W/NW: W-Nikkor 3.5cm F1.8 - Bokeh

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VinceC

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I love this lens, but the out of focus effects are not to everyone's taste. I spend most of the time shooting it at 1.8 or f/2 in difficult lighting. When the light is stronger, I switch to the 2.8cm F3.5

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Vince,

I have the LTM version of this lens and LOVE it -- I don't get the same sort of OOF look as you show here - but then again, I haven't shot color with mine. I'll have to give it a spin and see. I love the bokeh from my lens - it has such a vintage feel to it...

bob
 
Bob,

I shot this lens for years without thinking much of bokeh, then saw out-of-focus as an occasional topic of discussion on this forum. The first two pictures are from an exceptionally busy background.
 
Vince -- yep -- I agree -- it's an amazing lens. I wanted one for years -- my wife bought me one for my 50th birthday - and I love it -- it's a great compliment to the Nikkor 5cm f/1.4 -- both of which I have in LTM.
 
Haven't been using it much, but when I did, the out-of-focus areas were pleasingly rendered.
Maybe I need to stress it with some point sources in the background.

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Point sources are the killer. Otherwise, it rivals those "king of bokeh" lenses.

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Things smooth out at f2, I've found:

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Great thread and I can confirm the general behavior; reminds me that I haven't used the lens enough. Mike, what film ?

Thanks,

Roland.
 
Finished a roll of film off today by taking a few bokeh shots with this lens (2005 version). Here's some of them:

A Ginza backstreet
f2 @1/1000
Focus is on the kanji character on the right side (at the top of the pole on the left)
Focus distance is about 0.9m
3359805342_d6218521ac_o.jpg


A Ginza backstreet
f2 @ 1/1000
Focus is on the metal hook
Focus distance is 0.9m
3359807152_1d4032c74c_o.jpg


On the train @ Yurakucho Station
f2 @ 1/125
Focus is second closest righthand side hand grip
Focus distance is about 0.9m
3358989329_7f3d199020_o.jpg
 
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I came close to buying one back when the Erenreich Photo Optical Company (the importer of Nikon years ago) was closing out their stock of the discontinued line of LTM Nikkor lenses. The $89.95 price was tempting but I preferred the smoother look of pictures made with the 35/1.8 Canon. Today we call it good bokeh. At the time I was quite happy with the rendition from my 50/1.4 and 85/2 Nikkors. I still use an 85/2 and regret having sold the 50/1.4.

Thinking back at it, I'm amazed at the amount of time and money I spent chasing the ultimate lens, but in the end it's all about content, composition, lighting, and timing. The good pictures would have been good with a different lens and no lens could have saved the bad ones.
 
Vintage W-Nikkor 3.5cm/1.8 at wide open on Bessa R2S. Shot with Reala 100.
Location Café Sali, Rauma, FI.



Not a bokeh shot, but might interest you, too. Tech specks same as above:

 
Some vintage version W-Nikkor 3.5cm/1.8 shots more. This time with Nikon S2 & CV 35/28 minifinder combo.
Film: Fuji Neopan 1600 "Super Presto" at 800ASA (developed in Ilford Ilfosol 3, 1+9, 20C, 5min). Cheers! 🙂







Edit:
Both shots were taken with 1/15s shutter speed hand held.
 
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