Nikon 600/800/1200mm Lens - I Need Some Info And Advice Please

[mq57user]

Hi folks,
I ask for some precious advice and information on this exotic lens combination inasmuch as I can't seem to find too much in the books. Namely, can anybody give me the respecive bellows extension needed to focus these lense components. I have a Linhof Technikardan S and a Canham 5X7. Would these lenses all work on at least one of my cameras or would I just be throwing away my money?
Second question, can anybody give me some info on the quality of this lens? All info and advice are greatly appreciated.
Have a nice day everybody, Duschan

[Nick_3536]

http://www.europe-nikon.com/family/it_IT/categories/broad/34.html

http://www.europe-nikon.com/product/it_IT/products/broad/451/specifications.html

That's the specs at least.

[GPS]

I often use the 800mm Nikon lens. With a good lens shade (homemade) I have excellent results. Of course, sometimes you get a surprise - like taking a picture at a great distance and discovering later that far away from you there was wind, making all the leaves you couldn't see, blurred. I only use it on 2 tripods. I used it for solar photography with a proper solar filter - 10x magnified on paper I have 70mm of Sun with Venus transiting its face. When you magnified it still 8x you can see that indeed, the Venus has its atmosphere, making the immediate sun surface differently colored than the rest. In fact, that was the way how the transit 3 years ago was studied by far better means...

[Walter Calahan]

I own this lens combination for my 8x10 system. The quality of the glass is equal to anything Nikon has made. That said, on 8x10 you have no movements because the image circle by 8x10 standards is small.

On 5x7 you'll have reasonable movement.

I should try this lens on my Arca-Swiss 4x5. I own an extended bellow for that camera so the Nikon should work. I have no problem using my Fujinon 600 on the Arca. It be fun to see what I can do with a 1200 mm on 4x5.

Go to my web gallery of 8x10 work ( http://www.walterpcalahan.com/Cheers/Carroll%20County.html ). Images 11 and 18 where both shot on the 1200 mm set up for this lens.

[Eric Leppanen]

Flange focal distance (infinity focus extension) can also be found here:

http://www.ebonycamera.com/articles/lenses.html

According to this information, your Canham 5x7 can accommodate the Nikkor 600 and 800T, but not the 1200T (a Canham 5x7 traditional has 660mm maximum extension, whereas the Nikkor 1200T requires 755mm).

I used to own a Nikkor 800/1200T combination, and found the lens contrast for color shooting to be lower than that of my standard lenses, so I frequently pushed the film to compensate (pushing also shortens exposure times which helps image sharpness). Use of a lens hood is very important to help maximize contrast with this lens (I used a Lee filter hood which worked quite well).

As has already been noted, stabilizing the camera is very important with long lenses as image shake can occur with even the slightest breeze. Two tripods are a must, and I used to use two tripods plus a long lens support arm so that both standards plus the camera body were supported (I have a triple extension camera). I even used long rubber bands connecting the standards and tripods, and a large golf umbrella as a wind shade, to maximize my chances for a sharp shot!

[Ernest Purdum]

As you may be aware, attempting to use front tilts and swings with a telephoto lens can drive you whacky. Rise, fall and shifts are no problem.

[GPS]

...I used to own a Nikkor 800/1200T combination, and found the lens contrast for color shooting to be lower than that of my standard lenses, ..

I'm not sure if you do justice to the lens, saying this. If you shoot on a long distance through the air mass you get perhaps some lower contrast but only indirectly because of the lens. When you shoot in mountains, as I often do with the 800mm, you don't see this effect. I was recently shooting glacier landscape, from above the glacier and the pictures equal the quality of a short lens picture.
By the way, you can get unusual pictures with these long lenses - people living their whole life in a mountain village asked me -from what a place did you take the picture ? And they couldn't figure it out. When I told them it was 13km away they thought I was joking and when I insisted they got angry...

[Eric Leppanen]

I'm not sure if you do justice to the lens, saying this. If you shoot on a long distance through the air mass you get perhaps some lower contrast but only indirectly because of the lens.I performed side-by-side comparisons of the Nikkor 600T with my Fuji 600C, and Nikkor 800T with my APO Tele Xenar 800 on my 8x10 (I also compared the 1200T against cropped APO Tele Xenar 800 images). In all cases the Nikkor produced less contrast than the other lenses. I owned the Nikkor for about nine months and shot a wide variety of subjects with it (including mountain subjects, as I live near the Sierra Nevada and photographed both Yosemite Valley and Mount Whitney, among others) and often found myself having to push film (particularly with the 1200mm focal length) to get the contrast I wanted. I am not the first person to suggest pushing color film when using the Nikkor -- unfortunately I was unable to quickly find previous posts on the subject that I remember reading -- but Paul Schillinger in this thread (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3464&highlight=nikkor+telephoto) made a similar observation about the similar Nikkor 500T:

The slides produced...are sharp, until you compare them with those produced by a Ronar (or similar lens). Then you get an impression of some sort of softness, diffusion or lower contrast (be aware we are speaking of almost imperceptible shades).

I also rented a second Nikkor 800T several years ago, and it performed similarly.

I'm not saying the Nikkor is a mediocre lens -- to the contrary, I think it is a very good lens -- but that it just takes some additional technique to get the very best out of it.

[GPS]

I do remember some threads in which you expressed certain pessimism about these long Nikons. Everyone has its own preferences, for me its well said what Paul wrote: we are speaking of almost imperceptible shades... I can compare only with my 600C and I would be rather in favor of the Nikon but again, it's all only "imperceptible shades".

[Eric Woodbury]

I have the 600/800 combo. Very nice lens. Also, very large and very heavy. I only got the 800 element because I got a deal on it, otherwise it might be easier to enlarge the negative a little more and use the 600. Although I don't use two tripods, I have an aluminum brace that slides under the camera, between the camera and tripod head, that extends under the front standard of the camera to help with support. Also, I use two tripod screws to hold the camera to the head.

[mq57user]

Hi Eric,
thank you very much for this valuable information. I had my doubts on the longer elements which you confirmed. I suppose I might just be as well of keeping my Fuji 600mm lens which works just fine. Thank you again and best regards, Duschan

[CXC]

What Ernest said.

I got rid of my one telephoto lens shortly after buying it, because I couldn't deal with tilting it. I also replaced my short-bellowsed camera with a quite long-bellowsed camera. I am very happy with my Fuji 450 and 600, now that I have cameras/bellows to accommodate them.

[Eric Leppanen]

Rear movements (assuming you don't mind a little distortion) are typically the order of the day for these long 8x10 telephoto lenses. Not only will front movements potentially drive you batty, but the extensions required often make it awkward or downright impossible to physically reach the front standard while looking through the ground glass (one's arms are just not long enough!).

[Ernest Purdum]

Eric, I have heard of one person using a violin bow to solve the too short arms problem. His focus adjustment must have operated rather easily.

[CXC]

Also what Eric said.

[Paul Ewins]

Just a quick word of warning, I saw one listed in a fraudulent eBay auction a week ago. It was the typical highjacked account "email me on this address, don't 'ask seller a question'" thing.

[Eric Leppanen]

Eric, I have heard of one person using a violin bow to solve the too short arms problem. His focus adjustment must have operated rather easily.Ernest, Enjoyed that one! It never ceases to amaze me how many clever, improvised solutions folks come up with for their cameras. Wire clothes hangars, Post-It notes, pipe wrenches, golf umbrellas, rubber bands, home-made styrofoam filter holders...now we can add violin bows (I recall they're also useful for starting a campfire in a pinch). :)