just got this awesome lense! 55mm f/1.2!

just x joey · Oct 12, 2007

wow this lens is awesome, it says auto but it don't work in auto focus. It used to be my aunts, she just mailed me it. its got such a nice DOF! here's a sample show! oh yeah, the f-dial is hard to turn

maybe i should lube it? any suggestions? here's the images:

its hard to manual focus, but ill get the hang of it. at f/1.2 man is the veiw finder bright!

Sideburns · Oct 12, 2007

in the second one it looks like one of the elements may be misaligned cause it kind of looks like ghosting on the left side of that dudes hat...but maybe that's just the DOF blur.

just x joey · Oct 12, 2007

how can i fix it? is this lens worth fooling with? do u know ne thing about it?

Helen B · Oct 12, 2007

"it says auto but it don't work in auto focus"

Joey,

Back when that lens was made, the 'Auto' referred to the auto diaphragm. It is taken for granted now, but the mechanism that closes the aperture just before the picture is taken, then opens it back up for full aperture viewing was fairly new.

That's a very nice lens. You will get the hang of focusing it. I think that is just normal blur on the left side of my brother's hat. I didn't know that you knew him.

Best,
Helen

just x joey · Oct 12, 2007

you are right, its misaligned. i can tell just by pointing the camera at a light and moving it around. i can see ghosting

just x joey · Oct 12, 2007

Helen B said:
"it says auto but it don't work in auto focus"

Joey,

Back when that lens was made, the 'Auto' referred to the auto diaphragm. It is taken for granted now, but the mechanism that closes the aperture just before the picture is taken, then opens it back up for full aperture viewing was fairly new.

That's a very nice lens. You will get the hang of focusing it. I think that is just normal blur on the left side of my brother's hat. I didn't know that you knew him.

Best,
Helen

haha your brother :lmao:

thanks. the focusing ring is loosing up, making it easier to focus. i think this will be good for those "vintage" days haha when i feel like feeling like a vintage photog. its a fun lens, i think it is misaligned tho. but i dont care. haha.thats cool to know about the auto thing. wish it was auto focus

. The positioning of the aperture ring is liek the worst spot ever, almost impossible to move.

Helen B · Oct 12, 2007

Joey,

The 55 mm f/1.2 is very prone to veiling even when it is in perfect condition, and it shows a lot of coma when wide open - ie points of light are turned into odd shapes. It is also prone to being damaged - Nikon put a hefty lens into a not-so-hefty body - so misalignment is possible. Are there any signs of damage on the body?

The version you have is single-coated, which adds to the veiling/ghosting problem. The multi-coated version was designated 'Nikkor-SC' rather than Nikkor-S. The 'S' means that it has seven elements (U, B, T, Q, P, H, S, O, N, D = 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10).

Best,
Helen

just x joey · Oct 12, 2007

Helen B said:
Joey,

The 55 mm f/1.2 is very prone to veiling even when it is in perfect condition, and it shows a lot of coma when wide open - ie points of light are turned into odd shapes. It is also prone to being damaged - Nikon put a hefty lens into a not-so-hefty body - so misalignment is possible. Are there any signs of damage on the body?

The version you have is single-coated, which adds to the veiling/ghosting problem. The multi-coated version was designated 'Nikkor-SC' rather than Nikkor-S. The 'S' means that it has seven elements (U, B, T, Q, P, H, S, O, N, D = 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10).

Best,
Helen

there's no sign of damage at all. my aunt was a photographer on a cruise ship, so it was in salty air all the time im guessing could that cause any problems?

Helen B · Oct 12, 2007

There could possibly be some corrosion, but if everything works, the glass is clear and there aren't too many specks of dirt inside the lens then it should be OK. The only thing that really matters is "Do you like the results?"

Best,
Helen

just x joey · Oct 12, 2007

the results are nice, cant wait to use it this spring with all the flowers and such. Thanks for all the info. the lens is clear as can be, and when i take it off, it doubles and an incredibly clear magnifying glass ahah the glass is soo clear!