It pays to troll the KEH web site on a regular basis.

I've been looking at older, non-AI, Nikkor glass for some time. These lenses tend to be quite rugged and the glass elements have a single coating as opposed to lenses made today which have multiple coatings that reduce lens flare and other "undesirable" effects. However lenses with single coatings often render a range of tonality and color temperature that's impossible to achieve with contemporary multicoated lenses. Multicoated lenses also tend to render images much higher in contrast than single coated lenses.

Lately I've been interested in early 105mm and 135mm Nikkor lenses. I've been carefully watching the stock at KEH for some months, looking for pieces in good condition and within my almost nonexistent budget. KEH's grading system: Like New to Ugly, is very reliable. There are times when an item will be rated at the bargain grade because of cosmetic imperfections. The item is actually flawless mechanically or optically but the price is low because it isn't really pretty. Other pieces that are rated bargain grade may indeed have some flaws other than cosmetic but nothing that would compromise image making quality. (For example a while back I bought a bargain grade Nikkor non-AI 28mm f/3.5 for $30. Optically it's beautiful, but the aperture ring is squeaky.)

The other day as I scrolled through the KEH stock I found this Nikkor-Q 135mm f/3.5 lens, with an AI conversion, in Excellent condition for $39. Now here's the key, there were other identical lenses in excellent condition listed that were more expensive, but the fact that a previous owner had performed his own custom AI conversion on this lens made it less than perfect. (AI conversions usually require the milling or cutting down of a portion of the lens' metal aperture ring to accommodate the little tongue on the Auto Index cuff surrounding the lens mount on newer auto exposure capable Nikon cameras.)

For me the AI conversion is a real value. It means I can put this lens on my F100 and it will couple perfectly with the camera's metering system. It took less than a minute of thought for me to click the "Add to Cart" button.

I knew I wanted a lens hood for this lens as I use lens hoods to protect the front elements of my lenses and the hood will help reduce the possibility of lens flare which single coated lenses don't handle well. With a few more clicks I found the appropriate lens hood also in Excellent condition for $7. (A few months ago a camera shop owner here in San Francisco offered to sell one of these lens hoods to me for $15, saying they were rare. His offering was rather beat up and didn't fasten securely when attached to a lens. I'm glad I saved my money.)

This lens was manufactured between 1961 and 1966. It is one of the cleanest lenses I have ever seen, the glass is flawless. The focusing and aperture rings are smoother than those of some of my newer lenses.

Yeah, I'm excited. Vintage Nikkor glass for $46. Not bad.

"...too complicated. And obsolete."

Paul Melcher hits the image licensing nail on the head.

Read Paul's latest comments on the industry here at Thoughts of a Bohemian. I think he's right on every count.

I'd like to hear what you think. Read his entry iTune it, and let me hear from you.

Photo: ©1989 David W. Sumner

Pioneering

Prison in Bukhara, 1907, Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky

"...in the 1970s, at a time when William Eggleston and other artists were pioneering the use of color photography." - PDN

Please don"t misunderstand statements like this. William Eggleston didn't pioneer color photography. By the 1970's color photography dominated the worlds of fashion, travel, industrial, medical and sports photography, to name a few. Color photography was pioneered in the late 19th century. Kodak was producing Kodachrome as early as the 1920's. The Office of War Information and the FSA documented much of America's struggle through the depression and the war effort on color film beginning the early 1940s.

1940, Russell Lee for the FSA

When people mention William Eggleston as a pioneer of color photography they are referring to the fact that Eggleston was one of the first photographers using color film to be recognized by collectors of fine art photography. Collectors of art must be marketed to, as very few of them have a true and deep understanding of art, creative vision, process, craft and what it means to live the creative life of an artist.

William Eggleston, untitled, ca. 1960

Eggleston's color photography is accessible. Despite whatever complexities may be behind his calculated imagery, his work is marketable. Eggleston's photography helped galleries and dealers move collectors toward the idea that color photography was worthy of the label "fine art photography." Indeed a pioneering move in the industry, but no real significant contribution to advancement of the medium.

Courage

Dale Erickson's studio, San Francisco, CA.

"Creativity takes courage." - Henri Matisse


Photo: ©2010 David W. Sumner

Color Seduction

Bernice Abbot once said about photography that color gets in the way. The longer I work in photography the truer that statement becomes for me.

I'm periodically seduced by color, but more often than not color gets in the way of my seeing. I'm distracted by color and I miss the essence of a scene. The only color photography I make that I feel are successful are those in which color itself is the subject.

My natural tendency is to see through the color to find the substance of a thing. To me values of gray are more apparent than hues of color.

Photo: ©2011 David W Sumner

Define the Space

There's a single light source, the sun, no artificial ambient light in the image. The drama of the image is formed by the lines of the structure against a dark sky as it is illuminated by the sun. Sunrise or sunset is irrelevant. It's the simplicity of elements and a single light source working together to isolate the dominate forms that define the space.

Photo: ©2011 David W. Sumner

The Beauty of a Simple Thing

Practice looking to increase your ability to see.

Be aware that details can tell a story often overlooked.

Photos: ©2011 David W. Sumner