40mm f/2 Ultron on D200

[GeneW]

One of the niftiest purchases I made this year was one of the CV 40mm f/2 Ultron SL lenses in Nikon F AIS mount. It's a pancake design, not as small as a normal pancake, but smaller than a 35mm or 50mm Nikkor. I like using manual-focus lenses on the D200 DSLR and this lens has turned out to be a beautiful performer. Not to mention it's fun to be using a CV lens on my latest digital gear. Of course it fits my film Nikon SLR bodies too.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1310/1154443168_cd494493df.jpg

Thank you, CameraQuest!

Gene

[David Noble]

I have the same combination. The Ultron 40 is a wonderful lens. If you like it, you'll like the Color-Heliar 75 even more—my two favorite lenses on the Nikon.

These two Voigtländer lenses are what got me started on the slippery slope into rangefinder land. From there I went to the Epson R-D1s and various M-mount lenses, CV and Zeiss and others, and from there back into film with a Mamiya 6.......

I have one other Nikon-mount CV lens, and that is the 125mm Macro, which is a massive piece of glass and has unbelievably beautiful bokeh and color rendition. But it is so big and heavy I don't get it out as much as I should.

[kshapero]

Man that is nice stuff. What is that whatever over the lens?

[rolleistef]

is there a "lens memory" function on the D200 in order to use non-CPU lenses just like on the F6?

[jl-lb.ms]

Yep. Not sure how the F6 works, but on the D200, you specify the focal length and largest aperture and it uses this information until you change lens.

[gavinlg]

Those nikons are great lookin cameras aren't they. This from a 30d/1d user, but possibly not for long after the recently announced d3.

Post some shots with the 40 SL f2?

[dazedgonebye]

I need someone in AZ with a CV SLR lens so I can try it out on my Canon DSLR.

[kjoosten]

I have the Ultron also. Sometimes it goes with the D200, sometimes with the FM3a. Like you said, it's a pancake, but much easier to use than the 45mm Nikkor.

I also STRONGLY recommend the 90mm APO-Lanthar. An extemely sharp, affordable (albeit slow) lens.

[kjoosten]

It's a funky little lens hood. Really more of a lens cap with a rectangular cutout.

[beethamd]

They are fairly rare those lens caps. I'm after one.

[David Noble]

Here's a few more Ultron 40 shots. Very useable wide open, with pleasant bokeh. Quite sharp, but a pleasing fade into OOF areas.... I'd say its similar to the Nikkor 45P in a lot of ways. I sold my Nikkor after buying this......

[David Noble]

And a couple more sample images.

[kjoosten]

Here are a couple of mine (D200 + 40mm Ultron). All wide open, I believe.

[leif e]

I like using manual-focus lenses on the D200 DSLR

I´ve had varied experiences with manual focus lenses on the D200 myself. Do you use the original focusing screen? I hear the replascements by othe manufacturers deal with this effiently.

[GeneW]

I´ve had varied experiences with manual focus lenses on the D200 myself. Do you use the original focusing screen? I hear the replascements by othe manufacturers deal with this effiently.
I'm still using the original focusing screen. I find the Ultron relatively easy to focus but with other manual lenses it can be challenging.

I owned a Pentax DSLR for awhile (very nice cams those Pentaxes) and inserted a replacement screen by Katz Eye with a traditional microgrid/split image focusing aid. It worked a treat, but threw off the metering. I'm reluctant to have one put into the D200 because of that experience.

Gene

[RayPA]

I like using manual-focus lenses on the D200 DSLR and this lens has turned out to be a beautiful performer. Not to mention it's fun to be using a CV lens on my latest digital gear. Of course it fits my film Nikon SLR bodies too.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1310/1154443168_cd494493df.jpg

Thank you, CameraQuest!

Gene


Me too, Gene! I've pretty much have made it a hobby within a hobby to hunt down and use ai and ai-s manual focus lenses on my D200. Thanks for the tip on this one. :)


.

[GeneW]

Me too, Gene! I've pretty much have made it a hobby within a hobby to hunt down and use ai and ai-s manual focus lenses on my D200. Thanks for the tip on this one. :)


.
Ray, I think you'd enjoy it. I find I can use it as a long normal (60mm) on the D200 as a single carryaround unit when I want simplicity, or as a slightly wide normal (40mm) on the F3 or FM2.

Gene

[GeneW]

is there a "lens memory" function on the D200 in order to use non-CPU lenses just like on the F6?
As John said, you select the focal length and largest aperture from a non-CPU Lens menu, and it retains this info -- including adding focal length and aperture information to the EXIF data. Switch to an AF-S lens and the D200 automatically switches out of manual-lens mode. Put the same lens back on, even another day, and it uses the last settings you selected. Even when switching manual lenses, it 'remembers' the widest aperture you selected last time, so you need only reselect the focal length. Pretty decent way of handling manual lenses!

There is no 40mm focal length in the Nikon menu system, so I select 43mm as the nearest equivalent. When I see 43mm in the EXIF info I know I was using my 40mm Ultron.

Gene

[Sam2nd]

Hi all.
Do you know if my Summicron 50 f2 M can work on a 5D with an adapter?
Thanks.
Regards.

[GeneW]

Sam, I believe that Leica R lenses can be adapted for use on a 5D but to the best of my knowledge an M lens won't fit correctly and cannot focus to infinity. I believe I've seen adapters that will let you mount M lenses and use them for close in work.

Gene

[fgb2]

Just seeing this for the first time. How does the hood (which I think is bayonet-on) work with filters on the lens? I use a hood from the Nikon 45/2.8, which screws onto the filter ring or filter.

You enter the non-CPU lens information slightly differently on the F6 and D200. On the F6 you set up 10 lenses (focal length and max aperture) and choose between them, on the D200 you dial in focal length each time and it remembers the last max aperture you used at that FL. Both assume the non-CPU lens is the last one mounted unless you tell it differently. If you have more than 10 non-CPU lenses you will sometimes have to re-program a lens setting on the F6; if you have two lenses same focal length but different apertures (or 2 different lenses with same FL-aperture combination that you want to tell apart) the D200 has a little problem. But no big deal.

[kjoosten]

Just seeing this for the first time. How does the hood (which I think is bayonet-on) work with filters on the lens? I use a hood from the Nikon 45/2.8, which screws onto the filter ring or filter.


The hood bayonets onto the OUTSIDE of the filter ring, and is deep enough to accommodate a filter. A felt-lined push cap goes over everything.