Df Images with Pre-Ai Lenses, & etc.

<p>Cross post from another forum, by a gentleman whose screen name is Akira.</p>

<p>"Japanese Impress Digicam Watch posted a revew of Nikon Df with many sample images.</p>

<p>The review itself is just ordinary, but below the main part of the article you will see many sample images. The nightscape-with-a-bridge-over-the-river images are the samples ot the camera's noise performance. The first group of the images was shot with high-ISO NR off. The second, third and fourth with NR set to normal, low and high respectively. You could read out the ISO value below each thumbnail.</p>

<p>The lowest section is dedicated to the image sample with various Nikkor lenses some of which are pre-Ai. You could read the names of the lenses.</p>

<p>All thumbnails can be clicked to see the original size images.</p>

<p>Here's the link:</p>

<p><a title="External link" href="http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/newproduct/20131127_625119.html" rel="nofollow external">http://dc.watch.impr...127_625119.html</a></p>

<p>Hope you enjoy it!"</p>

<p>The lenses may be "pre-AI" but must have been AI'd at some point to work on the DF...</p>

<p>"The lenses may be "pre-AI" but must have been AI'd at some point to work on the DF..."<br /><br />I thought one of the features of the DF was that it could work with pre-AI lenses.</p>

<p>Here's a pre-Ai lens mounted on the Df, with the Ai tab folded away.<br>

<img src="http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/img/dcw/docs/625/119/13.jpg" alt="" /></p>

 

<p>The little flip up tab enabling use of older non-AI lenses used to be standard on the early FM and others from that era, then became a service retrofit item on later cameras that had the fixed feeler. </p>

<p>Nice to see it again. Since I still have some non-AI lenses, wish the feature were still standard across the board. But, I really don't use those lenses anyway.</p>

<p>The F4s was the last Nikon camera before the Df to have a standard flip up AI tab for using non-AI lenses, if I remember correctly. The F5 had to have a modified AI tab installed to allow the use of non-AI lenses.</p>

<p>The F6 also had an option of an aperture ring with a modified tab. I wish Nikon (or someone) offered the service for other high-end DSLRs.</p>

<p>Looks like the Df has electronic, menu-controlled AI tab positioning, as opposed to the itty-bitty release button next to the tab on the AI ring of previous cameras with this feature.</p>

<p>My bad. I thought I'd read that it wasn't non-ai capable. Now I want one. If I get suddenly rich.</p>

<p>Steven: Oh, it never occurred to me that the release button would have an effect on the camera behaviour (beyond the ring not turning). It does, indeed, appear that you have to play with the non-CPU lens data settings in the Df to get non-AI lenses to work (or at least, meter).</p>

<p>I like a small camera for motorcycling purposes. So I try a V1. Great tech, with a frustrating implementation. So I try a micro 4/3's (EM5). Build quality substandard. Decent tech but to be honest, the V1 is snappier. User interface problems. The Df? I'm curious but it sure clicks a lot of buttons. </p>

<p>Very nice. They used some rather old lenses, toward the end. I'm waiting for a windfall check and a price reduction. Then they will get my money.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I don't know how well the Df works, but it sure <em>LOOKS</em> cool!</p>

<p>Do older lenses suddenly perform better that on other bodies because they are mounted on the Df?</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Do older lenses suddenly perform better that on other bodies because they are mounted on the Df?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>If <em>'Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder</em>', why, YES of Course they Do!</p>

<p>In reality, the better the sensor, the worse the lens..So NO!:-)</p>

<p>I'm glad to see that that old 105mm Nikkor-P performs just as badly as I remember it did. Now I don't feel so bad about letting it go 30 years ago. By comparison the Ai-S 105mm f/2.5 Nikkor is a real gem, only to be bettered by the f/1.8 version.</p>

<p>Nostalgia obviously comes with built-in rose-tinted spectacles. Mind you, I'm still wanting to try out my old 50mm f/2 Nikkor-H on the D800 - if only I could bring myselt to hack a notch out of its aperture ring.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>if only I could bring myselt to hack a notch out of its aperture ring.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>And that is the point. It's nice to see a modern camera with a feature that allows you to you rather OLD lenses without hacking something. </p>

<p>I know, if I had the money that many of you have to buy the newest versions of... well everything Nikon, so that I could dump all my old lenses and scoff at people who may still want to USE what we HAVE or perhaps pick up an old lens of a type that we could not afford in the new AF-S micro coated, pixy dust enhanced, optimized for digital multi thousand dollar priced tagged , miracle of modern optical science, these little things that Nikon hands out would be pretty meaningless to me. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Rodeo Joe! Although the Df is the only full frame camera that can mount pre-AI lenses but if you could accept a DX body there are several low end one that you could mount pre-AI lenses. They won't meter but then who need a meter.</p>

<p>Elliot said:</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em>Do older lenses suddenly perform better that on other bodies because they are mounted on the Df?</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes! Sort of . . . I want a D<em>f</em> to mount pre-AI lenses to capture their <em>flaws</em> with more <em>fidelity</em>! I just bought an unmodified, pre-AI Nikkor 43-86mm zoom ("Nikon's <em>worst</em> lens"), and I'm just dying to mount it onto a shiny, new Nikon D<em>f</em>!</p>

<p>Ralph: Oh, <i>that's</i> what Nikon see as the target market for the Df! That explains the publicity photo. :-)<br />

<br />

John: I'm lucky enough to have a number of new bits of Nikon gear (which means I no longer have the money...) - though that argument is a bit dubious when applied to something the price of a Df. Offering a replacement flip-up aperture ring for the D700/D600/D800 - as with the F5 and F6 - would have been a much cheaper solution. And I'm still very happy with my 1970s 135 f/2.8 AI-s, even if I happen not to own anything older (except a 1940s Leica 90mm f/4).</p>

<p>Rodeo Joe, when I viewed the linked photos, I thought to myself, "wow, that 105mm Nikkor-P is beautiful!" What terrific bokeh! </p>

<p>Yeah, I have to agree with Sam. My 105 P F2.5 was outstanding on my Nikon F when I bought the lens new in 1968..and I bought an AI kit for it several years ago and results on D700 are also outstanding. I though it did quite well on the DF samples.</p>

<p>Indeed, the "Sonnar type" 105 (in rangefinder mount) was one of the lenses that gave Nippon Kogaku its initial reputation. (Another was their 85 "Sonnar.") The fact that it has lower contrast than post-1970s models is no surprise. A lens hood always helps and in the digital age, lower contrast is no problem at all -- always easier to increase contrast in pp than the other way round.</p>

<p>Back when I got rid of that <em>soft</em> old Nikkor-P, hardly anybody had heard of the word 'bokeh', let alone spent too much time gazing at OOF backgrounds and their navels. The thinking back then was to try and avoid having distracting white blobs in the background of your pictures if possible.</p>

<p>Would I buy one of those lenses again - even at a totally bargain price? Definitely not!</p>

<p>I also used to own a genuine Zeiss (when they were German made) 75mm f/1.5 Biotar. Now a 'legendary' lens apparently, but just an old oddity back then. That was also as soft as anything wide open, but it was one of my favourite lenses simply because of the focal length, and the fact that it became pin sharp on stopping down below f/4. The f/1.5 aperture just made it easier to focus through the dim SLR viewfinder of the time. Oh, and the huge expanse of glass tended to impress clients.</p>

<p>It is a first time I have ever heard bed thing about the Nikkor-P 105/2.5 or any of nikkor's 105 lenses. I have the scalloped version ( beautiful lens) 105/2.5, factory AI ed and it given my a very sharp images with excellent contrast and color.<br /> For the Df? I trying the 20/4 AI, 20/3.5 AI, 28, 35, including the 1.4, 28-50/3.5 zoom (so sharp!) 50-135/3.5 AI-S, all the 50mm version "E" NO AI, AI, AI-S AI-s, 75-150/3,5 E sharp, 135's 200/4, form the Nikkor-Q to the AI-S, (4 of them). All of them producing a very nice sharp images on the 16MP Df.<br /> Old lenses not as good, as new ones. BS. I made a test in a nice sunny day, from my balcony I shoot with the Df and the following lenses , same ISO, same f/aperture same focal distance, same subject. Near and far. @200mm. Nikkor-Q, second Nikkor-Q, Nikkor 200 AI Nikkor 80-200/4.5 AI-S and the new 70-200/4 VR II, No editing full screen 24 inch EIZO, and called over my photo friend, to pick the sharpest image. I scrambled the sequence and called again to pick the sharpest, the best in color and contrast. Queues what. !? . . . Twice he picked the image, which was done with the one, very well used almost ugly barreled Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4 factory AI d lens. He is a stern believer, the newest lenses is better, regardless, they must be better, etc. He left me with a hanging nose, when he figured out what he pict. Many of my new images on the PN is shoot with those AI d AI d lenses. Mind you, I printing most of my images, not having only on the computer. You don't need a 36MP camera, a 2000 dollar lens to get a nice image in a small restricted format on the computer. Those guys whom complaining the most, never printing they images, like my dear friend. Then why do you need a 36MP camera a 1600-2500 dollar lenses if your image show only in the internet, monitor,as .jpg, and never live the hard drive anyway.<br /> Just for information; I own the sharpest biggest behemoths, more expensive list of modern Nikon lenses, from the AF-S 14mm to up 400mm ( +Tamton AF-S 100-500 too).<br /> I hate the memory card placement on the Df very much.<br /> Excuse my grammar, it is not my mother tongue.</p>