Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: Rajan Parrikar on March 10, 2012, 12:12:38 pm

Title: Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4 lens
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on March 10, 2012, 12:12:38 pm
A tribute by Thomas Pindelski -

http://pindelski.org/Photography/2012/03/10/nikkor-q-200mm-f4-lens/

Title: Re: Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4 lens
Post by: Brian Hirschfeld on March 10, 2012, 04:19:09 pm
really nice image quality out of that thing
Title: Re: Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4 lens
Post by: Ellis Vener on March 10, 2012, 04:50:02 pm
It's a lens i lusted after in my youth, not so much now.
Title: Re: Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4 lens
Post by: telyt on March 12, 2012, 05:55:12 pm
Quote from: Rajan Parrikar on March 10, 2012, 12:12:38 pm
A tribute by Thomas Pindelski -
http://pindelski.org/Photography/2012/03/10/nikkor-q-200mm-f4-lens/

Quoting from the above link -

"Another insane bargain"

Agreed.

"gorgeous rendition of out-of-focus areas"

Pretty much agree for the background OOF areas.

"ultimate exemplar of optical and mechanical engineering"

Ummmm... no.  Good craftmanship in the user-interface bits but the all-aluminum focussing helix tends to bind readily if not kept lubricated, unlike a combination of dissimmilar metals like brass and aluminum as used by most other 35mm SLR makers at the time.

Optically, we're not all looking for the same thing.  This lens was pretty good in its day but "ultimate exemplar of optical ... engineering"?  Lower contrast  and having to fix color fringing suggests something other than "ultimate exemplar".
Title: Re: Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4 lens
Post by: AFairley on March 12, 2012, 08:32:28 pm
I don't remember being that impressed by the optics back when I used it in the 80s.  But for $30 ....
Title: Re: Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4 lens
Post by: Ellis Vener on March 12, 2012, 10:20:37 pm
"Optically, we're not all looking for the same thing.  This lens was pretty good in its day but "ultimate exemplar of optical ... engineering"?  Lower contrast  and having to fix color fringing suggests something other than "ultimate exemplar".

Which is pretty much why the 180mm f/2.8 Nikkors became a more desirable lens for working pros.
Title: Re: Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4 lens
Post by: LKaven on March 12, 2012, 11:44:02 pm
Quote from: Ellis Vener on March 12, 2012, 10:20:37 pm
"Optically, we're not all looking for the same thing.  This lens was pretty good in its day but "ultimate exemplar of optical ... engineering"?  Lower contrast  and having to fix color fringing suggests something other than "ultimate exemplar".

Which is pretty much why the 180mm f/2.8 Nikkors became a more desirable lens for working pros.
The Nikkor Q 200/4 is very compact.  Yup.  Ummm.  Four elements.  Hmm. 

The 180/2.8 ED-IF.  The beauty.  The beauty.  Clean.  Beaucoup good bokeh.