Lazy tooling: Magick Image Annotations

Preparing various images of different sizes for a standardised dsiplay can be hugely time consuming and manual. How can we be lazy about this?

Short Tele, Alternative Legacy: The 85mm f/2 AI-S

When discussing short Nikkor telephotos or classic portrait lenses, a number of lenses come to mind: the 105mm f/2.5 AI-S and the 85mm f/1.4 AI-S. However there was another: the 85mm f/2 AI-S.


^{85mm f/2 AI-S sitting between a 105mm f/2.5 AI-S and 50mm f/1.8 AI-S pancake}

An economical wide alternative: 28mm f/3.5 AI

The 28mm f/3.5 has a long history reaching back to 1960, with the Auto-H, and cumulating in the Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 AI/AIS of the late 70s/early 80s. All variations had a 6/6 design although the Auto-H and the AI/AI-S having different optical formula. By the time the AI/AI-S was released in 1977/1981, it was already seen as the economical 28mm with its slower f/3.5 max aperture with the f/2 K and f/2.8 K/AI making its debuts in 1975 and 1974 respectively.

The f/3.5 AI-S was sunset in 1983 by which time the very well regarded 28mm f/2.8 AI-S had been released. Over time, the 28mm f/2.8 AI-S reputation (and its long production run) keeps it in conversations but if you were to consider a manual 28mm, is the slower f/3.5 worth considering?

Reverse the macro trend: the Nikon BR-2A Macro Adaptor Ring

Getting into macro photography has its challenges, typically given the need for a suitable lenses. However, there is another option with reversing ring such as the Nikon BR-2A that can be used your existing lens.

Widely Regarded: Nikkor 20mm f/4 AI

The Nikkor 20mm f/4 AI (and its near identical predecessor, the K) was the optical successor to the very well regarded Nikkor-UD 20mm f/3.5 Auto. The K was produced from 1974 to 1977 and the AI released for a short period after til the start of 1978, at which point the Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 AI had been released. Both the f/4 AI and f/3.5 AI lenses had good reputations but how are they really?


^{Nikkor 20mm f/4 K with factory AI conversion aperture ring}

Precision Macro: Using the Nikon D300 with LiveView and Focus Peaking on Linux

Macro photography is a game of millimeters. When you are shooting at 1:1 magnification, the depth of field is so thin that even the slightest movement or a poorly calibrated viewfinder can ruin a shot.

The Nikon D300, while a solid workhorse even more than a decade and a half later, lacks the modern "Focus Peaking" found in mirrorless cameras. However, with a Linux machine, some open-source tools, and a custom Python script, we can give legacy liveview enabled DSLR real-time focus assistance.