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View Full Version : Nikkor-SW 90/4.5 - Opinions on center filter



Richard Mahoney
25-Nov-2011, 19:00
One of these should be arriving sometime over the next few days. I'll be using it for architecture - inside and out. I can recall reading that someone used one with a center filter -- Drew Wiley? Anyway, I'll be using it with 4x5 with reasonable movements. From experience, does anyone think that the Nikkor-SW 90/4.5 requires a center filter with 4x5? Could I expect the drop off to be gradual or dramatic?


Kind regards,

Richard

Ari
25-Nov-2011, 19:03
Not from my experience, no.
But I do not represent the majority, or the minority, for that matter.
Shoot, shoot, shoot, and see if you like it before getting a CF.

I had a 72mm XL without CF, and I found that about 30% of the shots could have used one.

Richard Mahoney
25-Nov-2011, 19:31
Hello Ari,


Not from my experience, no.
But I do not represent the majority, or the minority, for that matter.
Shoot, shoot, shoot, and see if you like it before getting a CF.

Thanks ... The reason I'm asking is that I'll most likely be using it in the not too distant on a commission. It'll be a new lens so I'll definitely be testing it beforehand. Still, it takes a while for equipment to be delivered to this part of the world, so if there is a high chance that a center filter is required then I'd like to know sooner not later. This is partly why I asked about the drop off. If the drop off is reasonably rapid then I may be able to see it and work within its limitations. If it can't be seen clearly then a center filter may be the best approach. So I'm still encouraging comments ... ;)


Kind regards,

Richard

Jan Pedersen
25-Nov-2011, 19:50
Are you going to shoot color slides? if yes then i would recomend a CF. I have not used mine on 4x5 but the drop of i get on 6x17 when i shoot color slides is a serious problem.
On B&W or color negatives you may not need the CF but then again, shooting architecture i would think you want an even illumination and that is difficult to get without the CF if you use any movements.

Richard Mahoney
25-Nov-2011, 20:03
Are you going to shoot color slides? if yes then i would recomend a CF. I have not used mine on 4x5 but the drop of i get on 6x17 when i shoot color slides is a serious problem.
On B&W or color negatives you may not need the CF but then again, shooting architecture i would think you want an even illumination and that is difficult to get without the CF if you use any movements.

Thanks Jan. It'll be Astia. And yes, I generally use Astia as I'm fond of its subtlety -- so colour and illumination is critical. The coverage for 4x5 suggests that there is a good deal to play with so it's possible that I may not start to run into the twilight, but ... Any 4x5 transparency users out there ... ?


Kind regards,

Richard

Leigh
26-Nov-2011, 00:39
I shoot a Fujinon SWD 90/5.6 on 4x5. It has specs almost identical to the Nikkor 90/4.5 (236mm IC v. the Nikkor's 235mm).

Although I shoot mostly b&w, I have shot a few Velvia chromes with it sans CF.

Never noticed any falloff with either film type.

Considering Nikon never made a CF for it (or any of their other lenses), I hardly think it's essential.

- Leigh

Ivan J. Eberle
26-Nov-2011, 10:45
The bigger the moves, the more you're likely to notice it. I've shot a lot of Astia and have never used a CF with my 90mm f/8 Nikon SW, but then I've not been shooting for picky architectural clients, either. So while I adore Astia, for a variety of reasons from mixed indoor lighting to brightness range between shadows and windows, I'd be choosing a neg film like Pro 160s instead of transparency if at all possible. Otherwise, with interiors, if you don't control every aspect of the lighting, too often you'll be bracketing to hit the limits the ~6 to 7 stop dynamic range of Astia and combining images in Photoshop-- and then the lack of a CF won't seem like such a big deal (in comparison to getting it in one shot on neg film that can carry 12 or even 14 stops).

Richard Mahoney
26-Nov-2011, 20:35
The bigger the moves, the more you're likely to notice it. I've shot a lot of Astia and have never used a CF with my 90mm f/8 Nikon SW, but then I've not been shooting for picky architectural clients, either. So while I adore Astia, for a variety of reasons from mixed indoor lighting to brightness range between shadows and windows, I'd be choosing a neg film like Pro 160s instead of transparency if at all possible. Otherwise, with interiors, if you don't control every aspect of the lighting, too often you'll be bracketing to hit the limits the ~6 to 7 stop dynamic range of Astia and combining images in Photoshop-- and then the lack of a CF won't seem like such a big deal (in comparison to getting it in one shot on neg film that can carry 12 or even 14 stops).

All the various comments on this thread are proving very helpful. So thanks again to everyone who has gone to the trouble ... As to the film, it *will* be Astia and for all the old fashioned reasons -- transparencies are easy for a client to view, easy for a decent drum scanner, and easy to colour match. Personally, I also like a bit of contrast ... and really, living here in North Canterbury, there is no avoiding the bright clear light and the attendant gloom -- it's part of the way things are and just has to be faced head on ... and somehow held in check without being lost. If cooking is a fight with the fire, photography is so often a fight with the darkness ;)


Kind regards,

Richard