Nikon RFs - Both eyes open

VinceC

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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.

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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.

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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.
 
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? ;)
 
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.
 
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!
 
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.
 
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:
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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.
 
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