Nikonos CFWA

[Clay Coleman]

Close focus wide angle shots have a great appeal, and they're possible with a Nikonos/15mm setup. However, composition is a problem due to the nature of rangefinder cameras. My CFWA with Nikonos involves shooting totally "from the hip" with the camera about waist-high--a technique that often requires a bit of cropping. I've also found that TTL exposure is inconsistent even with this type of wide angle photography with the Nikonos. But CFWA can make even the most mundane subject look pretty cool:
http://claycoleman.tripod.com/1e8debc0.jpg
Focus minimum (1'), f8, Ike 200 strobe set to minimum power (1/8) and hand-held left of the camera shoe-mount, shutter speed adjusted to expose ambient light, 100 speed film. How do you do it? -Clay

[chris bangs]

http://dpforums.com/dpgallery/data/511/kumonomi-72.jpg

Nikonos V/15mm, F22,1/60, Provia 100. single sb-104, 1/4 power

lens to subject 6 inches. the surface is 50ft up. love that 15mm!

this am old scan, kinda sucks! like my old scanning skills! a big reason I went digital!

[Jonathan Bird]

Wow! Both nice shots!

I always had a hard time with the Nik V/15 doing CFWA because of the parallax. I have a couple to share, but I have to see if I can find them. I'm on my laptop in Maine right now....

Jonathan

[Jonathan Bird]

Here's one I have always liked. It LOOKS like CFWA but it was shot with a 60 mm macro shooting straight up into the sun at f/22.

Jonathan

[Jonathan Bird]

Here's an actual CFWA, but I must admit I did it with an SLR (20 mm lens, N90s)

Jonathan

http://www.jonathanbird.net/jpegs4/tube_sponge2.jpg

[Clay Coleman]

All very nice shots. I've never seen a 60mm shot that looks like those feather dusters, Jonathan. Thanks for the exposure info on the clowns, Chris. Here's another from this year. Not a classic CF "look", but shot from 1' with a Nik/15mm (didn't expect to find this subject) on a NC wreck. Same setup as the anemone shot, shutter "dragged" at 1/30. -Clay
http://claycoleman.tripod.com/ac1d1bc0.jpg

[chris bangs]

I really like that feather duster shot.

I used to hand hold the 15mm viewfinder to compose the shot then "shoot from the hip!

[chris bangs]

Love the DOF on the lionfish!