Nikon D800E Doesn’t Have to Be Sharp All The Time
Images taken with the Olympus 50mm f/1.2 at f/1.2. I had it converted to Nikon mount some years ago. It is horrendously aberrated wide open, which gives images a soft glow quality.
Here are a couple of grab shots as I walked back to my car yesterday. Perhaps they give a sense of other possibilities besides striving for razor-sharp images.
But what I’ve also seen with the D800E is that the lack of an optical low pass filter gives an extra boost to the way low performing lenses render. The sharpness (micro contrast) that does get delivered by the lens at f/1.2 is better preserved, and I think it suits the D800E very well. An alternate f/1.2 lens is the Nikon 50mm f/1.2 AI-S, which I recommend for those who like an unusual look.
Below, roundness of subject with soft contours, primary colors.
Urn
Nikon D800E + Olympus 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2
Sharp subject, soft rendering.
Nikon D800E + Olympus 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2
Separation of foreground and background.
Nikon D800E + Olympus 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2