I don't need another camera, I don't need another camera...

[George Mann]

I have the 50mm f/1.8. Is the f/2 superior in some way?

I find it warmer and more true to the scene.

 

[CMoore]

Ignore the guy in the white suit. He is the harbinger of remorse. I will take him out.

View attachment 257034​

 

[BradS]

I have the 50mm f/1.8. Is the f/2 superior in some way?

No. Not at all. They are both excellent.

EDIT: It's probably important to bear in mind that the AI and AI-S versions of the 50/2 and 50/1.8 Nikkor are all 35~45 years old now. Since they were so similar when new, and they are all old now, it is impossible to make any meaningful general contrast/comparison between them. Everything will depend upon the condition of the individual specimen(s).

 

[logan2z]

No. Not at all. They are both excellent.

EDIT: It's probably important to bear in mind that the AI and AI-S versions of the 50/2 and 50/1.8 Nikkor are all 35~45 years old now. Since they were so similar when new, and they are all old now, it is impossible to make any meaningful general contrast/comparison between them. Everything will depend upon the condition of the individual specimen(s).

Fair enough, I have a pretty mint example of the 50/1.8. I asked because the FT-3 I posted about comes with a 50/2 but the seller is willing to separate the lens and body if I'm only interested in the body. Since I have the 50/1.8 I'll probably skip the lens.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Go ahead. Buy it. I give your permission. Have your spouse talk to me.

 

[logan2z]

Go ahead. Buy it. I give your permission. Have your spouse talk to me.

The good news is that my spouse isn't generally the one who causes me to deliberate on these buying decisions, she's usually the one that says "get it if you want it". The wrangling over buying decisions is usually self-imposed. In this case the dollar amount is relatively small so the only real decision is should I buy yet another camera I don't really need when I can spend the money on film, paper, or photo books instead. I think the camera is going to win out this time, I think it's purdy

 

[BradS]

Fair enough, I have a pretty mint example of the 50/1.8..... Since I have the 50/1.8 I'll probably skip the lens.

Seems like a good decision.

Too bad you cannot get a lease on this purdy camera...I have a feeling the lust will wear off quickly and then it'll just be another piece of gear to maintain (eg, a burden).

 

[Sirius Glass]

Seems like a good decision.

Too bad you cannot get a lease on this purdy camera...I have a feeling the lust will wear off quickly and then it'll just be another piece of gear to maintain (eg, a burden).

BradS, you are supposed to enable not disable.

 

[BradS]

BradS, you are supposed to enable not disable.

Right! I don't know what I was thinking.... I ran outta gas, got a flat tire, didn't have enough money for cab fare,...Locusts!

 

[mshchem]

So when I have a chance to buy a mint Hasselblad Carl Zeiss 350mm f 5.6 for roughly 10% of it's original price, what, I'm supposed to be all logical and sit on my hands? Practical? If I was practical would I even be on this forum?
I look at it this way, I've lived through a time when these cameras were used to take the first "Vacation Snaps" of my summer trip to the moon. Absolutely amazing, and I have lived through the period where working professionals transitioned to a different technology or left the business entirely.

I try not to go too far, but I'm not getting any younger. Secondly, a point that is often over looked, we are conservators, especially the darkroom stuff. I would bet at least 99% of the enlargers ever made have been scrapped or parted out to made useless.

Yeah, I've accidentally acquired six Hasselblad bodies, (2 were 553ELX bodies that had issues I got cheap, which required me cleaning, and oiling). It's just one of those things.

 

[Donald Qualls]

The good news is that my spouse isn't generally the one who causes me to deliberate on these buying decisions, she's usually the one that says "get it if you want it". The wrangling over buying decisions is usually self-imposed. In this case the dollar amount is relatively small so the only real decision is should I buy yet another camera I don't really need when I can spend the money on film, paper, or photo books instead. I think the camera is going to win out this time, I think it's purdy

Except for photo books, none of those other things will last the way a good camera body will.

 

[George Mann]

Fair enough, I have a pretty mint example of the 50/1.8. I asked because the FT-3 I posted about comes with a 50/2 but the seller is willing to separate the lens and body if I'm only interested in the body. Since I have the 50/1.8 I'll probably skip the lens.

That would be a mistake! The F2 is one of the best lenses ever made. You will love it!

Besides, you can never have too many lenses.

 

[Sirius Glass]

So when I have a chance to buy a mint Hasselblad Carl Zeiss 350mm f 5.6 for roughly 10% of it's original price, what, I'm supposed to be all logical and sit on my hands? Practical? If I was practical would I even be on this forum?
I look at it this way, I've lived through a time when these cameras were used to take the first "Vacation Snaps" of my summer trip to the moon. Absolutely amazing, and I have lived through the period where working professionals transitioned to a different technology or left the business entirely.

I try not to go too far, but I'm not getting any younger. Secondly, a point that is often over looked, we are conservators, especially the darkroom stuff. I would bet at least 99% of the enlargers ever made have been scrapped or parted out to made useless.

Yeah, I've accidentally acquired six Hasselblad bodies, (2 were 553ELX bodies that had issues I got cheap, which required me cleaning, and oiling). It's just one of those things.

Oh, oh, oh that is a lens I do not have.

Please tell me how you acquire the six Hasselblad bodies?

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Four years ago, I didn't even own a camera other than a cheap Sony digital P&S. Now I have two Leica M bodies (and four lenses), a Nikon FM (and a couple of lenses) and a Hasseblad 500C/M (and a couple of lenses). So, clearly, I have no need for another camera . But I stumbled upon this one today and it's so darn pretty I'm tempted. Hard to say 'no' given how cheap these things are now.

Somebody help me...

Logan, just go buy it, complete with that gorgeous lens.
1. This one looks really clean, with perfect paint.
2. It is a late model with the "Apollo" wind lever and self-timer.
3. As long as you exercise it regularly, it will last decades.
4. I suspect it costs less then a typical dinner in California (in other words, modern petty cash).
5. You will be conserving it for someone else in the distant future.
6. You might prefer this to your FM, this being a beefy and bigger camera.
7. The lens is a late f/2 with the rubber focus ring. Superb lens!
8. An example of mechanical and optical excellence from the classic era of mid-century Japanese camera production.
9. 10, 20 years - these will be much more expensive. Look what happened to Hasselblad bodies in only 10 years, practically throwaway to $$$.
10. They don't make these any more, and I doubt they ever will again (unless some bizarre fashion statement develops such as men's mechanical wrist watches becoming man jewelry).

Oh, oh, sorry, I enabled some GAS.....

 

[mshchem]

Oh, oh, oh that is a lens I do not have.

Please tell me how you acquire the six Hasselblad bodies?

First I decided to get rid of my Bronica SQAi stuff, I had nothing in it, but it's all electronic (note not electric) I set out to buy a 501 cm, which I did, and the 80, 50, 150 obviously. Then a just couldn't pass on a 503CW with the split image focusing screen (all these are the Minolta Acute-Matte screens). Then a 533ELM (because they are so cheap) then a 903SWC because it's mint, I won't use it, but it's like, yeah! That took a bit of money laundering to get it by my wife. The other 533ELM bodies I bought for the pieces. I bought a type II back and a 65mm f5.6 SW Fujinon view camera lens at a sale for 10 bucks a piece, got them both going. It just snowballed.

The 350 is beautiful, I bought mine from a very nice Japanese "vest pocket" seller. Perfect, delivered in 48 hrs FedEx with tax and shipping for just shy of 750 usd. Not peanuts by any means but it has the lens hood that holds the filters, like your 500mm (except they moved to a 93mm filter to insure profits) . It's just really pretty. With about 4 inches of extension tubes you can get the focus down to about 6 feet. I think about a 2 inch tube would be perfect for full frame head shots.

My long term MF SLR is Mamiya RZ67 II. I bought a "kit" new in Dec of 1999, for 3 grand. Since the market was flooded with new and used Mamiya stuff I've got a mountain of that too. But again the clock is ticking on anything electronic.

I've got a huge darkroom, my wife is quite tolerant and I don't have a pile of money in any of it.

 

[jerrybro]

Resistance is futile, prepare to be assimilated.

 

[logan2z]

Logan, just go buy it, complete with that gorgeous lens.
1. This one looks really clean, with perfect paint.
2. It is a late model with the "Apollo" wind lever and self-timer.
3. As long as you exercise it regularly, it will last decades.
4. I suspect it costs less then a typical dinner in California (in other words, modern petty cash).
5. You will be conserving it for someone else in the distant future.
6. You might prefer this to your FM, this being a beefy and bigger camera.
7. The lens is a late f/2 with the rubber focus ring. Superb lens!
8. An example of mechanical and optical excellence from the classic era of mid-century Japanese camera production.
9. 10, 20 years - these will be much more expensive. Look what happened to Hasselblad bodies in only 10 years, practically throwaway to $$$.
10. They don't make these any more, and I doubt they ever will again (unless some bizarre fashion statement develops such as men's mechanical wrist watches becoming man jewelry).

Oh, oh, sorry, I enabled some GAS.....

You make a damn good case...

 

[George Mann]

And get the proper, deep 50mm lens hood for it.

 

[Keith Pitman]

You’re off to a good start. Remember there’s medium format and large format to conquer. Oh, don’t forget ultra large format.

 

[logan2z]

You’re off to a good start. Remember there’s medium format and large format to conquer. Oh, don’t forget ultra large format.

I've got medium format covered with the Hasselblad. I think that's as big as I'm going to go - for now.

 

[Donald Qualls]

You’re off to a good start. Remember there’s medium format and large format to conquer. Oh, don’t forget ultra large format.

And, for the completist, submini. I love my Minolta 16 format cameras, especially the Kiev 303 -- 13x17 mm, 20-30 on a roll, loads with a drop-in cassette, and I can get four 20 exposure rolls out of a recut 120. Frame is big enough to produce good prints, camera is small enough to hide in a hand. Focusing lens (0.5m to infinity), four shutter speeds and f/3.5 to f/16. Lacks tripod mount (no B shutter anyway) and flash sync, but those aren't very necessary for a "spy camera".

 

[Kino]

I have to think my compulsion to collect and use cameras came from a less than prosperous childhood where I had to satisfy myself with obsessively scouring Photography magazines and reading about photography rather than actively shooting. I really didn't get my hands on a nice camera until well into my teens, but in the meantime I had built hundreds of fantasy systems on paper from the ads in the back of Popular Photography and Shutterbug; hoping some day to have the means to obtain a good camera. I never shook this fascination with gear and it has stayed with me to the present and has resulted in an embarrassingly large collection of cameras and accessories; 99% bought on the cheap and repaired/refurbished by myself.

While it's not probably not exactly the healthiest attitude to have toward material possessions, I have managed to keep it to less than a hoarding problem and I do take care of and value my cameras, so I give myself some credit in that regard.

Also, I have given away a lot of gear to just about any youngster who even expressed an interest in the hobby; just in the hopes someone else will find it as satisfying as I do.

In the end, I appreciate the gear for it's potential artistic use and for it's value as sculpture; it gives me a lot of pleasure just holding these little works of art and coaxing them back to life.

Who knows, maybe what I have saved will eventually find its way into the hands of a real artist rather than rot in a landfill? It all depends on your perspective...

 

[flavio81]

We recently had a terrible dinner experience. $120 wasted. All the time I was thinking "I could have bought film or another lens or film and a lens or another body or.."

WISE words.

I have the 50mm f/1.8. Is the f/2 superior in some way?

If your f1.8 is the "pancake" version, then yes, the f2 is a superior lens, at least in construction quality.

Go ahead. Buy it. I give your permission. Have your spouse talk to me.

Can you talk to mine too?

Also, I have given away a lot of gear to just about any youngster who even expressed an interest in the hobby.

Can I send you my shipping address?

 

[flavio81]

I'm coming close on sixty working cameras -- and I just bought an Ensign Commando

Thanks, you made me feel better. I only have about 28 cameras.

Have you checked out the Ensign Autorange 820? That's one i'd love to have. BTW stay clear of the Ensign Selfix 820, i had one in mint shape and was almost impossible to align to produce a sharp negative at an aperture wider than f11-16. I suspect the Ross Xpres lens has a massive focus shift, or the negative is never flat.

 

[logan2z]

If your f1.8 is the "pancake" version, then yes, the f2 is a superior lens, at least in construction quality.

It is the 'regular' version, not the 'pancake' version.