Nikkor S.C. 5cm 1:1.4 Photos only

Hold on, Matt. Don't you know you can't use any lenses besides the M-Hexanons on that Hexar RF body? They just won't work right! Grinning. It sure is a good thing that some of us can't read!
 
Sonnar2 said:
It's a great portrait lens. Does the shade help much in backlight?

I bought a cheap 43mm lens hood from eBay. It was also mentioned on this page http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34264&page=5 .

If the backlight comes directly from behind the subject, shade doesn't help much as you can see in this photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsuominen/333073112/ . But that was an extreme example and I don't shoot normally that way, if I can move the subject or my own position...
 
The lens gets into trouble when you're shooting backlit with the sun out of the frame. Then it can produce circles and internal lens reflections. In gentler backlighting, it produces wonderful results.

Here's a shot from last weekend.
 

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I like these portrait shots in this thread taken with the Nikkor-S. I guess its "stretched" design (for a Sonnar type) and age at least benefit from a tight hood in most light situations. (as with my RF Canon 1.5/50)

Let's see how the prices of the genuine hoods are, and then decide if the handling advantage is worth it.
 
I have a Zeiss Sonnar 1.5, on which the Nikkor is based. It's much worse at handling backlight and sun-out-of-the-frame shots -- the coatings aren't as effective, so you get magnificent superimposed images of the aperture blades which, at some f/stops, are shaped like a circular saw.
 
If you avoid point light sources or bright points of daylight through foliage, this lens is marvelous wide open.

Jeffery Smith in New Orleans may have more old 50mm lenses Frank S. I know, hard to imagine. Anyway, Jeffery recently purchased a Nikkor 50/1.4 lens. His early reaction: "This may be the sharpest old 50mm lens".
 
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venchka said:
OK, I'll start. A hasty "grab" shot. It's all uphill from here.
M5 : Nikkor 5cm 1:1.4 : Ilford XP2 Super : 1.4 @ 1/15 sec. (maybe 1/8 sec., it was DARK!

Dark? I see something light and sharp which would be much more fun to "grab" than a M5 with a nikkor :rolleyes:
Good shot Venchka.
Didier
 
jsuominen said:
Thanks. Someone has said that old Leica lenses have a special 'Leica-glow', but maybe old Nikkor lenses have their own glow, too. ;)

Jari

Look at the picture of the baby...the Nikkor DOES have it's own glow....The Sonnar-guy keeps referring to it as a "Sonnar-glow"...how about the "Nippon glow"?

Kiu:)
 
NIKON KIU said:
Look at the picture of the baby...the Nikkor DOES have it's own glow....The Sonnar-guy keeps referring to it as a "Sonnar-glow"...how about the "Nippon glow"?

Kiu:)

Yes, "Nippon glow" or "Nikkor glow" sounds better to me. :) Here are two partial crops from the original images, which I have posted earlier. The glow is there, too.
 

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Here is a new b&w portrait with my vintage Nikon gear:
Nikon S2 + Nikkor-S.C 5cm f/1.4 at f/2.8, 1/60s.
Fuji Neopan 400ASA film developed in Agfa Rodinal (1+50, 20C, 8½ min).
Scanned with Nikon Super CoolScan 4000 ED.
---
Two small details from a 1840 x 2800 pixels original photo.
They show that my focusing was maybe a bit off, because my wife's eyes and
glasses are not 100% sharp, but her blouse fabric is.
 

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You've seen the good...

You've seen the good...

...now here is the Bad and the Ugly. Strong light source out of the field of view. I thought far enough out of the field to avoid flare. Obviously not far enough. The same semicircle appears in both photos. :eek:
 

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Thanks, Wayne. You've really gotta watch out shooting into light with this lens. And constantly keeping a hood on helps. I use a small collapsible rubber one built into a B+W filter so that I only need to unfold it when shooting around difficult light.
 
Pretty good flare resistance for an old lens.

Nikon BD S2 + 50/1.4, TMax 400 in Rodinal

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Playing in the dark again

Playing in the dark again

OK< my so called social life consists primarily of hanging around work on Saturday nights. On this particular Saturday night the guys in the yard were busting their humps to finish a rush job. I was making sure everything was fitting together correctly.

It just so happened that I finally had Bubba loaded and ready for action. First roll from my second M5. Our favorite 5.0cm/1.4 lens and a roll of Kodak BW400CN. Following the advice gathered here, the lens was stopped down halfway between 1.4 & 2.0 and I have acquired a B+W MRC UV filter.

You'll notice that light fall off in the corners is excessive. :eek: :D So what. I love this lens.

These also qualify in Back Alley joe's single light portraits. :D

Thanks for looking.

Helmet+Flames-1.jpg


Helmet+Flames-2.jpg
 
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