Nikon AF-S 50mm/f1.4G on Fujifilm X-A1

havanna60

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I've received my Nikon G to Fujifilm FX lens adapter recently, and today I had a chance to give it a quick try with my Nikon AF-S 50mm/f1.4G on Fujifilm X-A1 when coming home from work near my favorite railway station. My short review here is about this particular combo. First of all I am quite happy with this setup.


Nikon 50mm/f1.4G on X-A1 with lens hood.

The camera: My daughter got a Fujifilm X-A1 camera as an award when she won a photography competition, and she gave me the camera as a gift; this way, I love this camera, of course. This is not an A7, definitely, but does her job nicely. First, I was shocked by the lack of EVF, and I found manual focusing on the LCD challenging; but, eventually, I found a big advantage of the LCD over an EVF: I wear glasses and I found the LCD not as precise, but much more convenient than an EVF. Maybe a dream camera for me would be one with a 5 inch, hi-resolution, fast LCD.

The lens: The Nikon 50mm/f1.4G is not small on the X-A1, but looks terrific and gives a semi-professional feel when I use it. Still, it is not that big to annoy/intimidate people on a street photography session. It is surprisingly easy to focus on the X-A1. I always keep the camera near the chest with the LCD tilted down, and I look downwards when focusing with focus peaking and magnification, keeping my arms firmly pressed to my body to stabilize the camera as much as possible; I never hold the camera with arms loose when manually focusing.


Nikon AF-S 50mm on X-A1 via an N/G-FX adapter.

The adapter: The N/G-FX adapter is surprisingly well built for the price and the aluminum aperture ring works smoothly. Unfortunately, setting the aperture value is pure guesswork with this adapter on G lens. The adapter works fine with a regular AI-S lens, too; just make sure the aperture ring on the adapter is turned to enable the stopping down on the lens.


Nikon AI-S 180mm/f2.8 on X-A1: brutal combo.

Here are some of my photos taken with the Nikon 50mm on the X-A1:


Here I used the lens wide-open. Manual focusing, of course, with focus peaking and in most cases with magnification. I kept and uploaded here the full pixel resolution of the images (after cropping) to view 1:1. These images cropped and somehow processed in Lightroom 5.4 (shadows, clarity, exposition, contrast, highlights)


Manual focusing is acceptable with the X-A1 for street photography for slow moving scenes.


The lady with the dog were quite far away, it can be guessed how far when calculating from the pixel-size of the image.


A full size image, I am quite happy with it. This kind of scene is terribly easy and fun to manually focus.


A was focusing to the lady on the left.


I think the X-A1 is a terrific (or, at least good enough) camera for (socio)street photography.

For the full set view http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/6567299074/albums/nikon-50mm-f1-4g-on-fujifilm-x-a1 Have fun, Miki
 

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This is my second part of my review of using a couple of Nikon lenses on Fujifilm X-A1. Today I took a set of photos with the huge Nikon AI 180mm/f2.8. This kens is definitely too big for manual focusing; I love MF but not with this lens. I think the only way to use it on a monopod or tripod with an adapter with tripod mount. Unfortunately, my Nikon-FX adapter has no tripod mount and I had no chance to test that way. I think I'll try to find a Tripod Collar Mount Ring for this lens. The PEN 150mm/f4 is much more perfect telephoto lens for the X-A1


The Nikon AI 180mm is huge on the X-A1

Here are the images all taken with the X-A1 and the 180mm.


A really far-away shot, not bad for a handheld MF of the 180mm behemoth.


Another far-away shot. I am happy with the details.


I am still learning MF slowly moving targets.


MF stationary scenes is not easy with this lens on the X-A1


9 AM before going to work.

For more images see http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/6567299074/albums/nikon-ai-180mm-f2-8-on-fujifilm-x-a1

I bought my first interchangeable lens camera in June 2013, and I got a hell lot of help from a number of kind and knowledgeable members of this excellent forum.

Miki
 

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By the time you go to the trouble to make a mirrorless camera body a lot larger why not just buy and use a Nikon DSLR with the Nikon lens. The various set up would balance so much better in hand plus you get all of the compatible Nikon technology from AF to stabilization etc.

Seems like a waste of time and effort and it is not like the camera bag weighs any less.
 
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