Carl Zeiss Sonnar 180mm f/2.8

[littleearth]

It's the older version. I have the MC version, and it's a very good lens.

I would never use it on a DSLR, but I love to shoot it on the Pentacon Six, heavy but the results are amazing.

[gost89]

I am going completely offtopic here, but I think there is no point of a new thread.

Can you recommend me good macro mf lens that is relatively cheap ? I know that good and cheap don't go usually work together, but macro is not my thing I shoot it in very rare occasions and just wanna have a macro lens, I believe I will make better pictures with no macro lens at all.

2nd thing the same thing about portrait lens ? I shoot mostly portraits and I have Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 and Samyang f/1.4 and absolutely love both, I use the 85mm when I am shooting single person and the 50mm for groups. Maybe you can recommend me something longer than the 85mm ?

Thanks in advance

Today I saw some of the things that my grandad owns, he has stuff for a completely laboratory I guess he processed all the images he took by himself. I am not very familiar with the process, I was born in the early 90s. I also found a Soviet Russian camera Аврора 2x8 from what I saw on ebay it's very cheap so there is no point of selling it, I will just make a gift to someone if there is a one that wants it in my country.

P.S I am searchind thru his stuff not with the mind to sell them, I just want to use some of them and if I can't to sell them and buy some that I can.

[Rolf]

Don't know your cam - I believe it was a Nikon - so try to get Nikon lenses, otherwse you have to buy adapters too.

There are 2 or 3 Nikon macro lens - relativelly cheap or you try addition macro rings(set of 3 different pcs) for macro with your normal 50mm Nikon lens, seems to be the best solution.

And the best for portrait is 2/135 Nikor AI(s) - normally not cheap but 1st class, or perhaps 2,5/105 (maybe too sharp for a portrait lens) or 1.8/105 (not cheap too and perhaps to short too) . Or a 2.8/180 (a must to have lens for a Nikon shooter) - also not really cheap and perhaps too long for a portrait lens. So best focal length would be a 135mm lens.



BTW sorry for a link into another forum but here you can see what's going with all kind of manual Nikon lenses. One of the largest thread at FM
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/929565

[Gerald]

[Olivier]

Congrats for this CZJ Sonnar 2.8/180.

This is a very good lens performing very well on my Canon 5D MkII.

http://forum.mflenses.com/some-sonnar-2-8-180-shots-up-for-laurence-t28288,highlight,%2Bsonnar+%2B180.html

http://forum.mflenses.com/czj-sonnar-180mm-f2-8-and-a-cat-t62195,highlight,%2Bsonnar+%2B180mm.html

[gost89]

Thanks a lot guys !

I will buy extension rings for my 50mm lens and the 180mm f/2.8 is going to be my 3rd portait lens. Now I have the best focal lenght for everything, full body, headshots etc.

Now for headshots I use my Samyang and it blurs the bacround insanely good too. Here are 2 samples.


It's also very sharp, I almost can't believe how sharp it is wide open considering the price. Here is a 100% crop of the eye from another picture in which is approximately half of the body of the model.

[Gerald]

Nice portraits! Very well done!

[gost89]

What are your opinions about Nikon 135mm f/2.8, they are offering me one of these for 40 GBP ?

Actually don't mind that question, the only thing that attracts me is the price, I don't really need it. I found extension tubes 9mm 16mm and 30mm I guess it's what I need and ordered them, you were right pretty cheap. But how will I control the aperture ? The G auto focus version of the 50mm which I own does not allow that without contact with the body.

[Gerald]

As far as I know, the Nikon 135mm F2.8 lens is outstanding. If the lens is perfect, optically and mechanically, then 40 GBP seems to be a good price. From the standpoint of photographic use, as you already have the excellent Samyang 85mm F1.4, the Nikon might not add much. The Nikon would serve more as a bridge between the Samyang and Sonnar. Nonetheless, the 135mm could be used as a macro lens with interesting performance. Do you need the Nikon? I don't know.... it's up to you to decide if it is worth investing in Nikon 40 GBP. If you are interested in a new lens, an alternative could be a wide angle lens like the Samyang 24mm 1.4.

Regarding the control of the diaphragm with extension rings, it seems that is not possible with the Nikon G lenses unless you use extension rings with electrical contacts, which unfortunately are relatively expensive. But wait! The Samyang lens can be used perfectly well with common extension rings. The focal length of 85mm is probably more interesting than 50mm for macrophotography because it allows a greater distance between the lens and the subject being photographed. I would like to remind you that enlarging lenses are excellent macro lenses. Maybe your grandfather has a 50mm or 75mm enlarging lens to lend to you …

[gost89]

Thanks for giving me the best answer, again !

I will just use the Samyang for macro with the same rings, it's built to be manually focused so it's going to be easier for me than the 50mm it's not really made for that and it would have been harder anyway.

About the enlarging lenses, I will have to ask about that I am not sure if he has any.

I think that is for now, I will be back when I know what the wide lens is and when my adapter for the 180mm arrives.

[fife]

Just wanted to mention that I too have the 180/2.8 Olympia Zebra Sonnar.
This thing is a beast in size and weight especially when adapted to my Sony A7. but it is a nice lens if you have patience and/or a tripod of some sort.

[gost89]

I have good news, I don't know how but the adapter has arrived ! Only 7 days, usually it takes around 20 for packages from China. The post closed before I managed to get to it, but I will get the adapter tomorrow, expect the first shots.

[gost89]

It's here ! First of all I don't know how, I don't know why but my d5100 gives me focus confirmation with the green dot and it's accurate, gotta love Nikon. I have no idea how is this happening there is no connection with the body it shows no lens attached, but I am verry happy about that.

Some very basic shots I will try it for portraits later. It's very very sharp on 2.8 and even more stopped down but that is normal.

[Gerald]

The lens appears to be good!
The B&W portrait captured a strong character!

[fife]

Very nice gost89

[gost89]

@Gerald that is my other grandfather, he is indeed a strong character ex military, he has seen some things.

Here is the promised portrait shot. For portraits I am going to continue mainly relying on the 85mm f/1.4 it's lighter has better bokeh and it's easier to focus, has better colors also the 180mm on dx camera requires too much space. But I will find where to use the 180mm because it's a great lens.

Here is the shot, btw I know that this focal length is best for headshots.



Here is a shot from the Samyang nothing to do with the previos one, I just like it

[SonicScot]

Beautiful girl, excellent light, what's not to like?

[Gerald]

No doubt the Samyang 85mm F1.4 is a more practical lens for portraits. The CZJ 180mm F2.8, which weighs 3X more, should be reserved for uses that require more reach than the Samyang, such as sports and wildlife photography.

Congratulations for the portraits. You got talent.

[gost89]

Thank you both. I will try it for sports photography tomorrow(tennis) it's going to be very hard to manually focus but I will try

[gost89]

I mentioned my grandfather a few times so I decided to show him to you.

Here is the old photographer, he is 80 years old now and I hope he will live a lot more.

[tao]

I do not have the lens and will probably never buy it but I enjoy reading the discussion in this thread. Thanks to everyone.

@gost89. I like you portraits, especially the soldier grandpa.

[gost89]

A new one


It's perfect for that type of shots, I am inlove

[bernhardas]

edited

[Olivier]

Very nice tones and colours.
Very natural pose. I like hair very much.

I only regret you cut her head.

[fife]

I don't cut people's head off but I think I will start. Adds a unique perspective.
http://petapixel.com/2014/07/07/humor-photography-themed-t-shirt-tells-everybody-shoot-people/