Upgrade of my Nikkor 85mm f1.8 Lens

I have had a Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-D lens for several years. Here's a shot I made with it some time ago.

 

Made with Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-D Lens][

'sadqwe

 

Not bad, right? The sharpness is not to be argued with. However, this is one of the few times that I've been unpleased with the "bokeh," or out of focus rendering characteristics of a lens. I don't like how the bright spots in the background are so regular and repeatable.

 

I recently decided to upgrade this lens, sending the AF-D off to KEH for a reasonable purchase price, and buying the newer Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-S G lens, refurbished by Nikon, for about $150 total cost (after selling the AF-D). I was not sure about this trade, especially since I am not a fan of G lenses overall. Their lack of an aperture ring makes them useless on my Nikon film cameras. But, the AF-S lens just hums on my Nikon Df (and the D810 for that matter).

 

Here's a sample shot from the new lens:

Made with Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-S G Lens

 

As you can see, the new lens has no trouble with sharpness, either. And, at least in this example, the bokeh is lovely. I have to gain more experience with this new lens, but it looks very good at this point.

 

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Remind Me Again Why I Need Multiple Cameras? The Lumix DMC-LX7 Does So Much.

Japanese Garden Scene, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7, 70mm (equivalent full-frame focal length)

iso 200, f2.1, 1/400 sec.

 

This is another jpeg direct from the Lumix DMC-LX7. As you can see, you can achieve relatively shallow depth of field with this camera, despite the small sensor size. That's because it has a very large maximum aperture in the Leica Vario Summilux lens, f1.4 at the widest angle zoom setting (24mm full-frame equivalent). I believe f2.1 is the maximum aperture at the focal length I needed for this shot. I think the bokeh (out of focus rendering) is very nice with this lens.

 

This camera really does sometimes make me wonder why I need any other gear, especially for travel photography. If you know me, and the fact that I have a large and broad collection of cameras, this statement doesn't come lightly from me. The LX7 is just plain impressive.

 

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Whole Lotta Leica - October Results - That Summicron Bokeh

Not All That Matters Is Sharp, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 400, f2.8, 1/3000 sec.

 

Lens geeks, especially Leica lens geeks, frequently discuss "bokeh." Apparently, bokeh is a Japanese word for "out of focus" areas in an image. The lens design, including the number and shape of the aperture blades, has a lot to do with how "pleasing" a given lens' bokeh will be. In general, more aperture blades, and rounded edges, yield smoother bokeh.

 

The Summicron is known for beautiful bokeh. In fact, I believe it was Mike Johnston who decided that the 35mm Summicron version 4 lens is the "king of bokeh." At any rate, you should expect a lot from any Summicron in this area.

 

In the shot above, I exposed the tree at f2.8, making for very shallow depth of field, on purpose. The combination of a wide aperture and close focus makes for lots of bokeh. To me, the structure in the back is as important as the tree leaves. It gives a strong sense of the context of the image. The red maple leaves go along with the Asian style structure. Neither element would be as strong without the other.

 

People argue about bokeh - what is pleasing, which lenses have the best. I've noticed that the bokeh from some of my cheaper lenses is as nice as higher end lenses. In fact, I've seen quite nice bokeh from very cheap lenses, with few (four) aperture blades. So, I'm not saying you need a Summicron to get beautiful bokeh. I am saying that bokeh can be important to conveying what you want with an image.

 

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June Results - Whole Lotta Leica - Carl Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5

In the month of June, I shot my Zeiss Sonnar C 50mm f1.5 lens on the Leica M9.

 

(Click Here) to read my post about the lens.

 

In June, I took a great workshop through the Leica Akademie, called "The Truth About Photos." This was a full weekend workshop, with most of Saturday dedicated to shooting in Washington, DC. I used only the Sonnar the whole weekend. I'll be posting a full write-up of the workshop soon, which will have a lot more images from the Sonnar / M9 combination. Stay tuned for that.

 

In the meantime, here are some other images I took with the Sonnar 50mm on the M9 in June.

 

My Favorite Shot From June, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 640, f2.8 1/125 sec

 

The Sonnar renders colors very nicely. The image above is very high contrast, but I'm pleased with the light tonality on the subject's face. It was a tough shot that I think really came out well.

 

 

Leica X-Vario Convert?, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 400, f2.4 1/125 sec

 

Barnack!, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 400, f4 1/350 sec

 

Dramatic Light, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 320, f2.8 1/180 sec

 

Dinner Discussion, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 320, f2 1/180 sec

 

Sharing Earphones, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 320, f16 1/350 sec

 

These ladies were sharing a set of earphones, laughing, and singing at the top of their lungs while walking down the street. Love it.

 

ELAS?, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 640, f1.5 1/60 sec

 

This shot was made wide open with the Sonnar. I love the rendering, and the OOF areas (bokeh).

 

 

Recruiting, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 160, f5.7 1/350 sec

Another high contrast scene. There's plenty of detail in the shadows to pull them up, but this shows what it really looked like.

Sweep, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 200, f13 1/125 sec

 

Forest of Feet, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 200, f1.5 1/250 sec

 

Another shot showing how the Sonnar performs wide open.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed shooting with the Sonnar for the month. It is a special lens, and really helps to give a certain feeling to the images, especially wide open. Mine (which I bought used) is starting to feel a little friction in the focusing ring, which I gather is not uncommon with these lenses. I think I'll send it off to Zeiss for service.

 

The lens works very well with the Leica M9, in my opinion. I don't have a 50mm Summilux (Leica's f1.4 lens), and would really like to spend some time with one. Until I hit that lottery, the Sonnar is doing a fine job in my opinion. I also want to compare the results with my older Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM lens in a future Whole Lotta Leica month.

 

Stay tuned for more images shot with the Sonnar this month in my upcoming post about the Leica Akademie workshop.

 

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Springtime Closeups with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

I'm preparing to leave on a trip to Japan (will be back by the time this posts), and plan to rely heavily on my new LX7 for shooting while I'm there. Yes, I'll have other equipment with me, but the LX7 will likely get a lot of use.

 

I'll also be shooting my M9 a lot, and my Skeletons From The Closet camera for March, the Ikonta, when I get the chance. Neither of these has closeup capability, which I frequently find useful on travel. So, I decided to play around a little with shooting closeups last night.

 

Since Spring is officially here, I grabbed a low-hanging branch of blossoms from a neighborhood tree. Yes, I know, if everyone did it, that would be bad. Not everyone will. And I will only do it once a year. :)

 

Anyway, here are a couple of results:

Spring Traditions, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 200, f2.1, 1/40 sec.

 

"Bokeh" of Flowers, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7

iso 200, f1.5, 1/60 sec.

 

I have to admit, I stole the name "Bokeh" of Flowers from a commenter on Google+. If you don't know, "bokeh" is a Japanese word for "out of focus areas." It's broadly (too broadly) used in the camera tech world.

 

I like the second shot much more than the first. The regular patterned background of the cloth that the vase was sitting on works for me, just out of focus. The opening in the vase provides a second area of interest that doesn't compete too much with the blossoms. Both of these shots felt better in square format than rectangular.

 

Anyway, I'm feeling pretty good about the LX7 being along with me on this trip.

 

And don't forget! I wrote an ebook about the LX7 which can be yours for only $2.99! Thirty pages of time-saving hints and details. See the Amazon link below, or search for "DMC-LX7" under Books on Amazon. Support your friendly blogger!

 

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Love Gun! Something in Common to Laugh About With a Stranger.

 

Love Gun! by Reed A. George

Panasonic DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit

iso160, f2.8, 1/320 sec

I've told you before that one of my objectives is to better connect with people in the places I visit. Well, here is an example.

Japan is not the easiest place in the world to meet people casually. This guy was the exception. We met in Hibiya Park in Tokyo, where we were both admiring the spring bloom (see the background). He was happy to practice a little English, and was surprised to find that I could speak a little Japanese. "You have shocked me," I believe was his expression.

Anyway, in quickly looking for things we may have in common to talk about, he brought up the rock and roll band "Kiss." He then proceeded to sing me the lyrics from their song "Love Gun," which I had all but forgotten. He was a little shy about letting me take his picture, but by the second exposure, above, he had gone back into his Paul Stanley (Kiss guitarist and vocalist) act.

It brightened my day to have this little conversation, and get this picture of him. We walked away not knowing each other's names, but both with smiles on our faces. Good fun.

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And The Weather Report Told Me To Stay Inside! Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC.

 

Jefferson Memorial, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 25mm Summilux f1.4

iso160, f11, 0.3 sec

 

Well, it is a rainy weekend here in Washington, DC. But, I knew that overcast weather would make for some nice diffuse lighting. And, since I will be out of town soon, I don't have many more opportunities to see the cherry blossoms in DC this year. So, I decided to brave the weather, and be there at sunrise. I hope you'll agree that the trip was worth it.

 

By the way, it is the 100th anniversary of the original gift of cherry trees from Japan.

 

 

Cherry Blossoms, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 45mm Macro_Elmarit f2.8

iso400, f4, 1/30 sec

The foggy morning light really allowed the subtle colors of the cherry blossoms to pop. In fact, I had to tone them down a little in post-processing, as they looked a little cartoonish to me.

Cherry Blossom Bouquet, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14mm f2.5

iso160, f2.5, 1/40 sec

I think the image above is my favorite of the morning. Those blossoms on the tree trunk were completely natural, but looked like a florist had arranged them there. Of course, as I was shooting it, another photographer walked right up with his DSLR and snapped it over my shoulder. Oh well, I guess I don't own DC, do I? Actually, I hope he got a nice shot.

Petals in the Tidal Basin, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14mm f2.5

iso160, f16, 1 sec

 

In the shot above, the water looked very grungy. So, I changed the white balance a little blue to compensate; I may have gone too far.

 

 

Contrasting Reds, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso400, f5.8, 1/50 sec

In the image above, I enjoy the way the tree trunks in the boke in the background form a leading line. Without that, this image would be very flat.

Vintage Postcard Look, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3, "Pinhole Camera" scene mode

On Camera Flash, iso640, f5, 1/60 sec

I also took the opportunity to play with the DMC-TS3 this morning, using a preset called "Pinhole Camera." This made the image have a dark vignette around the edges, which I replaced in Lightroom with white. I like the effect. Not to be used every day, but kind of cool in this case.

 

 

Soft Pinks, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 45mm Macro_Elmarit f2.8

iso400, f2.8, 1/500 sec

I like how this image shows blossoms that range from right at their peak bloom to those already missing their petals. I also love the soft pink colors, and the nice out of focus areas. That is why I chose this as the closer for this post.

I sure am glad I didn't listen to the weather report's advice! This was a couple of hours well-spent.

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Film Shots - Washington DC's Seafood Docks, Rolleiflex T

A couple of weeks ago, my friend and fellow blogger Aboud Dweck and I got together to talk a little shop, shoot some pictures, and eat a lot of food.

 

(Click Here) to see Aboud's post on the subject.

 

Well, I decided to shoot something different that day, and selected my 1955 (I think I remember that right) Rolleiflex T twin lens reflex, with a beautiful Tessar f3.5 lens. I shot Provia 120 slide film. A couple of weeks later, my developed film is back from Dwayne's, and looks great.

 

If you need excellent film processing, (Click Here) to go to Dwayne's.

 

Anyway, Aboud and I went to the dockside seafood market in DC. Here's what I shot:

 

 

I had a great time, first meeting with Aboud, who's always entertaining, and second with shooting a beautiful old piece of photographic history. It's quite an amount of effort to meter manually, focus manually, mail off the film, pay, and wait for the results. But, I must say, I love the feeling of ripping that envelope open and seeing what's inside.

 

While shooting the Rolleiflex has little to do with Lumix, I hope that it will once again instill that slowed-down, careful approach to all of my photography. I do plan to take a little of that approach to my modern Panasonic kit, especially on my upcoming trip to Japan. Let's think "fewer shots, more meaning." That will be my theme.

 

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Raindrops and Bokeh - Panasonic-Leica 45mm Macro-Elmarit

A heavy overnight rain left these raindrops on the trees.  I love how the out of focus ones form an abstract curtain of light areas in the background.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Panasonic-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit

iso160, f5.6, 1/60 sec

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Panasonic-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit

iso160, f5.6, 1/40 sec

 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Panasonic-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit

iso160, f5.6, 1/30 sec

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