Nikon RFs - Both eyes open

[VinceC]

Some here may recall my old avatar, which had a picture I took three or four years ago of my youngest daughter when she first picked up a Nikon Rf, in that case an S2, and instinctively kept both eyes open with the 1:1 viewfinder.

She recently had her 8th birthday, and this afternoon she was taking some pictures with a Nikon SP while I was shooting with a digital D40 (she still likes to copy whenever I'm taking pictures). I found she still keeps both eyes open, so I couldn't resist some pictures. For what it's worth, I shoot the D40 using 1960s lenses and an incident meter. The f/stops on the kit lens are just too slow.

 

[VinceC]

And, to turn the tables, here's a picture she took of me a couple of weeks ago using the SP and 35/1.8 ... she does need to work on her low-light hand-holding, but to be fair, it was a shutter speed of 1/15.

 

[dave lackey]

Cute, Vince! She is a darling and you must be proud of her natural instincts to using a camera...

Thanks for posting those pictures as it brings up a question, Why are there no 1:1 viewfinders in photography anymore? I am finding how nice these VFs are just from shooting everyday and shooting with both eyes open is really a great experience.

 

[MikeL]

She looks like a pro already! Good to know about the both eyes open part, but the big question is, does she use the focus wheel or turn the lens? 😉

 

[Tom A]

Dave, there are no 1:1 modern Nikon mount Rf's, but the Bessa R3 has a rather spectacular viewfinder for 40/50/75/90 (as a matter of fact my camera of choice for 75mm lenses.
The Zeiss Ikon probably has the best finder of them all. 1:1 and very bright and it does have a 85 finder in it. I have been using a Nikkor 85/2 and the Orion style adapter with it. Works great.

 

[Tom A]

Vince. of course whe will be spoiled forever with the finder on the Nikon Rf and insist that some manufacturer puts that in a digital Rf.
Start them young and keep her in film and maybe Kodak/Fuji will support her and us for some time yet!

 

[dave lackey]

Hey, Vince...

Using the D40 with vintage MF lenses must be a hoot. I recently started using my 45mm 2.8P lens (chrome) on my D2H and it is fun! Very compact and looks kinda funky, too! Results are outstanding!

If I had an adaptor of some sort, it would be nice to try the lens from the S3 2000...

For now, I am beginning to learn how to use the S3 2000 for best effect and am very pleased with it.

 

[VinceC]

I don't think you can adapt the S3-2000 lens to an SLR -- it sits too close the film plane. I've never done a side-by-side comparison, but I think that 1963 design is closely related to the F-mount 50/1.4 that came out at the same time. They both have identically shaped rear elements ... the F-mount version just sits a bit further from the film plane. (It's the lens that took this one:

The other two were taken with a 35/2.

The 50/1.4 becomes a 75/1.4 in a DSLR, which is pretty nice.

Fred,
Thanks for the comment. She was nearly deaf for her first 3 1/2 years; we corrected her hearing, but she has always been wonderfully visually expressive, like a silent movie actress.

I once taught a class of 10- and 11-year-olds. They were amazingly good photographers.