Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/02/04

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Subject: [Leica] Re:Monster High-tech 50mm 1.4 from Sigma and everyone else
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Wed Feb 4 16:59:28 2009

I love my Nikon 55mm/3.5 micro which I've used often on my D200.
The 60 is a monster and impossible to focus manually.

I was just reading the Annie Liebowitz at work book.

She started out going out with three camera bodies.
With a lens of course on each.
A 35mm, the Nikon 55mm/3.5, and a 105.
She says those days if you used a zoom you were thought of as a hack.
Not her exact words.


Mark William Rabiner



> From: Leonard Taupier <len-001@verizon.net>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 18:24:50 -0500
> To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Re:Monster High-tech 50mm 1.4 from Sigma and everyone
> else
> 
> Hi Steve,
> 
> I find the focus of the older manual focus lenses is just fine. All
> the Nikon AF bodies have focus confirmation no matter what lens you
> put on it, even an enlarger lens on a bellows will get you focus
> confirmation. I think it's easy and fun at the same time. Of course a
> good autofocus lens is great as well as long as it doesn't hunt and
> is fairly fast. The older Nikon AF 50/1.4 lens focuses faster then
> the new AFS 50mm/1.4. But it's still adequate. The new AFS lens is
> very sharp as well, but difficult to see the difference versus the
> older 50's. I think what Nikon is doing now is releasing all the new
> lenses with the AFS motors so they can start eliminating all the
> screw drives on the less expensive bodies like the D40 and D60.  Of
> course they are upgrading the lens formulas and improving the coating
> at the same time. It's surprising how good the old glass is though.
> I'm currently seeing how good a lens I can but for less then $75.
> Tomorrow I have the Nikon 55mm/3.5 micro with the compensating
> aperture and factory converted to AI coming in. It's one of the
> sharpest lenses Nikon has ever made. The price is $62. And it was
> never made in Thailand. The D700 viewfinder is great even though it's
> a 95% view. It pains me to say this but I'm shooting much more with
> my D700 and much less with my M8.
> 
> Len
> 
> 
> On Feb 4, 2009, at 4:18 PM, Steve Barbour wrote:
> 
>> 
>> On Feb 4, 2009, at 1:26 PM, Leonard Taupier wrote:
>> 
>>> I've already tried the new Nikon. My son bought it two weeks ago.
>>> The focus is very slow but if you have a D40X or D60 it'll work
>>> fine. I found my 1977 AI'd 50/1.4 was just as sharp. The 50/2.0
>>> you can get from KEH for $69 is just as good as well.  I find with
>>> the D700 I prefer using the old classic manual focus lenses. They
>>> certainly are made better then their AF siblings.
>> 
>> 
>> hi Len...talk to me a bit about focus of those lenses on the D 700,
>> and the quality of the viewfinder....
>> 
>> 
>> good ? no good?  easy ? fun?
>> 
>> 
>> thanks, Steve
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Len
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Feb 4, 2009, at 12:29 PM, Chris Williams wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Hey Mark,
>>>> 
>>>> The Nikon 50/1.4 G AF-S is already out, and $499.
>>>> 
>>>> Chris
>>>> 
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Rabiner" Subject:
>>>> [Leica] Monster High-tech 50mm 1.4 from Sigma and everyone else
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> " In 2008, full-frame DSLR's from three makers became
>>>>> affordable, and
>>>>> interest in classic 50mm lenses was renewed."
>>>>> 
>>>>> I've had my eye on the new redesign of the Nikon 50 1.4 about to
>>>>> come out;
>>>>> For like 333 some odd bucks but with silent built in auto
>>>>> focusing AFS they
>>>>> call it which are not on my other versions. Especially my AI
>>>>> version. And
>>>>> focusing manually at f1.4 and be there on a cheap body with non
>>>>> groundglass
>>>>> style groundglass is hit or miss.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



In reply to: Message from len-001 at verizon.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] Re:Monster High-tech 50mm 1.4 from Sigma and everyone else)