Repair: Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 Ai

28 May 2016 15 Comments

by richardhaw in nikon,lens repair,lens maintenance,nikon repair,, Nikon,museum,classic lenses,, Uncategorized

Hello, everybody! I like eating sushi, it’s nutritious, fun and yummy. People used to eat these as street food but they have become quite expensive these days mainly due to sourcing and handling of the ingredients. This is why an inexpensive solution was found in the form of the “sushi-go-arounds”. They are cheap but not necessarily economical because the ingredients are not as good as the ones used by more expensive shops. Once you get a taste for the better stuff you’ll never go back. This is what I call “false economy” and this is the topic of our current article. You thought you’re getting a good deal but at the end of the day you find yourself wanting to buy the real-deal.

Introduction:

The Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 Ai was sold from 1979 to 1981, a very short time for a mass-produced Nikkor because the newer Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 Ai-S was about to be released soon. It replaced the Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 Ai which was already starting to get old by that time. Many people confuse this with that lens and so Nikon named this one Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 Ai (N) officially to denote that it is a later iteration. If there’s an existing lens with the same name, why was there a need to replace it with something similar? The answer to that is this has the newer optical formula which was used for the newer Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 Ai-S that soon replaced it and Nikon wanted to market it quickly since the 35/2.8 line of lenses was quite popular.

This is a great lens for street photography, it’s light, compact and sharp. This handles very well with all Nikons. It’s perfect with the Nikon F3HP, its dense and well-built, it will survive professional use.

More

Repair: Micro-Nikkor 5.5cm f/3.5 (1/2)

14 May 2016 20 Comments

by richardhaw in Uncategorized

Hello, everybody! I like shooting with film. It’s inconvenient, unpredictable, expensive and unforgiving but it gives you memorable pictures that you’re not going to get with digital. It requires more skill to use compared to digital and it requires even more skill to use it properly. Many people ask me why I prefer to shoot film and I always find it hard to justify it, my only answer is usually short – “I love a challenge”. Sure, I can get instant review with digital but it doesn’t feel as satisfying and so the pictures that I made don’t have the same impact as my pictures that were taken with film which is memorable. The inconvenience of taking it makes it more precious and you’ll remember how you took that shot and why. Sometimes, a little bit of inconvenience is a good thing. Today, I will talk about an inconvenient lens to use. It is difficult to use properly but you are rewarded with nice pictures if you managed to nail a shot.

Introduction:

Today, we are going to discuss a very unusual, rare and historical lens. This is something that you do not see everyday and as a consequence there isn’t a lot of info on the net about this lens. Many people don’t even know that it exists. The Micro-Nikkor 5.5cm f/3.5 started the popular 55mm line of macro lenses. This lens line was so popular and practical that other manufacturers had to copy this idea and incorporate it into their own products and this all started with this lens.

IMG_2692

This is a compact little lens by today’s standards but this was considered to be on the fat side when it debuted. The barrel had to be wide because it can extend to about 2x its length when fully extended. If you want to read more about this lens you can go to Matthew Lin’s great writeup here.

More

Repair: Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 Ai-S

01 May 2016 12 Comments

by richardhaw in Uncategorized

Hello, everybody! I am currently busy studying Unreal Engine this holiday and weekend so I do not have a lot of time to write a lengthy post. My baby is also getting bigger and bigger and she now requires more attention as she is now capable of walking fast! Anyways, a couple of people have talked to me regarding today’s problem and this is how I solved mine.

Introduction:

Today’s topic is the Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 Ai-S. It’s Nikon’s fastest 50mm and it’s still being produced in 2019. It debuted in 1981 as an Ai-S update of Nikon’s first 50/1.2, the Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 Ai and it stayed in production since then. I sometimes wonder if there is an actual demand for this but I remember a few acquaintances who actually bought these in the past 10 years or so. It’s the only thing Nikon has in the ultra-fast normal lens class so I guess that it is one of the reasons why this lens is still being made and sold.

It’s perfect with the Nikon F4, it’s best-paired with a bigger camera since it is heavy. Handling is perfect and I wouldn’t ask for anything more. The bright, big glass is all that you’ll see when looking from the front. It’s a professional tool and it means business.

More