We love our manual focus Nikkor lenses! Part 2

[bullterrier]

Thanks JacePhoto share experience.


My favorite lens 50mm f1.2 AI :heart:

This is my version to your shot. Sorry the women got too much clothes on though. 50mm f1.2 AIS f5.6 1/1600 ISO200.

 

[Light Machinery]

Still very sharp and detailed photo of the subjects.:thumbsup:

 

[diediealsomustdive]

Long overdue but here is one of my 50mm f1.2 lens shots.

I took something similar with a loaner 50/1.2 AiS late last year but found the DOF too shallow at f/1.2. Now I see shooting at f/2 is better.

Begs the question: should I buy the f/1.2? since I have the 50mm f/2, itself a sharp sharp lens. Perhaps f/1.2 is useful for other subjects and distances. But the bikini babe shot could have been done using any 50mm Nikkor.

 

[JacePhoto]

I took something similar with a loaner 50/1.2 AiS late last year but found the DOF too shallow at f/1.2. Now I see shooting at f/2 is better.

Begs the question: should I buy the f/1.2? since I have the 50mm f/2, itself a sharp sharp lens. Perhaps f/1.2 is useful for other subjects and distances. But the bikini babe shot could have been done using any 50mm Nikkor.

You are right. Bikini babe cld have been done with other better faster AF lenses.

Personally i have both the 50mm F.12 and F1.4

You need to find the sweet spot to use the lens. The right light, focal length, focus, etc.

Once you can achieve that, you find why people are crazy over large bokeh lenses even gg for those brands that are F1.1

Its not so easy to achieve that. Thats why its fun. There are a couple of F1.2 selling on BnS. Good prices also.

 

[diediealsomustdive]

You are right. Bikini babe cld have been done with other better faster AF lenses.

Personally i have both the 50mm F.12 and F1.4

You need to find the sweet spot to use the lens. The right light, focal length, focus, etc.

Once you can achieve that, you find why people are crazy over large bokeh lenses even gg for those brands that are F1.1

Its not so easy to achieve that. Thats why its fun. There are a couple of F1.2 selling on BnS. Good prices also.

I was in NY Grand Central Station and met this photographer from Brazil with the same D800 as me, but he had only the 50mm f/1.2 AiS - he said that he just jumped ship from Canon and that was his only lens from a while back when he jumped to Canon from Nikon. I had the 20mm f/2.8 AFD on my camera and so we swap lenses for 10 min. When I returned I asked for permission to take his photo (with his lens) and he agreed. I shot at f/1.2 and found that I could not get both eyes in focus, and in one instance I had the focus just out by that bit and his beard was in focus but his eyes were out. That's why when I saw the shot which is framed similarly, find that at that magnification f/2 keeps more of the portrait in focus. Or put it another way f/1.2 the DOF was too thin for this situation. So I wonder if I use my 50mm f/2 wide open in that situation vs 50mm f/1.2 at f/2 would I see sufficient difference to warrant getting another 50mm? To put it in perspective, I have Nippon Kogaku (silver nose) 50mm f/1.4, Ai 50 mm f/2, AFD 50 mm f/1.4, AFS 50mm f/1.4G, and AiS 55mm f/2.8, AFD 60 mm f/2.8, AFS 60mm f/2.8G. Kinda hard to tell the Mrs I have to have that f/1.2. OK I have become a collector of sort... :embrass:

So I had all of 10min with the f/1.2 and I am intrigued by it. Sweet spot I haven't found.

I will one day buy the f/1.2, if for nothing just to experience it for more than 10 min. But the day is probably not today.

 

[bullterrier]

When I first got my 50mm f1.2 I shot everything at full open aperture. I quickly learned that this should not be the case as the narrow DOF will not work with many shots. I then took more care when using the lens at f1.2 and it sometimes means having parts of a face in focus while the rest is not. Done correctly, this is a nice effect and emphasis to create. I love that lens is fully manual so I can choose where I want it to be razor sharp and where I want it to blur out nicely but it takes lots of practice since what you see in the viewfinder is sometimes not what you will get on the sensor due to other factors. I then read about how generally lenses are at their sharpest when you close them 2 stops from their widest. So I started taking photos and I generally like what I could get with this particular lens.

I took this particular shot this morning at f2, 1/8000, IS320 with the lens.

 

[bullterrier]

50mm f1.2, f2.8, 1/60, ISO400

 

[diediealsomustdive]

When I first got my 50mm f1.2 I shot everything at full open aperture. I quickly learned that this should not be the case as the narrow DOF will not work with many shots. I then took more care when using the lens at f1.2 and it sometimes means having parts of a face in focus while the rest is not. Done correctly, this is a nice effect and emphasis to create. I love that lens is fully manual so I can choose where I want it to be razor sharp and where I want it to blur out nicely but it takes lots of practice since what you see in the viewfinder is sometimes not what you will get on the sensor due to other factors. I then read about how generally lenses are at their sharpest when you close them 2 stops from their widest. So I started taking photos and I generally like what I could get with this particular lens.

I took this particular shot this morning at f2, 1/8000, IS320 with the lens.

Well said. I had all of ten minutes ha ha. But begs the question I already have lenses that will more or less match the 1.2 one or two stops down. So getting the 1.2 will be for 1.2. what do I do?

 

[Zichar]

When I first got my 50mm f1.2 I shot everything at full open aperture. I quickly learned that this should not be the case as the narrow DOF will not work with many shots. I then took more care when using the lens at f1.2 and it sometimes means having parts of a face in focus while the rest is not. Done correctly, this is a nice effect and emphasis to create. I love that lens is fully manual so I can choose where I want it to be razor sharp and where I want it to blur out nicely but it takes lots of practice since what you see in the viewfinder is sometimes not what you will get on the sensor due to other factors. I then read about how generally lenses are at their sharpest when you close them 2 stops from their widest. So I started taking photos and I generally like what I could get with this particular lens.

I took this particular shot this morning at f2, 1/8000, IS320 with the lens.

Also because modern DSLR viewfinders, moving away from the ground glass of old, are not made for critical focusing below f/2.0
You can try it using DOF preview, you'll notice no perceptible difference
I’ve friends who changed their stock screens with old cams, whittle the sides down to fit + shims. Katzeye would be the other option I suppose
IIRC, the 50/1.2 is the sharpest Nikon 50mm at f/2.0

 

[Minglink]

D800 with Nikkor 50mm f1.2 Ais
1/3200 F1.4 ISO 100
#1

D800 with Nikkor 50mm f1.2 Ais
1/100 F2 ISO 100
#2

D800 with Nikkor 50mm f1.2 Ais
1/320 F2.8 ISO 100
#3

 

[Ben Ang]

I noticed quite a few 50mm f1.2 sellers at our BNS lately, wonder why.

I switched out to a fujinon EBC 50/1.2 for the different rendition cos started to feel too comfortable/bored witht he rendition from the AIs. the fujinon also gives crisper colour and better flare control. i know this is a nikkor thread... but if i may, both shot at 1.2 on the fujinon =P

 

[Zichar]

Eh, I thought you sold that already by now

 

[Shizuma]

Hi Bros and Sisters, sorry to derail thread, anyone know where I can get ND filter for 50mm 1.4 AIS ?

 

[Shizuma]

Thanks for all the replies and offers of help. I have made contact to get a ND filter.

 

[JacePhoto]

where?

 

[Zichar]

I definitely can't do this with digital
There's that je ne sais quoi that brings my backlit and silhouette shots to life
Taken while waiting for wife, for that perfect mix of disinterested passengers moving across the travellators

FE2 + 35/2 AI + Delta 3200
And the amazing wizardry by kingston to dev and scan

incoming! by Zichar, on Flickr
​

 

[mw1986]

No Title by Taymw, on Flickr

Nikkor 50mm F1.8 AIS Series E.​

 

[Zichar]

Same combi

late night pastafarian by Zichar, on Flickr
​

 

[wmayeo]

Interested to look for an used 50mm f/1.2 AI-S. Is there a price range that I should look out for?

 

[Light Machinery]

I think it depends on the vintage and condition. A few were offered for sale on CS BnS the past few months, price range from $400 & up.