View Full Version : Photos with New 50mm Nikkor on S3-2000
Here are some test shots from the past weekend using my new S3-2000 and its 50mm f/1.4 multicoated Nikkor. This lens was a big reason I bought the camera, and I'm not yet disappointed. The 4th and 5th shot are wide open. The 2nd and 3rd shot use a 2-stop neutral-density filter to get an aperture of f/ 2 outdoors in the sun, backlit at 1/1000.
No hood (I was testing for flare). Fuji 400 print film.
Brian Sweeney
02-01-2006, 01:34
Nice. I'm looking forward to this camera and LENS. That latter is what pushed me over the edge. Figure the price of an Olympic 50/1.4 AND the odds of finding one. The lens may wind up on an SP and the S3-2000 with a Mint original.
I can never leave things the way they started.
Some of my shots w/the same lens:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/nipponkogaku5014nikkorss32000olympic/
Vince, your last shot has beautiful, almost magical ighting. Nice!
Thanks, Frank. We've lately had some beautiful winter late afternoons, so that shot had a lot more to do with the light than the lens.
Here are a few more shots from my second roll. The lens is everything I expected it to be. Haven't had a chance to shoot bright point sources of light at night. That will come next.
IGMeanwell
02-01-2006, 20:17
Excellent!!! Gotta love that Nikkor glass .... just smooth and sharp
xayraa33
02-01-2006, 20:28
that is a superb piece of glass Vince, very nice photos.
Simon Larbalestier
02-01-2006, 23:28
Vince
The shot of what looks like the interior of a museum and the final shot (#5) of the first set you posted are wonderful.
Great light and i like the 3d quality the lens has when shot wide open.
I've always shot mine with B/W film so it's great to see something in colour @1.4
Thanks for posting.
Simon
Brian Sweeney
02-02-2006, 01:56
Well, I'm looking forward to this lens. It is the main reason why I broke down and bought a new Nikon. Don't be looking for me to change faceplates on it. Or quit using the Sonnars.
I've seen this lens fetch $1,000 by itself on EBay. A lot of SP-2005 owners will probably buy S3-2000's to get the lens, if they do not have one already.
Yes, the last one in the first series rocks. The lens is apparently a great instrument in hands of a capable shooter.
Thanks for the nice comments.
I'm glad a few people are starting to post photos taken by this new lens. Nikon S3s of any millennium are great user cameras, and this lens seems to be one of the best RF Nikkors. (And the original 50mm Nikkor from the 1950s was certainly no slouch either).
FWIW, here's an example of how the new Nikkor-S handles streetlights, etc. (Fuji Neopan 1600, 1/15th sec. @ f/2):
http://static.flickr.com/34/102372112_74eee91bae_o.jpg
Haven't had a chance to shoot bright point sources of light at night. That will come next.
Nice streetlamp!
I did shoot one frame at a nighttime tennis court a couple of weekends ago while racing around with the kids. I totally overexposed the very bright arc-lights. It did show some optical circles, though nothing as dramatic is the rings on older Sonnar designs. I'll try to post the example tonight or tomorrow morning. It's on my home computer.
Thanks. The streetlamps on the National Mall cast these cool circular shadows. The only flare I've gotten w/the new Nikkor-S is regular veiling flare, & only when spotlights were shining on the lens, e.g.,
http://static.flickr.com/34/102451348_f7c325790f_o.jpg
Otherwise, it seems to handle stage lighting quite well:
http://static.flickr.com/26/102460769_a9005d1244_o.jpg
Nice streetlamp!
I did shoot one frame at a nighttime tennis court a couple of weekends ago while racing around with the kids. I totally overexposed the very bright arc-lights. It did show some optical circles, though nothing as dramatic is the rings on older Sonnar designs. I'll try to post the example tonight or tomorrow morning. It's on my home computer.
I'm extremely impressed with how it handles point light. This is the worst I've been able to induce, and I also had a 40-year-old filter on front of it, so that may have caused some of the ring reflections. I'm pretty sure a 1950s lens would have been wiped off the map in this light. (The orange out of focus triangle in the lower right is a traffic cone or something, not an optical effect).
Vince,
The photos are beautiful, and I am impressed by the shooter and the lens. Very nice indeed. If I could sell some equipment and ... you know the rest well.
Wow, nice lens. And good shots, Vince. I really like the one of the living room in the late afternoon light. Luscious tonality and colours.
flipflop
02-21-2006, 18:39
Just wondering how much you paid for your camera kit? And where you bought it from...also do you know how many of these were made?
Thanks
Thanks, Raid. I've been enjoying your photos as well.
I used to say that being a photographer is a lot like being a gunslinger. You have to keep practicing constantly, keep your timing at its peak, because you never know when you're going to need to be ready for that split-second moment. I used to have a job where I was shooting almost daily. Then I fell into a writing job and spent several years doing very little photography. And before I realized what had happened, my eye and timing has slipped terribly. I have to admit that when I stumbled across this forum about a year ago, it helped me rediscover photography. And trying to keep up with my daughters has given me back some of my sense of timing.
Flipflop,
Several forum members in recent weeks/months have bought the S3-2000 w/ lens kit at B&H photo for $2,295. Not cheap, but cheaper than a new equivalent Leica and about on par with a Zeiss Ikon and lens (but a stop faster). There appear to have been about 10,000 of the new S3s made. About 14,000 original S3s were made in the late 1950s/early 1960s.
Nice shots with a truly lovely lens. Beautiful wide open, so smooth and natural. The fact that my old S3 won't likely ever see one of these new 50's is killing me! :)
flipflop
02-21-2006, 18:50
hmmm...anyone get a black one?
wlewisiii
02-21-2006, 18:51
I used to say that being a photographer is a lot like being a gunslinger. You have to keep practicing constantly, keep your timing at its peak, because you never know when you're going to need to be ready for that split-second moment.
Yep, that's very true. The other single most important thing is to have some kind of camera on you at all times. The best camera in the world is the one you have in hand.
Excellent shots in this thread. Thank you.
William
yossarian
02-21-2006, 19:18
FWIW, I believe that someone with $2300 to spend on camera gear should make no
other choice. And I'm not even a Nikon fan. This camera kit really is a bargain.
Fred
ps--lovely work, all
NIKON KIU
02-21-2006, 20:48
FWIW, I believe that someone with $2300 to spend on camera gear should make no
other choice... This camera kit really is a bargain.
Fred
Took the words right out of my mouth! :cool:
Kiu
Flipflop,
Several forum members in recent weeks/months have bought the S3-2000 w/ lens kit at B&H photo for $2,295. Not cheap, but cheaper than a new equivalent Leica and about on par with a Zeiss Ikon and lens (but a stop faster). There appear to have been about 10,000 of the new S3s made. About 14,000 original S3s were made in the late 1950s/early 1960s.
This price is reasonable when you want such equipment. It may be much too costly for most people, but it is good to know what the going price is at B&H. The danger of owning such a camera-lens combination is that you will most likely nearly abandon everything else for quite a while. Maybe this could lead to selling off some other high quality cameras and lenses, resulting in having more cash and owning a beautiful camera with a great lens.
I've thought about this. In January I had my very beat-up SP CLA'ed and overhauled by Stephen Gandy (excellent job, by the way), so I'm trading off between the two, using the SP for black and white and the S3 for color. I've always gone back and forth on favoring one camera over the other. Stephen really brought the SP back to life ... but I really love shooting 35mm and 50mm lenses through the S3.
My thought was to sell off some stuff, including my old S3. But most of my gear is really, really beat up from semi-professional use, so it's hard to say who would want it.
ZivcoPhoto
03-13-2006, 21:01
Vince, those shots are great...of course the lens performs very well too. I like its signature...it is very smooth and the colors are great.
I wish I could compare a modern 35mm F1.8 v.s. mine (1957?) with regard to color.
IMO the Nikkor lenses of the fifties had a better coating than Leica glass of the period. I have a 135mm Hektor lens whose color rendition is simply dull when compared with a modern Leica lens on the next frame.
My 35mm F1.8 Nikkor has pretty nice color with no ajustments (in Photoshop), but a comparison with a limited release 35mm !.8 would be interesting.
I compared one of my 85mm F2 RF lens with my AI 85mm F2 and the color was basically similar....maybe a slight bit more saturation on the AI version (on an F3HP).
When I am shooting B&W, the difference is non existant...except the older lenses of the fifties are quite a bit smoother!
ZivcoPhoto
03-13-2006, 21:03
I might be interested in the S3 Vince.
wlewisiii
03-13-2006, 21:14
My thought was to sell off some stuff, including my old S3. But most of my gear is really, really beat up from semi-professional use, so it's hard to say who would want it.
That statement terrifies me. You might actually put an S3 on the market in a condition that I might, with extream effort, be able to afford????? :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:
Yep, that many "bang heads" are needed. :rolleyes: That camera coming available when I could not afford it would need to be at least that painful...
William
Vince, I agree with Frank that the last image in your 1st post is just amazing (woods). I wonder if the Nokton 40/1.4 would / could perform as well or even come close.
Btw, as you know I am a proud owner of one Nikkor lens (the 135/3.5) and no Nikon body so if you ever decide to sell even the most beat up S-something ... :)
Thanks for this unexpected interested in the old S3. I'm afraid I'm going to be hanging onto it for now.
I not long ago left newspaperig for a position with the U.S. government, and I've unexpectedly but happily discovered there will still be ocassional opportunities for me to pursue my passion for photography. I'm actually planning to photograph an international performance later this week, and suddenly realized I'll be able to take two S3s with me -- something I was never able to do before. Deadlines are relaxed enough that I can have the film scanned at a one-hour photo place the next morning.
If I change my mind, I'll let you know. RFF has certainly been a big influence in rekindlilng my passion for photography, because I had a writing job for many years and so had let the cameras sit mostly unused. My wife doesn't quite understand why we now have hundreds of pictures of the kids taken during the last year, but I expect she knows its harmless compared to most other mid-life crisis. And it's not nearly as expensive as a red convertible.
By the way, I would also LOVE to see comparison shots with the new 3.5cm f/1.8 and the original version, which has been my workhorse lens for 15 years. If Kiu has access to an original 35/1.8, perhaps he can help us out.
NIKON KIU
03-14-2006, 09:33
Greetings,
I don't have the 1.8 although I have the 3.5 and 2.5...Brian lives close to me I wonder if he has one. May be one of these days we can hook up and do a little testing :cool:
Kiu
I have the old 3.5cm/1.8, but you'll have to come into the city to do your testing, as I don't own a car & am allergic to suburbs. :p
Also, the lens has a little haze @ the edges, so a comparison would probably not be fair.
Greetings,
I don't have the 1.8 although I have the 3.5 and 2.5...Brian lives close to me I wonder if he has one. May be one of these days we can hook up and do a little testing :cool:
Kiu
Brian Sweeney
03-14-2006, 13:46
No 3.5/1.8 here. I have the 3.5/2.5. I'm always looking for one, but the prices are usually too high. I prefer the telephoto's.
NIKON KIU
03-05-2007, 13:01
By the way, I would also LOVE to see comparison shots with the new 3.5cm f/1.8 and the original version, which has been my workhorse lens for 15 years. If Kiu has access to an original 35/1.8, perhaps he can help us out.
OK Vince,
Ready or not, I have both now...how about that test you were proposing?
From the pictures you are showing us, you seem to be in my neck of woods(or Vice-Versa).
Kiu
My neck is closer to Great Neck.
Seems like the main things to check would be contrast, color fidelity and out-of-focus highlights.
dreamsandart
03-05-2007, 16:50
Threads like this are dangerous! Was a bit hesitant about it but looks like tomorrow I'm going go ahead and pick up the last couple chrome S3 sets with the idea I will keep the 50 from one to go along with my SP/35. So if someone is interested I'll be posting a FS for one camera/lens set and a new S3 body. Anyone interested? February was too short, March is a good month for Nikons also... :D
Actually, this thread is a year old. Kiu resurrected it.
NIKON KIU
03-05-2007, 18:27
Assuming your older 35 1.8 is in like new condition with no seperation, oil, or scratches, there should be little difference, other then the multicoating, which would have the effect of making the lens more contrasty, and possibly lowering the sharpness a bit.
If I were shooting black and white, and could find a perfect one, I would prefer the original lens.
Fred,
I am not doing this to prove anything....I think it is fun!
VinceC
Actually, this thread is a year old. Kiu resurrected it.
1 Year old threads could be VERY dangerous!!
I am planning to re-surrect a lot of trouble:o
Kiu
You lads are making me want a meterless camera in a near-obsolete lensmount again. Stop it. Stop it, now.
(Pulls himself together)
I particularly love the way that lens handles being pointed straight at light sources. I, um, tend to do that deliberately.
(And Mr. C, I miss your other avatar, the one with the charismatic young lady with the glasses and the great big camera. Always liked that one.)
>> Mr. C, I miss your other avatar<<
It began to seem odd to me that the rest of the world was seeing me as my then-5-year-old daughter. She's 7 now, and a change seemed appropriate.
Fair enough. I got chuckles out of it while it lasted.
"I sh*t you not! This little kid's a former photojournalist!"
But she still handles a Nikon S2 with both eyes open. She can appreciate the importance of a 1:1 viewfinder (when she isn't lured by those WYSIWYG SLRs).
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/rffgallery/gallery/2438/U2438I1158931435.SEQ.0.jpg
NIKON KIU
03-05-2007, 19:49
You lads are making me want a meterless camera in a near-obsolete lensmount again. Stop it. Stop it, now.
Obsolete???
Not by a long shot!
Kiu
*Near*-obsolete, Mr. Kiu.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/rffgallery/gallery/2438/U2438I1158931435.SEQ.0.jpg
HAH! Same effect! It looks like a Pentax 67 in her hands!
Thank you, sir.
ZivcoPhoto
03-05-2007, 21:32
You really need to save that picture for her Vince....so she can look back in twenty years and appreciate the head start!
So far two of mine have passed on my offer of one of my extra F's and some lenses. I won't even bother the other two...they are already into PS digital technology.
ZivcoPhoto
03-05-2007, 21:35
...the shot of my grandson at the kitchen cabinet is a 35mm F1.8 shot....love that lens for the speed and definition. Just comparing shots taken with it and either 35mm F2.5 (chrome or black) I think the 35mm F1.8 gives the kind of results I like.
>>the shot of my grandson at the kitchen cabinet is a 35mm F1.8 shot....love that lens for the speed and definition. Just comparing shots taken with it and either 35mm F2.5 (chrome or black) I think the 35mm F1.8 gives the kind of results I like<<
I've never been able to put my finger on it, but I've always had a slight preference for look of the 35/1.8 over the f/2.5. It's subtle and probably has to do with that elusive Leica concept of micro-contrast, but there always seems to be a little extra definition with the /1.8 lens, even though both examples are super sharp.
>> You really need to save that picture for her Vince....so she can look back in twenty years and appreciate the head start!<<
I have no illusions about either of my daughters using 75-year-old cameras once they're grown up. What I'm giving them -- and hopefully their children and grandchildren -- is a large library of photographs documenting what it was like to grow up in suburban America in the early part of the 21st century. I get all the negatives scanned and have the most important images archived on remote computers.
EDIT: By the way, the picture of her with the F was taken with my S3-2000 and 85/2 Nikkor. I really mean it when I say I don't use SLRs anymore, except for the occassional soccer shots.
Jenni,
Thanks.
I use Fujifilm 400 that I get from my local discount store.
>>Unlike about 75% of people I see shooting -- she knows how to cradle the camera properly!<<
Fred, I guess she copies her papa. She's the mimick of the family, which is one of the reasons she is so expressive when photographed.
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