Past Saturday was the annual 4th of July
parade in Prescott, when thousands of residents crowded a few blocks of the
historic downtown under the warm and sunny high desert sky. I like being there
to capture a few frames of the moment, and often use a vintage camera that has
been sitting in await on my shelve.
This time, it was the turn of a 1968 Nikon F with
its original Nikkor-H Auto f2 50mm lens.
This Nikon has a history. I bought it decades ago in
Maryland from a war photographer who was selling some of his gear. At first
look, it was just an early model with an inoperable meter. However, the seller
told me that it was his back up camera and that the other Nikon F he had, a
1969 model, had never failed him on assignment.
And to make the point, he also gave me a film
canister holder that made it impossible for me to not want the camera.
Here is the camera, its original lens, and the film
canister (an aluminum one with a twist cap). The disintegrating leather holder
reads “Vietnam – Saigon”!
I bought the camera for its history and used it once
using my Nikkor-S Auto f1.4 which is a better lens than the older Nikkor-H it which
came with the camera. After all, the “H” configuration was designed in 1935 for
the Canon Hansa rangefinder camera. The design, 6 elements in 4 groups Gauss,
remained unchanged when Nikon introduced it as Nikkor-H Auto in 1964 as the
first 50mm lens for Nikon F. Thus, this almost century old lens is not regarded
as a true competitor to the Nikkor-S f1.4 or any Nikon 50mm lens built after
1970.
And I thought it was time for me to test the lens
after decades of using the Nikkor-S around the world.
To make the experience more tempting, I took with me
an old Nikkor 105mm, f2.5 Non-AI that had been later AI-d upgraded. This lens
also has its own “war story” as someone had dropped it and seriously bent the
lip, making it impossible to use a filter or a shade. Here is the lens:
A.
Photos
with the 50mm Nikkor-H Auto f2
The photo atop the page is both about the parade and
a typical street photography of people. I do love the rendition of this old
lens – compared to later Nikkor lenses, it does indeed have that vintage charm,
as well as the sharpness to enhance details that make or break some photos.
Who was this young lady? Or, does it really matter
when she stands out in her posture and head crown from the brouhaha of the people
around her?
Ok, I know, I have to show at least one photo from
the parade. So, here are the majestic Budweiser Clydesdales.
This was a natural set up for a test. There were
three horses on two different focal distances, the sun was unevenly shining on
each of the horses, I did not have a working light meter so I used the Sunny 16
heuristic guess rule (f11 and 1/250th second speed), and I was not
using a lens shade. It was time to see how a 1930s Gauss design lens would
perform at the center of the frame and in the corners.
This third photo shows a synthesis of the previous
two shots. The sun was straight on the face of the rider on the left, while the
second rider had her cowgirl hat shading her face. The lens is both sharp and
dreamy. I do like the feel of this shot.
B.
Photos
with the Nikkor 105mm f2.5
My 1960s lens is well respected for dreamy
portraiture shots, but I wanted to see how it would do as a short telephoto. I
do have another 105mm Nikkor made in 1971 and equipped with a retractable shade
that was the first modification of this lens from Gauss to Sonnar design. It is
much sharper and brighter, but sometimes not as dreamy as the old one made for
the Nikon F.
This photo was printed using an old darkroom
technique I learned from a photographer in Central Europe. He used to move his
hands under the enlarger light while printing, producing the blurry wind
movement in parts of the print he wanted to minimize in prominence. Pure and
lost art! And, sometimes he used to light up a rolled cigarette and blow the
smoke under the light… It made staying in the darkroom with him quite a health
challenge, although some of his photos taken with a Ukrainian medium format
Kiev camera were more creative (and each unique!) than any digitally
manipulated prints I have seem.
So, I saw a woman cross the street in a hurry as the
farm machines were in the parade. I did not have much time to focus but the old
darkroom technique came in handy to selectively blur and add movement to the
ill-focused shot.
The next photo shows that the 105mm Nikkor is better
for portraiture than it is as a short telephoto. I shot this one at f16 and
1/125th second speed, but the tonal range is not pleasant. Still, it
is a good moment of Arizona’s frontier days’ reenactment.
This final photo is a testimony for how a
portraiture lens can perform fully open at f2.5. It is a crowded frame but I
wanted to isolate brightness of the boots while dodging the print to respect
the privacy of those in the shot.
Final
thoughts
As in many of my street photography outings, I
enjoyed “playing” with a vintage camera and lenses. After decades of pursuing
my passion of the challenges vintage instruments present at every turn, I do
admit that the photos remain secondary to the joy of using old photographic
instruments. Perhaps it is the oneness and partnership required from the
photographer to use these instruments, repair them when they broke down, and
use them again. Or perhaps, it is the feeling of being in a time capsule,
looking at the present world through an optic of wander, wonder and nostalgia.
No matter what it is, it sure is different from
using tools where AI, hiding in a plastic housing and staying alive through the
feed from a wonder battery’s electric flow, is more than an equal partner.
July 7, 2025
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2025
