Here’s a digital infrared image of a Phalaenopsis orchid captured with my converted Nikon 1 V1 and new 32mm f/1.2 1-Nikkor lens. This new lens delivers good bokeh even on the small CX-format sensor Nikon 1 cameras. I converted the image to monochrome using Silver Efex Pro 2.
I recently converted my Nikon 1 V1 mirrorless camera to “super-color” infrared. I’ve been having fun with the camera, but I did notice that wider shots seemed very soft in the corners. According to the team at Life Pixel, wide-angle lenses are notoriously problematic with infrared cameras. Lens distortions tend to be exaggerated and softness is common. The primary culprit, it seems, is the fancy optical coatings on your lenses, which help reduce distortion and aberrations. The coatings are optimized for visible light, not IR wavelengths.
As much as I hate taking pictures of brick walls, I also want to understand the limitations of my gear. I decided to test three of my 1-Nikkor lenses to see how well they performed with infrared. Continue reading Infrared Photography with the Nikon 1 System: Wide-angle lens testing
Hey, I just received the new 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6 VR 1-Nikkor lens to use on my Nikon 1 V1 and V2 bodies. Yeah, this baby has been out since around April, but I had other things that took precedence. But now that I have one, I’ve played with it and here are my first impressions. Continue reading First Impressions: 1-Nikkor 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6 VR for Nikon 1 System
The Nikon 1 System has been out for a little over a year and a half now, and Nikon is now starting to release a series of lenses geared toward the more advanced/serious photographer. When the Nikon 1 system debuted, the only lens that wasn’t a “consumer-level” zoom was the 10mm f/2.8 prime. After adding an 11-27.5mm zoom last year (I don’t know why), Nikon has now released three lenses that are quite nice for more serious photography. Continue reading Three 1-Nikkor Lenses for Serious Photographers
Along with the Nikon 1 V2 announcement in October 2012, Nikon also released a new 1-Nikkor prime lens, the 18.5mm f/1.8 1-Nikkor. This lens, designed for the Nikon CX-format sensor has an angle of view roughly equivalent to a 50mm lens on a 35mm camera body.
With the Nikon CX format, fast lenses are important for two reasons. First, the small format makes depth of field control hard, so anything with a fast aperture will help to deliver subject isolation and soften backgrounds. Second, while the ISO performance of the Nikon 1 cameras is excellent overall, these cameras are still noisier than large-sensor DX or FX DSLRs. That means anytime you can shoot with a faster aperture, your camera will be able to use a lower ISO for any given shutter speed. Read on for my review… Continue reading Hands-on Review: Nikon 18.5mm 1-Nikkor Lens