Have FM3A ... but where to for a couple of lenses?

[Keith]

The plot thickens .... many posts ago 'jarski' suggested checking out the Zeiss lenses which I did and noticed a 50mm f1.4 Planar was not over the top price wise and it got me thinking because I tend to use 50mm on an SLR ninety percent of the time and could certainly get by with just such a lens for quite a while!

Well 'jarski' bless his soul has done it again and sent me a PM with a heads up for a very reasonably priced near mint used 50mm f1.4 Planar he spotted at Matsuiya Store ... the rest is history and the lens should be here some time next week! 😱


I've also worked out how to justify all this gas now and have told/convinced myself that in effect I've actually saved a lot of money:

A new Nikon FM3A when available was around $500.00 ... I paid $300.00 for mine thus a saving of $200.00

A new Zeiss 50mm f1.4 Planar ZF has a suggested retail from the manufacturer of $870.00 ... I paid $470.00 for a near mint used one from Matsuiya thus a saving of $400.00

That's a total of six hundred dollars I've saved in just a couple of days ... my mother would be proud of me!

GAS is no problem here! 😱

 

[italy74]

Keith,
if you can, I really hope you can enjoy it !

 

[italy74]

I meant to say the other day ... that's a great shot Dino.

What a beast the F6 looks next to the FM3A! 😛

Keith,
did you note the "real" strange of such shot? Without knowing it, I put my head just aside a stone where the word "KISS" (I guess the music band) is written... It looks like I'm saying "kiss" in a comics balloon....

 

[Keith]

Keith,
did you note the "real" strange of such shot? Without knowing it, I put my head just aside a stone where the word "KISS" (I guess the music band) is written... It looks like I'm saying "kiss" in a comics balloon....

I did notice that and it was one more thing that really made the photo for me! 😀

 

[kshapero]

I own the :
Nikkor pre AI 50/1.4
Nikkor pre AI 50/2
CV 40/2
Nikkor AIS 50/1.4
Nikkor AIS 50/1.2
Nikkor AFD 50/1.4

Best of the bunch for sharpness and all around joy to use? Nikkor Pre AI 50/2 and close second the CV. BTW John White and Pete Smith in the States have been doing AI conversions for a thousand years, Pre AI lens do not work on the FM3A

Tricked with a mini softrelease, A&A cloth strap and the CV lens

 

[italy74]

Keith
another lust for you: 105 F/2.5 AI (or AI-S, equally fine but with integrated hood)

All wide open, untouched, straight out of D700

1) focus on Pinocchio's eyes

1/45s - handheld - focus on the two elephants

3) Focus on the little white church with red roof

4) focus on Baby Jesus

5) focus on the star tip pointing toward me

 

[jarski]

good photos with the FM3A & Planar! would have got the lens myself but money is an "issue" right now.

even though dont have afford right now, I keep "window shopping" some eBay stores like Matsuiya Store regularly (quite often to be honest) 😛

 

[kshapero]

keep looking,the FM3A has it all.

 

[jonmanjiro]

The plot thickens .... many posts ago 'jarski' suggested checking out the Zeiss lenses which I did and noticed a 50mm f1.4 Planar was not over the top price wise and it got me thinking because I tend to use 50mm on an SLR ninety percent of the time and could certainly get by with just such a lens for quite a while!

Well 'jarski' bless his soul has done it again and sent me a PM with a heads up for a very reasonably priced near mint used 50mm f1.4 Planar he spotted at Matsuiya Store ... the rest is history and the lens should be here some time next week! 😱


I've also worked out how to justify all this gas now and have told/convinced myself that in effect I've actually saved a lot of money:

A new Nikon FM3A when available was around $500.00 ... I paid $300.00 for mine thus a saving of $200.00

A new Zeiss 50mm f1.4 Planar ZF has a suggested retail from the manufacturer of $870.00 ... I paid $470.00 for a near mint used one from Matsuiya thus a saving of $400.00

That's a total of six hundred dollars I've saved in just a couple of days ... my mother would be proud of me!

GAS is no problem here! 😱

Congrats on the ZF 50, Keith! That's a good price.

While my old man would probably say something along the lines of "go broke saving money", I cannot fault your logic for your "saving" of $600. I use similar logic all the time 😀

 

[Keith]

Matsuiya has done OK out of me ... my Ikon, a 50mm hexanon and now this Zeiss planar.

Noriaki is a delight to deal with and when jarski PM'd me that he had a lens in stock the result was a foregone conclusion! 😛

It's interesting what you were saying about the Planar and how you prefered the Nikon ultimately. Soon as you described what you prefered about the Nikon I knew I would like the Zeiss better ... it's good that we all seem to have such different tastes in lenses here and it's not always about sharpness or OOF ... it's the 'look!'

Not sure what to do about a 35mm though ... the Zeiss is damned expensive in that focal length!

 

[Tuolumne]

I started with an FM3a kit, including the beautiful 45mm kit lens, around 2005. I discovered this site, caught GAS, and built up a massive RF collection, while adding fast Nikon glass to the FM3a kit. I probably should have just stopped where I started. I've sold everything and now mostly use my Leica Digilux-4, with a Lumix G1 on occasion. I don't think I'll ever go back to film. Just too much of a hassle to develop and scan compared to digital. In the quest for perfection, we frequently end up were we started.

/T

 

[novum]

The 105mm 2.5 is a must have. If you get the 50mm f/1.2 bug, go with an AIs, though. Expensive, but the best of the breed.

This is solid advice. Both lenses are special, including the 50/1.2 AiS, contrary to what I've read on occasion elsewhere--including this thread! It renders beautifully and it sure is handy in a wide range of situations.

 

[gavinlg]

The plot thickens .... many posts ago 'jarski' suggested checking out the Zeiss lenses which I did and noticed a 50mm f1.4 Planar was not over the top price wise and it got me thinking because I tend to use 50mm on an SLR ninety percent of the time and could certainly get by with just such a lens for quite a while!

Well 'jarski' bless his soul has done it again and sent me a PM with a heads up for a very reasonably priced near mint used 50mm f1.4 Planar he spotted at Matsuiya Store ... the rest is history and the lens should be here some time next week! 😱


I've also worked out how to justify all this gas now and have told/convinced myself that in effect I've actually saved a lot of money:

A new Nikon FM3A when available was around $500.00 ... I paid $300.00 for mine thus a saving of $200.00

A new Zeiss 50mm f1.4 Planar ZF has a suggested retail from the manufacturer of $870.00 ... I paid $470.00 for a near mint used one from Matsuiya thus a saving of $400.00

That's a total of six hundred dollars I've saved in just a couple of days ... my mother would be proud of me!

GAS is no problem here! 😱

Very sweet price on that ZF 50mm. I'd be curious to hear how you like it. My copy was so extremely sharp at around f2.8-5.6 I Think you'll enjoy it's character.

 

[bradfordco]

Nikon FM3a is hot, I like it with my Zeiss 85mm you've got a great camera their!