February is Tom A's Nikon Rf Month :-)

[Tom A]

I am on board, too: used one of my chrome S2 bodies with Nikkor-S.C 5cm/1.4 this past weekend, searching out sun through grey skies. A delight to advance the film, nice feel. Will load up my other S2 and attach the C/V 25 tonight. Then (trumpets blare) I plan to use my SP and S3. This is a big deal for me, as I have owned the SP since 1992 (purchased at NHS Convention in Seattle) and the S3 since 2003 and never put film through them. Yes, it is true, for I have put these on the collectibles shelf in my heart and mind. But leave it to Tom A. to inspire me to use these things. In fact, I am psyched to see results of the SP with the 35 f1.8 and 105 f4 lenses. Thanks to all for the inspiration. Is that dust I see on my MP and M3?

Hello Bob,
So glad you are on board, too. You know I never was a collector, just a user. Mint cameras do make me nervous and that first scratch gets you. I prefer mine "seasoned" 🙂and with scars from using them. As I was a photographer for many years keeping the equipment working was importatnt, looks were less so. This is probably why I have resisted the SP 2005. I tend to have 2-3 bodies in my bag and no padding as that makes it bulky.

When I picked up the black S3 Millenium in Tokyo, I unpacked it and gave the case and boxes to the dealer and asked for a strap instead. Then I did proceed to load it and shoot a quick roll while he watched it depreciate...

Looking forward to seeing your & everybody else's shots!
Some of my stuff so far should be in the FLICKR-site below -just learning to do this.

 

[VinceC]

Nothing special here, but am attaching a 21/4.5 Biogon shot from my daughter's 9th birthday (she's an athlete but decided she wanted something frilly, so they played a "poise and charm" game where they took turns seeing how far they could walk with a book balanced on their heads).

Also a shot from the 28/6 Orion-15 ... it was night, so I had to use flash. I bought most of my gear where I was a working photographer, and is the only lens I ever bought just because it seemed cool. I used to carry it on vacations because it effectively has no weight. But once I traded a chrome-barrel W-Nikkor 2.8cm f/3.5 for a black barrel version, this has pretty much sat on the shelf unused (the black Nikkor 2.8cm also is extremely light weight and, unlike the Orion, is RF coupled).

 

[Vickko]

Tom, great to hear from you.

I'm shooting Nikon RF lenses on my newly acquired RD1 and a Hong Kong adapter. The RD1 viewfinder is not my favourite, but it is better than the Nikon RF focus spot. Six of one and half-a-dozen of the other is my opinion of the RD1 viewfinder vs the Nikon RF.

Otherwise having great fun with the camera, and my son likes the instant feedback (i.e. chimping).

Vick

 

[VinceC]

I haven't been able to take snow pictures this time around. I've had meetings at work that wouldn't cancel for the snowstorm.

Now I've got to figure out which Nikon RF to use for this weekend's February snowstorm luau that my wife has planned.

 

[Tom A]

Also a shot from the 28/6 Orion-15 ... it was night, so I had to use flash. I bought most of my gear where I was a working photographer, and is the only lens I ever bought just because it seemed cool. I used to carry it on vacations because it effectively has no weight. But once I traded a chrome-barrel W-Nikkor 2.8cm f/3.5 for a black barrel version, this has pretty much sat on the shelf unused (the black Nikkor 2.8cm also is extremely light weight and, unlike the Orion, is RF coupled).[/QUOTE]

Vince, I have the Orion 28/6 in Leica screw-mount. Unfortunatly it suffers from typical Russian sticky barrel so I haven't used it much. The Kiev/S mount is one that I haven't tried. The USSSR 35/2,8 in Kiev mount works quite well on my Nikon RF's and considering that it was given to me, the price was right!. It will be put through its paces in the next couple of days in my February Nikon Rf month project.

 

[VinceC]

No sticky barrel with the Kiev-mount Orion. It has no RF coupling and so is one of the few Nikon/Contax/Kiev lenses with a short focus throw. Minimum focus is still 1 meter. It's main advantages that is it essentially has no weight, and it's extremely small, like a pancake lens.

 

[Tom A]

Hi!

Today was one of those days that makes Vancouverites long for sunny latitudes!

It poured down rain the whole day! Even a quick walk in downtown soaked both the S2 and the S3 (and me).

I did finish the roll with the 50/1,5 - mostly at 1,5 and 1/60 or 125! It was that grim.

The S2 with the 35/2,8 prewar Biogon got halfway finished - "Through the windshield gloomily".

Being an eternal optimist I still loaded another body and lets see if the heavens run out of water tomorrow...

S2 with 1/2 roll left and the Biogon 35/2,8, S3 with a 50/2 Zeiss-Opton and another S2 with the chrome Nikkor 50/2. I keep thinking that I will soon run out of 50's to shoot with, but I still have at least three left after this.

Still baffled by the flare on my post-war 35/2,8 T* Biogon. Not consistent, but I start suspecting a corner seal. Upper left hand so it could be covered when I hold the camera and only leak when I leave it on my shoulder.

 

[VinceC]

Here's a better photo from the Orion 28/6 last summer, taken with my SP. I bought this lens at a swap meet in Germany in 1991, when interesting stuff was flooding out of the Soviet Union (the Soviet Union still existed then, at least for a few more months). I can't remember, but I probably paid about 120 marks for it, a little less than $100. It was the only one I've ever seen. Serial number is 7100017, and nearly all the pictures I've seen of Orion lenses show very low serial numbers, so they must have had short runs every year.

 

[Tom A]

Good Morning,

I tried to post today's set-up last night but for some reason I could not access Rf forum.

Here they are, the black S2 with a Biogon 21/4,5 and its rather crummy finder. There is a cracked center element and lots of dirt, but it works. The S3 Mill/Chrome sports the 50/2 in chrome.

I am doing a test on the three 50/2's that I have just to see if my "fuzzy" one is a one-off.

Weather seems to be co-operating so I will take my 12/5,6 along on another crome S2 and see if I can finish that film today too,

I did run another 5 rolls last night and will post these on the Flickr site tonight. The S4 locked up yesterday so it has to be serviced. The advance would not do it properly and rather than trying to fiddle with it, I will take it to Horst for service this weekend and see if he can do a quick job on it. I need it for the 105/2,5 next week.

 

[rover]

Just wondering, what is March?

 

[MikeL]

Just wondering, what is March?

Obviously rover, March is Nikon Scanner Month for dealing with everything shot in February. 😉

 

[bobkonos]

I propose that March is "One camera, one lens month." Pick a body, pick a lens, never the two shall separate for the month of March. Thoughts?

 

[VinceC]

I can't do it. I change lenses too often.

 

[Tom A]

Good Evening,

Today the weather co-operated for a while and we went down to Vancouver's "Yaletown" area and the massive condo-conglomeration that sprouted on the old Expo-86 site.

Most of these buildings were developed by a Hong Kong developer and locals here in Vancouver has christened it "Hongouver".

The 12/5,6 can fit even substantial towers onto the negative and when it was too wide I went with the Biogon 21/4,5. The 50/2 became the super-tele of the day.

Optimism made me load up the kit for tomorrow; the black SP with a 85/2, a chrome S2 with a 21/4 VC and a matching "fake" 21 Nikkor finder, the black S2 with the late version 35/3,5 and the camera that started it all. A Nikon S with the 3rd of my 50/2's on it. This camera was given to me by Shintaro in the late 90's and neither he nor I thought that I would get hooked on the " backwards" turning Nikons!

I did load another 20+ shots on to the flickr site

www.flickr.com/photos/rapidwinder/

from yesterday's shoot. Reading about Vince's experiences with the Jupiter 35/2,8 I shot a roll with that too. Not a bad lens at all!

 

[NIKON KIU]

Hi Tom,
I am glad to have you posting in the Nikon forum this month,you have turned the tide, I see Nikon forum being read more than ever before. I might add rhat having Brian around and posting as usual is the "icing on the cake".
I look forward to reading your daily posts,keep it up....I know I speak for more than myself.
I know you are visiting Japan early next month,do you think you can find the time to post a thread of your little venture there?
Regards,
Kiu

 

[back alley]

and here i thought my buying a nikon had turned that tide!

😉

 

[NIKON KIU]

and here i thought my buying a nikon had turned that tide!

😉

Are you kidding me? u were easy,it took me less than a year...Jorge represents the real challenge.😀 and he is next!!

Kiu

 

[back alley]

Are you kidding me? u were easy,it took me less than a year...Jorge represents the real challenge.😀 and he is next!!

Kiu

i feel so cheap...😉

 

[Tom A]

Good Evening,

Today I finished the rolls with the 85/2, the late 35/3,5, 21/4VC, the 50/2 on the S and the R2S with the Nokton 50/1,5. Busy day obviously! The black SP's rangefinder patch is not ideal for the 85/2 so I will do another roll with that on the R2S.

For tomorrow the eternal optimist in me loaded the R2S with the Apo-Lanthar 85/3,5, a S2 with the 50/3,5 Heliar and the S3 /Rapidwinder with the 35/1,2 Nokton.

If it will be dark and grey, it'll be the 35/1,2 who gets most of the work. If the rain stays away, I will put the 50/3,5 and the A-L 85/3,5 through its paces.

This will be a day with two proto-types going.

The 50/3,5 is the original prototype for the 50/3,5 Heliar for thr NHS R2S. Mr Kobayashi gave it to me after I solved the problem of how he could make another batch of Heliars, without depreciating the collapsible version that comes on the Bessa-T.

It is an astounding lens, most likely the sharpest 50 that I have. It will even give the 50/1,4 Asph a good fight. A bit slow, but compact and the quality of the image is different from anything else. There is a "roundness" to it that other lenses lack.

The 35/1,2 was an experiment. We were talking about what lenses the Nikon system lacked and the only one we could come up with was an ultra-fast 35. He made initially one only and gave it to me as a present. Later on he made a couple f more, but the world supply can be counted on the fingers of one hand!

Souped yesterday's rolls today - boy that 12 is wide! I keep forgetting just how much it takes in. If time allows me tomorrow I will put some more stuff on our Flickr-site (in the footer).
__________________

 

[NIKON KIU]

The 53/1,2 was an experiment. We were talking about what lenses the Nikon system lacked and the only one we could come up with was an ultra-fast 35. He made initially one only and gave it to me as a present. Later on he made a couple f more, but the world supply can be counted on the fingers of one hand!


__________________
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rapidwinder/

Now I got you talking!!
53mm F1.2?? in Nikon RF mount?
I WANT SOME PICTURES(crying and begging).

Kiu