AF Nikkor 20-35mm f2.8 D

    

Fast acquisition, grabbed the camera going 50 mph, quick, fast, sharp

AF Nikkor 20-35mm f2.8 D
s/n: 208631

Another Crinkle Finish Lens in my quiver! That’s right, the AF Nikkor 20-35mm f2.8 D. I secured it for wide angle duties. I have a AF-S Nikkor 14-24 f2.8 G ED FX if I want to go to wider zoom. The G stands for gelded, or aperture ring removed, electronic aperture control only to save on production costs. The D stands for Distance as in focus and flash info. As far as G lenses go, the 14-24 and the AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 G ED VR FX are probably the only two gelded lenses I’m going to keep. Not that I enjoy selling even more of my quiver but what I’ve already collected has helped me learn. I know enough now about how I want to set up my kit. I do enjoy the acquisition of a new lens, yet I’m not a big fan of too many choices. I want the Goldilocks kit, just right.

While some restrict theirselves to primes, I don’t. Maybe someday, I don’t think that day will come. I do have a favorite prime yet I really enjoy having a few primes wrapped in one lens. Don’t like a zoom? Keep it at one focal length. It’s not the same? Great, neither are the pictures I take. I spend far too much time worrying about things that don’t matter. In this case, the crinkle series of lenses are a mixture of zoom and prime. I am an advanced amateur photographer and I blog about my experiences for me. Writing this is a self reflection, a photo diary so to speak. I’m tracking my progress, doing things my way yet I’m not going rogue or breaking any rules. I like what I like and I like the crinkle lens type.

The 20-35mm f2.8 is a familiar focal range. I’ve done quite a bit of street photography with a Nikkor 20mm f2.8 AIS and some landscapes with the Nikkor 35mm f1.4 AIS. Both are great lenses. Now I have a that I can pack in both with a bit of creative license. The AF 20-35mm f2.8 D has a great history according to Ken Rockwell. We have passed a few e-mails reflecting on our web sites. His web site. which is very much like my style of blog is crazy just as he has said. The big difference is his web site is commercial whereas mine is not. We started doing this at just about the same time and his information is excellent. Of course, he has an opinion, as I do. He is an innovator and he also writes well. Much of what he writes has helped me with my own journey. His advice hits and where he misses? He doesn’t. I like a couple of lenses that he does not. I still own one because it is compact and I like what I produce with it but two of the three I have are actually on the chopping block. I use his work as a guide, a solid honest body of work that I respect. I typically include his links as a resource, I suggest a look if you are considering this lens for use.

With all that being said, I bought mine from the original online auction house choosing a Japanese seller. Ken also gives great advice on how to acquire equipment and save money. I chose this lens for the lack of wear in the pictures, the complete accessory kit (filter, caps and hood) but also the 100% rating. My experience is even if the lens arrives with less than a perfect description, the seller will do what he can to earn your rating or return the item. I’ve had a few bad experiences made good by following advice when purchasing online. Bad descriptions, bad photos, poor performance. But for the most part, I end up with what I wanted and am able to use without compromise or complaint.

The AF 20-35mm f2.8 D has been no exception to that yet it is an exceptional lens.

       

Resources

Ken Rockwell - AF Nikkor 20-35mm f2.8 D

camera | lens | film | flash

Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f8 N

Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f8 N

s/n:

This is the second one that I’ve owned, I had the C version, the Nikon Reflex-Nikkor • C 500mm f/8 previously yet in a move to change the way I build my photography kit, I chose to sell it. I instantly regretted the decision. I did not realize just how much I enjoyed owning this lens. I own the Nikon Lens Scope Converter which basically turns this lens into a telescope. I use the two together more as a spotting scope than a night time telescope.

This weekend, I decided to try using it to obtain protected petroglyphs at Tempe Butte, an old Hohokam Pueblo on the butte right next to ASU Stadium. 

This is a really compact 500mm lens, much smaller than the 500mm C. It has to aperture but is in the configuration of a reflecting telescope like the basic structure of the Hubble space telescope. The depth of field is thin making the chances of getting a sharp, in focus image sort of difficult. Out of the three dozen shots that I took with it, I only got a handful of images that were totally in focus due to the relatively thin depth of field.

I’m going to include the Rexlex C below to help others in keeping the search for these two lenses simple.

D780 - Hand Held

Resources 

Ken Rockwell Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f8 N

camera | lens | film | flash

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Nikon Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f8 Telephoto Lens

s/n 541859

It’s a little telescope! A reflecting telescope much like the basic structure of the Hubble space telescope. I have read up a little about it, particularly the links below and decided to look for one. I found mine on eBay, cheap. I am primarily going to use it as a telescope, but I have to purchase a Nikon Lens Scope Converter first. 

I’ve read the details on this lens, it uses mirrors, does not have an aperture, slow at f8, donut bokeh, hard to focus but fun!

I bought this for fun and because of the mirror construction. Also, it was inexpensive and complete with all the filters included, which I will never use.

The Reflex-Nikkor 500 C has a tripod mount which I’ll use quite a bit. Also, astrophotography is in my future and a tracker will be in my quiver as well.

In a nutshell, I don’t need this lens, I want it so that I know what it is and use it myself to understand it’s function and construction.

I cleaned it, checked reliable resources to know it is compatible with my cameras.

I put in the non-CPU lens data in my D780 and took a picture (below) to see if I can get anything out of it. I will try to use the live view with magnification or focus peaking. It has a thin depth of field and the focus is tough to nail.

But it’s cool!

…and fun.

I’ll add in more photographs as I take them here.

  

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Resources

HoaiPhai: Nikon Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f8

Edward Dozier: Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f8

Ken Rockwell: Reflex-Nikkor • C 500mm f8 - Nikon Lens Scope Converter

Tai Shimizu: Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f8

MIR: Reflex-Nikkor C 500mm f8

Nikkor - The Thousand and One Nights No.13

Reflex-NIKKOR C 1:8 500mm

First image with the Nikon Reflex - Nikkor C 500mm f8 ~ handheld 

camera | lens | film | flash

SmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod AP-10

I used my SmallRig Carbon Fiber AP-10 today for shooting with the Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f8 N

 

I’m a pretty big fan of tripods. However, they are a bit of a hassle. My favorites are old school aluminum tripods like my Tiltall which use mostly at home or for family photo shoots in the wild. The SmallRig Carbon Fiber AP-10 is nice, lightweight and easy to carry. I can stuff it in my water bottle holder of my backpack or leave it partially extended and carry it over my shoulder or even in hand. I use it for my Mamiya 645 1000s leaving the last section of the sticks not deployed to give me the waist level height I want.

It can be converted to a monopod but I haven’t done that yet. If I need a monopod, I use my Tiltall. I’ll check it out tomorrow and include it here if that is an option I will use in the future.

I’ve used the SmallRig on some hike in projects like the trek to the Mother of Game petroglyph panel. It’s super light and as far as photography equipment goes, the weight of it is worth its attributes to carry it in.

On any account, it was time that I give it some press as I am using it more and more. It’s the first tripod that I’m using with the Arcus style adapter plate. I need to source an additional one as sometimes I use two cameras in the field and I do not like screwing around moving the plate to each camera. I contacted SmallRig and they said it wasn’t something they could sell me separately because off the inexpensiveness but the tariffs making it too expensive to ship. They indicated that I should just source a Arcus style plate locally.

SmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod AP-10

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KJ7UCP My Ham Radio Web Site

I am a licensed radio operator and I used to bounce radio waves through the ISS to talk to others far away on the globe. I used different tripods for my antennas usually sourcing them through the auction sites on the internet. Unrelated to my usage of the carbon fiber SmallRig but just for fun is my ham radio site. I no longer maintain yet my love of old aluminum tripods pods is reflected there…

        

Sekonic L398A Light Meter

The Sekonic L398A light meter

No batteries, old school manual dial f.stop and shutter speed calculated light meter. It’s almost too easy to use. I’m on the first roll of 120 film in my Mamiya M645 1000s. The pace of taking light meter readings and dialing in the aperture and shutter speed on your camera becomes a slow and methodical process. I hate to even say but using a light meter makes me a photographer. 

Pointing a telephone camera and freezing a scene really isn’t my idea of photographic knowledge.

Using an external light meter and operating a camera without an internal light meter that adjusts the aperture and shutter speed, framing the picture and focusing the scene, that’s my solid definition of a photographer. At that point you understand just what makes a photograph.

Developing your own film that takes you to the next level.

Selling your photographs that you have manually produced, you are a professional photographer.

A guy that takes pictures, manipulates the digital image in a computer and sends it to the printer to sell, or takes orders from a client to produce photographs? 

I’m not really sure where I’m going with this but to me, that’s sort of a photograph producer manipulating digital files with a computer. I love my D780 and the processor in it that produces my images. It’s an amazing camera.

I also enjoy film and the processor of producing photographs on film.

Ansel Adams is a photographer. 

No disrespect to any professional photographer, none intended or implied.

I’m just learning about my equipment, what it does, how it affects what I do. The process of learning is my reward as well as the photographs I produce. 

My light meter is going with me.

I’m going to meter my photos and manually adjust my camera settings on the Mamiya 645 1000s.

I want to learn more about light and the effects on film.

I want to be a good photographer.

My second metered photograph, Portra 160

Resources

Purchase: Sekonic L-398A STUDIO DELUXE III

Tutorial: Sekonic Studio Deluxe L 398A

HOW TO Awesome: Sekonic 398. Perfect budget Light Meter, Training Tool & Exposure Learning

camera | lens | film | flash