50mm time

[Mike Gammill]

<p>I thought about this when I read the thread about "lenses so good you had to buy a body for them." The 50mm f2 Nikkor I had for so long had gathered dust long enough. I mounted it on the FE-2 I picked up last month and decided to see if this lens was as good as I'd heard. I was pleasantly surprised. What 50mm experiences do the rest of you have? Share pics if you've got 'em.</p><div></div>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Here's one more.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Oops, here's the photo.</p><div></div>

[JDMvW]

<p>Chaco Canyon - Pueblo Bonito from Chetro Ketl</p>

<p>Nikkor 50mm f/2 Kodachrome 64</p><div></div>

[sw12dz]

<p>Lachlan River</p><div></div>

[leicaglow]

<p>For color, my "newer" Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF ($110 plus shipping) is one of the best lenses I own (except for the sense of build quality). Oops, I realized this is a classic camera forum. Never mind, just pretend this is my 45mm GN Nikkor.<g> Sorry.</p><div></div>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Well, Michael, the 50mm f1.8 AF probably has classics roots so it's okay by me.:)<br>

My FE-2 might not be considered classic by some, but the 50mm f2 Nikkor is classic or should be.</p>

[Rob_the_waste]

<p>A few weeks ago, my (former) boss, Anne, asked me to shoot her dog (with a camera of course). I brought my Nikkormat FT2 with the F2/50 Nikkor, just after sunrise. The light was kind of reddish as it usually is that early at Bluffers Park. The shots came out nicely.</p><div></div>

[Rob_the_waste]

<p>She also brought along my friend Janet and her dogs.</p><div></div>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>This is a picture of my Dad at work. Canon TX, Canon FD 50mm f/1.8, Tri-X</p><div></div>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Feel free to "stretch" the 50mm either direction a bit to include other worthy normal lenses (i.e. 45, 55, 58 etc.)</p>

[Johnny Martyr]

<p>Pentax SMC-M 50mm 1.2 on Fuji T64 with Pentax ME Super</p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/3040319322_c68e135440.jpg" alt="" width="332" height="500" /></p>

[henrik_lauridsen]

<p>Yashica TL-Electro, 50mm/f1.9 on Kodak Portra 400NC</p>

<p><a title="Red Leaves by Necator, on Flickr" href=" title="Red Leaves by Necator, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3301/3619444455_c1e17a9398_b.jpg" alt="Red Leaves" width="700" height="467" /> </a></p>

[bob_miller4]

<p>These are some great shots. But tell me which other 50mm lenses in decent condition would have made these turn out less well. We may be putting too much emphasis on the hardware.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>I think it would be difficult to find a real "dog" among the 50mm lenses. There may possibly be a few old uncoated triplets from way back that might be soft at the wider apertures, but I really haven't done much research in that area. Along with the lenses that are renowned for their sharpness as well as those that are seldom heard of or perhaps got a bad reputation because of a bad sample, the ability to take a technically good photograph is there. In other words, maybe human error. I've certainly missed focus or misjudged how much depth of field I need many times. BTW, thanks for all the responses.</p>

[JDMvW]

<blockquote>

<p>I think it would be difficult to find a real "dog" among the 50mm lenses</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Actually, it would be hard to find a mechanically more deficient, and optically more mediocre, 50mm lens for the 35mm format than the ill-fated Meyer Domiplan 50mm f/2.8. Of the near dozen specimens of this bow-wow (grrr.., arf, arf) that I have accumulated in various mounts, almost all of the M42 mount automatic diaphragms are non-functional. At the same time, I have seen some very nice pictures taken with the lens. For example, among various lenses put into use by Subbarayan Prasanna in his pregrinations about Bangalore, I believe he has used this one on occasion.</p>

<p>So as we have all told the younglings lusting after bigger and costlier glass, "it ain't the glass, it's the photographer."</p>

<p>Of course, the Domiplan was well matched to the <em>pre</em> -Praktica L series cameras that it was often the cheap lens for. No Red Banner award for Meyer on this one.</p>

[profhlynnjones]

<p>Some of us think that the 50mm f 2.0 for RF was the best ever, and the 50mm f2.0 for SLR was actually better than the later 50mm f 1.8.</p>

<p>I still have both of the 50 f2.0's and my 1961 RF Nikon has had 1 repair (last year) in the 48 years of its life. </p>

<p>Lynn</p>

[steve_smith50]

<p>Our Nikkor 50/2 AI is a fine lens, have gotten great images, close, mid-distance, distance. Image quality isn't about the latest-and-greatest, coolest looking lens with a massive lenshade and huge front element. One of my best lenses is a Micro-Nikkor 55mm/3.5 lens from the mid 60s, the elements look tiny by comparison with modern AF lenses, yet it produces great images.</p>