Name is Delzky. Nice to meet you, too.

 

I'm kind of a late starter in photography. Purchased my first ever camera only last November 2011, a canon 600d. Although I wanted to do this for as far back as I can remember there was always something higher in the priority list, budget-wise (got a wife and 2 growing kids). I couldn't have afforded it during the film era. Now that digital photography has come of age and the cost of maintaining the hobby has gone down, I can at last join the fun!

 

I did not get the kit lens of the canon 600d, just the nifty fifty. With it, I learned depth of field and how to zoom with my feet. Then I watched Youtube tutorials and learned the basic triangle that is aperture, shutter speed and ISO. The high cost of modern lenses almost put my hobby on hold. But it wasn't long before I discovered how low-cost, used vintage lenses of the film era could be paired with modern DSLRs via adapters.

 

Since my nifty-fifty was limiting my frame of view, I started looking for an affordable wide. My first purchase was a 70's s-m-c takumar 28/3.5. Gave me some memorable pics. Not too long after, I wanted to complement it with longer focal lengths. When I saw a Jupiter-9 85/2 bundled with the Helios 44m-4 in the local market, I grabbed them right away. The Helios' performance stunned me. The Jupiter-9 wasn't bad either.

 

Before I knew it, I was hooked! Beware the vintage lenses of the seventies and eighties. They are very addictive! I have now accumulated a small pile of these. I only go for the low-cost ones. Although most of the prices have skyrocketed, one can still snag a decent one, a sleeper, in the $10-$50 price range.

 

The lenses I love most are the ones that cost me the least. I got my current favorite walk-around prime, the Yashica ML 50/1.9 for just $24.95 plus shipping, and a Tamron SP 28/2.5 for GBP25.00. Also a tamron 70-210 manual zoom (model 46a) for only GBP11.00. And for a little bit more are my zuiko 28/3.5 and 135/3.5. All of them very decent lenses, really good value for money.

 

Sometimes I wonder why I am drawn to these old artifacts. Aside from the money issue (they are low-cost, the kind I can afford) these all-metal legacy lenses are a marvel in themselves. Often, the build quality is superb, far superior than modern plastic lenses. For their age, the image quality is astounding, and the rendering has character, kind of a retro effect.

 

But we're not just talking here about photography per se. It's optics history, engineering, antiquity and the vintage feel. The fact that something so old can be used to produce something fresh and exciting. When you hold something that has intrinsic history in it and use it to connect to your present and take pictures with it, the feeling is difficult to explain. It's kind of a subdued awe and wonder.

 

Plus the tactile experience itself as you manipulate the metal rings with your fingers. The clicks and stops of the aperture ring, the buttery smooth motion of the focus ring (they don't make them like they used to nowadays). The way it involves your faculties in the making of the composition, as opposed to pure digital automation. The total control you exercise towards the final exposure, all these blend together to elicit that euphoria that only old lenses and full manual can deliver.

 

For me photography is an opportunity given to us mortals to be able to capture fleeting moments. With it, we frame, box and preserve perspectives and snippets of life in many unique and interesting ways. Truly it is a wonderful tool for exploring the world around us and opens a portal to parts of existence we barely know or that we had always taken for granted. We have in our hands the power to freeze time as it plays with light and shadows and all the colors of the earth.

 

Forgive me for ranting. No, I'm not on drugs. Have not been drinking either. All I really wanted to say was that I hope you like my pictures. LOL, that's all really.

 

And oh, yeah, thanks for favoriting my photos and for making me your contact. I may not reciprocate right away for various reasons, too busy, etc. Or sometimes I'm really not in a hurry. I just want things to fall naturally in their own time.

 

If I find a stream to my liking I sometimes add the owner as contact. Sometimes I don't. I like contacts who are open, warm and trusting even if he/she doesn't have an impressive body of work. Talent is less important to me. It's ok if you don't reciprocate. I know certain people have certain tastes. But I'd surely appreciate it if you did.

 

Can't believe you're still reading this. Wouldn't be surprised if you are snoring now. Well, at least thanks for visiting!

 

I am married, with 2 kids, and I work in the financial industry here in the Philippines.

 

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Update

 

Today is Nov. 13, 2012, almost a year since I started this hobby. Ha, it was fun learning photography and acquiring gear. As of today, I seldom use the lenses I mentioned above. For normal or standard, the Helios 77m4 50/1.8 is always the one I grab when I leave the house, my favorite. It's sibling the 44m4 is the equally capable back-up. I have a 21-35mm sigma and a yashica ml 24mm for my wide angle requirements. For versatility I have the Tamro.n sp 35-80mm and the Nikon 75-150mm E. I still have a dozen or so in the box which I want to dispose so I can buy a modern lens.

 

Right now, I'm leaning towards portraiture, studio and outdoor, so the EF 85mm 1.8 is among the top in my shopping list. Also off-camera flashes, wireless trigger and softboxes.

 

Ah, my love affair with vintage isn't over. On my wish list is the Primoplan 58mm 1.9 or Steinheil Munchen Quinon 1.9/55mm. But that can wait. I'm glad that LBA is under control.