Film Still Photography
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Vintage Cameras
    • Argus 75
    • Brownie Flash II
    • Contax G2
    • Ensign Selfix 820
    • FED-1 (PE0320)
    • Graflex Crown Graphic
    • Ihagee Exa
    • Leica M6
    • Nikon S2
    • Nikon F
    • Nikon F2
    • Nikon F3
    • Nikon FA
    • Olympus OM-1
    • Olympus OM-2 SPOT
    • Olympus Stylus
    • Pentacon Six
    • Pentax Spotmatic IIa
    • Rollei 35
    • Voigtlander 15mm ver III
    • Yashica C
    • Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2
  • Learning Composition
    • The Monochrome Diaries
    • Single & Multi Elements
    • Symmetry
    • Keep the Right Strong
    • Framing
    • Color in Composition
    • Deep Dive Bubble Man
    • Photo Assignments
  • Darkroom Lessons
    • Building a Sink
    • Air Ventilation
    • Analyser Pro
    • Development Hints
    • Primer for Film Photography
    • Bulk Loading Film
    • Pushing & Pulling Film
    • Color Development
    • Digital Contact Sheets
    • Stick to One Film Stock?
    • HP5+ Shot at 200 ISO
    • HP5 Shot at 1600 ISO
    • HP5 Shot at 3200 ISO
    • Medium Format
    • Washing Film
    • Split Grade Printing
    • Using Distilled Water in Film Development
    • Darkroom Paper
    • Foma100 EI 400
  • Photography Books & Films
    • Colin O'Brien
    • Lartigue Life in Color
    • Magnum Contact Sheets
    • Top Photography Movies
    • William Eggleston's Guide
    • Helen Levitt
    • Sally Mann Immediate Family
    • Saul Leiter Early B&W
    • Leica 100 yrs
    • Calendar Days of Asaya Hamaya
    • The Decisive Moment
    • Regarding Women
    • Robert Capa in Love and War
  • Single Image Deep Dive
    • Sergio Larrain "A Man After Dark"
    • Colin O'Brien 'Comings & Goings"
    • Erwitt Mother & Child
    • Man Running
    • Samuel Becket
    • Koudelka Wristwatch
    • Dovima with Elephants
Salzburg, Austria

"No place is boring if you've had a good night's sleep and a pocket full of film." - Robert Adams
​
"Tea first, then photography..." - Philip Lee Harvey

From an Article written by Philip Lee Harvey

Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AI-S New Lens Fun!

10/18/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
After yesterday's post I began looking for a used, manual focus lens that I could purchase to use on my Nikon F2 which would be inexpensive, fast and a solid performer. It is easy to blog that it is possible to get an inexpensive fast lens, and another thing to actually buy one.

So let me introduce to you my new (to me) Nikkor 50mm f/1.4. I found this at a nearby brick and mortar camera store and was able to purchase it for GBP 140.  They also had a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 for a mere GBP 49 which is a steel but I wanted that extra stop of light and I REALLY paid for it. To put this in perspective a new Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-S is GBP 350.  So here we have a lens for less than half of a new autofocus lens.

I purchased an AI-S type lens specifically for it to work on my Nikon F2. The new AF-S does not work on the Nikon F2.  So the key was to find a lens that would work on my film camera but that I could also use on my digital.  

This lens is SMOOTH to focus and very easy to use. In is small and light but is built solidly (unlike the 50mm f/1.4G which seems a bit plastic to my feel) and will work on any Nikon. The reviews will tell you that it is a bit soft wide open but a stop or two down and it is tack sharp. There is also a slight issue with chromatic aberration which shooting in color.  All of this is indeed true.  

The chromatic aberration (a color shift at points of high contrast) is easily manageable with post processing software (with Lightroom it is one click to fix) and in film this is not really an issue. While I had not seen this to be a big issue it is visible when shooting wide open. 

The lens is a stellar performer. It is fast, sharp and well built. I love the bokeh, which is creamy and consistent as can be seen in the tea tray image below or in the portrait of my son. I can throw it on my Nikon F2 and it is perfect well balanced. The focus is smooth and the aperture clicks are clear and sure. When I put it on my Nikon D800 the lens is small and light but fits well. 

Below are some test images I took with this lens.  The image of a bridge has been cropped. The tower image has seen post processing but the coffee cup and the tea tray have not seen any processing.  The image of my son was shot at 400 ISO.  All images shot on the Nikon D800 using the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AI-S and all are shot at f/1.4.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Patrick...confirmed film & digital photography addict.

    Archives

    March 2023
    January 2023
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from left-hand, Ant Jackson, Skley, mikecogh, Helen.Yang, TheeErin, Dean Hochman, CJS*64, DaveR1988, FootMassagez, Loco Steve, dmytrok, Christiaan Colen
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Vintage Cameras
    • Argus 75
    • Brownie Flash II
    • Contax G2
    • Ensign Selfix 820
    • FED-1 (PE0320)
    • Graflex Crown Graphic
    • Ihagee Exa
    • Leica M6
    • Nikon S2
    • Nikon F
    • Nikon F2
    • Nikon F3
    • Nikon FA
    • Olympus OM-1
    • Olympus OM-2 SPOT
    • Olympus Stylus
    • Pentacon Six
    • Pentax Spotmatic IIa
    • Rollei 35
    • Voigtlander 15mm ver III
    • Yashica C
    • Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2
  • Learning Composition
    • The Monochrome Diaries
    • Single & Multi Elements
    • Symmetry
    • Keep the Right Strong
    • Framing
    • Color in Composition
    • Deep Dive Bubble Man
    • Photo Assignments
  • Darkroom Lessons
    • Building a Sink
    • Air Ventilation
    • Analyser Pro
    • Development Hints
    • Primer for Film Photography
    • Bulk Loading Film
    • Pushing & Pulling Film
    • Color Development
    • Digital Contact Sheets
    • Stick to One Film Stock?
    • HP5+ Shot at 200 ISO
    • HP5 Shot at 1600 ISO
    • HP5 Shot at 3200 ISO
    • Medium Format
    • Washing Film
    • Split Grade Printing
    • Using Distilled Water in Film Development
    • Darkroom Paper
    • Foma100 EI 400
  • Photography Books & Films
    • Colin O'Brien
    • Lartigue Life in Color
    • Magnum Contact Sheets
    • Top Photography Movies
    • William Eggleston's Guide
    • Helen Levitt
    • Sally Mann Immediate Family
    • Saul Leiter Early B&W
    • Leica 100 yrs
    • Calendar Days of Asaya Hamaya
    • The Decisive Moment
    • Regarding Women
    • Robert Capa in Love and War
  • Single Image Deep Dive
    • Sergio Larrain "A Man After Dark"
    • Colin O'Brien 'Comings & Goings"
    • Erwitt Mother & Child
    • Man Running
    • Samuel Becket
    • Koudelka Wristwatch
    • Dovima with Elephants