March 2017 Nikon RF Month

Today the turn of the Nikkor P 8.5cm f2. A bit of a beast 100g heavier than the 13.5 cm from yesterday, but faster of course. It's not a lens to carry around "just in case". Robert calls it 15oz 435g in both the new book and previous for the first series then 13ozs 377g for the later, looks like an error was carried forward it is 477g 17ozs in my later version, all chrome marked in feet maybe a typo but he states "still relatively heavy at 13 ounces" my serial is 296031 with f32 stop.
It was said elsewhere Nikon never made a bad 85mm and that is true, was overshadowed by the 105mm later but was one of the first lenses for the rangefinder and the glass stayed unchanged.
Enough, make with the shots!!
Posted a bit big yesterday, sorry.

Torso in the window

33299835635_c87398daac_c.jpg


Sleepers

32485114063_fb238497bc_c.jpg


It's Kentmere 400/Pyrocat HD again on the SP.
 
Just a couple more from the 85mm f2, the "Sleepers" one earlier made Explore on Flickr, always surprises me which of mine are "chosen" never the ones I think, must be a poor editor of my material.

The corner windows
The 85mm does allow some subject isolation and cropping.

33190413701_9d2d4f4d20_z.jpg


Six Pints Today

Could have been on any lens really, but at f4 you get better subject isolation than the same from a 35mm or 50mm. And yes Iv'e seen the theory and proof that by moving your viewpoint and adjusting f stop you can match the shot with several lenses of varying focal length, but life is short and slapping a long lens on is a quick fix.

32935625350_0ecff72f63_z.jpg
 
The second of the 50mm lenses, this a 5cm f1.4 in chrome 351443, and for comparison being internal mounting the weight loss is dramatic 153g.
Nikon made literally thousands of these and it used to be almost impossible to buy a rangefinder body without a lens attached I see now that is not so much the case, not that we see a lot here in the UK. Still on Kentmere with PyrocatHD, I have moved on with films and will run some in HC110 I am just having a spell of one shot developers thinking about trying replenished XTOL. I have used stock quite a bit and 1:1 but never run a replenished batch there is an interesting document by Ilford on replenishment aimed at deep tank and machines but it explains the principles for the curious, quote below but more at the link.

PROCESSING WITH REPLENISHED DEVELOPER
The effect of use on a replenished developer system The reaction that takes place during the film development releases by-products (halides) into the developer, uses up developing agents and changes the developers pH. These combine to reduce the activity of the developer and without replenishment the developer gradually ceases to function adequately and eventually becomes exhausted.
Replenishment has two key functions. It replaces the active ingredients used during development and dilutes the by-products that have been formed. A replenished developer is said to be fully “seasoned” when the addition of the replenisher compensates exactly for the new by-products produced by development. At this point the concentration of halides and active ingredients have reached an equilibrium or steady state. It is maintaining this equilibrium that gives a machine developer performance consistency. Provided that the developer is used regularly, replenishment continues and all other factors remain the same, i.e. the concentration of the active ingredients, the by-products, etc., then the developer should perform consistently for a long period of time.


Source: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/201142710428680.pdf

Enough, load a shot:

Contrary to rumour I will shoot in the rain.
Hog Roast - Home reared who would rear a hog in their home?
And it's not Gluten free, everything else seems to be today.


32954973240_905e64bd07_c.jpg
 
The Jupiter 8 from the former USSR is a Sonnar copy and is a competent performer if a good copy is found. It allegedly requires tweaking for best focus on a Nikon rangefinder, this copy may have been done as it seems spot on to me. I find it a touch contrasty rather than soft. It has one quirk, well mine does, it collects paint flakes inside. Luckily between the groups so every so often I take off the rear group and shake them out, good fun.

Three Vents
33226788741_fe9247746b_c.jpg


Touch of barrel distortion, if you are daft enough to shoot parallel lines you deserve all you get....



Trying to provoke the Jupiter 8 to misbehave, and failing, no hood fitted, it was in the bottom of the bag somewhere.
My copy dates from 1958 if the theory is correct so should be the later M formulation which sources say came in in 1957 but it lacks the M mark, serial is 5804427, perhaps the rangefinder mounts changed later?
Tank

32540374293_8f3740d07f_c.jpg


Remarkable value these lenses the vents @f4 or f5.6 the tank f11 I think, it's Acros BTW.
 
Loaded up, but not much shooting this week. Sigh

It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.

I do have a problem with the darkness though :D

— Herodotus, Histories (8.98) c. 500 B.C (trans. A.D. Godley, 1924)

32945005090_47b9401b52_c.jpg
 
WARNING DIGITAL COLOUR

I decided the Amedeo adapter deserved a place in the month of shooting and putting it on a film Leica seemed a bit silly as who could tell which light tight box was used so I dug out the M8 (which has multiple issues to work and is going to Leica soon hopefully to be beyond economic repair and generate a discount against a new one, ideally an MA) and shot the 10.5cm P Nikkor f2.5 rangefinder mount. Sure is one sharp lens, a couple in colour:

Framing is bit haphazard as the nearest finder I have is 135mm which tends to be inaccurate anyway I ended up using full frame of the Leica and just aiming for the middle.

32534245424_731fa6ce1e_c.jpg


The test branch in colour at f4.
33249325151_732640e028_c.jpg


A Bokeh B/W frame at f2.5, Spring is springing:

32994465500_9cde8f8029_c.jpg


And finally a sharpness at f2.5 test, which shows several things, the lens is sharp wide open, the rangefinder coupling is spot on and Amedeo makes a superb quality adapter.

33221580812_6da944a511_c.jpg
 
More 50mm, a change to the Zeiss 50mm f1.5 Nikon rangefinder fit re-issue lens.

They have Landed
33236040272_ee23125173_b.jpg

Interesting exposure challenge, it's a dark corner and I have failed here before. Surprising how much it needed opening up so I had to slow the speed quite a lot to retain some depth of field. Acros/PyrocatHD

Moss Leach Woodland Trust

It was time to change lenses so first frame was on the Jupiter 8, blank frame, (not posted :)), then repeat with same settings on the same body with the Zeiss Sonnar Nikon rangefinder re-issue.
Of course the scanner has a mind of its own beyond the control of mere mortals but the Zeiss clearly opens up the shadows. The Jupiter is the more contrasty the Zeiss more subtle. Both sharp enough, this on Acros/Pyrocat HD. Was at f4/f5.6 I refuse to take notes as I shoot.

33236016722_93063ff44a_b.jpg
[/url]
Jupiter 8

33391936355_8b28f882af_b.jpg

Zeiss Sonnar 50mm Nikon RF re-issue
 
Just developed all the rolls I've shot since the beginning of March. Here's a few images:

Nikon SP 2005, 50mm f/1.4 Millennium, Portra 160:

nrfm1.jpg


Nikon SP 2005, 35mm f/1.8 reissue, Rollei CN200:

nrfm2.jpg


Nikon SP 2005, 50mm f/1.4 Millennium, Portra 160:

nrfm3.jpg


Nikon SP 2005, 50mm f/1.4 Millennium, Portra 160:

nrfm4.jpg


Got a roll of Velvia 50 about done in the Bessa R2S...
 
March 2017 Nikon RF Month

0f1156f03734d30b02fea3fb5026948d.jpg


Protest March music, Puerto Rico. Nikon SP, W-Nikkor 3.5cm F2.5, Ilford Pan F 50, Rodinal 1:100
 
Had some issues with signing in, which is unusual, but found my way back eventually.

SC Skopar 21mm f4 gives a new perspective, literally, on my test branch.
FP4 now in HC110 1:60 12 mins

32636860163_2c48832801_b.jpg


Same developer and film with the 50mm f1.4 Olympic Nikkor just trying to make it look like a wide angle.
33341210811_790978bc17_b.jpg


This is one camera bag I will not be buying, Brady don't make it.

33341215721_3b618bcbe3_b.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom