January 15, 2012
This addendum to yesterday’s entry (or diatribe) should in no way be construed as a retraction. It is after some reflection that I feel there were some omissions that I mean to correct in this installment.
First off let me reiterate that my comments were not meant to deride or demean in any way Thom Hogan or his expression of gratitude to Adobe. I read Mr. Hogan’s blog several times a week and have much appreciation and respect for his comments and opinions. Mostly my comments were about the “climate of the times” that make us feel we need to express our gratitude for some company (like Adobe) throwing us a bone.
Next I want to also say that my comments were not directed to the research and development team at Adobe, whom have been responsible for creating Photoshop. In 1993-94 when I first started using Photoshop, I had only been on a computer for two years. It would not be far form the truth to say I was “computer illiterate”. That someone like myself was able to get through the program was solely due to the fact of the creative genius of the developers. My admiration and gratitude for them knew no bounds. For that matter I still have much respect for them. It is the marketing or licensing or whatever department which has decided to implement the “one-version upgrade” and limited usage policies, that my comments were directed to.
Of course the argument from Adobe is that they feel they must make these drastic measures in order to counter the ever growing piracy to be found on the internet. However to “punish” the paying customers for the actions of the pirates seems ludicrous. And would in my opinion only go to create more pirating.
To close this entry I would like to add my “thanks” to all of the researchers and developers past and present whom have created Photoshop. Photoshop is a wonderful tool that I have used with enjoyment and success. It has helped many of us in the photographic and design communities during the transition between analog and digital. But sadly somewhere along the way, strange thinking by other departments has created something not very pleasant. For those of us that have become dependent on Photoshop, I suppose it is just something to grin and bear. However my plan is to explore other options. For the rest of you my best wishes.
January 14, 2012
As a regular blog reader of a few selected sites, this recently caught my eye. It came from Thom Hogan’s blog entry of 13 January. To refresh, back in November Adobe announced a new policy, wherein all future updates would be “one-version update”. Meaning in order to get an update you must have the latest version. The alternative was to pay the full price (again) if you decided to skip one update to the next.
Thom Hogan and many others wrote articles in objection to this. One of the best was Scott Kelby, famous for his Photoshop tutorials. If I recall correctly Adobe had proposed an intermediate update, probably called CS 5.5. Photoshop users were going to be required to buy this intermediate update so as to qualify for the full update less then a year later. Basically one would have to had purchase two updates in one year to keep current and then be able in the future to obtain the next update (CS7?) for “only” the update price. Sort of a “forced subscription” to be imposed on Adobe Photoshop users.
It would be fair to say that many people skip each generation output in favor of every other output, so as to benefit from more technological advancements and of course less cost or a better use of our money. This would entail software and hardware products. Even Thom Hogan wrote once about skipping one generation camera for the next.
Here is the direct quote from Thom Hogan’s blog entry of 13 January. “It appears that Adobe heard their customers. The one-version update policy will be rescinded for CS6. When CS6 comes out in the first half of this year, anyone owning CS3, CS4, or CS5 versions will be able to get upgrades until the end of the year. In short, Adobe accepted one of the proposed compromises: a longer transition period before a one-version update policy takes effect (which, if I’m reading Adobe’s statements correctly, will begin in 2013).
So, Adobe, thank you for listening.”
Now I do not want to come across as demeaning Thom Hogan or anyone else, but ppppleaseeeee! “Thank you Adobe for listening”? Thank you Adobe for only being a 900 pound Gorilla instead of a 1200 pound one. What Adobe is doing is still predatory. It is nothing short of forcing a “must subscription” on us users.
My first purchase of Photoshop was 5.0. Shortly after I was given the opportunity to upgrade to 5.5, which I did. Then I skipped the next 2 updates (6.0 and 6.5) finding the new features not worth enough to fork out the cash. When Photoshop 7.0 came out, I made the update purchase and have from then on. Purchasing updates for CS1, CS2, CS3 and CS4. So if I wanted to skip one update and wait for the next, that would make me a “bad customer? One so bad that if I wanted to get a later update I would be punished for my “bad behavior” by having to pay the full price for Photoshop again. But hey they are willing to give me and others a reprieve to the end of the year. Man if that ain’t a boat load of generosity.
Have we as users become so afraid of “Big Companies” like Adobe, that we feel we need to thank them for something like this? Give us horrible outsourcing customer service, charge us more for the products, limit our use of the products, lessen the content of the updates, make us continue to use your products by predatory tactics, etc . . . Did Adobe and others like them, come to this by emulating tobacco and oil companies?
One good thing as I recall reading back in November, was the speculation that other companies would be given the impetus to create products to compete with Photoshop. Glory hallelujah! And yep some have and that is where I am headed.
“So, Adobe, thank you for listening”? I don’t think so, more like Adobe, kiss my . . . . . !
October 20, 2011
If anyone has gone onto Apple’s website recently, you will have noticed that the page is taken up with an image of the late Steve Jobs. For my part I hope that image remains for as long as possible. Sadly as of this writing , it has been changed.
Apple computers from the start has been a company devoted to not only profit, but to the betterment of life in today’s hectic world. They have provided us with new ways to accomplish our tasks. Also they made it easier to do this.
To quote Mike Johnston of “The Online Photography” At times I’ve reflected that I am that guy who he intended to enable with his innovations. I was the creative type who was uninterested in computers and had little aptitude for them. . . . Steve Jobs didn’t create the computer age, but he enabled people like me to share in it. This statement reflects my opinion perfectly, as I am sure many many others.
This may seem a funny way for a review of another product to begin. But the point here is that not only was Apple a company making good products and servicing the public, there are others. The subject of this review is of a product of one such company. The company is PocketWizard and the product is the “Flex TT5-Nikon and AC3 ZoneController.
Having been lucky enough to have made my living in photography for thirty-five years now, certain developments have come along that in some ways mirrored the innovations set forth by Jobs and Apple. The use of strobe lighting has always been a boom to still photography. With strobes photographers were allowed to emulate lighting as used in the motion pictures, but without the huge size of the movie lights. Then the technology began to trickle down to the very small hotshoe strobe / flashes. Now true portability was a reality. Go anywhere, no need for a power source, just some plain batteries and you were good to go.
One thing has plagued the use of all strobes though. Getting the damn things to fire. The old connection of using a PC cord (a 3.5mm, (1/8 inch connector, from Prontor/Compur) connecting the camera’s shutter mechanism to the strobe/flash or small electrical contacts in the hotshoe of the camera. The latter rarely gave problems, the former almost always gave problems. So if using a “hotshoe” type flash directly mounted to the camera, all was good. However trying to mount a “studio” type strobe head directly to the camera was an impossibility. Or taking the “hotshoe flash” off of the camera for more directional lighting, a PC cord was needed and became the weakest link in the system. Needless to say the use of the PC cord was at best frustrating. Purchasing them was usually in the plural form.
Time and technology has been marching forward. The hotshoe flashes got better and better. Coupled with the digital camera’s ability to shoot at higher ISO’s then before, made the hotshoe flash more of a viable tool for the professional. Though something needed to be done about the PC cord.
Along came the infrared triggering devices. Much like the auto focusing systems on the cameras, the infrared trigger sends out an infrared beam, which is received by a sensor on the flash and presto the strobe/flash fires remotely, yahoo! No damn PC cord tangling between the camera and strobes and needing to be replaced all of the time. Great huh? But wait this system also has a lot of problems and is far from fool proof.
For one the distance must be fairly close from the infrared device to the strobe/flash. Second the ambient light cannot be too bright or else it obstructs the infrared connection. Thirdly there needs to be an “in-line” sight of infrared trigger device to the strobe/flash units. Okay so what we have here is, no hiding of the flash behind something, there cannot be too much ambient light and the two respective units must be fairly close to each other. In other words the situations are somewhat limiting.
Now comes more new innovations. The radio strobe triggers. What can they do? Well for one they extend the distance from trigger device to strobe unit (s), the ambient light has no effect on them and last no line of sight is required. Yep that’s right they see through walls and such. Any problems? Kind of. We have to walk over and adjust each strobe/flash unit in their power outputs. Yeah okay I know my father had to walk five miles in knee high snow to get to school. So what is a few meters of walking compared to that? For one, sometimes it is a lot more then a few meters and as the old saying goes “time is money” and we all need some of that.
Finally now to the review. After years and years of frustrations dealing with PC cords, Nikon’s CLS infrared systems and others, PocketWizard came up with a real solution. The FlexTT5, MiniTT1 and the AC3 ZoneController.
Having gone from commercial photography to photographing wedding, I found the problem even more frustrating then before (no time for making repairs for one). So a few months ago I took the plunge and bought four FlexTT5 units and an AC3 ZoneController. The first thing on my agenda was to make my new PocketWizards units not work. What? Yep I wanted to see what would make them not work, so that when I am in the field . . . .
So in my second floor office I set up my camera with a FlexTT5 unit in place and took an SB900 Nikon flash and place it in our garden shed, inside of a box hidden form the window. The distance is about twenty meters or sixty feet. I tripped the trigger and nothing, oh no not again. Check to make sure everything is on and . . . whoops forgot to turn the unit on the camera on. Try again, it works, then again yep and again and again all working. The tried all kinds of other arrangements, with all working. That is when I remembered to turn everything on. So now it was time to the AC3 ZoneController (the part where I do not have to walk to each unit to make power adjustments). Set-up and shoot okay all three of my SB900’s are firing (all hidden form in-line sight). Now make some adjustments to each unit using the simplified A B C channel program. Just make sure each flash and FlexTT5 is set to a particular channel and then make your adjustments with the AC3 (which is mounted on top of the FlexTT5 which in turn is mounted atop the camera). Tried a few different combinations, but saw no real difference in the shots. Did I manage to make them fail? No! I forgot to set the SB900’s to the TTL (regardless if you are using manual or TTL for flash control, the flash heads must be set to the “TTL” mode). Changed it and all work perfectly. Then what you get is the ability to control and program each of your remote flash heads in three different groupings. Whether you choose to use the Manual or TTL mode. For me just miraculous!
Bottom line in my experiments is this. Making sure everything is turned on, first the flash head, then the Flex unit attached, set the flash to TTL mode, turn Flex unit and camera. After two months use the PocketWizards have proved to be if not idiot proof at least fool proof.
During a recent wedding shoot an SB900 and FlexTT5 were mounted high up on a stand, when bringing it down, both units came off the umbrella adapter and fell to the ground. Neither the flash or PocketWizard sustained any damage whatsoever. Truly impressive given the height and hardness of the ground.
Another beauty of the FLexTT5 is that it is a “transceiver” meaning that it will send out the radio signal and also receive them. On the bottom of each Flex unit is a hotshoe attachment and also on the top of the unit, so no PC cords involved at all. FlexTT5 attaches to camera, flash attaches to Flex or AC3 to Flex and it all works as if the flash or zone controller is directly attached to the hotshoe of the camera. If you remember earlier I said rarely was there a problem when a flash is directly mounted to the camera’s hotshoe and there isn’t. The FlexTT5 uses two AA batteries (one of the most common types) a big plus. The MiniTT1 in order to keep to it’s diminutive size, it uses a smaller and harder to find battery and is the reason I opted to go with only the FlexTT5 units.
Another truly admirable aspect is that the FlexTT5 and MiniTT1 is not only built in a non compromising manner construction wise, but also in regards to it becoming obsolete in a technological manner. The people at PocketWizard have enabled their units to keep up advances in technology, by providing firmware updates. also all of their units work with the older models.
But wait there is more. If the beginning of this review was a little strange to you, there was a reason for the comparison. A little over a month ago, I sold one of my photos to a person in the U.S., as part of that sales, I received another PocketWizard unit. This time however it was a Power ST4, which enables remote control of my Elinchrom RX strobe. What I did not know at the time was that units from North America and units form Europe work off of different radio frequencies. After contacting the purchaser of my photo, he sent me a copy of his invoice from where he got the Power ST4 in the U.S.. The 30 day limit was already up. So just on a chance I sent an email to PocketWizard. In a few days I was contacted by a representative. Whom was very sympathetic to my problem. After another round of emails, he instructed me to send my N. American frequency unit back to PocketWizard and he had their Dutch distributor send me a European frequency unit. This all took place in just a few days.
In this day and age, that a company would go through the trouble that PocketWizard did for me is just astonishing. Here you have a product that really works. Is built with the intention and disregard to “planned obsolescence” and the company provides this type of customer service, that for the most part is just a memory today. As I see it, very similar to the late Mr. Jobs and the philosophy he instilled at Apple Computers.
So thank you PocketWizard for restoring my faith and keeping a honorable tradition alive!
Taken from my office with a 85mm lens, a distance of about 20 meters to the garden shed. AC3 set to “0”. Then +3 and -3. Raining of course.
March 12, 2011
A Portraitist Lens
Possibly this is the lens that I have been waiting for. That is a pretty big statement, I am sure you are thinking. So it better be good, right? Well as the first word states ”possibly” .
The lens in question is as the title suggests, another older model Nikkor lens. An AF-D model 135mm f/2 DC. As to why it may be the lens that I have really been waiting for should become clear as we plow through this review.
Once again this is another lens that falls into the “brain recovery” program. In case you have not read any of the other reviews that I have posted, here is a quick explanation. In the end of 2003 I sold off a number of prime AI-S lenses. In did not take long before I discovered the enormity of my mistake. Thus I started the above mentioned program to capture back what I had so foolishly “given” away. It is I must say something one should not do, in fact it could even be an axiom.
BUILD
This one is hard to beat. Really a “hand crafted” feeling lens. Very solid, in that 90’s crinkle finish metal / plastic exterior. With no ten year recycle logo to be found anywhere on the lens. In my opinion not quite as luxurious in look and feel as the older AI-S lenses, but it has that “will last for a long time” essence to it. All letters and numbers are merely painted on and in white. Which to me is a little distracting from the overall quality. It has a very wide rubber focusing grip and feels to me very much like a MF lens when in the manual mode. Also this lens comes with a built-in lens hood, which locks into place. Some may say this hood is too short, but I find it adequate and really appreciate that it is there. Again if you haven’t read any of the other reviews of mine, I shall repeat myself by saying I do not like the new hoods made from “whatever” as I have broken quite a few and or the bayonet mount wears out too fast. Compared to it’s two cousins that I own (the 85mm f/1.4 AF-D and the 180mm f/2.8 AF-D) the 135 has more metal and feels much more solid as a result.
It is a little disconcerting to me that today some of the new primes being made by Nikon (which maybe are superior in their optical quality) should be made from some polycarbonate material and carry that ten year recycle logo on them. With prices over $1500-, can’t we as end users get both good optics and beautiful build quality? This last part may seem a bit off the subject of this review, but I feel it is relevant.
PERFORMANCE
First let’s talk about this DC part of the name. It stands for Defocus Control. Okay what the hell does that mean? It is nothing like a tilt-shift lens or like a “LensBaby” adapter. It is indented for controlling the amount of DOF beyond the normal aperture, subject magnification range. The way it works is that you can set the aperture to say f/5.6 and then move the DC ring so that either the front or rear out-of-focus areas mimic a wider aperture’s DOF. In my brief time with this lens I found this feature to be much more subtle then I had imagined it to have been. However if you perform the reverse, that is have a wider aperture setting then the DC control setting, then what you end up with is a very soft focus look. Very much as if you were to use a “soft tar” filter and it is anything but subtle. Of course I will perform a lot more experimentation with this device in the future. If anything comes up worth reporting I shall do so.
Using the lens just as an f/2, 135mm lens is what I shall concentrate on. Since it is designated as an AF lens, it is the best place to start. Because it is the older style auto focusing system, it has the “clumsy” M/A switch on the barrel. Also because it is the old the “screw drive” it relies on the camera to do the actual focusing. On the pro bodies this is not a problem, though on the lower end consumer models it will be a problem. With that said I doubt very much someone would buy this particular lens and couple it with a lower end body. It is after all something of a specialty lens. On my D3 and D700 it is quite fast if a little noisy. In fact from all of the AF-D lenses that I have shot with it is the fastest and only the 50mm f/1.4 AF-D lens comes close. The big difference between those two is that the 50mm hunts a lot more in low light/contrast situations.
The sample that I have is a used model that I bought off ebay. When I first got it, I found it front focused in close-up situations. Going into the AF fine tune on both my bodies, I got excellent results with the lens after making an +15 adjustment. It is however the only lens that I own where I had to do that. A bit of a disappointment for sure, but since it rectified the problem and that it was a used sample, I cannot complain too much. My recommendation would be to try out several if at all possible and pick the one that focuses best. As noted above the manual focus works wonderfully, though I haven’t felt much need to use it.
At wide open the lens is great and I feel absolutely no hesitation in using it at that aperture. At f/2.8 to f8 it really is as others have said “bitingly sharp” . There are of course more things in a lens then how sharp it is. The other is the quality of it’s out-of-focus areas and how they are rendered (bokeh). This lens is really quite special in that regards. Every bit as nice as the 85mm f/1.4 at f/2. Also at wide open it exhibits some vignetting, not a problem for me as I like it and often add more in post. At f/2.8 and definitely by f/4 it is gone.
One more word on the AF system. Recently I experienced considerable trouble with my 85mm f/1.4 when shooting subjects in the 4 to 6 meter range (12 to 20 feet) at a wedding. Later trying to duplicate the problem, I discovered a way to circumvent it from happening. Don’t laugh, but I have to use a strange expression here. What I found that worked best was to “double clutch” the AF system. What I mean is that I pushed the shutter release twice in quick succession. Double clutching is a term that comes from pre synchro gear box days in trucks. One had to engage the clutch once to pull it out of a gear and then again putting it back into another gear. This method I tried on the 135mm with the same good results. I would be interested if anyone else has tried this technique and what they thought of it.
SUMMARY
When I first got my 85mm f/1.4, the camera I was using was the D2X, which with the APS sensor gave me a field of view of 127mm. A focal length that I really got use to and liked. So putting the 135 on a full frame sensor camera like the D3 works almost the same, maybe better. In my portrait work I put the 85 on one camera body and the 135 on another and love the ability to switch back and forth. Yes I know a pro zoom would do the same work on one camera. Not really the same though. Besides the 135 is actually quite discreet in comparison to the 85 not to mention the 80-200 or 70-200 big zooms or even the 24-70. Probably the built in lens hood has a lot to do with it. There is a lot to be said about the discreetness of one lens over the other. Those big zooms or any lens with a 77mm front element and detached hood can become very intimidating.
The acquisition of this lens did come with some troubles that I feel is worth mentioning here. Through ebay I sold a number of old lenses and an F100 camera body, to help pay for the lens. This did not go smoothly. Two of the buyer’s addresses were wrongly posted by ebay and caused considerable trouble in rectifying. Then two of the transactions turned out to be scam jobs by the buyers. In the past I have had a lot of success buying items off ebay and can still recommend doing so. However instead of the old adage “buyer beware”, one thinking of selling should be equally if not more on guard for things to go terribly wrong, thus “seller beware”! In the end I only got taken for the F100. Was the trouble worth it? In my opinion yes, though there were moments when . . .
One of my former students also acquired one and I had hoped to include his feelings and some samples in this post. As soon as those become available I shall make an addendum to this post.
Till next time!
January 11, 2011
As I started to write this blog entry, I was reminded of the film “Bull Durham”. In the movie Kevin Costner, plays the part of an veteran minor league baseball player. His dreams of making it to the major league or as it is referred to in the film “the big show” are quickly coming to the realization that he is not going to make it. In the storyline he is transferred to a very minor league team, where he is to help develop a rookie with a lot of untapped talent.
If you haven’t seen the film, you can guess what happens. The rookie makes it to the “Big Show” with the help of Costner’s character. And Costner ends up with yet another minor league team, where he is at the end of the season let go. However the film does end on a high note, as there comes an opening for a manager the next season. So once again those dreams of the big show may still come to pass. If not as a player then as a manager.
It has now been almost five decades since I first picked up a camera and started my path along the lines of this my passion. And it is now over thirty years that I have been making a living with a camera. It’s been a good journey, filled with wonderful experiences. Though I feel that I never made it to the “big show”. It doesn’t feel like there is much time left to do so.
These days I divide my time between being a father, a wedding photographer and a teacher at the FotoGram in Amsterdam. Though all three of these “jobs” are new for me, they still fill me with passion. The subject of this entry is only about one, however they all seem related.
Teaching is for many of us the culmination of our careers. It is in a manner the passing on of our knowledge or payback for our good fortunes. When I started at the FotoGram, it was without any real expectations other then the gratification of teaching a subject so dear to me and hopefully inspiring newcomers to our craft.
In a previous blog entry, I wrote about the final projects turned in by the students of one of my classes. In it I wrote how much pride I had felt over the accomplishments of the students in the classroom. This time it is about the accomplishments of two of them outside the classroom.
Max as I wrote earlier has a n incredible insight into what evokes emotions in an image. When I think of him as a photographer, I see a portraitist. During our classes Max always exhibited a relaxed and experience repertoire with whomever he was photographing. Even though his first professional assignment after leaving the course was to photograph office interiors, the portraitist still comes through. See for yourself. His use of lines, shape and light breaths life into these images, that otherwise would have ended up being just static spaces, in the hands of lesser talented photographers.
My favorites “The Talking Chairs”.
The Assignment also called for an “iconic” shot of Berlin. Again the talent shows.
The other student that came along in the same class is Beata Fortuna. After our second class together she approached me and asked if she could show me some of her work. Immediately I was struck by an intuitive instinct in her work. So much emotional style and symbolism in the images. What I was seeing was an emerging artist. Later during a field trip, I observed the way she conversed with people and knew that she would make a great and badly needed assistant. She accepted the offer with enthusiasm. And I am so happy she did. Here are some shots she made during the party that followed a wedding ceremony and a couple of her own street images.
Once again I am proud of their accomplishments and for whatever help and inspiration that I may have passed on to them. In the future I suspect that they will be both be successful. When these two or other students of mine do become successful, I will feel that in the end the show didn’t pass me up after all.
October 26, 2010
The “Dished” lens
What does this guy mean now? Simple this is a review about a lens that has been dished by so many reviewers, one could think that it is pure crap or something to hold food. Maybe for some applications it is. And for sure it is a very “quirky” lens.
First off it doesn’t really have a diaphragm to operate the aperture, as it is a fixed aperture at f/8. So no one is going to accuse it of being fast. It has terrible bokeh when highlights in the background are of high contrast and or backlit. However for some applications this is a real sleeper.
Of course from the main title you already know which lens I am talking about. Nikon’s 500mm f/8 Reflex lens. Originally I got this lens to use when I was location scouting and for my backpacking trips. What I was looking for was a lens that was small and light weight, but with a long reach. In the past I had rented this lens, when I had been doing some free lance for a news paper in Santa Barbara. At that time I was impressed with the optics and how sharp the images were coming out. Tri-X was the film and sports was my main subject for those assignments.
Twenty-five years or so later and needing something quick I took a chance and ordered one form B&H. This was the newest version “N”. For the scouting jobs it worked great, mostly for car commercials or anytime I needed a long lens and didn’t want to drag around my 300mm with a 2X tele converter. The big surprise came when I saw how close it would focus. 5 feet (1.5 meters) giving a reproduction ratio on a 35mm camera of 1:2.5. My hiking shots were less impressive as I was using Fujichrome Velvia with an ISO of 50 and of course a light weight tripod. It was always hard to get sharp images (camera movement blur). Thus it sat on a self for sometime.
However later on with the use of digital cameras, I started to experiment with it’s close-up capabilities and was like the first time I used one, notably impressed.
BUILD
Old fashion mechanical beauty. Really built like a tank, I know this term has become something of a cliche, but in this case it is an accurate description. This lens is just “solid” as Link from “Mod Squad” would have said. All of the marking are engraved and filled with paint. The body is anodized aluminum with that great Nikon enameling. Focusing though somewhat dark because of the small aperture is very smooth (I mean really smooth) and at nearly two full turns is very precise.
PERFORMANCE
Like I said it is not fast, so really unsuitable for a wide variety of photographic work. One fixed aperture, so not much there for versatility.
And some really weird bokeh on many subjects (or rather the backgrounds). However for certain things it is great, especially considering it’s size. The lens weighs 29oz./796grams and is 4.7inches/116mm by 3.5 inches/89mm. Getting sharp images can be a problem with either slow film or an unstable tripod. The blessing of being small for such a long focal length is also it’s curse as the small size and weight makes it prone to vibrations. But when one nails it they are rewarded with a very special look. And like other quirky lenses it is something you either love or hate, nothing in between.
CONCLUSION
For bird watching or use as a short telescope it works perfectly. For some wild looking close-ups it can be very rewarding. Because of it’s size and weight great for backpacking. For an all purpose super telephoto lens, forgetaboutit! The build quality alone is something to appreciate. It is as I have said “quirky” and not for everyone, but for those people that want something different/special this is a very interesting choice. Also since it is no longer being made and probably never again, it will eventually become a collector’s item and deservedly so.
Here are some sample shots that I have done over the years, both digital (D2X & D3) and film -Velvia on a Nikon F100.
September 19, 2010
A Tale of Two Lenses
Yep once again we are talking, a 50mm lens. This time however it is about two 50mm lenses. So this will be a little bit of a review and a little bit of a comparison of the two lenses. The title I suppose could have read, “this one is for fun and this one is for work”.
Recently I had an assignment to shoot some baby portraits (about two months old). As this was to be somewhat informal, I brought along only my 50mm f/1.4 AF-D lens and a 105mm micro lens (maybe the topic of another blog entry). After setting up my lighting, I began shooting and was once again put off by the “hunting” aspect of the old AF-D lens. For sure you can get really good results from this lens, but the AF in some cases leaves a lot to be desired.
Having come to the decision (finally) to sell off my D2X and replace it with a D700, I thought why not also replace the 50mm AF-D lens with a new AF-S 50mm. And that is exactly what I did.
The Review Part
So first the review part. There were a few problems with the AF-D lens that is immediately apparent, have been addressed. First the horrible plasticky exterior finish has now been replaced with a matte stipple finish with gold lettering. Which adds a “professional” looking touch. Next when in AF mode the barrel does not move like the AF-D version. For those of you that have not experienced this, it may be hard to appreciate how annoying it could be. Of course like in all AF-S lenses, you can instantly manually override the AF, by simply going to the rubberized focusing ring. Which feels and works much better then the previous version of this venerable lens. Using the focusing assist “dot” in MF mode, I have not experienced any problems in achieving accurate focus.
There has been a lot of talk on the internet about the “slowness” in AF of the new AF-S lens compared to the AF-D lens. Unfortunately since I sold the AF-D just prior to acquiring the new lens, I cannot make a direct comparison. However even if it is a bit slower it seems to actually acquire accurate focus quicker, at least to this reviewer. Maybe it is just my wanting to justify the acquisition.
Where the new lens really shines is at wide open apertures. It is far far superior wide open compared to the older model. Seriously this is a huge improvement and for me well worth the added expense that I have had to come up with. It makes me wonder, that if the difference is as great in the new 85mm f/1.4 AF-S G lens vs. the older AF-D model, then perhaps that might be worth a serious consideration.
The Comparison Part
By now you may have thought that the comparison suggested from the title was about the AF-S and the AF-D models. Nope! This is about two different animals altogether. The comparison is between the 50mm f/1.2 AIS lens and the 50mm f/1.4 AF-S G lens.
The main difference is of course auto focus and manual focus. Nothing to ignore. There is of course build quality and the newer lens design. Which helps in diminishing certain problems associated with wide aperture lenses, mainly spherical aberrations. The f/1.2 lens wide open and stopped down to f/1.4 is loaded with spherical aberrations, where as the AF-S G lens exhibits much less. When we talk about build quality, for me the AIS lens is “way” better, there is just no comparison here.
As noted earlier the new lens focusing very accurately in either AF or MF modes. The older 50mm f/1.2 needs much more patient in focusing at wide apertures to overcome the spherical aberration problem (in fact it can be quite difficult). If you have not read my review on the 50mm f/1.2 AIS lens, then here is a short explanation. When focusing at f/1.2 or f/1.4 on that lens, I found that the green “dot” and right side arrow both must be flickering in order to achieve accurate focus (the closer the subject the more exact you need to be). I found this to be the same in my D3, D2X and now the new D700 cameras. When accurate focus is achieved you are rewarded in a very special way (however the spherical problems persist in the form of veiling or focus haze). As I said in my review of the f/1.2 lens, it comes down to personal taste. On the other hand the AF-S lens performs right out the gate, with a much clearer and more contrasty images.
In the following examples, I have done side by side comparison shots using both lenses and giving the new D700 some exercise. Which is better is totally up to the individual viewer. All of the images were made at the maximum aperture for each lens. The AF-S lens can focus 5 cm closer, though I did try to keep subject size the same in both examples. All images were shot handheld as I feel this gives a more accurate gauge to what can be expected in field use. However a tripod and using “live view” would be advisable. All images were shot NEF and processed through Nikon NX2.
Conclusions
As you can see there is definitely a “personality” difference between these two lenses. At present I have no inclination to ridding myself of either one. The new AF-S lens will be for my work. Like I said before I just don’t have the confidence to manual focus on moving targets. Also I feel the “cleaner” look of the new lens will be better received by the majority of my clients. The f/1.2 AIS lens has a very special character to it, at least from my viewpoint and it will be my “fun” lens. For me the AIS lens is really two in one (at wide open it has a very ethereal quality and stopped down produces exceptionally sharp images). So this is the lens I will be shooting either for myself or for those clients that might appreciate the special qualities that this lens possesses.
In Nikon Rumors there was this blog posting: http://nikonrumors.com/2010/02/06/rumor-nikkor-af-s-50mm-f1-2.aspx . Which of course has sparked considerable interest with the Nikon aficionados. How would this lens compare to the two lenses discussed here is a mystery. Would it have the best of both lenses? Hard to say especially considering those differences. Would it be more like the legendary 58mm f/1.2 asp. lens? (Here is a review by Ken Rockwell on this lens: http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/50mm-f12-coma.htm ). Maybe it is all speculation at this stage, but it would be very exciting if Nikon did decide to produce this new lens and I for one would be very interested in acquiring it. Until that time I will content myself with these two very different and very exceptional lenses. And thus I give my highest recommendation to either one, depending on one’s needs and applications.
August 14, 2010
Follow up on the discussion of focus error on the 50mm f/1.2 AIS
Since writing and posting my review of the aforementioned lens, I have had a few correspondences with Lloyd Chambers. So first I would like to extend my gratitude to him for taking the time out of his busy schedule in helping me understand this problem better. His generosity and patient were will appreciated by this author.
The problem I encountered trying to focus at f/1.2 (actually this can be at other aperture setting, stopped down to f/5.6) appears to be spherical aberration. It would be redundant to of me to repeat his articles, so I will just provide here the links. http://diglloyd.com/diglloyd/index.html &
http://diglloyd.com/articles/Focus/FocusShift.html
As to my findings and opinions, I can say this much. To begin I must say I was wrong in calling the tests a ‘wank” for any reason. It is something that needs to be understood, if one wants to shoot with a “fast” lens at the wide apertures and get if not optimal then at least good results. Like Lloyd Chambers says, “sparkling-sharp eyes versus not-quite-there eyes”.
These fast lenses, like the 50mm f/1.2 AIS all have some spherical aberrations inherent in their optical design. There are of course aspherical corrected lenses that can eliminate the worst of the problems associated with fast lenses. These of course do not come cheap. The thing is you either like the results of a lens like the 50mm f/1.2 AIS or not. I for one do like the results, both wide open and stopped down. It really is two different looks. And from that perspective I do recommend the lens for people of similar tastes as mine. However for most people there are some much better alternatives, with or without auto-focus and at varying price ranges. For those that choose such a lens, then it is a must to “learn” the lens and it’s peculiarities. It is work, but then the rewards can be worth it.
In my review I mentioned that I had set focus to a point where the focus confirmation “dot” and the right side arrow were both flickering, when exposing at f/ 1.2 (this is the inherent problem of a fast lens wanting to back focus). This technique was my way of manually correcting the problem. Under most other circumstances I found using a “solid green dot” at aperture settings of f/2 or smaller, worked just fine. It was not until I enlarged the image to 400%, that I saw enough of a difference. In my line of work I cannot afford to be so critical. The emotions of the moment is my main concern. However possessing this knowledge and how to correct or make the proper adjustments for it, is quite essential and not a “wank” as previously stated.
For this follow up I have included a few more examples all shot at f/1.2 and one or two comparison shots at f/2.0. Many thanks again to Lloyd Chambers.
August 12, 2010
An Oldie, but Goodie
For this review I have steered away from the “Brain Meltdown Recovery” program that has been the focus (excuse the pun) of most of the previous reviews on this blog.
From the title it should be obvious the subject of this review. The Nikon 50mm f/1.2 AIS MF lens. Like the 28mm lens of my last review this one again is a manual focus lens of the old design. And just like the 28mm it is a lens that is still in production and thus can be purchased brand new.
As to why I decided to add this lens to my kit, is in some ways a mystery to me. It was not meant to replace anything or really was it something I desperately needed. After all I was already in possession of a 50mm f/1.4 AF-D and a 55mm f/3.5 AIS lens. No I think the reason was because I was so enchanted after the acquisition of the 28mm f/2.8 AIS and it’s superlative quality. Also there was the allure of a lens with f/1.2 maximum aperture. As for any other reasons, just read on and maybe it will become apparent to you and for that matter maybe even to me.
BUILD
Considering today’s generous use of plastic, these older AIS lenses are just beautiful to behold. First all of the materials used are of metal, glass and with a rubber covered focusing ring. Really jewel like in comparison with most of today’s lenses. Like all AIS lenses it has a full aperture ring with the aperture coupling flange for use on the older Photomic F series cameras. These can be removed if so desired without effecting the lens. It has a colored depth of field scale on the barrel between the focusing and aperture rings. It also has an infrared focus mark (in red). Focus scale is in meters and feet. All of the marking are engraved not just painted on. Being an AIS lens it comes with that beautiful black enamel finish (which I find to be even richer looking then the “crinkle” finish that comes on the AF-D lenses). It feels very solid and yet light in the hand. The size is, how best to say this, “petit”.
Handling and Performance
Of course it is manual focus only. However it will work on all Nikon DSLR’s and SLR’s, though from what I understand the metering will not work on the lower end consumer cameras. The focus is very smooth, you can actually do it with one finger. After using the 50 for sometime I went back to the 28mm and found it a bit stiff in comparison.
Up till now I have only tried the 50mm on the D3. My findings are a bit different then I had expected. Let me explain first what I mean by that. When I first started using Nikon equipment, I quickly came to the conclusion, that not all of their lenses were created equal. At that time they were all manual focus of course. What I did then for judging a lenses, was to see how fast I could focus one. The faster that I was able to focus meant the sharper and brighter the lens was. That is not really a possibility today and not just because my eyes are 40 years older. Back then the focusing screens were made of ground glass or fresnel screens, which better reflected the actual brightness (maximum aperture) of the lens in use. So if you had a fast lens it appeared much brighter then a slower lens would. Most of them also had a split screen or some other guide to help in manual focusing.
Today the focusing screens have been optimized for the slower “consumer” or “kit” zoom lenses f/3.5-5.6 and of course for auto-focusing. They are much brighter overall then the earlier screens, but only up to f/2.8 or so. You can test this by holding down the depth of field preview button (if your camera has one) and see for your self that it gets no brighter, when you go faster then f/2.8. Other then the absence of a manual focusing aide, the biggest disadvantage of the new screens for a lens faster then f/2.8 is that you never see the actual depth of field when the lens is at it’s maximum aperture or faster then f/2.8.
Nikon does not make an alternative screen for the D3 that would aide in manual focusing, i.e. a split screen or any other manual focusing aide. In doing some internet research I came across some discussions about the “split screens” giving the light metering systems some trouble. This company does offer one: www.brightscreen.com. However in the discussion thread it was not highly valued and did indeed impair the metering ( I have not tested, only what I read). KatzEye makes screens for many Nikon cameras, but sadly not for the D3; http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/cat–Nikon-DSLRs–cat_nikon.html
At first in comparing the 50mm f/1.2 to the 28mm f/2.8 AIS lens, it seemed harder to bring into focus, that is at least at first. I really can’t say why that is, it just felt that way, but again only at first. Though it may have felt difficult to focus at first, it is as sharp as you could possibly want from any optic. In fact sometimes I am surprised how sharp the image ends up being. This is due in large part to the new style focusing screens and yes also to my aging eyes. That is why my findings were different then I had expected.
Ken Rockwell has an excellent review of this lens that he did in 2007. In it he states that at f/2 it is the sharpest Nikon lens at that aperture setting. This I cannot verify as I have not tested or shot all of Nikon’s lenses at f/2. It seems definitely as good as my 85mm f1.4, at f/2 though (which I consider as good as they come). I do agree with him on that, in fact after a bit of practice I found that I could hit my mark almost 100% of the time f/2. It really has become easy now. For the most part I have relied on the electronic focusing confirmation dot (the green dot with 2 green arrows) for my focusing and not the screen. Later on he goes on to say, “The f/1.2 performs about the same as the f/1.4 lenses when used at f/1.4, also no big deal”. This at first I might have agreed with, however while shooting a lot of different subjects (mostly up-close) and then viewing them at 100%, I noticed that the lens was back focusing a little bit wide open and to a lesser extent at f/1.4. So I decided to experiment a little. Using the focus confirmation dot – arrow combo, I focused until the right arrow and dot were both flickering and that is when I discovered that one can get very sharp images at f/1.2 & f/1.4. Better even at f/1.2 then my 50mm f/1.4 AF-D at f/1.4. I have not done enough shooting with the new 50mm f/1.4 AF-S G lens to make that judgement call yet. Whether this focus problem at f/ 1.2 is a sample only problem or something with the camera or a combination, it does make it hard to get really great results wide open. If it is inherent in the lens itself, then should be taken into consideration in trying to get the best results. On the few shots that I used “live view” the focus was right on.
At wide open and at f/1.4 there is “veiling” or glow around objects, which is a result of spherical aberration and lowered contrast. This can contribute to an overall “soft” look. However it cleans up nicely at f/2. Other then the back focus issue wide open (which again may only be on my lens or camera or combination) I found the lens not to have any focus shift while stopping down, something unusual for such a fast lens. Chromatic aberrations are present again wide open (purple – magenta fringing in front of focus and green in the rear of focus), but again cleans up nicely by stopping down and is free of by f/2.8.
****I made an error in the above paragraph that I would like to correct. After further testing, with the camera locked down on a tripod and using live view, mirror lock-up and a cable release to achieve the best accuracy. The findings result in that there is indeed focus shift occurring. This is when the lens is focused at f/1.2 and then exposed at smaller f stops. At f/2.0 I see no shift, however at f/2.8 and f/4.0 there is a noticeable shift in the focus. This test was not part of the original review, as I have stated earlier I wanted to shoot all of my samples handheld. Frankly I consider this type of testing as being necessary for accuracy sakes, but on the other hand something of a wank. As I would under field conditions either focus using the focus confirmation dot or if “live view” then focusing at the aperture setting that I was going to expose for. While performing this focus shift and with the camera all set up, I decided to check out the problem I was experiencing at f/1.2 and the focus “dot”. The results were the same as I had encountered before. Then I tried the same with a D2X and again encountered that same problem. It would appear to me at least to be a sample variation or that the DOF is so small that where the “focus bracket” is placed is that critical. And that folks is about as technical as I get.
Recommendation
This as it turns out is not so easy to say. Like Ken Rockwell, I feel that either the 50mm f1.4 AF-D, 50mm AF-D f/1.8 or the 50mm f/1.4 AF-S G lens are the better choices to go for or at least the more practical choices. Possibly on a portrait assignment I might use the 50mm f/1.2 AIS lens, but I seriously doubt that I would on an wedding. Most likely because I do not have the confidence to manually focus fast enough. However if one is willing to take into consideration that some lenses require a “learning curve” and want something a little more special, then this is an excellent choice. Also it’s performance and construction alone could be enough of an inducement.
Recently I went on a trip to the west coast of France and though I took 3 lenses with me, I only shot with this lens. A couple of times I felt compelled to shoot with one of the others, but just never enough. One mistake that I did make was in leaving my polarizing filter sitting on my desk at home. So I was not able to make as many images during the day at wide apertures as I had planned. Given that most DSLR’s have a native iso of 100 or 200, then it is definitely a consideration to carry with you a neutral density or polarizer filter in order to expose at the widest apertures during the day.
For sure it is a little difficult to get sharp results at f/1.2, but when one does well . . . it is just magic. In the end, though it may not have been a lens I needed, I am indeed very happy with it. If not for my professional work then for my enjoyment. For the time being it seems permanently fixed to my camera. As I have said before if one is restricted to just one lens then a good fast 50’ is the way to go.
While making all of these examples, I never once used a tripod (a first for me). As stated earlier for the most part I used the electronic focus confirmation, however I did use “live view” on several occasions with good results. Being off the tripod I just found the electronic focusing confirmation easier to use. With that said there were a few occasions that I focused relying on just the screen itself with mixed results.
The focusing issue at f/1.2 and how I resolved it.
One of the reasons I love the 50mm focal length – the way they can mimic a slightly wide and slightly telephoto lens.
As I have said before, I am not what one would call a technical sort of person. Consequently these reviews are not technical in scope. What I am endeavoring to do is to write a review from more of an emotional and personal use perspective. With any kind of equipment I am not interested in how they work, only in what they can do for me and my personal style of vision. Hopefully these reviews can help you the reader decide on what lenses to get.
Cheers,
JG
July 25, 2010
Student’s Project
This time I would like to share with you, the work of some of my students. For the last two years I have been teaching a Basic Photography course at FotoGram in Amsterdam. The students themselves come from all over the world, have different occupations and backgrounds. However they all share one thing in common, an passionate interest in photography.
On the first day of class, I always ask them to introduce themselves and tell the rest of the class something about themselves and what they want or expect from the class. As you can imagine, they all want to become better at taking or rather making photographs. This is where I come in to help them along. On top of teaching them the fundamental disciplines, I also endeavor to infuse the students with my passion and to try to coax out them, their own feelings to be part of their image making. As I said earlier it is a basic photography course, thus their knowledge and experience is limited.
This past spring semester I was fortunate to have some exceptional students, if not in experience then in passion and talent. The work that you are about to look at is from their final assignment in the class. The assignment is a photo essay. The photos should all be connected to a single theme and relate to each other.
***note due to space on this site, I am not able to present all of the students assignments. There are just a few culled images from their assignments for presentation here.
The first student’s work is form Max D’Achille. Max is one of those people, that as the old saying goes, “brings a lot to the party”. He has a wonderful understanding and insight into what contributes to emotional impact. Max goes barefoot and apparently receives some criticism for it. Having been a teenager in the 60’s and growing up near Berkeley, California it really wasn’t anything new to me, but for some people. . . Max chose this part of his life style for his essay. What he does here is put into the images much of the criticisms and comments that he has received. The concept is brilliant and wonderfully executed.
Next is Miranda Roos an attorney and mother. Miranda chose a very simple theme, especially for a place like Amsterdam. The theme, bicycles! Yep bicycles. As if there are not enough in the Netherlands. However she took that and added to it just bicycle accessories and then added to that an emotional aspect to the overall theme, of one of neglect. It was obvious she put a lot of thought into this project to come up with a theme within a theme , within a theme.
Andrea Suponcic, a fellow American living abroad and whose job has her traveling all over the globe. Brought to the class an already developed eye for photography. In fact her photo of “Coney Island” took second place in a photo contest put on by the Foto Academy. Since she took it before the class and not of her assignment, I chose not to show it here. Andrea took two different subjects and spun out two excellent essays. One was of her passport and the other is of a bridge in Cologne, Germany, where people put padlocks with messages and affix them to the bridge’s chain link fence.
Karolina Kozkowsua, just floored me with her first assignment, which is really just an exercise in focus and depth of field. However what she did with it was astonishing. She framed her three subjects in such a way, that it can only be described as “elegant”. For her final assignment, she went to a graveyard in Poland and made some very moving images there of the statuary. Through the use of her elegant sense of design, she was able to breath life into these inanimate objects.
Cathy Jeary, who came to class sporting (if I recall correctly) three different point-and-shoot cameras. Most of the time these same cameras were unable to function because they had all run out of battery life. However she floored her classmates and myself, with the images she made on our field trip (unfortunately I do not have these to show). However believe me when I say they were all beautifully designed. For personal reasons she was unable to complete the final assignments, but did show up with a few images she had recently shot, here is one that we all found compelling.
Filiz Yilmaz showed up to class (along with Max) with a 50mm prime lens (a rare sight site these days from those just starting out in photography). The images she made from the weekly assignments (along with Max’s and my urging) provided enough stimulus for three of her classmates to go out and purchase 50mm primes. For her final class project, she had written me, that she was having troubles coming up an idea. With my usual comments, I wrote back and told her not to stress, but to have fun with it. It is apparent that was enough. She decided on”white” to be her theme. Using her eye for composition and excellent use of her 50mm prime, she came up with some very interesting and well made images. Placing white into her compositions with artistic flare.
Now just before I go to publish this blog entry, I have received two more student’s work.
The first of these are from Akansha Sharma. Akansha from India, progressed very well in the course. In truth was a fast learner. Also she was always making herself available as a volunteer model during class demonstrations and assignments. As a model, she was as good at that if not better. She presented two themes, and from those I have chosen another to exhibit here, as I see it. I will let you decide for yourself.
The last of my student’s work is from Beate Fortuna. Beate from the very beginning has exhibited an excellent eye and infuses her images with a great deal of symbolism. She had told me of her final project plans, however she was not able to accomplish those (not her fault) and then decided to go after another with very little time. Throughout the course Beate had worked in B&W, however towards the end, in my lecture on color and subsequent suggestion to visit a few web sites of great color photographers, she thus chose color to work in. Using the work of Pete Turner as her inspiration.
As a teacher, I must confess to being proud of their accomplishments. Not unlike that of a proud parent. This is what teaching is all about. Firing up your students with passion and inspiration along with the fundamental disciplines. Then having them come back with work that is in itself inspiring.
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