Thoughts on the Nikkor T 360/500/720 set?

[Willie]

Seeing 8x10 contact prints from Ilford FP4+ shot with the 720 Nikkor Tele - the lens covers and the corners look fine. Image was combines in a wheat field from a hilltop more than 1/4 mile away.
Spec sheets and arguing don't change the reality that the lens (at least those Corran uses and the one I have seen prints from) covers 8x10.
Denying it works is like the religious types with "When you have faith, facts don't matter".
Corran and others have shown the lens works. Maybe some variation in specific lenses but enough are telling us they use this focal length successfully with 8x10 that there is no doubt about it.

[Vaughan]

I took the plunge and picked up the Nikkor T ED 360mm, 500mm and 720mm lenses recently, and did a quick test for all three on 8x10. The results are below. The executive summary is: the 360mm covers a bit more than 5x7 as per the specifications, the 500mm covers more than 6½x8½ and the 720mm fully covers 8x10. The 360mm and 500mm images were made with the lens closed 2 stops from wide open, while the 720mm was only closed one stop.

I did a quick measurement of the circles of illumination and the 360mm lens covers about 230mm and the 500mm lens covers about 280mm. The limits of the circle produced by the 720mm lens is well outside the 8x10 film area.

Made with a Toyo Field 810MII using Shanghai GP3 100 film, developed in replenished ID-11 using continuous agitation 10 minutes at 20˚C. Exposure times were 1/4, 1/2 and 1 second (the light was fading so I gave the last image with the 720mm an extra s. These were my first three photographs using the lenses and they were made from the walkway of a road bridge, so overall image quality (focus, sharpness etc) may not be optimal due to deficiency in my technique and vibration from traffic – particularly the 720mm lens.

Hopefully these images will answer definitively what the coverage of these lenses in actual use are.


Nikkor T ED 360mm f8 at f16


Nikkor T ED 500mm f11 at f22


Nikkor T ED 720mm f16 at f22

[Steve Goldstein]

Another plus is that the 720mm Nikkor-T at 780 grams is considerably lighter than either the 600mm or 800mm (1650 and 1600 grams, respectively, all weights from the 1994 Nikon LF lens brochure). Not to mention that the front cell of the 360/500/720 takes 67mm filters, whereas the front cell of the 600/800/1200 requires 95mm filters. If you truly need 800mm or 1200mm on your 8x10 you've got no choice, but if you can live with 720mm then as Vaughan points out that is indeed a very attractive option.

[MAubrey]

I took the plunge and picked up the Nikkor T ED 360mm, 500mm and 720mm lenses recently, and did a quick test for all three on 8x10. The results are below. The executive summary is: the 360mm covers a bit more than 5x7 as per the specifications, the 500mm covers more than 6½x8½ and the 720mm fully covers 8x10. The 360mm and 500mm images were made with the lens closed 2 stops from wide open, while the 720mm was only closed one stop.

I did a quick measurement of the circles of illumination and the 360mm lens covers about 230mm and the 500mm lens covers about 280mm. The limits of the circle produced by the 720mm lens is well outside the 8x10 film area.

Made with a Toyo Field 810MII using Shanghai GP3 100 film, developed in replenished ID-11 using continuous agitation 10 minutes at 20˚C. Exposure times were 1/4, 1/2 and 1 second (the light was fading so I gave the last image with the 720mm an extra s. These were my first three photographs using the lenses and they were made from the walkway of a road bridge, so overall image quality (focus, sharpness etc) may not be optimal due to deficiency in my technique and vibration from traffic – particularly the 720mm lens.

Hopefully these images will answer definitively what the coverage of these lenses in actual use are.


Nikkor T ED 360mm f8 at f16


Nikkor T ED 500mm f11 at f22


Nikkor T ED 720mm f16 at f22

Thanks, Vaughan!

The image circle seems to scale with magnification of the scene almost exactly.

[Vaughan]

Thanks, Vaughan!

The image circle seems to scale with magnification of the scene almost exactly.

Indeed it does. It would be interesting to see the full image circle of the 500mm on a larger sheet of film.

One wonders why Nikon didn't provide realistic circle specifications of the longer lens' image circles. I've read that the longer combinations of the 600/800/1200 cover 11x14.

[Vaughan]

I also vote for that, a well scanned crop of a distant shot, showing what's between the 210mm circle and the 810 corner, who has that sample?

[MAubrey]

Indeed it does. It would be interesting to see the full image circle of the 500mm on a larger sheet of film.

One wonders why Nikon didn't provide realistic circle specifications of the longer lens' image circles. I've read that the longer combinations of the 600/800/1200 cover 11x14.

Yes, I've wondered about Nikon's choice here, too. I have the 800mm and do use it on 11x14. I'm often on the hunt for the other rear elements, but prices have gone up. I've probably now missed my chance.