Vintage digital cameras, retro games, classic electronics, you'll find it all at Dino Bytes! Hi, I'm Gordon Laing, author of Digital Retro, former Editor of Personal Computer World magazine, and a proud technology geek! Games and gadgets have been with me since winning a Sinclair ZX80 for my primary school to actually becoming a professional journalist, reviewing gear for one of the UK's biggest technology magazines in the 90s. My loft and cupboards are full of retro goodies, so it's about time they had a chance to shine again! PS - if you're into photography, check out my Cameralabs channel!
I started watching your channel in 2008 because you did a review of the Nikon D80. I purchased that camera to go with my first DSLR camera , the D70, based on your review. I have been shooting ever since. Thanks.
My first one was the 20D which I still have! I bought my son who was still at school back in 2004 a 300D. He replaced it with a 600D a few years later which he passed on to me last Christmas!
I love these vintage lens reviews! You should try this lens with an Nikon Zf. I don't like the controls that much, but the AF-assistance for manual lenses is second to none. My favorite old lenses are the Nikon AiS 50mm f1.2 (very dreamy), the Nikon AiS 28mm f2.8, the Nikon AiS 105 f2.5 and the Leica 28-70mm (second version).
If you shoot in RAW and post-process your pictures (I use SilkyPix) then this simple modest camera gives very nice picture. Having quite a few much better cameras I still occasionally do photos using 300D, and the picture it gives is of good quality. And Canon's EF-S 18-55 mm IS STM (newer model) is of surprisingly good quality for its price! Attached to 300D it gives fast autofocus, which you wouldn't expect in case of that old little thing. As all that older Canon cameras, it has rather simple firmware - so I rather don't recommend it for SOOC experiments (all the Canons below 40D give rather poor JPGs, even Canon 1D/1D Mk II) - still if shooting in JPG it's easy to correct the image by applying even single process using free GIMP program: I mean „Colors -> Auto -> White Balance” - then just compare „before” and „after”. Of course image can be „polished” even further - but the above is an example you can improve it even not being aware, how it's actually done, with just a single operation.
I too had a Praktica and coveted the Nikon 50 mm f1.4. I finally got one a few years ago to use with my D3200 and my Olympus M4/3 and 4/3. What it lacks in sharpness it provides the warmest color renditions.
I've come into a DSC F828 from the original buyer. I can't get it to turn on with battery power although with the AC power, it does turn on. The batteries are new (within a few months), charged, but no go. The owner says it worked well until a few days ago; after a bike ride in the sun, it will not turn on. Can you recommend what I should do to get the camera to work?
Nice review! I also like using vintage lenses on modern cameras and dedicated a whole series of lense test to this topic. 😊 Regarding the Nikon 50mm 1.4 I came to the same results. At the moment I am testing the 50mm 1.8 pancake Japanese version, which seems to be very comparable, but in a much smaller package. Go on with this series, but I think comparing to modern lenses is not that much of a use, because they are so much much better. I would like to see comparisons with other models (predecessors, different company, 1.4 vs 1.8,‘) stuff like this. 😊
This is a very good lens, brilliant for its time. It is sadly not the best Nikkor manual lens. That accolade belongs to Nikkor that the Japanese kept for themselves, and that is all that I am prepared to say.
Yes that was the first DSLR I bought after starting to learn photography. $999 in the USA. I still have mine with the sticky black rubber. Any tips to get rid of that?
Nikon made some of the most beautiful lenses back in the day! Love their use of color. Would be fun to see your take/review of the Pentax 645 150mm f3.5. I have it on GFX (51mp) and its so good! Sharp even at 3.5.
I actually had a Canon FD 50mm 1.8 for quite some time but EF adapters weren't really a thing with that as they either had additional glass inside reducing the image quality or didn't give the possibility to focus to infinity. Plus focusing wasn't really that easy with a modern optical viewfinder. But recently I both crashed my EF 50mm and upgraded to a R6 Mark II. And the first thing I did was getting a FD to RF adapter, which now works just fine and IBIS and focus peaking are great and make using this lens pretty easy. It also feels very nice having been built in 1982 according to the serial number. For now that's just my 50mm I'm using until I get to upgrade to something more modern again, which might take a while, looking at recent prices... I'm pretty happy with that lens for the moment. Guess it's time to use more vintage lenses with the R6 Mark II. :D
I’ve been hunting for deals on Nikkor AIS lenses for a couple years. That 50/1.4 looks great and might have to be filed in the back of my mind as well. So far my most prized find has been the 400/3.5 AI ED. It’s a tank but so so beautiful for wildlife on my gh6.
Nice review, 90% of my photography with my A7II is done with vintage lenses. I've got a Tamron 28-75 zoom, great lens, but where is the fun, and challenging part in that ? I went the Konica route, and the 57mm f1,4 and the 24mm f2,8 are my favourites. Tip, when comparing to modern lenses, do a comparison on flares, they can be both creative source and a hindrance.
this is also an history lesson! I think that nowadays we can get a similar experience, including the relatively small size and metal dense feeling, with the Chinese manual focus lenses, three of my favourites are the Kaman 21mm 1.8, the meike 35mm 1.4 and the ttartisan 50mm 1.2., have you considered reviewing some of these lenses ?
Thanks for the great video. This and the 105mm f/2.5 Nikkor are my favourite vintage Nikon lenses. And I agree re the feel of the focus ring, it just oozes analogue quality.
Hi Gordon, great video as always! If I may suggest, how about the Nikkor 105mm f2.5 vs the 105mm f2D? Both great lenses, would like to hear your thoughts on them. In fact, why not have a old vs new theme every now and then? That sort of content resonates with me as a vintage lens collector.
Excellent! You prompted me to dig out my old 50mm 1.4 S-C with a serial number 152xxxx. That puts in the 1973 to 75 era but I had it converted to AI. And yes, the lens mounting flange has been machined out to reveal bare metal but with enough metal left to create the indexing tabs. And there’s no fancy rubberized rings - the focus and aperture rings are machined metal with knurling on them. Ditto on a 105mm 2.5 P-C with serial 536xxx from the same era. Thanks!
Hope this was as much fun for you to make as it was for us to watch. I've had a Pentax K1000 for forever and recently scored a Minolta SRT 101 and have gotten several lenses to go with it. It's been fun shopping and looking for deals and polishing my eBay skills.
Congratulations on achieving one of your heart's desires! And congratulations on being in your teens in 1981, some of us are not so fortunate ;-) FWIW, this seems like a great video formula for presenting vintage lenses to my eyes. Cheers!
A great review of a great lens - thanks Gordon! I have the AI version, which came with my current FM (my first was my first proper camera, back in the 1990s) but the lens sees regular use on an F and F2 (where the rabbit ears merrily engage with the older Photomic finders) and my beloved F4, whose autofocus system still provides focus confirmation (and matrix metering) with the older manual focus lens. And yes, the feel of an old manual focus Nikkor is the gold standard. Just the right amount of resistance and control 😊 Would love for you to review more older Nikkors. The feel of the late 60s/early 70s Nikkor-Autos with their deep fluted metal focus collars is amazing. Would be great to get your take on the ‘legendary’ 105/f2.5 too.
Great video, Gordon. Mounted on the Nikon Zf or Z6iii, you can get the brilliant eye tracking in manual focus. Game changer. My Niikor 105mm F2.5 AIS got a new lease of life.
Oh this makes me so nostalgic for these wonderful manual Nikkor lenses...sigh... I used to have 24, 35, 50, 55micro, 85, & 180mm Nikkors, the sad words being 'used to'...sob😢
@@AndySnap What happened to them? They work fantastic on the newer Z bodies like the Zf and Z6iii. Eye tracking and subject tracking even when using MF lenses.
@@AndySnap I can relate to that. Sold my 28mm F2 AIS to fund a AFS lens 10 years back. Still regret that till today. Still have my 105mm F2.5 AIS with me though.
I like this lens with half-format DSLR: crop factor is 1.5x, so 75mm telephoto with aperture wide open - phantastic for portraits, and low budget, too;-)) @philosimot
Great video Gordon! Thanks for the Nikon vintage lens 101 course you threw in as well which would be really helpful for a lot of people. Regarding how to test it, there is only one proper way, it is to test it on a F2 Titan! You knew you have to pick one up on your next Japan trip😂 and thanks for the shout out ❤
My favorite Nikkors has to be the Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS (its about 10x better then the f2 and it focuses so close) and the 180mm f2.8 ED AIS. But pretty much they are all good.
@13:00 really is a night and day. Your insights into the subject and creative choices are spot-on. I think balanced-lighting people portraits are the most forgiving of 'vintage' glass flaws; other subjects or scenarios tend to have much sharper highlight contrast areas (inviting wild color-fringing) or would IMHO be better served with more sharpness on the subject. It is of course also a matter of skill and smart choices behind the camera; I love the test shots of the lifeguard stand or old pier when stopped down, and the disco-ball lamp at night where the magenta fringe and corner distortion contribute to the atmosphere. As you say in your conclusion, the magic of cheap, manual fast 50s being so easily adaptable is that you have both the creative control to use extremely shallow DoF and also the more involved controls forcing you to actively decide when to use it.
True story. I once found this lens at a thrift store for $10 CAD. It was a very good day. Later sold it for about $200. That was a bette day. Only reason I sold is I have the Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS. I love these Nikkors ane have 24 to 180mm now.
@@DinoBytes can't wait to hear about your 45mm lens. I had the opportunity to buy it once on facebook but decided to pass as I have about 50 50mm lenses already.
How would you compare this Nikon to some of the new manual lenses from companies like TTArtisans or 7Artisans? From my understanding these new lenses are basically using optical designs from the 70’s & 80’s, right?
I started with a Sony MAVICA FD97, then the Sony F707, followed by the Sony F717 and finally moved to Canon, with the Canon 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 5D Mk2, 5DMk3, 5D Mk4, EOS R, R5, and now the R3.
I've got a Digital Rebel a couple months ago basically for free (sold the lenses). The camera takes really nice photos in daylight (if you know what you're doing), even compared to the latest and greatest cameras. Use the pop up flash in dark environments to take point and shoot film camera like photos. The camera also works with the recent Canon EL-100 flash. Instead of using EF-S or EF lenses, you can also use M42 and even K-mount lenses by using an adapter while shooting in manual mode. Be aware though that focusing then is a hit and miss. If you lighten up the shadows in Photoshop Elements then you can see the limitation of the RAW files (=sensor) and the dynamic range is not great. That having said, if you can find a nice one for a few tenners or less: don't hesitate!
A great review! I'd prefer you to continue testing old lenses on modern bodies, that's where most viewers will be using them and the lower resolution of colour film or period-correct digital bodies means results will only be better on period correct bodies
What a fun video to watch, Gordon! I myself use a Nikkor 50mm 1.4 and a 24mm 2.8 on my Samsung NX1000 APS-C camera. More episodes on the use of vintage lenses on digital camera's would be awesome 😄.
A lot of them give what I would call an explosive bokeh. Love when the background blur just starts moving outward instead of buttery smooth like modern lenses.
