NikonGear'23
Gear Talk => Lens Talk => Topic started by: Airy on August 24, 2018, 20:51:01
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Given that the present discussions are future-oriented (Z mount), I'll talk about passé, obsolete, has been stuff, just to keep balance.
In a recent post, Akira showed us the provisional garden in Ginza, replacing the demolished Sony building. What attracted me was the (comparatively modest) Fujiya building visible on his shots, at the bottom of which that fantastic Nikon second hand shop is located. Small shop, large choice.
I visited Tokyo twice and went there twice, getting a 500/8N and a 180/2.8 AIS ED.
Mirror tele lenses are fun but not really useful, as getting a sharp shot is really difficult. Full of Tokyo memories (got the blues, honestly), the 500/8 N was my walkaround lens today. All shots f/8.0 (ha ha).
Paris, champ de mars, école militaire. It has got real bells ringing.
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Sparrows, narrow crop (!!!) and don't ask me what produced the background bokeh. That lens will take you to Mars anyway.
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Police and steel horse. Also heavily cropped.
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Tipsy bush. No post processing, I swear (not even contrast enhancement, which is usually all what this lens would require : from the histograms already, you'll notice that the contrast is "compressed").
I confess I found this one lovely.
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Bad shot, just to document the close focus capability (MDF about 1.5m). I have the impression that resolution drops a bit at short distances. Anyway, at such distance and with wind, forget about sharpness.
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Tour Eiffel, detail.
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Tour Eiffel, 1st "floor", shot from the ground of course.
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Tour Eiffel, tip, shot from the ground again.
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Limestone models are less fussy.
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Bottom line : optical qualities are there, but
1) focussing an unstabilized 500mm lens without monopod is darn difficult
2) always shooting at 1/1000 and above is a restriction, even with the Df
3) you'll end up hating the wind and live subjects
4) mind your backgrounds
5) when checking your shots on the camera screen, you'll only see sh*t.
On the other hand, it is really a walkaround tele. I should compare it with the 300 PF maybe. No, that would be cruel. The 300 PF is such easy to use...
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Airy, this is an enjoyable variation for the unique "one lens, one camera" challenge. Thank you for posting.
Dispite its potential drawbacks, the Reflex 500/8.0 interestingly shares a few advantages with the up-and-coming 500/5.6PF: compactness, lightweight and absence of CA.
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Airy, I too like the 'tipsy bush' photo. The flowers really stand off the background.
I own a Tokina 500 mm reflex. It cost less than I'd pay for a protective UV filter for most lenses these days. Also very small and light, all the same practical drawbacks, though I doubt it's optically as good as your Nikon. Nevertheless it resolves the moons of Jupiter OK. I should take it out more often. The world is a different place through a 500 mm lens (like your detail shot of the ironwork on the Tour Eiffel).
Cheers, John
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John, I started with a Tamron 500/8, smaller and lighter than the Nikon, not quite as good though (contrast was even lower) but, as with all non-perfect lenses, one grows into liking the defects or at least some of them. The big "plus" of the Nikon is that the ring bokeh remains ring bokeh everywhere, and is not clipped to "C" bokeh in the corners.
The Nikkor also looks a bit sharper, no doubt.
I have not tried the Jupiter moons - Lille is quite overcast and light-polluted a place (but should be OK, since I could observe them with a telescope).
I'm curious to see what you can hex out of your Tokina. It's a good brand, by the way, though less "visible" here in France than it used to be in the eighties.
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When the background patterns harmonize with the ring bokeh, the results may become more bearable.
Here's one case - a technical shot, showing a section insulator on a 25kV overhead line, shot from above. The background is mostly ballast stones, plus rails and sleepers of course.
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The lens can definitely deliver as you so well demonstrate, it's just a matter of using it where it makes sense for what type of look you want :)
Very nice sharp crisp images, 500mm is 500mm so yes a stable platform and or high ISO is recommended.
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A very interesting series! Do you think the lens may find new popularity on the Z7 given its in camera vr?
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My guess would be that a dedicated CPU on the lens and the FTZ adapter must be there for Z camera to enable in camera stabilization to know focal length etc.
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At least if the use of non-CPU lens menu is to be avoided.
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Good point. On OM-D E-M5, an "old" consumer camera (m43), there is already a menu by which you input your focal length manually, so the IS system will adjust itself. In such way, I could for instance put the Nikkor 180/2.8 at a good use, using a Novoflex, purely mechanical adapter. The 500/8 was already too demanding, as ISO could not practically exceed 2000 for my taste & usages.
As a former OM-D user, I gave no thought about this figure being provided or not by the Nikon Z cameras. It seems so obvious, and I hope I will not be disappointed.
This would solve #1 obstacle to getting sharp images, namely being able to correctly adjust manual focus in a reasonable amount of time.
For the crazy bokeh however, there is no cure except minding the backgrounds (or shooting flat subjects).
Contrast and vignetting are easily corrected if need be. So yes, there could be a marginal increase in usability of the lens. However, the PF technology has become such good (bokeh included) that mirror lenses will not get a second chance, I think. For "serious" photography, I'd take the 300PF and crop. See for instance my 2015 thread : http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,1030.msg9740.html#msg9740 and http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,1042.msg9853.html#msg9853
That would have been impossible with the Reflex Nikkor, even if the FL were 300 instead of 500.
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As for the focal length settings for the image stabilization, Panasonic GH5 allowed the focal length to be input in 0.1mm step. Obviously, a m4/3 sensor is small and impose much less inertia than an FX sensor, so the camera should be able to keep the sensor more under control.
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Definitely, although the lens inertia (esp. rotational) may represent the biggest share of total inertia. The very small pixel pitch of the m43 sensor is yet another challenge in the case of the OM-D; the Z6 should be less problematic.
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I also like this lens. Quick shot in the garden of a Sorbus I needed for a presentation. As is, only slight crop.
D750 ISO6400, it was getting dark.
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I also like this lens - but the bokeh can get quite gnarly. Sometimes I go all out to try to get the most hideous bokeh possible...
I was given a Vivitar 'Mulitcoated' 500/f8 mirror and that is really rubbish compared to the AI-S Nikon
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I just got my 8/500 N (for a good price, 200€) and shot a few images in Nantes/France to test it, with my D500.
Here are some of them...one compared with the 4/300 AFS (first, not VR-PF)
In film days, 1984 or 85, I bought this lens new and used it with Fujichrome 100 / Tmax 400 and my FE2 or FM2 cameras...Alas, a lot of trash, specially the slides ! I sold it a few months after to buy an excellent 4,5/300 IF-ED that could be used with this slow films.
Digital cameras and high Iso capacity are a real revival for such a slow lens ! (All shots hand held, not always easy to focus, but dot focusing with D500 finder seems adequate).
1) 4/300 AFS (f:4,5 1/4000 s iso 400)
2) 8/500 N (f:8 1/1000 Iso 800 )
3) 8/500 N (f:8 1/2000 iso 800) St Pierre Cathedral Nantes
4) 8/500 N (f:8 1/1600 Iso 800)
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A few more (all at Iso 800 and f:8 of course)
1) 1/800 s
2) Origami birds in shop windows (1/400 s)
3) Nantes préfecture (1/2000)
4) Same place but street level (1/1600)
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The compression of the 500mm really works well ;) Sure f/8 is not a big issue any more , a nice possibility for a fairly portable lens 8)
Nice captures!
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Does the green dot focus indicator work if there is no chip?
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Very nice lens!
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Does the green dot focus indicator work if there is no chip?
Yes. However it lacks precision; I use the focus indicators (arrows) essentially to know in which direction I should rotate the barrel. This is all the more useful because I use lenses with opposite conventions: Nikon, Zeiss etc. are oriented one way; the Leitax-mounted Leitz or the MF Tamrons on adaptall go the other way round. Since I am still able to remember what I got mounted, I know how to interpret the arrows.
The 500/8, you can really judge by yourself (your eye) if the subject is in focus or not, provided you get some rest for your arm or your back, or if you use a monopod. Otherwise, simply keeping the subject in the frame is difficult.
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Thanks Eric and yes, Airy, you're right, it is difficult to frame handheld without support : every little movement changes dramatically your framing...
A good support for your elbow or arm is a priority !Tripod or monopod is a good option.
The lens itself is a good and cheap super tele ! Not on par with the excellent ED or IF-ED lens, but without CA, light and compact...
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I also like this lens - but the bokeh can get quite gnarly. Sometimes I go all out to try to get the most hideous bokeh possible...
I was given a Vivitar 'Mulitcoated' 500/f8 mirror and that is really rubbish compared to the AI-S Nikon
Oh, how i love that bokeh!