anything I think may help.

They are all Ai/Ais

20mm f2.8

28mm f2.8

35mm f2

50mm f1.8

85mm f1.8

135mm f2.8

 

I really do love these lenses (not so much the 50mm). For me, the quality and feel of the image is something i've really grown to love. They are technical great, whilst maintaining a certain character. The coatings used also create, what is to my eye, a very pleasing look when directed at a light source. I predominately shoot on my own C100. Whilst my canon lenses may be technically brilliant, I find they only further the feeling of digital, almost too clean of an image (for many looks).

 

Here is a project from last week using the C100 and these lenses. Most of the piece was shot on the 20mm and 35mm. The two exceptions were the stair shot w/ 85mm and the end scene outside 28mm.

 

 

Before buying the lenses I would research the exact one that I wanted, I bought them from a local camera shop (second hand of course). I would not only research but also ask the opinions of the photographers that work at the store. I found that their knowledge was extremely valuable in making sure I was making a good choice.

 

One small quirk I have found with clients is that they often respond well to the use of old lenses. The lenses don't look as impressive as some huge zoom, however when I begin to use words like "vintage", "unique character" or hint that they are hidden jens of the past, people mostly love the whole "artsy" vibe as if by using old stuff makes you somehow more knowledgeable.

 

Lastly, if anyone has any suggestions for lens to add.... I'm all ears!

Edited by Freddie Jones
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

They didn't actually have the 105, I'd have had to look on ebay.

 

I took the Ursa Mini in today (as with your situation, it's a small, local camera shop) and found that the Nikon mount adaptor was so tight as to be effectively impossible to mount on the back of a Nikon lens. Not a great start.

 

Most of the stuff they have at the moment is the ancient but very fast f/1.8 range which was released in the 60s, the type with the scalloped focus ring. They have these in both AI and non-AI, and I'm not really sure what the advantage of the AI version would be for a non-Nikon body, other than being considerably younger. Peering inside, the optical design appears to be identical.

 

I suspect what I really want are the more recent fast ones, from the late 70s or early 80s.

 

P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have those scalloped 60s ones. Some of them go considerably soft below a 2 notably the 35 1.4 and produce ghosting. The aforementioned lens also has a coating that has now developed yellowing. You can kill this with UV light, though.

 

I had all of mine collimated and it greatly improved how they performed. A good buy and certainly gives a great look. The 28mm f2 is my favorite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

thorium oxide was used in the glass elements of some lenses, most notoriously on Super Takumars. Especially the rear elements of those Takumars are very radioactive, my Geiger counter goes mad near them B)

it is not dangerous unless you grind the glass to dust and inhale or eat it but the radiation can yellow the glass slowly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw a chart that suggested they have tremendous vignetting, up to two or three stops in the corners.

 

You mean that UV exposure can de-yellow the coating? What's it made of?

 

P

 

Most wide angle vintage lenses will exhibit some vignetting on digital. It's more a fault of the sensor than the lens.

 

The yellowing can be removed by leaving the lens in the sun for a couple of weeks, or, seeing as you're in the UK, putting it under a UV lamp. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't speak for Nikons, but my set of Pentax lenses only vignette when wide open, and only on the wider focal lengths. That's on a Full Frame sensor. If you're using a s35 sensor or equivalent, the problem should be even less noticeable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

I'd take 'em if there were longer focal lengths. The problem is that I could probably get longer ones, but I'd never be able to get them modified to work the same way as yours.

 

Also, do those three match among themselves?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I shot some behind the scenes a few years ago using my primes – the 20, the 28, and the 35. The two former were on Blackmagic 2.5Ks and the 35 was on a 5DMk3.

They perform well!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y0_rBMX250

 

I have no idea how to embed.

Edited by Kenny N Suleimanagich
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd take 'em if there were longer focal lengths. The problem is that I could probably get longer ones, but I'd never be able to get them modified to work the same way as yours.

 

Also, do those three match among themselves?

 

I have the 85 f2 AIS that i did the same way, but a friend is borrowing it right now, I will sell that one too when i get it back. Yes the color matches quite well mixing AI and AIS lenses, the coating were mostly the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...