[Leica] Digi-SLR's and MF lenses.....

[jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj)]

Frank,
If you want good photographs at the end of the day, and are not just using
these older MF lenses for merely intellectual stimulation,  just buy a Nikon
AF zoom like the 80-400 - which is admittedly long in the tooth and ripe for
upgradation by Nikon, or alternatively a first generation 70-200 f2.8 with a
TC or two. Both should be easily available used at reasonable prices at KEH
or Ebay.
Cheers
Jayanand


On Sun, May 29, 2011 at 4:44 AM, Frank Filippone <red735i at 
earthlink.net>wrote:

> So we went to the Zoo.  I had decided to shoot my 400 F6.8 Telyt on my
> Nikon
> D1x with a Monopod.  ( yes, that IS my Digi-SLR, but that is, in itself, a
> digression).
>
> Got my 1GB CF cards all filled, downloaded, and started to edit.
>
> I started with 500 images..  First cut was for (terrible) focus
> problems....
> 250 of those.....  Which is what I wish to discuss.....
>
> I am NOT a bad focuser.  When I turned about 35, I realized my eyes were
> getting old... so I went out and traded my MF Canon stuff for Nikon AF.
> Then, after a few months of use, realized that my eyes were better than my
> Nikon 8008 AF.  In the ensuing 27 years, my eyes are presumably not better.
> But hold on there... 50% bad focus?  I mean REALLY bad.  What's up?  ( To
> much M6/M8?)
>
> I admit I am fussy, really fussy with focus.....it must be spot on, or out
> it goes.... but REALLY bad is another thing.....
>
> Problem #1... the D1x focus screen is lousy on contrast and brightness.  (
> I
> did use my Brightscreen version, which should have helped me some).
> Problem #2....That Telyt, while a great lens, is a F6.8.  ( Light in
> weight,
> yes, bright, NO!)
>
> Either makes it hard to focus, even in direct daylight.  Both is a double
> whammy.....
>
> So next time I Zoo it, I will bring my 300 F2.8 Tamron MF lens.....
>
> As a result, I will....
> a) have a much brighter screen to focus with... about 2 1/2 stops ....
>  This
> ought to help the terrible focus issues I was having.
> b) have a sore neck from the weight
> c) will get to evaluate how good that old lens really is.....
>
> For thought, is there another solution to dark D1x focusing screens, other
> than Maxwell and Brightscreen?
> Other suggestions?  ( No, not an R8/9 + DMR.... it is not in the
> budget....)
>
> Frank Filippone
> Red735i at earthlink.net
>
>
>
>
>
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