safe haven for tiny formats

[goamules]

It's actually one of their Leica mount rangefinder lenses from the 50s, the dawn of Japanese optics replacing German glass. It's the lens David Douglas Duncan used to shoot the Korean War for Life. He said it was the best lens he'd ever used, and started everyone wanting to buy them. In a short time, Nikon became the most recognized camera company in the world. Good history of all there here: http://keppler.popphoto.com/blog/200...ig-1.html#more

Here is his camera and the lens: http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/ransomedit...ng/duncan.html

[Corran]

Gotcha. I think it's the same design as the subsequent Nikon rangefinder lenses. My 50/1.4 is not nearly that sharp or detailed wide-open (rather, it looks like a soft-focus lens). Maybe I have a dud.

[barnninny]

It's actually one of their Leica mount rangefinder lenses from the 50s

Screwmount or M?

[goamules]

Screwmount or M?

You'll have to be clearer than that. Do you mean the Nikon M, or the Leica M? There was no Leica M when this lens came out. Mine is a Leica screwmount.

[barnninny]

You'll have to be clearer than that. Do you mean the Nikon M, or the Leica M? There was no Leica M when this lens came out. Mine is a Leica screwmount.

Well, you said "Leica mount," so I meant Leica M. They started making those sometime in the 50s, IIRC, so, without knowing more specifically what year yours was made, I wasn't sure. Thanks for the info.

[Daniel Stone]

I *had* one of those Nikkor-SC 5cm 1.5's(ya, the 1.5, the first one that was only sold for a year before the 1.4 was released), just sold it. Very nice lens.

Mine was in an S-mount, used it with an S3 and some other lenses.
Very sharp, even wide open. And a pretty-damn-perfect circular aperture made for some nice OOF blur renditioning!

-Dan

[Corran]

Where'd you list it? I guess I should get on RFF to browse the classifieds because I'm still casually looking for some of the Nikkor RF lenses.

[barnninny]

I'll have to look into it, myself, as a possible backup or replacement for the 50/2 Summitar my IIIf currently wears.

[goamules]

Since yall are interested, here is a comparison I did between three early Sonnar type LTM lenses, the Nikkor 1.4, the Canon 1.5, and the Jupiter 3. They are distinctly different, but I'm liking the Nikkor best because you can get the soft focus effect wide open, whereas the others start out sharp even wide open.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/garrett...282133/detail/

[Corran]

Just a typical day in south GA...

(Nikon D800E, 105/2.5 pre-AI, heavy crop)