Wow... < f/2 = EXPENSIVE
Jul 16, 2014 16:37:18 #
This is just an observation, not a rant, not a rave, not a wishlist (yet!).
Having returned to the passion of photography after a long "coma" of inactivity, I have quickly amassed a small set of gear: camera body, two tripods, flash, remote cable release, four lenses...
Ah, the lenses...
One the four I purchased is an AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G, which on my D7100 would equate to a "normal" 52mm walkaround lens. And it's nice, although I don't use it as much as I thought I might.
But I went through my old film gear and found that my two smaller lenses were both "fast:"
Rokkor 50mm f/1.4 & Soligor 28mm f/1.8 (both for a Minolta SRT-101)
No wonder I liked many of the low light pictures I shot!
Out of curiosity, I went to Adorama to see what _ANY_ Nikon lens with an f-stop of larger than f/2 would run.
Ouch!
So the lens I bought is relatively fast, but doesn't have the ED glass. No matter, at less than $200 it was a deal.
But mercy me, anything approaching quality glass with an aperture < f/2 is a wallet-busting extravaganza! I bought my old Minolta-mount lenses when I was a college student, and while they weren't cheap, they were affordable to someone on a college budget.
Times certainly have changed! I may someday have enough G.A.S. to want to acquire a 50mm f/1.2 Nikkor Ai-S Manual Focus lens for $700, or a 35mm f/1.4G AF-S Nikkor Lens for $1619. But not today!
Having returned to the passion of photography after a long "coma" of inactivity, I have quickly amassed a small set of gear: camera body, two tripods, flash, remote cable release, four lenses...
Ah, the lenses...
One the four I purchased is an AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G, which on my D7100 would equate to a "normal" 52mm walkaround lens. And it's nice, although I don't use it as much as I thought I might.
But I went through my old film gear and found that my two smaller lenses were both "fast:"
Rokkor 50mm f/1.4 & Soligor 28mm f/1.8 (both for a Minolta SRT-101)
No wonder I liked many of the low light pictures I shot!
Out of curiosity, I went to Adorama to see what _ANY_ Nikon lens with an f-stop of larger than f/2 would run.
Ouch!
So the lens I bought is relatively fast, but doesn't have the ED glass. No matter, at less than $200 it was a deal.
But mercy me, anything approaching quality glass with an aperture < f/2 is a wallet-busting extravaganza! I bought my old Minolta-mount lenses when I was a college student, and while they weren't cheap, they were affordable to someone on a college budget.
Times certainly have changed! I may someday have enough G.A.S. to want to acquire a 50mm f/1.2 Nikkor Ai-S Manual Focus lens for $700, or a 35mm f/1.4G AF-S Nikkor Lens for $1619. But not today!
Jul 16, 2014 16:43:35 #
Why not buy an adaptor and use your Minolta lens on your Nikon
Save a fortune
Save a fortune
Jul 16, 2014 16:50:16 #
creativ simon wrote:
Why not buy an adaptor and use your Minolta lens on your Nikon
Save a fortune
Save a fortune
To be honest, I never even thought of that. Are converters/adapters even made for this? What would I look for?
Jul 16, 2014 17:01:30 #
Just Fred wrote:
To be honest, I never even thought of that. Are converters/adapters even made for this? What would I look for?
A company here in England make nearly any adaptor you require
SRB GRITURN just had a look for you Nikon to Minolta md adaptor £45.00
Jul 16, 2014 17:03:05 #
Just Fred wrote:
To be honest, I never even thought of that. Are converters/adapters even made for this? What would I look for?
With simple adapters you will lose infinity focus and they will be manual aperture only.
Nikon's lens mounting flange to focal plane distance is deeper than most and without an optical correction lens, infinity focus will not be possible.
This is why you see Canon users with Nikon lenses and not the other way around.
The quality of that optical element will most likely degrade the image.
That being said, HERE is one adapter with that optical correction element, which is removable for macro work.
Jul 16, 2014 17:05:15 #
GoofyNewfie wrote:
With simple adapters you will lose infinity focus ... (show quote)
The adaptor I have mentioned has infinity focus but yes would be manual
Jul 16, 2014 17:08:59 #
Just Fred wrote:
Lens for $1619. But not today!
Lens for $1619. But not today!
Fred, just count your lucky stars that you're not into birds and you don't need any expensive lenses!! :lol:
SS
Jul 17, 2014 06:42:46 #
This month's Outdoor Photographer from a company that says it makes mounts for any lens camera combination, No longer have the mag so can't tell you who.
Jul 17, 2014 07:20:51 #
creativ simon wrote:
The adaptor I have mentioned has infinity focus but yes would be manual
If it has infinity focus it must use optics and this will reduce image quality.
Jul 17, 2014 07:34:49 #
kymarto wrote:
If it has infinity focus it must use optics and this will reduce image quality.
The gist of what I'm getting from this discussion is that while adapters could make these lenses fit my newer camera, the trade-off is that they would not longer give the kind of results that the purpose of doing so was intended.
Jul 17, 2014 07:46:42 #
kymarto wrote:
If it has infinity focus it must use optics and this will reduce image quality.
Not necessarily at all.
In the case of the Metabones Speedboosters the quality is at least as good as without and many reviewers report better IQ.
From my experience, I find this to be true of this particular adapter.
Jul 17, 2014 07:47:43 #
Just Fred wrote:
The gist of what I'm getting from this discussion is that while adapters could make these lenses fit my newer camera, the trade-off is that they would not longer give the kind of results that the purpose of doing so was intended.
Not necessarily.
Metabones makes an adapter that doesn't degrade the IQ...or even improves it.
I don't know if they have one that will work with your camera/lens but I know they work on mine (fuji mirrorless)
Mirrorless cameras are easy to adapt for because the distance from lens to sensor is very short, so just about any lens can be adapted.
DSLR's are a different animal. The distance to the sensor is large so your choices of adapted lenses are either nonexistent or small.
Jul 17, 2014 08:10:50 #
Been down that road before, many years ago... I wound up getting a mirrorless camera (Olympus Pen E-P3 with a VF-4 EFV) and adapters to be able to use my older Minolta, Konica, Yashica, Leica & Pentax M42 lenses again... Would have been nice to be able to just mount them to my Nikon DSLR's, but it wasn't worth the trade offs... I have several F1.4 lenses amongst them but no F1.2...
Jul 17, 2014 10:41:33 #
Look into used Nikon AI and AIS lenses and you will find some great bargains.
Yes, they are manual focus, but since you learned on a manual focus camera that shouldn't be an issue with you.
Just buy from a reputable dealer with a decent return policy and you can't go wrong.
Jerry
Yes, they are manual focus, but since you learned on a manual focus camera that shouldn't be an issue with you.
Just buy from a reputable dealer with a decent return policy and you can't go wrong.
Jerry
Jul 17, 2014 10:58:29 #
Just Fred wrote:
This is just an observation, not a rant, not a rav... (show quote)
As the aperture gets larger, so does the price. You have to decide if you want to pay that much for, maybe, one more stop. I don't.
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