A country home is nestled amongst the Autumn colours as seen from Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area near Milton, Ontario.

#BuyIntoArt #RattlesnakePoint #ConservationArea #Nature #NaturePhotography #AutumnColours #Autumn #Milton #Ontario

https://john-twynam.pixels.com/featured/country-home-in-fall-colours-milton-ontario-john-twynam.html

A beautiful fall morning for some Friday #climbing. Was projected to be 7°C with sun/cloud but looks like it'll be more like 10°C with full sun.

#rattlesnakepoint #miltonON #halton

Foma:52 – Week 51 – Rattler

While I did it, I managed to include almost all the parks in my region and operated by Conservation Halton. At least the parks are more aimed towards hiking, and today we're at what is considered the most beautiful of all the parks. Rattlesnake Point may not have any incredible history connected to the property it does have some of the oldest surviving trees in the region. The park is an untouched space that if you're there on a quiet day, you can get a real sense of place and how things used to be long before we arrived.

Nikon FM - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Fomapan 400 @ ASA-200 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 11:00 @ 20C

Unlike many other parks in the Halton Parks system, there is no natural history connected to Rattlesnake Point. The area never held farms, old mills, or quarries. But that doesn't mean it is not enjoyable by any means. While I often look for human history, it is all about natural history. The one thing that everyone in my part of Ontario knows about the Niagara Escarpment, if you've turned around and looking for something to navigate towards, the bluff will always lead you where you want to go—created during the last great ice age during a glacial retreat. The same retreat also formed the earliest forms of the Great Lakes. The result of unequal erosion and made up of dolomitic limestone. Starting at Rochester, New York, it goes along to the Niagara River, forming the mighty Niagara Falls and the bloody battlefield of Queenston Heights. It runs up to the Bruce Penisula and then through the Upper Penisula of Michigan and into Wisconsin! Rich forests followed, forming some of the world's oldest standing woods; animals found a home as did humans, including the Neutral peoples. And Halton Conservation sought to protect that beauty when Rattlesnake Point was established in 1961. Although the chosen name remains a mystery to the source, it could come from when the Mississauga Rattler thrived in the region or the snake-like cuts running through the cliffs. While Rattlesnake Point lacks any human history, it makes up for it in natural beauty as you can wander ancient paths and see trees that have stood for over a thousand years. From several lookouts, you can see out as far as the eye can see and even wander down into a local canyon.

Nikon FM - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Fomapan 400 @ ASA-200 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 11:00 @ 20CNikon FM - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Fomapan 400 @ ASA-200 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 11:00 @ 20C

While the snow and blue sky certainly made for a fantastic day to make images, it also turned the trails into a bit of a mess. The original plan for Heather and me was to walk to the lower path, which is both wide and flat. Which makes it easy to navigate; there are some side trails out to lookout points. The trouble is that the access road down and up were blocked off, probably because it's difficult to clear in the winter. And probably would have given me a run for my money to get back up to the main road in the Kia, so we stuck to the upper trail, which isn't as easy, especially in the winter. So we didn't make it too far along; rather than only shoot a small part of the roll and say 'enough' at 25, I started to bracket my shots and still shot the whole roll, not in the true sense of the word, but after a fashion. I would shoot one frame slightly over-exposed and another somewhat under-exposed with the brilliant conditions. Or one in landscape and one in portrait orientation. Because of that, I only ended up with about fifteen keepers, which made it easier to pick the images I included.

Nikon FM - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Fomapan 400 @ ASA-200 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 11:00 @ 20CNikon FM - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Fomapan 400 @ ASA-200 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 11:00 @ 20C

It was a day for landscapes, so the only lens I could think of to capture the true grandeur of the park was my trusty 24mm f/2.8, and thanks to the recent snowfall and the brilliant blue skies, I put on the pale-yellow filter to help cut down on those blues. I also decided to over-expose the film by a stop and shoot at ASA-200 as I find that produces the best overall image quality out of Fomapan 400. This week I did something crazy and developed with Adox Rodinal and not even stand-developing the film. Instead, I went with a 1+50 dilution and a long time for development. And from what I've seen throughout the year, the longer the development time, the better Fomapan 400 performs with standard developers. And right from the tank, the negatives looked terrific, but the real proof would come from the scans. Is there grain? Yes, but the images are also sharp and have a lot of detail pulled out, although I think the new scanner software helped out a bit? It turns out, Epson Scan doesn't like Windows 11, so I switched up to Silverfast.

Nikon FM - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Fomapan 400 @ ASA-200 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 11:00 @ 20CNikon FM - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 (Yellow-12) - Fomapan 400 @ ASA-200 - Adox Rodinal (1+50) 11:00 @ 20C

I cannot believe it, we're onto the last week, and you won't have to wait until next week to see it; Christmastime is here again! I'm in Toronto for an early morning visit to the Distillery District.

#foma52 #52roll #52rollproject #adoxrodinal #brucetrail #canada #fomapan400 #milton #nikonfm #ontario #rattlesnakepoint

Optical Review Blog No. 22 – Nikon AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5

When it comes to wide-angle lenses, you don't always need the fastest lens in the bunch. While an f/2.8 28mm or 24mm is a nice addition to any kit, they often come with a steeper price tag. But what if you only needed something that would get you that 28mm and were not as concerned with speed and could get away with something not as fast but the same performance. Enter the lens that opened my eyes to the more bargain focused wide-angle lens, the Nikkor 28mm f/3.5. This lens actually helped me decide to add the Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 lens for my Olympus kit. The Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 comes from when Nikon produced all sorts of lenses to the same exacting quality but at different apertures and price points, and while not the best for dim light, in daylight, this is not the best lens is near perfect.

Lens Specifications
Make: Nikon
Model: AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5
Focal Length: 28mm
Focal Range: ∞ - 0.3m
Aperture: f/3.5- f/22, 7 Blades
Structure: 6 Elements in 6 Groups

One of the best parts of this lens is the lack of any distortion even at close focus! Test chart shot at f/8.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5

Build Quality
Like all lenses from the late 1970s to early 1980s, the Nikkor 28/3.5 is of all-metal construction it is a bit larger than faster lenses (surprisingly) but fits well on all my Nikon cameras that support the lens. From my smaller FE and FM to the MD-15 equipped FA. And I even love working with the lens on my D750, which, thanks to the smaller body size, doesn't dwarf the lens. It also doesn't add too much additional weight, and it is well balanced on the front of the camera, no matter how equipped. The aperture ring is a bit tricky, but I'll chalk that up to age; it rattles a bit when adjusting the stops, and there is that hidden f/4 mark between the f/3.5 and f/5.6 stops. The focus ring is large and travels smoothly with rubberized coating. It's easy to focus on all the cameras in bright daylight, although having only an f/3.5 wide-open aperture, it suffers a bit indoors. The lens had the standard Nikon multicoating on the lens elements, and the six by six construction helps offer up similar optical quality as the faster 28mm f/2 lens of the same era. The seven-bladed aperture is nearly even, and at night when stopped down to f/22, produces beautiful fourteen point stars from points of light.

At wide open (f/3.5) you'll notice that there is some fall off on the edges, but the out-of-focus elements are smooth and rather pleasing.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5While I skipped over the hidden stop (f/4) and went right to f/5.6, you'll notice that the edge fall-off is all but gone and you don't get too much increase in your depth of field.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5It seems that f/8 is a sweet spot for the lens, you have no fall-off and a decent depth of field behind the subject.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5Heading up to f/11 you do have improved depth of field.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5Stopped all the way down to f/22 you get a good depth of field both forward and back from the subject.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5

Image Quality
While I haven't made a head-to-head comparison to the faster 28mm lenses of the same era, I can tell there are no stand-out issues when it comes to the image quality from the Nikkor 28/3.5. The number one thing that I noticed with the lens is the lack of distortion. Even when I have the lens at a close focus point, my straight lines stay straight without any adjustments in post-processing. You will see some fall-off at the corner and edges when you have the lens wide-open f/3.5, but by f/5.6, that is all but gone. Again, you'll only see that against clean, bright backgrounds, so that should not be much of an issue. The best aperture range I found for the lens starts at f/8 and goes right to f/22 for best results. The one thing you do not need to think too hard about is your depth of field; the tests here are a bit exaggerated as I'm focused fairly close to the model soldiers, that 28mm focal length you can achieve decent depth-of-field starting at f/5.6 when out in the field. When it comes to image sharpness, this lens is excellent; that 7 by 7 construction is the same as some of Nikon's faster options. And the 7 blade aperture produces silky out of focus element rendering. And while some might say you need something faster to get excellent out-of-focus elements, the Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 certainly delivers that same experience without having to go to an f/2.8 or f/2 lens.

Nikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20C

Applications
Like any wide-angle lens, the best application for these is in the realm of landscape and cityscape photography. With the lack of distortion even at closer focus points, the lens keeps your straight lines straight, and I've never needed to make any adjustments in post-processing my images both on film and digital. It works well for architecture shots to get that full building in the frame when working in close quarters. While you can work with the lens inside for event photography to capture whole groups, it will seem a bit dim, especially in low-light, but it will not be too much of an issue if you have a bright viewfinder. Surprisingly the lens works well for close-focus applications with the ability to focus into 30cm or 1 foot of the subject matter, although it is not a true macro lens and getting that close will cause some distortion. It is, for me, the perfect wide-angle prime lens for travel as it takes up very little space in my camera bag, works well on all my Nikon cameras (especially when I don't want to lug my monster 28-70mm f/2.8D or 14-24mm f/2.8G) and even if it does break or gets lost I'm not going to be too put out because it cost me less than 100$ used.

Nikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20C

The Low Down
The Nikkor 28mm f/3.5, I feel, doesn't get as much love it deserves, but on the other hand, if it did, it would not be a less expensive option for manual focus Nikon lenses. I should also make a head-to-head comparison between the faster options of the same focus length (f/2.8 and f/2) to see any major differences (I've made that note). On the used market, you can get excellent examples between 50 and 95 dollars and these are in superb condition. While I cannot remember how much I paid for mine from a local camera dealer (North Halton Camera Exchange in Georgetown, Ontario), I feel it was certainly in the lower end of that range, maybe 60$. Either way, this lens became a fast favourite, being a popular choice during the ongoing 52-Roll project and having appeared in a majority of the weeks and is always in the bag when doing a multiple lens setup (usually joined by the 50mm 105mm). But what sold me on the lens was how well it pairs with my D750, and in my non-CPU lens options, it is choice number one, and that should say something.

Further Reading
Don't just take my view on the Nikkor 28mm f/3.5, check out these other reviews.
Ken Rockwell - Nikon 28mm f/3.5 AI
Russell Bloodworth Photography - Nikkor 28mm f3.5 AI: A Fantastic Vintage Wide-Angle Lens

#opticalreviewblog #ainikkor28mm135 #canada #fa1027 #glass #ilforddelta400 #lens #lensreview #milton #nikkor #nikon #nikond750 #nikonfe #ontario #optics #rattlesnakepoint #review

Optical Review Blog No. 22 – Nikon AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5

When it comes to wide-angle lenses, you don't always need the fastest lens in the bunch. While an f/2.8 28mm or 24mm is a nice addition to any kit, they often come with a steeper price tag. But what if you only needed something that would get you that 28mm and were not as concerned with speed and could get away with something not as fast but the same performance. Enter the lens that opened my eyes to the more bargain focused wide-angle lens, the Nikkor 28mm f/3.5. This lens actually helped me decide to add the Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 lens for my Olympus kit. The Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 comes from when Nikon produced all sorts of lenses to the same exacting quality but at different apertures and price points, and while not the best for dim light, in daylight, this is not the best lens is near perfect.

Lens Specifications
Make: Nikon
Model: AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5
Focal Length: 28mm
Focal Range: ∞ - 0.3m
Aperture: f/3.5- f/22, 7 Blades
Structure: 6 Elements in 6 Groups

One of the best parts of this lens is the lack of any distortion even at close focus! Test chart shot at f/8.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5

Build Quality
Like all lenses from the late 1970s to early 1980s, the Nikkor 28/3.5 is of all-metal construction it is a bit larger than faster lenses (surprisingly) but fits well on all my Nikon cameras that support the lens. From my smaller FE and FM to the MD-15 equipped FA. And I even love working with the lens on my D750, which, thanks to the smaller body size, doesn't dwarf the lens. It also doesn't add too much additional weight, and it is well balanced on the front of the camera, no matter how equipped. The aperture ring is a bit tricky, but I'll chalk that up to age; it rattles a bit when adjusting the stops, and there is that hidden f/4 mark between the f/3.5 and f/5.6 stops. The focus ring is large and travels smoothly with rubberized coating. It's easy to focus on all the cameras in bright daylight, although having only an f/3.5 wide-open aperture, it suffers a bit indoors. The lens had the standard Nikon multicoating on the lens elements, and the six by six construction helps offer up similar optical quality as the faster 28mm f/2 lens of the same era. The seven-bladed aperture is nearly even, and at night when stopped down to f/22, produces beautiful fourteen point stars from points of light.

At wide open (f/3.5) you'll notice that there is some fall off on the edges, but the out-of-focus elements are smooth and rather pleasing.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5While I skipped over the hidden stop (f/4) and went right to f/5.6, you'll notice that the edge fall-off is all but gone and you don't get too much increase in your depth of field.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5It seems that f/8 is a sweet spot for the lens, you have no fall-off and a decent depth of field behind the subject.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5Heading up to f/11 you do have improved depth of field.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5Stopped all the way down to f/22 you get a good depth of field both forward and back from the subject.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5

Image Quality
While I haven't made a head-to-head comparison to the faster 28mm lenses of the same era, I can tell there are no stand-out issues when it comes to the image quality from the Nikkor 28/3.5. The number one thing that I noticed with the lens is the lack of distortion. Even when I have the lens at a close focus point, my straight lines stay straight without any adjustments in post-processing. You will see some fall-off at the corner and edges when you have the lens wide-open f/3.5, but by f/5.6, that is all but gone. Again, you'll only see that against clean, bright backgrounds, so that should not be much of an issue. The best aperture range I found for the lens starts at f/8 and goes right to f/22 for best results. The one thing you do not need to think too hard about is your depth of field; the tests here are a bit exaggerated as I'm focused fairly close to the model soldiers, that 28mm focal length you can achieve decent depth-of-field starting at f/5.6 when out in the field. When it comes to image sharpness, this lens is excellent; that 7 by 7 construction is the same as some of Nikon's faster options. And the 7 blade aperture produces silky out of focus element rendering. And while some might say you need something faster to get excellent out-of-focus elements, the Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 certainly delivers that same experience without having to go to an f/2.8 or f/2 lens.

Nikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20C

Applications
Like any wide-angle lens, the best application for these is in the realm of landscape and cityscape photography. With the lack of distortion even at closer focus points, the lens keeps your straight lines straight, and I've never needed to make any adjustments in post-processing my images both on film and digital. It works well for architecture shots to get that full building in the frame when working in close quarters. While you can work with the lens inside for event photography to capture whole groups, it will seem a bit dim, especially in low-light, but it will not be too much of an issue if you have a bright viewfinder. Surprisingly the lens works well for close-focus applications with the ability to focus into 30cm or 1 foot of the subject matter, although it is not a true macro lens and getting that close will cause some distortion. It is, for me, the perfect wide-angle prime lens for travel as it takes up very little space in my camera bag, works well on all my Nikon cameras (especially when I don't want to lug my monster 28-70mm f/2.8D or 14-24mm f/2.8G) and even if it does break or gets lost I'm not going to be too put out because it cost me less than 100$ used.

Nikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20C

The Low Down
The Nikkor 28mm f/3.5, I feel, doesn't get as much love it deserves, but on the other hand, if it did, it would not be a less expensive option for manual focus Nikon lenses. I should also make a head-to-head comparison between the faster options of the same focus length (f/2.8 and f/2) to see any major differences (I've made that note). On the used market, you can get excellent examples between 50 and 95 dollars and these are in superb condition. While I cannot remember how much I paid for mine from a local camera dealer (North Halton Camera Exchange in Georgetown, Ontario), I feel it was certainly in the lower end of that range, maybe 60$. Either way, this lens became a fast favourite, being a popular choice during the ongoing 52-Roll project and having appeared in a majority of the weeks and is always in the bag when doing a multiple lens setup (usually joined by the 50mm 105mm). But what sold me on the lens was how well it pairs with my D750, and in my non-CPU lens options, it is choice number one, and that should say something.

Further Reading
Don't just take my view on the Nikkor 28mm f/3.5, check out these other reviews.
Ken Rockwell - Nikon 28mm f/3.5 AI
Russell Bloodworth Photography - Nikkor 28mm f3.5 AI: A Fantastic Vintage Wide-Angle Lens

#opticalreviewblog #ainikkor28mm135 #canada #fa1027 #glass #ilforddelta400 #lens #lensreview #milton #nikkor #nikon #nikond750 #nikonfe #ontario #optics #rattlesnakepoint #review