Fun with Nikon Film SLR - the Venerable FM

My Nikon film SLR collection is nearly complete, I've had my eye out for one I didn't have - the original FM. I finally found one in essentially mint condition, used, on Amazon. I took the chance and was rewarded with this great little camera. One of the best things about the FM is that it can mount and use both AI and non-AI lenses, making it the perfect film companion to my digital Nikon Df.

 

Here are some shots from the test roll of Ilford HP5 that I put through the FM.

 

 

Saying that I'm pleased is an understatement.

 

By the way, I scanned these on a new dedicated film scanner, the Pacific Image XA. While all of the autoloading on this scanner is a bit oversold, the image quality is outstanding. I can actually see film grain in my scans, something that has been elusive on flatbed scanners, even the Epson V750. If you're serious about scanning 35mm films, I suggest you give the XA a try.

 

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Some Favorites from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2015 - Featuring Peru

Here is a selection of my favorite images from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2015. Peru was the featured country.

 

I shot all of these with my newly re-sealed Nikon FM2 and Nikkor AIS 35mm f1.4 lens on Agfa APX400 film.

 

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How to Take a Unique Car Show Image? Go at Night!

My friends Dennis Gallus, James McKearney, and I have been frequenting a couple of annual car shows for a few years now. This year, with Dennis moved off to Arizona and James spending more time in Boston, I didn't even know when the Leesburg car show was scheduled. It just so happened that I took my daughter into town to enjoy the evening air and came upon it, just after dark.

 

These are some of the most memorable shots I've ever made there, and it's in large part due to the darkness.

 

Night at the Carshow, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS Lens

 

Later on in the evening, we got a surprise, which I'll cover in a future post.

 

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Testing the Nikkor AiS 35mm f1.4 With Film

I recently bought two classic lenses from a friend, the 50mm f1.2 and 35mm f1.4 AiS manual focus lenses from Nikon. Both are in truly mint condition.

 

I used the 50 f1.2 while I was in Japan, and have posted some results (Click Here). It's a very special purpose lens, but the way it isolates subjects with the miniscule depth of field, and can shoot in near total darkness is impressive.

 

I have not used the 35 f1.4 much at all yet, and decided to put a roll of film through my Nikon FM2N using only that lens. I didn't have any particular subject in mind when I went out, but wanted to see how the lens would do. Here are a few shots from that roll.

 

 

All of these were shot on Ilford HP5+.

 

The final shot really shows how the 35 f1.4 can isolate a subject, while including a lot of context in the image. If I'd shot this with a longer lens (easier to get narrow depth of field), it would not have been obvious that the boy had friends with him, that he was using an Apple computer, or that he was in a library at all. Kind of fun.

 

So, I need to keep exploring this lens. More to come!

 

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Trip to the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC

I took my Nikon F2SB with me to the Hirshhorn Museum of Art in Washington, DC.

 

It was a cold, rainy afternoon.

 

Museums are Good for Rainy Days, by Reed A. George

Nikon F2SB, 50mm f1.4 AI Lens

Ilford HP5 Film

 

While photographing the displays or pieces of art in a museum is tantamount to stealing someone else's creativity, I always enjoy photographing people in the interesting environment created by a museum.

 

Separate Worlds, by Reed A. George

Nikon F2SB, 50mm f1.4 AI Lens

Ilford HP5 Film

 

I like how the left and right of the frame above could have come from completely different photographs.

 

The more I use the F2SB (which is a normal Nikon F2 SLR with the photomic finder that uses a very sensitive silicon sensor for light metering), the more I like it. Mine's in very nice user condition - not so nice that I'm afraid to take it out, but certainly well-preserved for its age. I enjoy shooting film with older manual Nikkor lenses, as well.

 

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End of the Winter Season

 

End of Winter, by Reed A. George

Nikon F2SB, Nikkor Non-AI 135mm f3.5 Lens, Yellow Filter

Ilford HP5+ Film

 

I hope this will be one of the last images I take this season that includes ice. I like the layers in this composition, most notably the dark layer at the top, with its ordered rows of trees and shadows they cast.

 

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A Nice Candid With the Nikkor 135mm f3.5 Non-AI Lens and Nikon F2SB

Juan and David, by Reed A. George

Nikon F2SB, Nikkor 135mm f3.5 Non-AI Lens

Ilford HP5+ Film

 

Not much to say here. Just a shot I happen to really like a lot. I captured it while Juan and David took a little breather from practicing parkour.

 

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More Parkour, Again With the Nikon F2SB

Here are my favorites from the second roll of HP5 that I shot of Juan, Garrett, and David practicing parkour in DC:

 

 

As with the first roll, these were all shot with my Nikon F2SB. This could become a habit for me...

 

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Parkour! The Benefits of Simply Getting Out to Shoot

It has been a long winter. Last weekend, cabin fever got the best of me, and I drove into DC with my Nikon F2SB (loaded up with HP5+), 50mm f1.4 AI, 28mm f3.5 pre-AI, and 135mm f3.5 pre-AI lenses. Having literally no idea what I was going to photograph, I decided to park at L'Enfant Plaza and walk over to the Smithsonian castle.

 

As soon as I got out of my car, I noticed two young men practicing parkour at the Department of Energy building. Don't know what parkour is? (Click Here) to find out.

 

That was all I needed. I wound up following them around for two hours, shooting their acrobatic antics. I've only developed the first of two rolls of HP5 I shot, so there are more to come. Here are some that I liked from the first roll.

 

 

 

I ended up shooting mostly with the 28mm lens, getting as close as possible to the action. I also shot a few with the 50mm f1.4.

 

It took me a little while to get comfortable and find the right angles to shoot from. The first two traceurs, David and Garrett, were joined by Juan. All three of them were extremely friendly and welcoming of a tag-along.

 

This experience reminded me that finding an interesting subject is not always a contemplative exercise. I never would have dreamed up the idea of finding a local parkour group. I had to be out there looking. And now, I'm sure this is something I'll continue to photograph for some time to come.

 

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Kitchen Door

Last night, I went to a live music performance at Jammin' Java in Vienna, Virginia. I caught this scene out of the corner of my eye, quickly mounted the Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-D, and captured it.

 

Kitchen Door, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-D Lens

iso 7200, f2, 1/125 sec.

 

It's absolutely amazing how well the Nikon Df does at high iso settings. In fact, I find that much of the time I actually use Auto-ISO settings, since I really don't have to worry about digital noise. In this case, that's what I did. I set the camera to spot meter, set the shutter speed to 1/125 with the camera in Manual exposure mode, the f-stop to f2, and just trusted the camera to pick the correct iso. The sensor in the Df gives me nearly complete freedom in these types of shooting situations.

 

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First Snow of the Season

First Snow, by Reed A. George

Nikon F

 

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Halls of Knowledge

Halls of Knowledge, by Reed A. George

Nikon F, Nikkor 45mm f2.8 Pancake Lens

 

I took this shot at the Carnegie Library in Washington, DC. Not bad for a 50 year old camera.

 

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New Nikon 20mm f1.8 - Samples Posted on SoundImagePlus

By and By, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor AF-D 20mm f2.8 Lens

 

I have grown to love my older Nikon 20mm f2.8 lens over the past few years. At first, it just seemed too wide for me to use much. As I've shot more live music, especially in small venues or where I can get very close to the stage, I love to use it. It's pretty cool to be so close and still get the whole band in a single shot.

 

At a maximum aperture of f2.8, I sometimes feel I need something faster. Of course, that must be balanced with the need for depth of field (which diminishes at wider apertures), but at 20mm focal length, that's not really too much of an issue.

 

And, the advent of better and better sensors, makes it less urgent as well. I don't mind shooting at f2.8 or even f4 at all, if my sensor can handle the iso settings that are necessary in a dark club. The Nikon Df sure seems to do that for me.

 

Anyway, the new Nikkor 20mm f1.8 G lens looks very interesting to me. Reasonably priced at around $800, my only (typical) complaint is about the lack of an aperture ring. Fine on my D700 or Df, it does mean that I can't effectively use the lens on older film bodies.

 

The blog SoundImagePlus has recently posted some very nice image samples with this new lens.

 

(Click Here) to read the post and view the samples on SoundImagePlus.

 

Ready to buy this lens? Please support my blog by ordering yours through the Amazon link below. It costs you nothing, and helps me a lot!

 

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Serious Nikon Film SLR Resource

Image Source: http://www.destoutz.ch/nikon-f.html

 

I've had the opportunity to purchase some lovely Nikon SLRs recently, and taken it. I finally pulled the trigger on a new Nikon Df digital SLR, but that's not what I'm talking about.

 

One of my friends recently sold me a pair of old Nikons: an original F Photomic, which is in about the best cosmetic condition I could ask for, and an F2SB. The F2SB is also in great condition, and fully functional, but not quite as pristine as the F.

 

Anyway, in looking for information on these cameras, I came across this incredible website by Richard de Stoutz. Richard shares images of his extensive, and I mean extensive, Nikon SLR collection.

 

(Click Here) to check out destoutz.com

 

I love seeing people who are as obsessed as I am (or more) with using these great old cameras.

 

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The Old Nikkor 50mm f1.4 Still Shines

 

Irish Dance, by Reed A. George

Nikomat FTN, Nikkor S 50mm f1.4, pre-AI Lens

 

As you may know, I'm continuing to explore shooting Nikon SLR gear that covers a range of more than fifty years. Alongside my new Nikon Df, my original F film body is ready to go, with the Nikkor S 50mm f1.4 lens attached. The lens was a gift from one of my good buddies, Dennis Gallus.

 

I love it when I find someone else using classic old gear. Forum member DNG on Rangefinder Forum has just shared a few images made with his old Nikkor 50.

 

(Click Here) to see DNG's results.

 

I'm not sure what the details are of DNG's statement

"I also used a K25 preset on import from Filmbot. no changes in the color, just Topaz Clarify and Topaz Detail."

but I plan to look up these programs. Always open to new tools that help me continue to enjoy my old film gear and pictures.

 

The coolest thing about carrying my Df and F together is that any lens I can use on the F is just fine and at home on the Df as well. The inverse is true (any lens on the Df can be used on the F), except for "G" lenses, which lack an aperture ring. I may be the only one who feels this way, but that lack of a ring is keeping me from buying some new Nikon (or Sigma with Nikon mount) lenses.

 

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50 Years of Nikon - Slideshow - Historic Corncrib

Here is a brief slideshow of images I took of an old farm building near where I work. I was able to convince my coworker and friend Wendye to let me photograph her there.

 

 

If you have trouble getting it to load, just (Click Here).

 

I shot all of these images with Nikon - the first of my "50 Years of Nikon SLRs" posts. This includes images from my early Nikon F film SLR, and my new Nikon Df DSLR. It's a lot of fun shooting these two cameras, separated by 50 years of Nikon history, going into the 50th year of my own life.

 

The music is from my friends The Woodshedders. Enjoy!

 

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Another 50 Year Camera - The Pentax Spotmatic

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lighthouse, by Reed A. George

Pentax Spotmatic, 200mm f4 Takumar Lens

 

As my 50th birthday blazes toward me at the speed of time, I've been thinking about cameras that were current at my birth, and still useful now. As I've written before, the Nikon SLR comes to mind, and the thought has me carrying my 50 year old Nikon F with me at the same time as my brand new Nikon Df.

 

I've also just realized that one of my other favorite cameras, the Pentax Spotmatic, was born the same year as me - 1964.

 

As so many others I know, I grew up with a Pentax K1000 in hand. But, one of my best friend's dads had a gorgeous Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic. We were allowed to use it once in a while, but he demanded respect for his camera, something you can't just leave to teenagers on their own. Anyway, I now own a couple of Spotmatics (you can pick them up for next to nothing), and even have the same model of 200mm f4 Takumar he had. It feels really good to use them.

 

(Click Here) for a great article on Petapixel about the Spotmatic's 50th birthday. It includes scans of a brief review of the new camera, written in 1965 by Fred Springer-Miller, who used one at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Great stuff.

 

Civil War Sabre, by Reed A. George

 

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Fifty Years of Nikon

Camera images from nikonusa.com

 

I am turning 50 years old in December, just two months away. I'm not too hung up on age, but 50 is a big one. Half a century.

 

I just pulled the trigger on the purchase of a Nikon DF (sold refurbished direct from Nikon). I thought long and hard about that investment, since I already have attention deficit problems with my existing cameras, and like to focus on particular cameras, at least for some period of time. But, the DF is just too attractive for a photographer like me. Familiar controls, real knobs instead of (or in addition to) menus, married with amazing digital sensor technology, and the ability to use any of my Nikkor lenses to boot.

 

So, I'm thinking that I may pair up my new DF with a camera that was around and in use when I was born, my Nikon F film SLR with plain prism. I don't know exactly what the project will be yet, but it will take advantage of fifty years of Nikon SLR technology, in my 50th year of life.

 

Stay tuned!

 

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The Nikon FM2 - One of the Best SLRs Ever Made

I haven't shot my Nikon FM2 in a long time. Too long. Here's a shot I made with it in 2011, most likely the last time I used it.

Southern California Doorway, by Reed A. George

Nikon FM2, Fuji Sensia Slide Film

 

The FM2 is sort of the perfect result of one branch of SLR evolution, in my opinion. Not the same branch that ultimately ended up in the Nikon F6, a highly technical feat of automation and speed, the FM2 is the result of optimization of simplicity and effectiveness.

 

Now, some may argue that the FM3A was the successor to the FM2, and continued the evolution. In fact, that's the official word from Nikon. (Click Here) to read a little about the FM2 on Nikon's page. I have no experience with the FM3A, so am not in a position to say. However, it's hard to imagine that it does what the FM2 does only better. I suppose I owe it to myself to check that out.

 

In a way, I think of the FM2 as similar to the Leica rangefinder. While it benefitted from lots of experience in design and implementation, it didn't become a collection of features and gadgets. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

 

I started thinking about my FM2 because I read a post by Nick DeMarco on Rangefinder Chronicles, about Nick borrowing his father's FM2, and how much he enjoyed it.

 

(Click Here) to read Nick's post.

 

I have no reason to put off shooting my FM2. I know for a fact that it's sitting there, where it's been for the past three years, 100% ready to go and shoot. I'm even sure that the battery (which is unnecessary, anyway) is still charged and ready to go.

 

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Real Macro With a Leica Rangefinder? Why Not?

I shot this image with a gadget that I picked up on ebay, called the "Accura III," a Japanese version of an early Leica Visoflex attachment, which essentially converts your rangefinder camera to an SLR.

 

Tiny Blossom, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC Rangefinder Camera, Accura III attachment, Leica 5cm f2 Summar lens

 

Now, this is really bending the rules of what camera systems are good at. Rangefinders were designed for getting no closer than a few feet from your subject, and for generally short focal length lenses. In the history of photography, SLRs came in to dominate most applications, and certainly macro and telephoto.

 

Here's the Accura III:

 

Accura III Closeup Adapter for Leica Screwmount Cameras

 

I was inspired to pick this up when I saw it cheap on ebay because my friend, Charlie, loaned me a much more premium version, his being made by Novoflex. Charlie's Novoflex has the correct 13.5cm f4.5 Hektor lens attached to it, which is a much more suitable focal length for this type of rig. The Novoflex also allows a lot more range in focus, as it has a bellows between the lens and the adapter housing. I haven't tried that rig yet, but expect good results; it's always good to have a future project in the queue.

 

My Accura III is quite limited in what it can do. With the 5cm Summar attached, it becomes an extreme closeup affair, with little to no focus adjustment. You basically have to get very close to your subject, and move the camera until things appear to be in focus through the dim little eyepiece.

 

This was a pretty half-hearted try, handheld, while I was trying to finish up a roll of film. Sharp? Nope. Carefully executed? Nope. But, I find it rather pleasing. Both the Accura, and especially Charlie's Novoflex, deserve more exploration.

 

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