Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Nikkor 1.2/55
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Digital Gallery MF
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:55 pm    Post subject: Nikkor 1.2/55 Reply with quote
This one is a AI with coating. The beast is a bit difficult to use on my FG and unusable with F4 as the aperture is too close to the lens flange and cannot be moved. Works only with my FE2.



Wide Open- I kind of like the nervous bokeh.





PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
These f1.2 lenses are very special lenses for very special cases.
Sometime you can only shoot with such a lens. For general purposes, an f1.8 or f2.0 lens perhaps is the better solution. Wink


PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I love the contrast and warm colour in the first one, very nice!


PostPosted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
These f1.2 lenses are very special lenses for very special cases.
I heard this before but i never found out the answer, so: what is that they are designed for in the first place?


PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
piticu wrote:
LucisPictor wrote:
These f1.2 lenses are very special lenses for very special cases.
I heard this before but i never found out the answer, so: what is that they are designed for in the first place?


My personal view:
1) Coma control: All these were designed for low light, when 400 ISO film was commonly used in the cameras. Changing ISO was not an option. These lenses really need to control coma. Noct is supper daddy of coma control, hence the price.
2) As said, these lenses were really designed for low light. My experience says, these peaks there resolution by f4-f5.6. OK, you can find some lenses breaking these rules, but I am talking general terms. I tested my Minolta Rokkor-PG 58mm f1.2 with Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.7. I have found my CZ Planar one of the sharpest lens. But to my surprise, Rokkor beats Planar hands down, there is no competition. But by f5.6, Rokkor is softer than f4 (of its own results). Again Rokkor remains sharper compare to so many other lenses, but we are talking in relative terms here.


PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
These f1.2 lenses are very special lenses for very special cases.
Sometime you can only shoot with such a lens. For general purposes, an f1.8 or f2.0 lens perhaps is the better solution. Wink


I agree, I am a better user of the Nikkor 1.4/50 than this. What I mean is that lens is a bit cumbersome to use on my FE2...the lens is bulky and for some unexplained reason I have to do Stop down metering. Not to mention that I have not tested this lens in a very low light condition for what it was meant.

But, I kind of like the lens as it slows me down and gives me enough time to think the other perspectives of photography which automation has mercilessly taken away from us like .... the exposure value (as i generally use a hand held meter instead of the stopped down metering)


PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
hacksawbob wrote:
I love the contrast and warm colour in the first one, very nice!


Thanks...thats one of the very reason that I use this lens fairly often. It is warm even with the "blues" and other cool colours


PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ballu wrote:
piticu wrote:
LucisPictor wrote:
These f1.2 lenses are very special lenses for very special cases.
I heard this before but i never found out the answer, so: what is that they are designed for in the first place?


My personal view:
1) Coma control: All these were designed for low light, when 400 ISO film was commonly used in the cameras. Changing ISO was not an option. These lenses really need to control coma. Noct is supper daddy of coma control, hence the price.
2) As said, these lenses were really designed for low light. My experience says, these peaks there resolution by f4-f5.6. OK, you can find some lenses breaking these rules, but I am talking general terms. I tested my Minolta Rokkor-PG 58mm f1.2 with Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.7. I have found my CZ Planar one of the sharpest lens. But to my surprise, Rokkor beats Planar hands down, there is no competition. But by f5.6, Rokkor is softer than f4 (of its own results). Again Rokkor remains sharper compare to so many other lenses, but we are talking in relative terms here.


I think you have a point there....


When you have more than one lens in your arsenal for the same focal length, the key is to understand the strength and weaknesses of all and more importantly understand the which situation demands which lens. As you rightly pointed out, this lens was designed for low light use but i dicovered another trait of this lens (warmer colours than my Nikkor 1.4/50) that makes me love this lens.


PostPosted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Plus this particular lens is optimized for bokeh (not really for coma, compare to Noct). If I am not wrong, this lens has blade iris, but you will not find octagon shapes in highlights...
This lens clearly shows that its optics which plays critical role in bokeh highlights shape not aperture shape...


PostPosted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
What they (1.2 lenses) are for -

To take pictures of young women in dark cafes of course !

I like #1, nice textures and dramatic lighting.

Is the bokeh on #2 nervous ? It looks nice and smooth.
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Digital Gallery MF
Page 1 of 1