NIKONS 10 WORST LENS LIST

A G Photography · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 1480 Location: Bologna - Italy

Before the war 6x6 and 6x9 were printed mostly by contact, and yes, they were amateurish cameras. I have a closet filled with photo of my old relatives printed this way.

In magazines they used large format cameras shots for reportage (Speed Graphic anyone?) and 8x10 very common for posed shots or still life (it was also pretty common in commercial advertisement photography since very few years ago when printed size mattered).

War photojournalists (Robert Capa as example) were the notable exception and the ones who started the 35mm hype.

I repeat, don't make a fool of yourselves just to make fool KR. He's pretty good at this by himself.

yalcinaydin · Joined: 20 May 2008 Posts: 825 Location: Izmir, Turkey

Alessandro,
tripods can be really useless if you're using a fast lens and 5D MkII duo (absolutely a great dream for every one of us) but saying tripods are useless is another thing. Look at his examples on the link, they are all taken with Nikon 12-24 which let's you take photos at slower shutter speeds (body is Nikon D80, ISO range 200-1600) and there are plenty of light in the shots. What if you are using a 70-300 lens and indoor. Anyways my point is some of his statemnents are true but not at all situations and for not everyone.

A G Photography · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 1480 Location: Bologna - Italy

Yalçın, the problem with KR is that he on porpuse twists and exaggerates the facts he wrote about, but he is far from stupid and ignorant. He does this to create turmoil, novelty, disucssion and, ultimately, visits on his website.

He carefully select the examples that sustain his bold statements, he's not ignorant, he's just good at marketing.

He put the Nikon 45/2.8 P in the 10 worst lenses because of cost/quality ratio? Damn that lens was expensive new so he isn't completely wrong, but yep it wasn't a bad lens at all (even if I'd far prefer a CZJ Tessar 40mm from the late '40/early 50 at a fraction of the price, but that's me).

He talk about tripods using VR lenses as example, and VR lenses cannot be used on tripods (at least with VR activated) and as you noticed he usually uses extreme wides so to have low shutter times. And about high ISO, it's true than even my crappy Oly e410 is better at ISO 800 than ISO 800 film.

About the 4x5, 8x10 brag he's mostlyt right. 6x6 and 6x9 cameras were in the '30 the equivalent of our digital P&S, advanced amateurs and reporters used 4x5 cameras. So he exaggerates the fact just a bit to make another bold brag.

He's smart... and sometimes also right (the brag about how film is better than most digital cameras is quite true).

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

spiralcity · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 1207 Location: Chicago, U.S.A

I didnt realize this thread would draw such emotional responses. Shocked

I havent read all of his pages, I just happened to come across his page on Nikons while searching for a 55mm 1.2 lens.

patrickh · Expire: 2011-11-18

He is very well known in the Nikon community. He is quite frankly a huckster of the worst sort - making money because he knows a bit more than many and does not care what he says - truth never interfered with his statements.

patrickh

ChrisLilley · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1767 Location: Nice, France

spiralcity · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 1207 Location: Chicago, U.S.A

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27