AF DC-NIKKOR 135mm f/2D ?

[mrca]

While you are waiting, take a look at this. This guy is pretty wild but he knows his lenses. Also take a look at his series on micro contrast. I wish I could go back and reshoot my b&w's that I didn't take with the 135, 100, 85 and 35. I NEVER use the 70-200 any longer in studio. If you are a stickler on image quality and don't just read testers who shoot test patterns not in the real world, you will see the same. When I put them side by side now, the difference is huge, including in studio. The tonal transitions missing on newer nikors that these lenses including my 85 1.4 g, render takes my b&w to a new level. On the d850 they rival if not surpass my mf film. You have heard of the "Leica look." It wasn't the camera and it certainly wasn't the film, it was the GLASS. This guy talks about why. First, low element count, then lead in the glass and incredible engineering. Many of my fiends that were grads of Brooks shot with Zeiss, I tried shooting the 135 in manual without using the arrows/meatball and had poor success. Using them with manual focus I nail focus when even less than half an inch 90% of the time. About the same as with auto focus because subject photographer forward backward movement sometimes just happens. And there is this interesting scale on these lenses not on gelded lenses, a focusing and dof scale. With the 35's huge dof, past of 10 feet, I just set at infinity and it's a lens I don't even have to focus or can set it for a range and keep subject in that distance range and not focus. Both are faster than ANY auto focus.

 

[tirediron]

Thanks; you're definitely giving me something to think about!

 

[mrca]

Someone in a photo group I joined that had a $25 annual membership turned me on to the technique to focus manual focus lenses and cost me $3k in lenses but transformed my work. Expensive photo group. I have wanted to use zeiss for years but didn't. Sorry if I do that to you or just cost you the 135. Oh, the zeiss 135 is also razor sharp as well for the sharpness buffs, but in the 2k range and remember you are getting even shallower dof. That is another reason I went with the zeiss 100, nikon 135 combo. I'll warn you, these lenses are like eating candy, very expensive candy.

 

[mrca]

Stick a steelhead or two for me up there in BC and say hi to one of my favorite country western singers, Ian Tyson.

 

[tirediron]

Stick a steelhead or two for me up there in BC and say hi to one of my favorite country western singers, Ian Tyson.

Will do and thanks for the input!

 

[jcdeboever]

@mrca . My old mentor had the same feeling about that 135, his images were pretty unique and impressive. He liked it so much, wouldn't let me even try it. He had this laminated index card with tons of notes on it, and he grabbed it out of my hands before I could read it, he was a strange duck to say the least. It was like a family member to him, lol. He loved his 180 af as well.

 

[Solarflare]

Whow, $1000 for 135/2 DC is considered cheap ? Whow.

Demand must have raised since I got my 105/2 DC for a mere 700€ and I didnt felt like it was much of a bargain.

Recently I gave a fellow photographer my 180mm f2.8 AND THE GUY TRIED WITH FORCE TO MOVE THE APERTURE RING (he was a Canon user)[1]. So yeah I have 100% understanding for anyone who doesnt give his hardware to anybody, not even to fellow photographers.


[1]: In case you dont get it: just like with Canon, you change the aperture of Nikon lenses with the dials on the camera. The Aperture Ring is locked with a special switch on the camera, while the aperture is set to the minimal aperture. So if you try to move the aperture ring with force, you will destroy the lens.

One CAN set the camera to allow changing the aperture with the aperture ring, but that has no advantages.

 

[480sparky]

........The Aperture Ring is locked with a special switch on the camera,.............

The switch is on the lens, not the camera.

 

[mrca]

Jc, I wonder if his notes were dof at distances he regularly shot and apertures he used. When I get a new lens, I also check what I get at those apertures for a second person ahead/behind to KNOW how to get that second person at the amount of oof I want for those shots. Eg, groom ahead or behind bride out of focus as secondary subject to bride. I also log the distance to the bg that gives me the bokeh I like. It's what some folks call learning a lens. Armed with that info, when I take a shot, it is crafted, not luck. After shooting a lens a while, those distances settings become automatic. Here's a site with some examples of the bokeh. Not many b&w though. Full-size sample photos from Nikon 135mm F/2

 

[mrca]

Solar, here is some camera wisdom, never hand your expensive camera lens to someone you don't know who can out run you. Hopefully it didnt damage your 180. I have heard wonderful things about that lens and it would be on my GAS list as a head shot lens.

 

[tirediron]

Whow, $1000 for 135/2 DC is considered cheap ? Whow.

It retails new for $1800; average flea-Bay asking price (and yes, I understand that doesn't necessarily reflect sale price) seems to be in the $1200+ USD range, so $1000 - 1100 CDN doesn't seem a bad price.

 

[jcdeboever]

Jc, I wonder if his notes were dof at distances he regularly shot and apertures he used. When I get a new lens, I also check what I get at those apertures for a second person ahead/behind to KNOW how to get that second person at the amount of oof I want for those shots. Eg, groom ahead or behind bride out of focus as secondary subject to bride. I also log the distance to the bg that gives me the bokeh I like. It's what some folks call learning a lens. Armed with that info, when I take a shot, it is crafted, not luck. After shooting a lens a while, those distances settings become automatic. Here's a site with some examples of the bokeh. Not many b&w though. Full-size sample photos from Nikon 135mm F/2

That was probably it. He was a real good teacher, he gave me just a little at a time. He yelled at me a lot, like my wife, that's why I got a long with him so good. Anyway, I think you got it right. He was very disciplined, meticulous, and neat.

 

[mrca]

$1391 at B&H new.

 

[SquarePeg]

$1391 new vs $1100 for used I would buy the new. But for $919 I'd go for used. Found it for you at keh.

Nikon Nikkor 135mm F/2 D/DC Autofocus Lens {72}

 

[mrca]

That's free shipping at B&H at $1391 also.