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Shots with the Nikkor 105mm f2.5 (Sonnar)


frederick_muller

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<p>Your nice shots with the old Nikon 105/2.5 Sonnar prompted me to pull mine out (S/N 2050xx - c. 1967 ) and compare it to the most modern Nikon 105, the 2.8 VR macro. </p>

<p>I took both test shots hand-held out my front door at 1/4000 sec - f/4, manual mode, WB=sunny using my D700. The shutter speed is fast enough to negate the benefits of VR, and since f/4 is almost wide open for both lenses, any significant optical differences should show up. I used AF on the newer lens and MF (using the focus confirmation dot) on the older lens.</p>

<p>Both images were processed almost exactly the same way except for needing to nudge one of the images about 20 pixels (out of ~4000) because my (hand-held) framing varied slightly between the two shots. The other difference between the two shots is that in the couple of minutes it took me to switch lenses, the sun & clouds moved slightly and changed the shadows.</p>

<p>I can see two differences between the two images: (a) the older lens is a bit cooler, and (b), for some strange reason, the DOF seems slightly greater with the new lens even though both were taken with the same f-number. That being said, the IQ of the 43 year old lens is striking. It almost makes me wonder why I upgraded. ;-) </p>

<p>In the interest of full disclosure, the first set of comparison shots that I took were indoors, ie, much lower light, at a distance of a few feet. The benefit of VR and autofocusing that is more accurate than I can do by eye became immediately obvious.</p>

<p>Cheers,</p>

<p>Tom M.</p><div>00Wkx5-254999584.thumb.jpg.4420ebef00f50b5dfec0fbc982f47557.jpg</div>

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<p>Something like this?<br>

Taken with the D90 and NIKKOR-P Auto 1:2.5 f=105mm Nippon Kogaku Japan No.2847xx.<br>

I regreased it myself and it is perfectly smooth again.<br>

The lens is originally from my parents and I believe they bought it new.<br>

Too bad I don't have a D300, then I would use it much more often.</p><div>00Wkz4-255021584.thumb.jpg.2d1e3c4a56368ef146d915cb554f4938.jpg</div>

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<p>I prefer the background out-of-focus rendition of the Sonnar to the Gauss design. Stuart and Sjoerd, those are great Sonnar portraits! </p>

<p>Tom, I'm not surprised that you have noticed somewhat less apparent depth of field with the newer formula than the older one. That phenomenon has been noted with other lenses and other lens lines. It may have something to do with newer designs being designed with a flatter field.</p>

<p>I do find the newer Gauss design to be sharper than the Sonnar, but the Sonnar has that really nice oof look to it. As the shots on this page show, it is also plenty sharp enough ...</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>Yeah No problem I just open the D1h NEF files in Nikon Capture 4. I usualy shoot RAW with the D1h with what ever the camera was set to last time. Then I adjust setting in Nikon Capture 4 to taste. There is nothing special done it's just the way the D1h seems to be. That raspberry shot had sharpening medium low, tonecomp normal, color mode IIIa, white balance cloudy -3. the tone comp and the white balance were as shot. ISO was 800 for some reason.</p>
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<p>Steve, I can see why you get complements on those portraits. However, you've got my curiosity going about them. You say the 1st one was done on film, and it looks like it probably was shot quite some time ago. However, the 2nd one (which looks like it could be the same woman) was shot with a d70, so it had to be in the past few years. Let me guess: The 1st one is your wife (shot in the 70's), and the 2nd is your daughter ... hence the similarity?</p>

<p>Cheers,</p>

<p>Tom M.</p>

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<p>I too would be curious to know what film type you have used in the first image. surely those two images are of the one and the same lady. both great portraits, however that first one is really special. I had a Leica Elamrit 2.8/90mm that rendered the colours in the same muted fashion as your image above. it did make the images look as though they were from another era. Other examples here though, don't have the same look.</p>
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