Author Topic: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?  (Read 117397 times)

null

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #180 on: March 05, 2017, 20:23:44 »
I am aiming for a W-nikkor 3.5cm f/3.5 because they are cheaper. some people use Russian lenses and claim that they worked OK with the Nikon S. :o :o :o


Compared with the F3.5 lens, The Nikkor 3.5cm F2.5 is about the same price, and the same optical formula as a Summaron. It is much sharper than the Tessar formula 3.5cm F3.5. The F2.5 lens is as sharp as the F1.8, just slower.

For Parallax: you can add an external finder with a parallax adjustment. Also helps for other-than 50mm lenses.

The Helios-103 is a Planar formula lens, very good. 52.4mm F1.8. You need to move the optics module out by 1/2 turn in the mount. 5 minute job.

DSC00020 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

The Jupiter-12 3.5cm F2.8 is a good Biogon copy, especially those made by KMZ. BUT: you will find that the chrome bezel around the mount of the lens must be taken off and filed down, and that the optics must be moved out of the mount by ~0.5mm to focus correctly on the Nikon. The bezel will often scratch the nameplate of a Nikon camera, and the focus is not calibrated for the S-Mount. I modified a 1950s KMZ J-12 for the Nikon S2.

Bjørn Rørslett

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #181 on: March 05, 2017, 20:25:10 »
... did some testing with the new 20mm Ai f4.. I am still up in the air on this lens.   ???
Nothing tightens up till around f16? ...

My copy of the 20/4 AI is pretty sharp, especially so in IR, almost from the get-go. However, not the easiest lens to focus, and there is a focus shift for IR as well.

Fons Baerken

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #182 on: March 05, 2017, 20:39:58 »


Ruins Hemmen castle, a cut down beechtree suffering from fungus disease.

D3 -- 17-35mm f/2.8

null

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #183 on: March 05, 2017, 22:48:02 »
1960 KMZ Jupiter-12 modified for Nikon S-Mount. This lens uses the same Shims as the more common Jupiter-8, this lens required the optics to be moved out in the mount to focus properly on the Nikon.

Jupiter-12, Modified for Nikon by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

The rear cap for the J-12 - gives you an idea of how close the rear element sits to the film plane. It's huge. This lens will fit all the Nikon Rangefinders, but cannot be used on a Contax IIa or IIIa- is a close copy of the pre-war Biogon.

The Bezel around the mount comes off with three small screws, needs to be filed down in order not to scratch the Nikon Faceplate.

Jupiter-12, Modified for Nikon by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

File the extended portion of the bezel as far as you can go without taking the ridge off the end. You'll see what I;m talking about with the bezel removed.

richardHaw

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #184 on: March 06, 2017, 05:57:11 »
My copy of the 20/4 AI is pretty sharp, especially so in IR, almost from the get-go. However, not the easiest lens to focus, and there is a focus shift for IR as well.

some say that the 20/3.5 is a lot better specially in the corners and at f/5.6 up :o :o :o
I do not own  the 20/4 so I cannot compare between the 2.

However, I can say that the 20/3.5 is kind of hard to focus using the focus confirmation dot. If you rack your focus from minimum you will get a false OK but when you rack it from infinity and the dot lights up, you get it spot on. I would think that this is back focusing ::)

interesting that you mentioned this because I thought that I was the only one scratching my head about the focus thing

richardHaw

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #185 on: March 06, 2017, 06:03:22 »
Compared with the F3.5 lens, The Nikkor 3.5cm F2.5 is about the same price, and the same optical formula as a Summaron. It is much sharper than the Tessar formula 3.5cm F3.5. The F2.5 lens is as sharp as the F1.8, just slower.

For Parallax: you can add an external finder with a parallax adjustment. Also helps for other-than 50mm lenses.


Thanks for the headsup on the f/2.5 :o :o :o the price is a little bit higher than the f/3.5 but there should be something redeeming about the f/3.5

I just got an external finder for the 3.5cm this lunch. I hope that I am not asking too much. Can you please confirm if the individual finders are actually showing more than the zoom-finder? I wear glasses and the tiny peephole of the zoom-finder drives me nuts. I tried one yesterday but I do not have it today for reference. Ric

As for the Russian lenses, I was advised to also look into those but I am going to concentrate on Nikkors. There are not many of them anyway. I just want a 35/50/85/105/135 kit. forget the expensive lenses on the wider range, I don't have much use for them at the moment.

null

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #186 on: March 06, 2017, 11:49:40 »
I ended up with two Nikon MIOJ Variframe finders to match my MIOJ lens collection-

I never bought a vari-focal finder, did not like the peep-hole viewfinder with my very thick glasses. I ended up using a Kodak Retina finder for the 35mm lens, which also has a mask for 80mm. The latter is good for a 35/85 combination. Parallax adjustment is good enough. For the 135- I'll have to post a picture of the Argus finder that I use. The Argus is a bright-line finder, variable mask for 35 to 135, parallax adjusted.

Good enough for this shot with the 'C'ontax Nikkor 135/3.5 on the Nikon S2.

Playground Portrait by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

I modified the this S2 to focus correctly with lenses made for the Contax. Moved the mount out by 0.5mm using some high-quality metal washers and then calibrated the RF using a Zeiss 50mm F1.5 Sonnar. When bought, the S2 was in near-mint condition, but the mount was loose. Someone had CLA'd it and not put the shim back on one of the screws of the mount.

If you plan on using a number of different S-Mount lenses: buy an SP. The parallax-corrected, multi-color framelines for the 50/85/105/135 are a joy to use, the built in finder for the 28 and 35- have fixed parallax marks that are good enough. The prices on the 28/3.5 are way down, I picked one up for $300 in near-mint condition. Worth having.

null

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #187 on: March 06, 2017, 13:46:30 »
contax_jupiters by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Found a picture of my favorite external finder. Now That's a Finder! was $5 at a camera show, 20+ years ago. Great for eye-glass wearers.

Erik Lund

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #188 on: March 08, 2017, 14:22:30 »
Indeed that is a huge finder, looks more like an extra lens! maker?
Erik Lund

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #189 on: March 08, 2017, 17:12:14 »
The manufacturer is "Sandmar", which also made lenses for the Argus C3 and C44. Variable bright-line frames for 35 through to 135 lenses.

Erik Lund

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #190 on: March 08, 2017, 18:25:21 »
Thanks, very nice find :)
Erik Lund

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #191 on: March 08, 2017, 20:42:04 »
...interesting that you mentioned this because I thought that I was the only one scratching my head about the focus thing

It is an interesting issue. I hadn't heard about it until now. I've used my 20mm f/3.5 AIS on an F2A, FE, FE2, D700, and D7000. The film cameras were never an issue, and both digital cameras have three-dot manual focusing.

I like using this lens for up-close photos. Here's a pic of a small, wire sculpture using my "obsolete" D700 and my "obsolete" 20/3.5. This is a close focus as that old lens will allow. The pencil point is too close, and the back leg is too far, but the rest is fine. Taken at ISO 200, f/11, 1/15.

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #192 on: March 08, 2017, 21:50:04 »
Do you consider D300 an obsolete camera ? It was my first DSLR and since 2012 a good workhorse...
here one of my first pictures with it. D300 + 2,8/70-200 VR (1)
Iso 200;  f:8 @ 1/1600s ; EV-2/3 ; FL=98mm (jpeg fine)

I think not so bad against the sun / sunset (without protective filter, with sunshade).

Erik Lund

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #193 on: March 08, 2017, 22:27:36 »
It is an interesting issue. I hadn't heard about it until now. I've used my 20mm f/3.5 AIS on an F2A, FE, FE2, D700, and D7000. The film cameras were never an issue, and both digital cameras have three-dot manual focusing.

I like using this lens for up-close photos. Here's a pic of a small, wire sculpture using my "obsolete" D700 and my "obsolete" 20/3.5. This is a close focus as that old lens will allow. The pencil point is too close, and the back leg is too far, but the rest is fine. Taken at ISO 200, f/11, 1/15.

Very good sample image of the 20mm 3.5 up close!

This lens is fairly easy to modify for even more close focusing, down to 19 cm,,,
Erik Lund

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Re: Do you still use an "obsolete" camera?
« Reply #194 on: March 08, 2017, 22:38:00 »
As I am the proud owner of one of Bjørns old workhorses I can show a picture taken this afternoon. Its the D40x as I have learned to like very much, especially in combination with the 105 mm f2,5 for IR. There is something about those "old" CCD's. But thats just me I guess :)