Lets talk Nikon RF lens, the battle between 50 f2 and 50 f1.4

helen.HH

helen.HH

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well the muse in Me
needs to be Amused... A new kit perhaps, Nikon S2 in need of a 50mm

Loved the f2 in the past, never tried her fast sister f 1.4

Show me, Tell me who You prefer please...
 
The Nikon S2 with either 5cm lens is a sweet shooting experience. I've owned a number of different Nikkor SC 5cm lenses, but they have all been the f1.4 variety. Have longed to try an f2 version, but nothing has come my way (and now it would have to be in LTM as I sold my S2).

Here's one of mine, cropped to full pixel resolution from a Nikon Z6 (so I could remove any collimation or focus issues):

Close up:

Nikkor5cmf14WO.jpg

And at distance of 100 yards:

Nikkor5cmf14WOa.jpg

If you look at the center of the flower on the lower left (what I was focusing on), and at the Stop sign, it's not that they are not in focus, it's just the low contrast/glowy/flare makes them look soft.

The f1.4 is very low contrast/glowy wide open, but comes along nicely at f2 and is quite good by f2.8. But wide open, it can appear a bit soft, mainly because of the low contrast/glowy/flare. Not sure the f2 suffers the same wide open, and not sure if the f2 is better wide open than the f1.4 is stopped down to f2.

Would love to see a side by side comparison, with two lenses that were properly collimated (if the f1.4 is out of collimation, it can be real soft wide open).

Best,
-Tim
 
I have an 1.4 but I went with Erik's suggestion to a VC Color skopar 50 2.5 SC. Can use on my contax and my S2 or S3. the rendering is good. I'm anxious to find an adapter for the skopar to F mount D750
 
hap said:
I have an 1.4 but I went with Erik's suggestion to a VC Color skopar 50 2.5 SC. Can use on my contax and my S2 or S3. the rendering is good. I'm anxious to find an adapter for the skopar to F mount D750
Click to expand...

ha, so 'hap' You have turned traitor on the nikkor girls and gone skopar...Giggles

In all seriousness the Skopar renders beautifully, a solid work horse too ~
 
The Nikkor 5cm F2 is smoother than the 5cm F1.4.

BUT

nikki-chinese-rest-4a.jpg


My Favorite lens on the Nikon S2 is the Zeiss Opton 50mm F1.5, 10 minute job to use the variable stand-off ring to correct the focus for the Nikon. Back it out 1/2 turn.
 
helenhill said:
well the muse in Me
needs to be Amused... A new kit perhaps, Nikon S2 in need of a 50mm

Loved the f2 in the past, never tried her fast sister f 1.4

Show me, Tell me who You prefer please...
Click to expand...

Um, Helen, didn’t I buy a Nikkor-S 5cm f1.4, with an Amedeo adapter, from you? It’s a stellar lens, btw.
 
So I have the Nikkor-H.C. 5cm f2.0 in LTM mount and the Nikkor-S 5cm f1.4 in S-mount. Regarding the former, it’s a steller lens and using it on a digital camera with live view makes it possible to take advantage of its close-focusing ability. As to the f1.4, I agree with Tim’s comment that it’s soft wide open (dreamy, perhaps), but sharpens noticeably by f.2.

Some sample images:

Nikkor-H.C. 5cm f2.0:

Chevy by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Grandma’s hands... by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Nikkor-S 5cm f1.4:

Pandemic Gothic by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

The Bathers by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Martinez, CA by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr
 
So to get to Helen’s question (and I’m very glad she started this thread): I think on balance I prefer the f.2 Nikkor, although the f1.4 has its charms. But wide open I don’t think the f1.4 is as “good” as either the Zeiss Opton Sonnar 5cm f1.5 or the Canon 50mm f1.5 wide open; the Zeiss and the Canon appear to me to be sharper wide open. But how often do I shoot these fast 50s wide open? In truth, not that often. I’m more of a street/landscape photographer than a portrait shooter, so am much more likely to shoot at f2.0 or 2.8 if I want some subject-background separation and bokeh. Shooting the Nikkor-S 5cm f1.4 stopped down a bit makes it a very sharp lens and quite good on a Nikon S2. I’m shooting the f1.4 more these days to get a better sense of it, and with adapters I can now use the lens on Leica M-mount and LTM camera bodies as well as on the Nikon S2. The Nikkor-HC 5cm 2.0 is really versatile and I think it’s more usable wide open than the f1.4, and you still get some of the Sonnar-design falloff from the center of the frame that I like in other Sonnar-style lenses. I don’t know whether the S-mount version of this lens has the close focus ability of the LTM version though. There’s a thread in the Nikon RF forum devoted to this lens, with lots and lots of sample pictures. Bottom line, for me, is that the f2.0 version, at least in LTM, checks more boxes than does the f1.4.
 
I'm a longtime Nikkor 5cm f1.4 shooter in LTM. It is one of those rare lenses I will never sell. Originally started with the f2 and when I got the 1.4 I made an unscientific comparison before deciding to sell the f2. Aperture-for-aperture the two lenses were indistinguishable in terms of sharpness and bokeh (B/W film). Of course the f2 lacks that extra special glow @ 1.4! I'll see if I can dig up some of those scans
 
I’lll make a little mischief for Helen, and suggest she take a look at the Zeiss Opton Sonnar 5cm f2.0 for her S2. That is one amazing optic! It has a pop and clarity to it that is particularly beautiful with color film. And unless you’re shooting wide open and up close, you shouldn’t have focusing issues with it on the S2. And I suspect it sells for less than its f1.5 Zeiss Sonnar cousin.
 
Looking back at these it appears my copy of the F2 was a little bit lower in contrast. I don't remember if that was part of what led me to keep the f1.4 but it probably was. I do remember both lenses were near perfect examples, no haze, fungus, scratches etc. and both were late (black rim) versions

nikkorHC-comp002.jpg nikkorSC-comp001.jpg nikkorHC-comp007.jpg nikkorSC-comp008.jpg nikkorHC-comp026.jpg nikkorSC-comp025.jpg nikkorHC-comp006.jpg nikkorSC-comp005.jpg
 
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