(no zoom, no AF, no VR)
A while back I bought my first manual focus lens for the d700... the 135/2.8 ais. I was lured by the astonishingly low price of $76 from KEH.com, and was delighted by its condition when it arrived.
But I quickly became discouraged by my inconsistent results with it. I worked on my focusing technique and even installed a dk-17m magnifying eyepiece. My hit ratio improved a little, but in the end, I never felt I could rely on the 135, so it has gathered dust. I'm glad I didn't give up on MF lenses entirely, because I had much better results with my next acquisitions... a 41 year old 20/3.5 Nikkor-UD...
and a sweet little pancake lens, the Cosina Voigtlander 40/2.0.
All I needed was a telephoto/portrait lens to complete my Stone Age kit, but I held back because of my lack of success with the 135. But after a pay job left me with a few bucks burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to try again. I've read glowing reports about the 105/2.5 ais, and ordered one from KEH.com for $126. I wasn't too optimistic, though, because other than being a few millimeters longer, it's an identical twin to the 135/2.8 ais.
But outward appearances can be deceiving. The 105/2.5 is just that much easier than the 135/2.8, and has delivered excellent results from the get-go.
105mm @ f/2.5
105mm @ f/4
105mm @ f/2.5
It pairs up nicely with the CV40/2 for portrait sessions.
40mm @ f/2
40mm @ f/4
No comments:
Post a Comment