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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 7:33 pm 
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Just got prints back today.
Both the 50mm 1.4 S.C. and the 135 3.5 Q are outstandingly sharp.
Will get some copy work up later.

For those considering T-Max 3200 B&W film, don't waste your time.
Tonal range is so low that the 4x6's look like mud.
I had much better results pushing original Tri-X pan to asa 1600 in Rodinal 1-100 at 16 min. At least there was some shadow detail there.
I can't quite get over the sharpness of that 1.4 S.C. wide open....

The C-41stuff is coming up amazing off the digital negative scans....

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sat Feb 01, 2020 2:50 am 
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There's Mrs. S. right there.
Cheap Kodak C-41 400 color print film. 1/125 sec @ F 1.4. Nikkormat FT-N with the 50mm 1.4 S.C. aboard.

This is an incredibly sharp lens, especially for wide open. The phone pic copy work washes out a lot of detail. Lens is focus shift sensitive~ it don't much to throw it off. Taking my time, and not rushing has a generous pay-off...

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Self portrait by your's truly. Taken in the bathroom mirror at 1/8 sec and F 1.4. Camera shake becomes evident here. I used to be able to get away with 1/15 sec when I was a whole heckuva lot younger and steadier :roll: I was actually trying to focus on the printing on the lens ring.

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Early January goose berries. These froze this year in the trees, before they had a chance to seed to the ground. Odd that there weren't birds or squirrels feeding on this high protein fruit. 135 F 3.5 Nikkor Q @ 1/60 sec F-8....


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Lightning split oak. 135 F 3.5 Nikkor Q at 1/125 sec and F 11.
My photographic detail eye is beginning to re-awaken :bigrin:


Will try and get some more up, but this phone copying system is pretty weak. I'm having a heck of a time with reflections on the high gloss paper. More later...

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sat Feb 01, 2020 1:56 pm 
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Теперь предлагаем бесплатную ежедневную маммографию!
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I like composition of the berries pic. Birds will find 'em when it gets nasty cold. SW

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sat Feb 01, 2020 2:45 pm 
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I actually copied that last one upside down :oops:

Rule of thirds is actually simpler to practice than it is to describe. I'm an early adherent. Generally try to avoid bisecting the centres horiz and vert of the image, and I usually come out on top...

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 4:06 am 
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I've had the F-3 for almost a week now, and am almost through my first roll of film with it.
I am impressed by the bright and clear viewfinder. The HP finder, despite it's slightly reduced magnification is a good one. I don't have to scrunch up against the rubber stop ring when I'm wearing my glasses.
The camera takes power from the MD-4 motor drive when it's mounted. Otherwise, 2 sr-44's must be loaded into the battery sleeve for the camera to function.
The camera will function barely at a mechanical shutter speed of 1/60~1/90th sec. by tripping the mechanical release located on the front of the camera body, when there is no drive or batteries present. It is quite awkwardly located below the depth of field preview button/mirror lock lever.

Personally, they should have went the route of the Fe/Fe-2/Fg/Fa etc. by placing the mechanical shutter speed selection setting on the shutter speed dial where it belongs, and utilizing the shutter release already on the top of the camera. Might be a minor design fault, but still makes zero sense to me to incorporate all this extra expense to the manufacture of the body.

Flash sync is at 1/60 sec. Really? C'mon Nikon, you're kidding me. After the 1/250 sync of the FM-2 you turn out a turd like this?

Seriously though, if you're gonna have an interchangeable view finder, you are going to have to put up with a horizontally travelling shutter, and it's slow sync. There's just no escaping it....

The LCD display in the viewfinder is easy to get along with. I actually prefer the quartz display over l.e.d.'s , which still weird me out in a camera body. The swinging needle metering system of the nikkormats and FE series is still my favorite.

The rest of it I'm pretty well ambivalent on. Flash mounting is a pita. I've done a couple of flash pictures with the flash coupler and SC-17 cord and tiny Nikon flash. Again, you give something up for the interchangeable viewfinder. The strobo-frame flash grip is gonna see a lot of use on this camera.

They put extra effort into damping the mirror and muffling the shutter. This is the quietest focal plane shutter camera that I have ever used. I don't see myself spooking the local wild life with the shutter tripping.

The MD-4 motor drive is the quietest motor drive I've heard. It makes a "Freep" sound in operation, and lacks the clunk-thud-kaching of the MD-12 (which is actually a pretty good drive in it's own right). The only fly in this ointment is that removing the drive with film in the camera will fog the film. :thnk: I have to decide whether I want the drive on the camera, or not, before I load film. Will probably try one roll of film with drive off, just for the heck of it. The extra heavy weight of the drive is actually quite nice for steady hold picture making, whether the drive is turned on or not.

So far, I'm quite favorably impressed with the camera, despite it's odd-ball design. Things like this grow on you after awhile. Would I give it up in favor of something else? Not on your life! I is already hooked! :bigrin:

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 10:00 pm 
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i am not criticizing your composition , i rather like that and your choice of subject , but i am going to comment on the color rendition , it changed from the first time i checked out the post - i think its the site , probably not the original host except ive not go a lot of confidence in those with my history there , lost way too much in the original trust , but then it could be my old computer and unsupported operating system , but then what the hell do i know ?


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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 4:52 am 
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Color seems stable from my end~ however, that may not mean much to anyone else.

The phone copying leaves a lot to be desired in terms of image quality. I really have to find out if the negative scans have been filed. It would make life a lot easier, and allow some quality image work to be shown here.

The first photo shown is going to be printed and mounted either 5x7 or 8x10 depending on how far the negative scans can be enlarged.

These old blue coated early Nikkor lenses have a shift towards cold orange, which is exaggerated by the digital printing process. The later green coated Nikkor lenses have a bit more of a natural color balance to them. I'll take image sharpness first, before anything else. The slight cold orange sort of grows on you after you get used to it. Contrast on both lenses is a bit lower than a modern lens. Again, it's nothing that bothers me enough. The orange cast has a bit of a passing resemblance to prints made off Kodachrome 64. I actually like it...

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2020 2:49 pm 
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Теперь предлагаем бесплатную ежедневную маммографию!
Теперь предлагаем бесплатную ежедневную маммографию!
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Do you use 'filters' to compensate for color shift? I used to use old style 'letter filters' a lot. Orange or dark yellow really smoothed out foggy pics. SW

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:43 am 
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I am using a Nikon L-37-C u/v filter on the 50mm 1.4 nikkor s.c.

It has the proprietary late 80's green nikon coatings and takes a bit of the orange edge off. Am using a plain old uncoated hoya skylight filter on the 135 Q lens.

Am really hoping to get out soon in some decent sunlight to see where the true color cast is on these old lenses. Will try filterless for a few frames to see what's happening.

My first camera had a yellow filter that did wonders for clearing haze and leveling contrast with medium speed b&w. It never dawned on me to try a color filter to correct for c-41 film...

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sat Feb 08, 2020 11:48 am 
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There's been a bit happening here.

Looks like I'm finally gonna be able to quit buying camera bodies, at least.
Found a Nikon package that includes an F-2, a black FE, and a handful of lenses.
Package price ain't too terribly stratospheric, considering what's there.
I think it's an F-2-S, which is actually a pretty decent 80/20% metering prism.
The lead-in was a beater 80-200 f 4.5 Nikkor zoom that cleaned up pretty nice.
The vivitar version I have of this lens barrel distorts in the corners at all focal lengths. It's not so noticeable at the upper end, but obvious pin-cushion at the 80 end.

I can actually live without the A/S version F-2. There are a lot of pre-AI lenses coming on the market here, which makes the S a decent companion to the Nikkormat FTN I already have...

Didn't have quite enough funds to buy the package then and there. Extracted a promise from the seller not to list the package for another week. Will be solvent enough to pick up the package next Friday.

The attraction to the F-2 is it's stepless mechanical shutter speeds from 1/60 up-wards to 1/2000. No other camera has offered that before, or since, the F-2.
Will get pics up later of the beater 80-200 4.5 Nikkor.
I am excited as buying a new gun here- the level is the same as buying an original 52-B Sporting!

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sat Feb 08, 2020 2:31 pm 
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Теперь предлагаем бесплатную ежедневную маммографию!
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Package buys like that are usually a good deal. I never got too analytical about it but could tell Vivitar glass wasn't in the same league as Zuiko - and now Nikkor.

Now I'm waiting for a long distance grouse pic in which I'll be able to count feathers! ;) SW

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sat Feb 08, 2020 3:56 pm 
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Good one Hogger. :bigrin:

After last fall's skunkaroo scenario, that won't be likely, unless of course I stumble across some out of season!

Gotta get over to sister's today. It was her birthday Thursday, and I has a new cable release as a gift. Think I'll giver her the 422-D flash as well. Got to make room in the bag some-how for 2 more Nikon bodies...

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 2020 7:28 pm 
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Here's a first look at the beater Nikkor 80-200 F 4.5.

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Front of lens backlit off a p/c monitor. Signs of very heavy hard use.

Image

Lens rear with the F-3 trying to bomb the pic.
This version was the last of the 80-200 F 4.5's. They were discontinued in 83' in favor of a much larger, bulkier F 2.8 version. The optics of the new lens didn't quite match this version.

http://kenrockwell.com rates this lens as one of the best Nikon has ever made. Probably their top zoom of all time.

My copy is a real dinger of a beater.

Image

Hefty dent in the brass lens tube. This dent prevents the lens from focussing any closer than 8 ft, which is not a real handicap to me. It's original close focus was only slightly over 6 ft, so I ain't missing the boat by much. Considering what I paid, I feel I still came out on top on this deal.

The lens zooms and focuses quite easily, and is very sharp, at least in the viewfinders of the F-3 and FE-2. Got a roll of Tri-X 400 to test behind it. Going by my experience with the last lab developed B&W, I'm gonna slightly over-expose ~ by a whole whopping 1/3rd of a stop at asa 320. :bigrin:

Factory numbers have changed for tri-x. It is now 70-73 rather than the old 50-53. There are noises on-line that it is not the same film now, but still high quality, and quite forgiving of exposure error...

The lens came with a crappy little plastic A/F Nikon F-65 SLR that was promptly relegated to the back of the closet. Made in Taiwan... indeed. I don't think the weird little batteries for it are available any longer. I'm not really all that curious to find out, since it won't meter at all with any Nikon manual focus lens. Also included was another tiny little Nikon flash- a SB-22-S that is going to be relegated to the back-light position, if it proves it's self to be reliable...

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:20 am 
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I have the F-2 here now. It is the first Photomic variant with the 60/40 center-weighted swinging needle CDS metering system...


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It came with a really decent lens. I would have never dreamed of owning one of these back in my photo hey-days. These lenses were quite stratospherically priced- well over the 2 g mark in the late 70's-early 80's. I made the score of a lifetime here.

Image

There's the attraction to this camera. The green marked numerals on the shutter speed dial are in the stepless zone. It reaches from 1/90 th sec to 1/2000 th sec...

The "A" focusing screen in it is a good one. It leaves the "K" and "E" screens of the F-3 camera in the dust.

Package also included an FE camera with another 50 F 2 lens and M/F 17 data back.
There is also a Series 1 Vivitar 70-210mm Macro focusing zoom as part of the package. It has received favorable reviews on the internet as a very sharp lens.

Image
Couple of bad boys here. The F-2 is almost 1/4" wider than the F-3...

Gonna have a bit more later on. For the time being, I think I am set for cameras....

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:11 pm 
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I wish I had known about these 100% view-finders a long time ago.

Two of the cameras I favored way back when only had about 92% finders, and yes there is a big difference. I would have saved myself a lot of easel work in the dark-room. It is also a bit easier to focus on these slightly larger finders. Final image quality is much improved for fine focus and grain~ without having to do un-necessary crop work.

Interestingly enough, the camera at the start of this thread has 96% finder, and is a bit easier to work with than the lettered F compact cameras.

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2020 6:51 pm 
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After playing with the FE, I discovered the shutter in it is a bit wonky. Only works reliably up to 125th sec, and then it locks open at 250th or higher. Unfortunately, that is the sign of a dying control board.

I still came out miles ahead on this deal. The F-2 body and killer 85 f1.8 are already well worth more than what I paid. With the huge 70-210 vivitar and g/n 65 potato masher sunpak flash I am quite a fortunate Son....

More on this laterer.....

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2020 2:58 pm 
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After a few months of carrying the F-2 and the F-3/MD-4 I realized something.

The F-2 is always my first go to grab. The F-3 languishes in the bottom of the bag.
I'm not sure why~ the F-2 has a usability cachet that the F-3 seems to lack.
Perhaps I would feel differently about the F-3 if it had a standard finder. While the HP
finder is nice, it takes a bit of getting used to. It's made for glasses wearers and works o.k..
The finder on the F-2 has something about it that I can't quite put my finger on- like a weaver k-3...

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 12:23 pm 
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I couldn't pass this up. It's what I think is a final run (based on s/n) chrome FE.

I think I have mentioned this previously~ my first chrome Nikon FE set me back better than 2 weeks pay when I bought it in the early 80's. I even made some modest money with it doing some serious theater work...

Everything works on this one. Shutter seems o.k., and the meter tests 100% against both the F-2 and F-3.
The swinging needle meter/shutter display on the left side of the viewfinder, with the aperture window at top has been very hard for me to move away from.
Not a powerhouse in terms of performance. Top shutter speed is 1/1000 and X-sync is at 1/125. More work-horse than race-horse.

I gotta stop doing this. I think I've got 8 or 9 Nikon bodies now, which is way more than I'll ever need...

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Doc Sharptail

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 1:59 pm 
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Теперь предлагаем бесплатную ежедневную маммографию!
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With digital photography being so popular, now is the time to grab stuff like this. Keep your eyes open for a nice Leica, too!

And it's not about need at all - it's having things you enjoy. SW

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 Post subject: Re: A new bent...
PostPosted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:11 am 
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i agree - you gotta be liking that 80-200 , i had the vivitar version back when , would have loved to have that nikon version ,


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