5 Frames at a Farmers’ Market and a Nikkor 105mm f1.8

Farmers’ markets can be an important tool to help evaluate the usability of a lens. There are textures, colors, light, and shadows in abundance.

The farmers’ market I visited this day is a local market and has been growing in size since its start in 2000. It is open to local artists, craftsmen, and farmers. It is open on Saturdays, year-round, and Tuesdays in the spring through fall.

While walking through this farmers’ market, I see vendors selling their own fruits and vegetables, beekeepers selling honey, ranchers selling meats, and bakers selling fresh pastries and breads. It’s very seldom that booths in the markets are not full and there is usually a waiting list to become a vendor.

I arrived at the market that morning before the selling bell had rung. I like to watch the vendors setting up their stalls, to say good morning to them as I am photographing their goods, and to answer any questions as I am shooting. I am also able to get the shots I like without being in the way of their customers.

I use a Fujifilm X-T4, which I find is perfect for adapting lenses. Being a mirrorless camera, I can adapt nearly any lens mount, and it provides an array of useful aides, such as focus peaking and image stabilization. I am able to quickly change the ISO and shutter speeds with the X-T4 thanks to the camera’s external dials.

I had a Nikkor 105mm f1.8 lens that I am evaluating. This is a recent purchase and the first time I’ve had the lens at the farmers’ market. This is a pre-Ai S lens and I am adapting the lens with a Fotodiox Pro dlx Stretch adapter, which has a close-focusing helicoid. This is the first Nikkor 105mm lens that I’ve owned; I’ve never used the more popular f2.5 variant.

As I am I working with the lens, I notice that it is seriously sharp, even wide-open. With the helicoid-focusing in the adapter, I can shoot much closer than the 1 meter MFD that the Nikkor engineers gave me. Through the X-T4’s viewfinder, I see wonderful colors and textures of the potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and cut flowers. I enjoy the lens’s precision and damping in the focus ring, in the distinct clicks of the aperture ring.

The Nikkor 105mm f1.8 produced wonderful images in the market; the reds are deep, the textures are lush, and the bokeh is pleasing. The lens could be considered on the heavy-side, but I don’t find ponderous. The large focus ring helps with precise focusing, and the camera’s focus peaking ensures you’re getting the shot.

Overall, a successful morning at the farmers’ market. I left with a number of pleasing shots with a lens that I’m rapidly coming to enjoy and will continue to explore new adventures with.

More of my images with the Nikkor 105mm f1.8:  flickr

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