PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D ED

[Murph]

Anyone using this lens? Samples?

[jeffkohn]

I haven't used this one nearly as much as the 24 PC-E, but here are a couple of samples since I got it this fall:

[e123]

cool pic's

[d2creative]

Jeff, you wouldn't happen to have any comparison pics with this lens vs a standard lens, would you?
I guess I'm wondering what you gained in these shots by using this lens.
Very nice, btw.

[jeffkohn]

Dennis,

Sorry I don't have any comparison shots. What I can tell you is that on the first image I used just a little bit of left/right tilt to get both the near and far trees as sharp as possible. The second image is actually a 3-image flat-stitch. I had the camera vertically oriented and took 3 shots using the lens' shift capability. After cropping, this gave me an image resolution of about 24.5mp.

[d2creative]

ohhhh, ok. I'm so used to seeing these lenses used for their ultra selective narrow focus, i didn't even think of it being used in the opposite way to get a much broader focus.

[flatlander22]

you mean the way they were intended to be used? wink wink. Great examples! I'm waiting to get my hands on one, as soon as the local camera store gets one in for rental!

[Murph]

Yes, these are amazing lenses once you figure out how to work them.....I really need to read the manual.

[KdLaneJr]

Originally Posted by jeffkohn

I haven't used this one nearly as much as the 24 PC-E, but here are a couple of samples since I got it this fall:

Nicely done Jeff! The TS-E 45 is on my list, as is the TS-E 24 II. I've seen and read great things on the TS-E 17, but at the moment I think that's too wide to put on my llist.

[jeffkohn]

Originally Posted by Murph

Yes, these are amazing lenses once you figure out how to work them.....I really need to read the manual.

The chapter on lens movements in Ansel's "The Camera" is a good overview. My approach to using these lenses is as follows:

1) Compose through the view finder as normal, except that I'll usually level the camera and then make vertical composition adjustments using lens rise/fall.
2) Activate live-view; open lens aperture all the way (unfortunately the little button doesn't work, you have to actually change the aperture setting).
3) Use the zoomed-in live-view for manual focusing.
4) Stop the lens back down to shooting aperture and check sharpness though the frame to make sure I have enough DOF.
5) If more DOF is needed, sometimes I use tilt (not much is needed unless shooting fairly close-up though)
6) Switch over to M-Up mode and shoot (with tripod and cable release, of course).

It sounds more complicated than it is.

Originally Posted by KdLaneJr

Nicely done Jeff! The TS-E 45 is on my list, as is the TS-E 24 II. I've seen and read great things on the TS-E 17, but at the moment I think that's too wide to put on my llist.

Yeah 17mm is pretty wide on full-frame, I guess it could be useful for interiors or skyscraper shots in a city, but for what I shoot 24mm is mostly wide enough.

BTW my comment last winter about not using the 45mm PC-E much has changed now that I'm shooting full-frame. On DX format, 45mm is kind of in-between - not normal and not quite telephoto. So I mostly just used it for flat stitching, which gave me a wider field of view. On full-frame it's a much more useful focal length, and I think it will be one of my workhorse lenses.