The Limbo Connection's photos with the keyword: 'Amateur Photographer'

I lament the demise of the single lens reflex camera.

Subject: Photography magazines. Lens: Nikkor-P 105mm f/2.5 made in Japan between 1971 and 1974. Subsequently converted to AI standard. Gauss-type formula of 5 elements in 4 groups. Camera: Nikon D700.

The cover of a photography magazine photographed with a Nikon D700 and a Nikkor-O.C Auto 35mm f/2 lens. I have shied away from getting a Nikkor AF 35mm f/2 since reading of oil getting on the aperture blades. Furthermore, Bjørn Rørslett says that the AF version has a much simpler optical formula where centre sharpness is great but corner quality isn't outstanding. www.naturfotograf.com/lens_wide.html Similarly, Thom Hogan is critical of the 35/2 AF Nikkor's performance on the corners: www.bythom.com/Nikkor-35mm-D-lensreview.htm In 2011 Nikon introduced a 35mm f/1.4 G AF-S Nikkor lens which looks nice but currently costs around £1,400. So I turned my attention to finding an old 35mm f/2 Nikkor-O which had been factory AI’d and would therefore be safe to use on a modern digital Nikon camera whilst providing decent functionality. Thomas Pindelski pindelski.org/Photography/2012/05/05/nikkor-o-35mm-f2-lens/ reckons this lens is fully the equal of any Leitz or Leica 35mm Summicron and adds, ‘there is one huge difference compared to the Leica optic. The latter will run you $3,200 new and not much less used.’ I was lucky to obtain the later ‘C’ version with multicoating which keeps flare at bay. The contrast this lens provides is quite remarkable. When 35mm film dominated photography, many fixed lens film cameras ('compact' cameras) had 35mm lenses. They were very popular for family holidays and general purpose photography. On full-frame you can photograph all sorts of things with a focal length of 35mm. What's more, 35mm lenses are compact in size and light in weight, and provide wonderful bokeh.

I photographed these magazines using a Canon EOS 40D with a Chinon 55mm f/1.7 lens.

This is how it was in the 1970s - unhibited (sic).

Photographed using a Nikon D700 and a Nikkor 50mm AF-D f/1.4 lens. Available light. 3200 ISO; f/4.5; 1/80th.

This is the first of the 35-105mm lenses which Canon introduced after switching to the EOS system. Optically it is very similar to the equivalent FD lens which was there at the death of the FD mount, and was well regarded. What little there is on the web by way of review of the AF version is generally complimentary. 'Amateur Photographer' magazine of 6 May 1989 tested the lens, remarking, 'The optical performance of this lens confirms that it is fully usable at all focal lengths and apertures. The central definition and image quality are almost constant at any given aperture over the entire zoom range. Although stopping down improves results, it has too little effect to make it worthwhile.' The price of this lens was £209 in May, 1989. The photograph of this lens on top of the 'Amateur Photographer' magazine containing the test report was taken with a Nikon D700 and a 35mm f/2 Nikkor-O.C lens with AI modification.

Using an AI-converted Nikkor-O.C 35mm f/2 lens on a Nikon D2Xs camera, I photographed a Nikon D50 positioned on top of an 'Amateur Photographer' magazine.

Two issues of 'Amateur Photographer' magazine from the 1970s, the one on the left open at an advertisement boasting that Lord Lichfield used Olympus equipment, the one on the right showing part of the front cover featuring a pin-up photograph by Michael Barrington-Martin. For reasons not entirely clear, I superimposed a tinted sixty-degree set square with its aperture over the Zuiko lens. This passes for art in Limboland. Photographed with a Nikon D2Xs and, in keeping with the vintage theme, a Nikkor-S Auto f/2.8 35mm lens made circa 1971 which has had the factory-AI modification.