Nikon 8.5cm f1.5

I ordered the LTM BGN copy that's been on KEH forever to give it a try. I hope it is in better shape than my last BGN orders.
 
Zen-shooter said:
If I'm not mistakem the KEH 8.5/1.5 BGN lens was an LTM version. So if the lens for example suffered from back focus problem wouldn't a shim or similar ring spacer help?
I'm sure that someone like Hayata Camada Lab or Lumier (Takahashi-san) could have repaired it.
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IT was the LTM version, my local repair man could have adjusted it, but KEH wasn't sure if they'd cover the costs, etc. So I just sent it back. They got it back today.
 
Hi,
I just picked up one of these 8.5 cm/1.5 at an estate sale today. It's a nice addition to my collection. It has some haze inside but otherwise excellent condition.

The case came with the proper two piece hood and a cap that slips inside the felt lined part of the hood. Does anyone know if there is a separate cap that was supposed to go with this lens?

Also inside the case was a little doohickey that looks like it fits into the slide shoe and angles down to the left where it has a little (redundant I know) viewfinder or magnifier. I don't have my SP bodies with me right now so I can't tell if it fits. So does anyone know if this fits just the S and S2 or will it also fit the SP.

Don't ask me how much it cost but the lens was thrown in with a couple of LPs.

Thanks.

Warren
 
I also have a "lumpy" Canon 85mm F1.5 and it's one of my favorite lenses to use. The DOF is really paper-thin, especially closeup, but I find it more than sharp enough for my uses. I really like using it, and stopped-down, it is really not bad at all.

Looks like the Nikkor provides a very similar signature, especially in the way it renders the backgrounds wide-open.

These lenses are very fun to play with, although nailing the focus can be a challenge.


raid said:
Well, I have a "lumpy" Canon 85mm 1.5, and I find it also to be more a collector's lens than a practical lens, but it is really OK for portraits.
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off the cuff reviews of high speed 85s make me cringe.

There is no way to overestimate how hard it is to use these properly--a CV 50/1.1 is SO EASY in comparison.

Besides that there were only 2400 or so Canons made and even less of the nikons. So it's very hard to find anyone who has shot with a clean copy much.

I was playing with my Canon LTM 85/1.5 last nite:
6012819502_928bed8bc7_b.jpg

these two @1.5
6012819098_5fc708464d_b.jpg

of course I missed focus a tad--but check the fabric on the chair.
at f/4
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the lens is also extremely crisp at infinity by f/4

5968979242_fa56c7c469_z.jpg


In fact this is a very good lens which suffers from leica snob trash talk and little else.

Mine weighs 733 grams. The Nikon is supposed to be 546 grams.
I would imagine the nikon is also much better than we suspect.
The Canon was the first high speed portrait lens made in Japan. Both are much more rare than the 85 summarex. The later Canon 85/1.8 is perhaps the sharpest Canon RF ever made, and a wonderful lens which can take almost any modern 85 right to the mat--I'm lucky to have one as well, but it does not replace the 1.5, which is a unique lens to my eye.

Thank you, Mr Hiroshi Itoh.

OK one last....raindrop impact at 1.5
6013109524_61c2ef1862_b.jpg
 
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Canon 85mm/1.5:

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i-p449c5R-XL.jpg


Now, some photos with this lens:

Fuji Reala 100

02020020small.jpg


XP2 Super:


145187-R1-04-4ALina.jpg


145187-R1-12-12ADanaandLina.jpg


902390-R1-26-26.jpg


730646-R1-26-26-1.jpg


730646-R1-17-17.jpg


The background "vanished" when used wide open.


121525-R1-27-28small.jpg
 
It was not that difficult for me to do. I do not wear glasses, and this was with film cameras. I may have been lucky to get a good example of a 85mm/1.5. The Bessa T has magnified assistance for focusing, which I may have used here. I had this lens for sale at RFF (see top images of lens!), but nobody was interested then, which is good! I am enjoying my "Canon 1.5 Trio": 35-50-85. Each lens is special to me.
 
Raid, these are beautiful shots indeed!

There was a time when I was truly very much addicted to these exotic fast lenses and got my hands on many of these.

The Nikkor 8.5cm f1.5 is one of those lenses I kept. I absolutely love its character and to me it does have some imaging qualities which make it look nicer than a 75 Summilux (an entirely different lens though).

The Nikkor 8.5 f1.5 is the optically most modern looking of the contemporary 85/1.5 lenses. It is the sharpest, has the highest contrast and the boldest colors from the three big 85mm lenses. Compared to it's contemporary 85/90 mm lenses it also out performs other lenses of it's focal length around its time (at the price of being heavier and larger of course).

For it's speed it is actually a very, very compact lens, being much smaller than the later introduced 90/2 v1, which is one full stop slower (the Nikkor 85/1.5 is about the same size as the late E55 90/2 Summicron and yes, it is slightly smaller than even the smallest of the 75/1.4 Summilux lenses).

Here is what the lens looks like on a Leica M:

black beauty by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

… and a few shots made with the lens:

Untitled by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

Untitled by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

… some more:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/85f15nipponkogakunikkorscsn266081

I have barely used these fast short tele lenses last years but have just picked them up again recently. I'll pack the Nikkor on a few upcoming rolls.

Here is how the 75 Summilux looks by comparison:

Untitled by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

Untitled by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

Focussing these lenses accurately and actually using them really is only a question of training. When I used these more regularly some years ago it really became easy to focus them quickly and reliably. When I picked them up again just a few weeks ago, I struggled a lot to get a single shot in proper focus.
It really is a perishable skill.
 
These are beautiful images! The Nikon lens seems to be an excellent lens indeed. I agree that the Summilux 75/1.4 is very different. I have it too.
 
Nice post Dirk 🙂

I always wanted a Nikkor, but I bit the bullet and grabbed the 75 Lux, which you show is so sweet. The Nikkor also looks great.

I had a 3 stop ND filter to shoot WO on the M9 the other day:

Crane Over River by unoh7, 75 Lux.

It's another lens at f/4:


Man and Machine by unoh7, on Flickr

Does anyone know how many Nikkor 85/1.5s were made?
 
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