Yay! The dream lens has come.

[Cattykit]

Canon lenses I've used so far:
15mm f/2.8 Fisheye,
17-40mm f/4,
24-70mm f/2.8,
24-105mm f/2.8,
28-135mm f/3.5-5.6,
70-200 f/4,
70-200 f/2.8,
50mm f/1.4, f/1.8
100mm f/2.0.

And, finally the lens I've always wanted to try for years and years have arrived. Due to the limited budget, I could only buy one L lens and it was a tough call. I thought about getting 24-70mm f/2.8 (standard zoom lens that I can use in most situations,) 70-200 f/2.8 (Always feel like getting it when it's summer,) and this 35mm 1.4.

So far, I'm impressed. It looks and feels good though I wish it was made out of metal. The bokeh is sweet and the subtle color rendition suits my taste (May sound strange in this digital era but I can't help but to notice it. I had to let go of 24-105mm because of this.)

 

[Silenus]

I know your excited...but you didn't actually make it clear WHICH lens you decided on. Was it the 35 1.4?

 

[Anubis]

dream lens! so you got a Nikon 13mm F/5.6?

 

[Cattykit]

I know your excited...but you didn't actually make it clear WHICH lens you decided on. Was it the 35 1.4?

It was 35mm f/1.4.

 

[Dubb]

dream lens! so you got a Nikon 13mm F/5.6 300mm F/2 58mm F/1.2 1200-1700mm F/5.6-8 6mm F/2.8?

fixed that for you

 

[Anubis]

lol TBH id rather have the 13 mm then the 6mm fisheye. however the 6mm is a sight to behold

 

[Dubb]

I'd love one for sure, but from the samples I've seen it's not that much more interesting for superwide than the 14-24, and the 14-24 handles flare quite a bit better.

But there's nothing that even gets close the 6mm fish. I've used various hemispherical fisheyes, and they all wind up producing fairly flat images. The 6mm samples (the few available) have a depth to them that I've seen from no other lens.

 

[Anubis]

I'd love one for sure, but from the samples I've seen it's not that much more interesting for superwide than the 14-24, and the 14-24 handles flare quite a bit better.

But there's nothing that even gets close the 6mm fish. I've used various hemispherical fisheyes, and they all wind up producing fairly flat images. The 6mm samples (the few available) have a depth to them that I've seen from no other lens.

its not there anymore but there was one at the Eastman house on a F3 + tripod that you could look through. pretty neat looking through it and basically seeing behind the lens

 

[Dubb]

its not there anymore but there was one at the Eastman house on a F3 + tripod that you could look through. pretty neat looking through it and basically seeing behind the lens

Which is part of the real shame of the 6mm story. Of the 500 or so that were produced, I've heard of 10-15 that sit in display cases (mostly in Nikon country HQs - Tokyo, Paris, etc). They're never used! Though I suppose some of those could have been the same lens that gets moved around.

looking at the Eastman page, they have one of the very early pre-AI models. I wonder how much they'd want for it (easy enough to update)

 

[Anubis]

one showed up on ebay a few years ago in "good" condition and it went for like 35k

 

[angry hampster]

The 35 really is an incredible lens. I've thought about selling my 24-70 for one. Loved using it at my old job.

 

[Dubb]

one showed up on ebay a few years ago in "good" condition and it went for like 35k

no, it didn't. the same German outfit keeps trying to sell the same lens over an over. somehow it keeps being listed as "sold" and then keeps showing up again a couple months later.

old:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...&Category=3323&_trkparms=algo=LVI&its=I&otn=2

new:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-2-8-6mm-F...ViewItem&pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item563dbd21bf

I think the last one of these ACTUALLY sold at was about $25K at the height of the market, and that was a mint AIS from the early 90's

 

[Cattykit]

no, it didn't. the same German outfit keeps trying to sell the same lens over an over. somehow it keeps being listed as "sold" and then keeps showing up again a couple months later.

old:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...&Category=3323&_trkparms=algo=LVI&its=I&otn=2

new:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-2-8-6mm-F...ViewItem&pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item563dbd21bf

I think the last one of these ACTUALLY sold at was about $25K at the height of the market, and that was a mint AIS from the early 90's

I recall seeing that lens at a friend's house though I'm not sure if it was for Nikon or Linhof Technorama.

 

[Dubb]

I recall seeing that lens at a friend's house though I'm not sure if it was for Nikon or Linhof Technorama.

I would guess the nikon. I can't imagine why anyone would make / put a giant fisheye on a pano camera.

If they ever want to sell it, send them my way.

 

[Maximus96]

now pair it up with a 85L and you're golden