Jardins sous la pluie

[Airy]

From today's crop. Champ de Mars, Paris. Df + 50/2 AI near close focus ; minimal cropping.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Delicious colours indeed. Rain and lens must share the praise.

The 50/2 AI is not generally regarded to have good bokeh, but I find little to criticise in this respect here.

[Frank Fremerey]

Intriquing light and color quality. Love all three of them.

[Airy]

Thanks Bjørn and Frank. Well, the Naerfoto website is not too negative about it.

That 50/2 is the humblest and cheapest in my cupboard, but its performance came as a good surprise. Lacks a bit contrast (coatings...), but close-up it is better than I feared. The bokeh can be nervous owing to the 6-blade diaphragm, but I like "special effects" every now and than. All shots were at f/5.6.

Diffuse afternoon light, it was still raining.

The recessed front lens is convenient, no urgent need for a shade, unlike my 50/1.8 AIS (short nose) which I never liked that much.

[John Geerts]

Yes, fascinating light and colours. Intriguing


The bokeh can differ a lot with the 50/2

An example of a red rose  with the D200  and the 50/2 wide open.

[Airy]

This is the kind of pictures I could not get so far. I should try harder ☺

[armando_m]

The flowers on the first images look like little flames

Great colors on the other images

[Jacques Pochoy]

Great pictures for a "wet" champs de Mars" !!! I'm also a 50mm f/2 AI aficionado but prefer using it on (future) B&W subjects 
Hope the strikes didn't let you down in transportation to or from Lille ?

[Airy]

Armando, the flowers are not yet fully developed, that's why. I hope to shoot the again today.
Jacques, never mind the "chienlit" as long as I can carry a camera. What makes you a 50/2 aficionado? to me it is a new kid in town.

[Jacques Pochoy]

Jacques, never mind the "chienlit" as long as I can carry a camera. What makes you a 50/2 aficionado? to me it is a new kid in town.

Years ago a friend, teaching with me in our school of architecture, gave me a few lenses, left over when his F3 was stolen while he was on vacation. Among those, the 50/2 and the 85/2 and the 35/2 O. He didn't replace the camera (he was expanding his video mania), so I inherited those lenses I didn't have in my original stock. The 50/2 found it's way on my various cameras, up to the Df.
I find it sharp, sharper then the 50/1.8 AI-S I already had. While sharpness isn't everything, I did keep the habit of choosing this one more then the others (50/1.8 AI-S, 50, 1.8 AF-D, 50/1.8 AF-S G).

(I took off the example at it seemed out of place...!)

[Airy]

The flower in the first picture, in full bloom

[Matthew Currie]

A couple of years ago I tried my old pre-AI 85/1.8 on DX.  I decided I prefer the 105, but the 85 is not bad. I don't now remember what aperture I used.

[Akira]

When I was using Nikkor-H C 50/2.0 on my F2, I didn't find the bokeh was very nice.  But at f5.6, it seems to be smooth and pleasant enough.  I love the rich color of the images, too.

[Thomas G]

Yes, fascinating light and colours. Intriguing


The bokeh can differ a lot with the 50/2

An example of a red rose  with the D200  and the 50/2 wide open.

This one does it for me!

[Airy]

When I was using Nikkor-H C 50/2.0 on my F2, I didn't find the bokeh was very nice.  But at f5.6, it seems to be smooth and pleasant enough.  I love the rich color of the images, too.

Actually, the bokeh is not "nice", see also the image with the rose by John Geerts. But is it interesting. When the background is dark (in my pics for instance), bokeh quality becomes secondary. Concerning the colors, I find the 50/2 pretty neutral and vivid. Of course the rain brings its share of improvements...