Hello, everybody! Do you remember Ziggy? He is a popular cartoon character from several decades ago, with a toy line that many people collect. He came in various costumes, making Ziggy fans collect them all. It’s a harmless hobby with many collectors and you will be surprised at how much these toys can go for. I used to collect them, too. Remembering Ziggy takes me back to my younger years where things are much simpler and happiness came in smaller packages. Today, I’ll show you something that’s just as collectible, I can say that it’s exciting to complete the collection, but unlike Ziggy toys, it’s a hobby for the truly devout followers of the way of Nikkor.
Introduction:
The Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 is one of Nikon’s most prolific designs because it came with many variations and it was produced for a long time, from immediately after the war to about 1962. You can say that this lens is just as influential as the original Nikon camera is when it comes to its significance for the company and the Japanese optics industry, too. While many of you are familiar with the Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 in S-mount fit, this one is the first version with the rigid barrel for the Leica Thread-Mount. The next iteration of this is the Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 with a black band, affectionally called the “Blackbelt Nikkor” by collectors. Both of them were preceded by the collapsible Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2. All these variations makes this lens attractive for collectors and hoarders.
This is the first rigid-body Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 for the Leica-mount if I am not mistaken, every design that came before are all collapsible such as the rare Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 (collapsible). This is the earliest sample that I have of the rigid-type, the later version is the Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 (blackbelt) with a black ring. These look similar, but you will find out later that they have differences internally.
Hello, everybody! Do you know Teresa Teng (鄧麗君) from Taiwan? She was a famous singer who made her name in Japan but set out to conquer the rest of East Asia with her beautiful voice. Her song is filled with emotion that it melted the heartless communists across the sea, reintroducing the warm feelings of love and playful youthfulness. Needless to say, her songs have been covered by many people, from the little country of Taiwan to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, she suddenly left us in 1995, leaving a big void in many people’s heart. She would be celebrating her birthday in January 29, 2 days after posting this article if she’s still with us. I hope that this article has introduced to you one of the most beautiful and the best singer of Asia, please listen to her voice. And just like the wonderful songs of Teresa, our topic today has been remade in numerous versions, spanning decades, with several variations, too. While not as well-loved as our timeless genius, it was considered by many to be one of the bests in its time. Stay and read more about this great lens.
Introduction:
The Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f/2.8 came in many variants, this one was made in the early 1960s, it’s speculated to be made from 1961 up until 1964, with reports saying that it was till for sale in the 1970s. It was made by the East German counterpart of Carl Zeiss so it has the Jena name. By many accounts, this is said to be the best version from the golden age of photography, along with the next version that has the striped barrel commonly called the “Zebra” by many. Both lenses share the same optical formula and they are also regarded as the best in terms of quality because the products coming from this factory after this period begin to gain a reputation as being “hit-or-miss” to put it lightly, such is the virtue of a command economy that many disillusioned people fantasize about to this day.
It’s well-made, the all-metal construction makes it durable. The rings set the aperture opening and focus, it also has a huge button for depressing the shutter, which is coupled to the operation of the iris. You will know more about this button later.
Hello, everybody! Do you like eating durian? I love it a lot but it’s not for everyone, it’s an acquired taste so it may take some time for your palate to accept it. Some say it’s sweet and tart while some say it also reminds them of vomit in the way it smells, the texture is also reminiscent of rotting flesh to them. I don’t see it as such, for me, it tastes and feels like exquisite cheese. You can debate with everyone about it but food is a matter of taste, just like how Joachim Loew (the German coach) like his own snot. Today, we shall look into something that is a bit confusing to me, I just don’t know what to make of it, is it good or is this trash? Join me today as we look into this confusing topic.
Introduction:
The Cinestill 400D is something that I have always wanted to shoot with but I was always indecisive, it’s not cheap at all and that’s one of the main reasons why. At one point, my curiosity had to be scratched, so I bought 2 rolls of this stock to review. As far as I know, I don’t recall seeing this film in Tokyo when I was still living there 2 years ago so this must have been sold just over a year ago or somewhere around that period.
Cinestill likes to color their film based on its perceived characteristics, purple suggests that it has a warm tone, leaning towards magenta or amber. The purple theme is cute, making it very appealing to younger customers and intrigues the rest, too.
Hello, everybody! Do you remember “Magical Princess Minky Momo” (魔法のプリンセス ミンキー モモ)? It’s a famous cartoon about a magical young girl that has the power to transform into an adult version of herself to solve problems encountered in her city. The show is revolutionary, it gave us the new genre of “magical girls”, young girls that can do amazing things, which set a new trend at that time. The show did not last very long and it ended with the tragic death of the poor princess, only to be reborn as baby. That last episode is considered “cursed” in Japan, because tragedy would follow each time it was aired. Today, I will introduce to you something revolutionary, and like Magical Princess Minky Momo, it didn’t last a long time in production. But there’s a difference, this is not “cursed”, it was hailed to be the lens that changed the public’s perception about zooms, in a way, you can say that it dispelled the said “curse of the zoom”.
Introduction:
The great Zoom-Nikkor 28-45mm f/4.5 K was sold from 1975, it was replaced by the similar Zoom-Nikkor 28-45mm f/4.5 Ai which was sold until 1978. It set a new milestone, it is the first true wide-angle zoom by a major company that went into production. It was hailed as an engineering breakthrough back then and it helped change the bad reputation of zoom lenses had until that time of being poor performers and the tendency of having wild distortion at either end of the focal-range.
The barrel is compact, but dense. Unlike many Nikkors of this period, it does not have distance scale. The filter size is 72mm, quite huge compared to its peers. The minimalist configuration makes it look akin to a modern lens made in the 1990s, but no, this is a lens that was designed during the early 1970s.
Hello, everybody! Are you that person who takes the extra effort to shine your shoes to a mirror-shine like someone who was in the army? At the same time, you want that said shiny pair of shoes to be functional and wear them each day no matter which clothes you wear. If that’s you, then this strap will probably be a great investment for you.
Introduction:
The Lucky camera strap debuted a few years ago, the company (product) did not make much noise when it came out. In fact, even if you make a search for it today, you won’t get a lot of results, with most of the reviews coming from a few years ago, about the same time it came out. It’s an underdog and I believe it’s worth spreading the word about this product because it’s made in Australia, a good alternative for those who want to stay away from buying products made from a certain troubled country.
The packaging looks upscale but minimalistic, very elegant. However, I think that this is overkill as you can see from the photo – the strap only takes less than half of the box’s area! I’d rather have a smaller box and save that extra money, every dollar counts these days.
Hello, everybody! Do you remember Chen Kenichi (陳健一), the “Iron Chef“? He is the longest-serving of the group, who were originally three (later four) – Chinese, Japanese, French and Italian. He is one of the original chefs and had the most record, wins-or-loses. Unfortunately, it’s with a sad heart that I announce to you his death, he left us a couple of months ago this year. Such a legendary chef with a long career. So, for today’s article, I am going to introduce to you a lens that has the longest production amongst all of its siblings, and just like the “Iron Chefs“, it’s part of an original trio, but was joined by another one later. This is considered to be one of the best in the whole family, befitting to be likened to the late Chen Kenichi.
Introduction:
The AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 ED (N) is the last version of the venerable 80-200/2.8 ED family that has the original optical formula. It was made from 1997 and only finished its run in 2006, a very long time for a professional zoom, even surpassing a few of its successors. It came about after feedback from many photographers that demand a 2-ring setup and the very important tripod foot. It’s one of the evergreen lenses many people swear by, even to this day.
The first thing on will notice about this lens is how different it is from its older siblings. Compared to the AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 ED and AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED, this on has two separate rings, on for focusing and another for zooming. There’s finally the addition of a tripod foot, too!
Hello, everybody! Do you know “Nong Toom” (ปริญญา เจริญผล)? She is a legendary Muay Thai champion that’s known for her skills, but mostly known for being a “ladyboy”. Her story is so famous that there is a movie that was made about her titled “Beautiful Boxer“, where the tagline reads – “She fights like a man, to be a woman”. It just shows her dedication to her art and her wish to become a real woman. Inside the body of a fierce fighter is a woman trying to break free. An amazing paradox like no other. Today, we will look into Nikon’s latest classic, and just like Nong Toom, it is something that lives between different polar opposites, with a “big surprise” if you aren’t expecting it.
Introduction:
The Nikon Zf is the much-awaited FX version of the popular Nikon Z fc. The development of the Nikon Zf began not too long after the little Nikon Z fc was introduced, driven by the favorable response of the little brother. For those of us who are waiting for the true successor to the beloved Nikon Df, this is the closest thing we have, but in a mirrorless format.
It has the look of a film camera but it really is a state-of-art machine, even having features that advanced cameras like the Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z9 do not have. It is what I would call a “hobby camera”, something that you take out to shoot with because it’s fun, but it’s also capable of taking amazing photos thanks to its amazing sensor and processor.
Hello, everybody! I was watching “Blazing Saddles“, and I realized that the dialog Bart told Lili is gone! It went like: “I hate to disappoint you, ma’am, but you’re sucking on my arm…“, or something like that. It is in the scene where she unzipped Bart, eager to learn about how Bart’s people are “gifted”. Maybe that joke is too “raw” for modern taste, but for us who were not born recently, we don’t give a damn. I do not care for other men’s anatomy, as the character Lili Von Schtupp was with Bart’s, but I have something that will make you curious. And just like the common notion, this thing is just as long, black and thick, when you hold this in your hand, you will surely say: “It’s twue! it’s twue!“.
Introduction:
The Cine-Nikkor 100mm f/2.8 is an oddity in its family, it’s easily the longest one. Nobody knows when it was introduced, but I can guess that it was sold sometime around the mid-60s or the early-70’s, and was probably sold until the 1980s. There’s no data about when they were on the market, but just like most, if not all Cine-Nikkors, this wasn’t sold in your usual camera shop. I was told that these can only be bought from special retailers, which were sold in low-volume. Anyway, Nikon had to make this lens because of the need to have a long, telephoto in C-mount.
This is the longest of all C-mount Nikkors, it has an impressive barrel that handles quite well. It also has an informative depth-of-field scale, which I do not find all that useful. It is the only thing you will have when you shoot with a 16mm camera because you won’t be able to view through-the-lens. There is a finder for framing but that separate accessory won’t help you focus at all.
Bonjour tout le monde! This is my first article for a shop outside of Japan. I certainly miss shopping at the amazing shops and huge department stores of Japan so I was happy to find a shop that sells used photography equipment. Of course, the shops here will not surpass the quality of what you will see in Japan but this one is close enough. Please join me as I introduce to you one of the more established businesses in town, servicing the community since 1999.
Introduction:
Ciné Monde is a not-so-little shop located in a very hip part of town. It’s operated by Mike, who is somewhat of a celebrity among the local photographers. It’s one of the few camera shops in this part of the province and I was told that the items here move fast. I saw what they have and it’s decent compared to what I see in Japan, there are some interesting and rare stuff here, too.
This is the front of the shop. It’s hard to miss this place if you are walking but it may elude you when you’re driving because they do not have a big sign outside facing the traffic.
Hello, everybody! Many people today do not recall the glory days of the cassette tape. When I was young it was the only way we could affordably own a record that’s portable enough to be used as audio entertainment media for our cars. Before it we only have radios and we only listened to things that the DJ would play. Owning a cassette player in your meant that you can play whatever you wanted to listen. It was cheap, small and fairly reliable despite hassle of the tape being tangled inside the player. It took a very long time for the compact disc to be perfected which replaced the cassette eventually. There were many trial-and-errors, you’re not supposed to run fast when on uneven road or your song will skip since buffering wasn’t implemented yet and the inconvenience of having to store your CDs at the trunk or under the seats were annoying. Despite those setbacks, early in-car CD systems showed us the way to the future until the technology has been perfected in the late 90s. Today, I will show you something that reminded me of those days. It came in late because the established product was so reliable that it was difficult to replace but as soon as people had mastered the technology this soon became somewhat obsolete, being only remembered as a transition.
Introduction:
The AF-Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 came out in 1989 and lasted only shy of 5 years in production until it was replaced by the new but very similar AF-Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D. It’s the autofocus version of the popular Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 Ai-S, which outlived it by many years. Its introduction was somewhat late for an AF-Nikkor, probably because of how complicated the mechanisms inside of it are. It has the came CRC system found in the Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 Ai-S. You will see later how intricate the interior of barrel is and how clever the solutions are. Many people thought that this lens and the later AF-Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D are identical apart from the exterior but they’re not really exactly the same in terms of construction internally, with the later lens having more modern characteritics.
While the constructions is all-plastic, at least in the exterior, the lens has a solid feel when held. It may rattle somewhat when you shake it, maybe a little bit more than the usual AF-Nikkor but it’s not flimsy at all. Like all Nikkors of its kind it has a lock for the aperture ring so you can lock it at its minimum aperture of f/22 when using it with autofocusing Nikons. You’ll get an error if it was not setup like this. The focusing ring is of the later type since this was introduced a bit later compared to its contemporaries. It isn’t as wide as I’d like but it’s not pathetic at all.
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Richard Haw's Classic Nikon Repair and Review 