Nikkor ais 35/1.4 experience?

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

Thanks for all your comments.
Ready nice photos. Sharp enough for my use at f1.4.

Esox lucius, thanks mate, but i already closed the deal. The lens is waiting to pick up.

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

Here is my shots with the Nikkor 35/1.4, using with tilt adapter on Nex5.

Note that tilt adapter has been actively used. Photos with no tilt will be noted.

Photos with f1.4 had been slightly increase black level. Contrast in-focus area is actually very good at f1.4, but the DOF for that contrast is razor thin.

At f1.4, increased black level +5 or more - except #4, as is - i like the blur and color tone.
At f2, increased black level +1 or +2 in LR, many cases no need PP.
At f2.8, no PP needed.

#1 @f1.4

#2 @f1.4

#3 @f2

#4 @f1.4

#5 @f2.8

#6 @f4 - all text readable on crop

rafa1981 · Joined: 15 Jul 2010 Posts: 142

Looking at the pics here, maybe the chrome nose canon FD 35 f2 can be a real contender to this one despite the lower speed.

Performance at f2 is excellent, and near distance bokeh is gorgeous, not good, gorgeous.

I think that one trades the f1.4 (f1.4 is anotherworld in itself, a f2 is more "mundane") for an excelent bokeh, the one best I have seen coming from a 35, even above the flektogon which has not disgusting bokeh at all. And bokeh quality in a fast lens, at least for me, it's very important.

The lens is that sharp that it hurts, straight from f2, at least my copy, and although heavy, it is lanscape capable.

BTW, don't underestimate the glass materials available in that age, there were lots of radioactive and harming components that today are banned, maybe they were bad for the factory workers health, but I have the personal theory that it took some ages to be in the same optical level again after the ban.

Now that I have spoken of the FD, some bokeh shots with the converted (reversible) FD Chrome nose on FF. Of course at those sizes they just show the bokeh quality.

f2

f2

f2.8

f4

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

The nikkor 35/1.4 is not the sharpest lens wide open, but as you say, f1.4 does give different bokeh.

The contrast in-focus area is usable at f1.4. Contrast quickly becomes blast with slightly OOF, even if the subject still in-focus and can adjust/sharpen in PP. In other words, I can sharpen the slightly oof images, but i cannot increase contrast without lots of masking/PP.

For sharpness, the Sigma 30/1.4 AF is far superior wide open. Only down side of the sigma is lack of manual aperture ring. I don't have the nex adapter that can control aperture by moving the pin.

nikkor 35/1.4 ais MDF is 30cm, compared to OM35/2=30cm, pentax K35/2=35cm, pentax M/A 50/1.4=45cm. I like the bokeh of OM35/2 at close distance better than this lens. In 60cm distance at f1.4/f2, this lens is better than the olympus. Still the Sigma 30/1.4 has better 'buttery' bokeh.

With the tilt adapter, I can max out the best properties of this lens, even wide open cases - may be not "at f1.4 poor overall" with tilt - but difficult lens it is. I like challenges Cool

Esox lucius · Expire: 2011-11-18

If you look for wide open performance on a 35/1.4 for Nikon mount the full frame Nikkor 35/1.4G AF-S is outstanding, and in a totally different league vs. the Sigma 30/1.4 wide open. With quality comes price of course, at about 1600 EUR it likely is not attractive to many amateurs. It is a G-series lens with no aperture ring though. The Sigma 30/1.4 is a crop sensor lens, so any full frame use is out of the question.

If you are looking for a less expensive alternative you should look at the Samyang/Rokinon/Bower 35/1.4 which is manual focus and has an aperture ring. It is a full frame lens.

The Nikkor AF-S 35/1.8G DX is a crop factor lens, but it draws almost the whole area of a full frame sensor and it is very very good immediately wide open, costs only EUR 180 new. No aperture ring though, so you need an adapter with aperture control slider.

DSG · Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 544 Location: London, UK.

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

Very true about the sigma.

I use these lenses mostly indoor, lowlight environment - at their best - and try to avoid high contrast that causes CA.