Albins images

My experience with the D200/sensor gave different results with several lenses (focusing, color fringing)* .. the D300 was very forgiving. And to your question: I have a 60/2.8 AF (..non-D?) almost as a standard-go-everywhere lens on my D800. ...which should illustrate that I really like the lens. It is OK at longer distances and excellent closer by. * not to bash the camera as a whole in retrospect! I loved that camera, including the sensor .. now collecting dust in a drawer.

I had (have..) Nikkormats.. F801 .. F4 .. F3T... And although for flash photography the F801 and F4 are way better, given your choice, I would surely 'stick' to the F3T (/ F3HP). That camera has served me well and reliably. And the form factor + scaleabilty (MD4 motor, etc.) was great.

I used pre-AI and AI 24/2.8 as my most-used-lens on slidefilm.. Also for macro-photography. On DSLR it did not perform.. the corners in particular proved problematic. I do grab it now more often on D800. And yes: I do love my 20/3.5 as well!

Not that much extension, and pretty large Southern African frogs .. 2,5cm extension probably .. which brings the minimal focusing distance from 3 meters back to 2,5 or so?

...Burning question!!! ;) And one that I have thought of.. As extension has more 'effect' the shorter the lens (was that mentioned above already somewhere?), I usually did: 300/4.0 AF > extension > 1.4TC .. which is really nice for frogs!

Now that this thread was revived (and why not, since it is incredibly important?;)) ..I'm also reading and sometimes contributing to this since 1997 ! ...And the moment I really considered becoming a paying member, many years later, 'they' changed to the new lay out, which I find a historical mistake.. It still is uglier and clumsier than the prehistoric interface that started it all.. So my use of PN remains parasitic until I get kicked out (or seduced by a really good website). I mostly read this Nikon forum.. in the past was more active on Nature Photography and Equipment..

In short: S*NY will never get my money again. Bought an RX100 to accompany my Nikon DSLR's. Loved it: small, great image quality - exactly what I wanted it for! * Then after 2,5 years it stopped working. * 'The Internet' came up with a common problem: a broken wire leading from the lens group, S*NY said: ""Too bad! total loss!" and even a long correspondence with the repair unit and the company couldn't persuade them to come forward with an acceptable proposal. Mind you: Half-a-year over the warranty period! With a camera that was loved and surely not abused. So.. THERE is my recommendation against the S-company. Hoping this bad service will cost them more than helping me would have..

Haha! I'll limit myself to 33-rpm.. that has been a crazy ride already so far.. I will not rule out a return to film photography .. but if you ask me: not now. Daguerrotypes, perhaps?

True true .. but the same arguments uttered for the F801 apply here obviously.. This whole 'back to film' movement probably isn't about 'simpler'. It is about a mindful retro experience I suppose. The "CLICK! swoosh" of a F100 doesn't help enough there ;) ..Personally I'm very happy still with my 7 years old (!!) D800 .. film camera's still collecting dust … but I do collect jazz records, which could be taken as a sure sign that I understand the mindful retro experience.

Great post @orsetto , a little up the thread! Loved this quote, because it also much reminded me of collecting Blue Note jazz records o_O:rolleyes: Anyway: this thread did make me want to undust and rediscover some hidden (dust covered) treasures from the shelve.. Albin | AlbinOnInstagram (@_roadjazz_) • Instagram photos and videos

So here comes my 'memory lane': - F801 was very good (incl. viewfinder, TTL flash, handling, AA's battery life), but glitchy sometimes (freezing entirely every now and then) - F4 was OK (smallest version, TTL flash, 4 AA's, handling) , but glitchy too (new film pickup, focusing with some lenses despite the raving about the viewfinder) - F3 .. was perfect for what it!! I DID 'bond' with it. Never failed me. Although TTL flash was cumbersome, and light metering indicators (and viewfinder lighting) mediocre as mentioned before. Never really liked the (HP) viewfinder's brightness, even with replaced screen. - FT-N/2/3 are lovely camera's, but light metering was never their strongest point (whatever battery used)

...What Rick wrote, is what I'd say almost in similar terms. Replace 'F2' for 'F3 + F4' and there you go! :)

What Rick wrote above! bought my D800 in 2012 (full price..) and enjoy it every day. My only complaint is the sometimes somewhat hesitant AF. Good ones can be found in the Netherlands for around €800.. ..which is (remembering 2012..) a ridiculous good price for what you get~!

..Sorry to not be able to answer the question .. starting to feel more like an old geek every day, with my DSLR and smartphone images (AlbinOnFlickr) .. So my comment is on your waterfall image! which I find amazingly good. Considering the large number that I have seen over the years, this stands out. Good luck with finding the right camera(s).

Yes! very rewarding to be able to say: "Look! Sharp where/when I wanted it! Hand-held manual-focus!" .. admittedly, I do that regularly.. ..Coming from the analogue slide-film and black-and-white-film era, I pride myself in still using old some Nikkors and getting good results on DSLR. But then I'm not a pro-photographer .. and am not able to pay such amounts for one lens (as I mentioned above .. I do feel a sudden interest again for the 58/1.4!) .. and in a photoshoot that someone pays for, no one is interested in HOW good focus was achieved.

What they managed to do here .. by introducing the f/0,95 lens .. is suddenly making the 58/1.4 very attractive again!! ..for me, as DSLR user, still not at all in the mood for switching to mirrorless.. ;)

Haha! That's probably 'increasing' how close you can get! Somehow, I very much feel I could have used the same words.. ;) Regarding micro-options.. Just make sure you HAVE some options! Lots of rings (extensions, reversals..) and try some combinations. Reversed wide-angles.. Reversed 50mm on 200mm.. Your TC approach.. All hard work to get things in focus and well-lighted, but you CAN get good results.

Mmm.. yes: Novoflex offers a treasure of adapters and the like.. worth exploring further. And also: since my positive experience with the 15/4.0 micro I've become quite the fan of Laowa.. that 100mm looks interesting .. and so do a couple of their other offerings!

Amazingly, I didn'teven know about that one! And even more amazingly remains the fact that our beloved Nikon manufacturer of fine camera equipment STILL hasn't updated their extension tubes to something 'modern'. Now that most of the 'where are we going now that we do AF too' dust has settled a bit (AF .. AF-D .. AF-I .. AFS. . G-lenses ..what did I forget?) .. There's definitely no shame in extending the distance lens-camera a bit for somewhat closer focus, instead of immediately grabbing for dedicated micro (in our beloved Nikon speak) lenses. So Kenko it is, then.. That said, i've worked for years with 24/2.8 and 20/3.5 AI(S) lenses on short (8mm mostly) extension with good results. And 1,5 years ago I treated myself to the Laowa/Venus Optics 15/4.0 1:1 lens.. which does the trick really well, but is also really wide and a bit of hard work with its non-coupled aperture.

Since in the 105mm world newer is apparently not automatically better.. ..I wonder what's the story on the 60mm front.. As I wrote in the current 50mm thread, my old 60/2.8 AF is sort of glued to my D800 nowadays. Autofocus makes one-handed life so much easier! (a flash or otherwise in the other) ..and optically it is good enough for most critical users.

I was thinking along those lines too.. It's why I get great satisfaction from still (!!) using my AI(S) 20/3.5.. 85/2.0.. 105/2.8.. 400/3.5..

o_O ..and THAT is always how these geeky threads go.. one moment we're talking 135-diversity and the next we're hacking aperture rings and discussing the merits of ancient viewfinder readout solutions from our favourite photographic manufacturer.. Considering hacking: I've for many years used a 'hacked' 24/2.8 A (post 'scallop-era' I suppose) with much pleasure and few regrets, considering the damage to a true Nikon-original as well as image quality (on film, that was.. On DSLR my love for the 24/2.8's was quickly decimated).

..as written somewhere above I'd end up with a 60mm macro! Versatile from infinity to 1:1 and you can 'always' stitch to go wide..

Haha! :) I KNEW IT! ..we just HAD to talk about the micro's as well. And again in 2 years time. Myself, I liked my 55/3.5 AI a lot, but it is literally gathering dust since the 105/2.8 AIS .. and nowadays my 'go everywhere lens' (on D800) is actually an old 60/2.8 AF. yes, 60mm. That's still in the 50mm sort-of range as well, isn't it? ;) Autofocus can obviously be a great help in many situations and optically it is good enough for my use. I somewhere have an E-type 50/1.8 'pancake' as well (the metal, later version? gathering the same dust as the 55), but I don't like it exactly for the reason that I DO like the micro's: it doesn't focus close .. at all. Even less close than the standard 50's, because of the short design.. UGH..