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Voigtländer VITOMATIC IIb mit PRONTOR 500 SLK-Y COLOR-SKOPAR 1:2,8 50 mm Objektiv
Voigtländer - Braunschweig (1964-66)
Ooit zorgde de tram voor de verbinding van buitenwijken met het stadscentrum waardoor de steden sterk konden expanderen. De openbare telefoon zorgde vrijwel gelijktijdig voor een verbinding met de buitenwereld.
Motorwagen 45 van de Southampton Corporation Tramways was de eerste tram die voor een toekomstig Engels trammuseum gekocht werd. Tijdens een afscheidsexcursie in 1948 werd er met de pet rond gegaan waarna de wagen voor £ 10,- kon worden aangeschaft.
De open top-decker uit 1903 heeft een lage bouw waardoor de wagens van deze serie door de middeleeuwse Bargate Arch in Southampton konden rijden. De zittingen op het bovendek staan rug tegen rug en de twee gangpaden bevinden zich in het lage deel van het gewelfde dak.
Meer foto's van historische trams vindt u in de set Museumtrams
Bekijk mijn fotoalbum in de klassieke versie.
Note: EVF / Mirrorless cameras have thoroughly obsoleted the rangefinder as a camera paradigm. But they are also on the verge of sending the DSLR to extinction, I think. Please see some thoughts on this at this link.
Exactly two years ago, in April 2011, I said goodbye to my Leica M9 in anticipation of an inevitable "M10". During that time, I used a Sony NEX-5, then an NEX-5N quite effectively as a digital back for my M lenses.
I finally got my hands on the new 24MP M Typ 240, after a long wait. I had a chance to take 20 pictures, before I had to send the camera back to Germany, after Leica issued a factory recall. In a rare faux pas, Leica discovered the strap lugs on the new M came off! So they had to find a fix.
So in the short time I had the camera, here are my first impressions.
The best M camera ever
Undoubtedly, this is the best M camera Leica has ever made. It feels like an M, the finish is great, and it is beautiful to see, touch and feel. Emotionally, very satisfying. The classic preview lever is gone and ergonomically, it could have been a little better. But overall, the best M camera ever.
Big camera / Small lens vs. Small camera vs. Big lens
After being used to a Sony NEX for two years, the M feels big and heavy. I have been waiting eagerly for a compact Sony NEX-9 in the E-mount with a full-frame sensor, but I recently found out that such a camera will not work with M-mount lenses from Leica, Zeiss or Voigtlander.
The Leica M cameras have a micro lens array that is needed to make the M lenses work with a full-frame sensor, and no other manufacturer will have this in their camera. So unfortunately, a full-frame mirrorless EVF camera from anyone not named Leica will simply not work with Leica M lenses of focal length 50mm or shorter. A huge bummer!
That means if there is an NEX-9 or similar camera, that would have to be used with traditional SLR / DSLR lenses, such as the Leica-R, Zeiss, Nikon, Canon, etc. However, the NEX-9 will be much more compact than the Leica M. So it leads to a peculiar paradigm - the relatively big M body with the tiny M lenses vs. the small NEX with the big SLR lenses.
Pictured above for comparison: the Leica M240 + Leica 50mm f/1.4 Sumilux-M shown next to a Sony NEX-5N + Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-R.
The NEX + the bigger lens is still less bulky and weighs less compared to the M240 + the M lens. The M240 wins if I have to carry a camera + 3 or more M lenses. But the NEX wins for camera + 1 or 2 SLR lenses.
I am done with the RF as a camera paradigm
I used to be very good focusing with the rangefinder in my old M9. But after two years of using a Sony NEX with manual focusing lenses, I am through with the rangefinder. Done, finished, no more RF.
The more the resolution, the harder it is to accurately focus using the RF. Higher resolution ruthlessly exposes poor focusing. The vast majority of the M8 and M9 pictures uploaded on flickr today are poorly focused by proud owners of a Leica M camera who don't know what they're doing.
Although the RF in the M240 is probably the best RF Leica has ever made, unless you own bionic eyes or have a subject matter with a lot of nice, high-contrast vertical lines at the dead center of the frame, it is tough to focus with the RF. Over time, the RF coupling will also inevitably drift.
So with higher image resolution, the RF is increasingly a liability, and it is time to retire it. But a lot of people love the RF.
In my case, I have two reasons for putting the RF out of my life:
First, I am now too used to the paradigm of compose-first-focus-next. That is what the Sony NEX with its focus peaking does brilliantly. I cannot do that with a RF, which only focuses in a small region in the center of the frame. I find that extremely restricting.
Second, after my cataract surgery, although my vision has dramatically improved, I find it difficult to use a rangefinder with my glasses on. I have no problem with manual focusing using either a DSLR or an EVF/mirrorless.
So I am through with the rangefinder as a camera paradigm. Of course, I could use an EVF with the M240. But I am needlessly paying for the expensive RF mechanism, and the EVF is an expensive option I should not have to pay for!
Also, the EVF on the M 240 sucks. More detail below.
Image quality
So is it worth it, for all the cost and aggravation? Hard to say. Focused accurately and at relatively low ISOs (800 or below), and in good daylight, the M240 delivers excellent IQ, with superlative colors, sharpness, micro contrast and dynamic range. And two very smart people have independently told me the M240 images are excellent for making large prints.
In addition, Lloyd Chambers, one of the best, if not the best, independent photography bloggers (subscription highly recommended!) has taken some stunning images with this camera that show exceptional details. In fair weather, this is a fantastic camera.
BUT...
And that is the part I don't like - an $8,450 camera (see below why it is $8,450) should not come with "Buts". And the M240 comes with many Buts.
But #1: Mediocre high-ISO performance. Even though the M240 has a CMOS sensor, high ISO performance of this sensor, made by CMOSIS, is not as good as the industry-leading sensors from Sony that you can see in other cameras. I would like to see what DXO comparisons look like.
But #2: Terrible EVF/focus peaking. The EVF + focus peaking on the M240 is a very amateurish implementation that is way behind the Sony NEX. Even with the EVF on the M240, I could not match how quickly and how accurately I can focus with my Sony NEX.
Seriously, I am 2-4 times faster focusing with my Sony NEX than I am with the M240's EVF. If the camera is already on, it takes me about 4-5 seconds to compose, accurately focus and click with my Sony NEX. With the M240, it takes me anywhere from 10-20 seconds, and sometimes, longer. And even after that, I could not get the best focus in quite a few shots with the M240. With the NEX, I nail the focus almost every time without fail.
Also, the focus peaking disappears just as you start pressing the shutter release button to take the picture. That is absolutely idiotic! It is a distraction that is enough to cause an imperceptible camera shake, and loss of the best focus. The only way to avoid that is to be well supported (e.g., leaning against a wall). That is not always practical, so a lot of pictures will come out sub-optimally focused. Bad, bad implementation by Leica.
Perhaps Leica could improve its EVF and focus-peaking usability in a future firmware upgrade.
But #3: Loss of hot shoe. The EVF takes away the flash hot shoe. That means, I can't use flash photography at all. So I spend $8,450 for a camera and I can't use a flash with it?!
But #4: Bulk and weight. The M240 is much heavier than cameras like the NEX-7 or 5N, which are made of durable, Magnesium-alloy bodies. An M240 + grip + EVF is almost as big as a Nikon D800E, which costs $2700, delivers 36MP and has autofocus. For the M240 to match the image quality with subjects that are close will probably require a tripod. If I'm going to be lugging around a tripod, then why bother with an M240 at all? Why not my Nikon D800E?
But #5: Poor Live View. The Live View works only at the center of the frame. You can not zoom into any other part of the frame. That is so silly! Evey a $500 NEX-3 lets you see any corner of the frame at a 10x magnification in Live View.
But #6: Lens design compromises. As cute the M lenses are, their compact size and extreme proximity to the sensor in M cameras has meant making design compromises. And typically, this has hurt in two areas: focus shift and field curvature.
A lot of Leica M lenses show focus shift, including the $7,200 new 50mm APO Summicron-M, as Lloyd Chambers has demonstrated. A $7,200 lens should not have a focus shift problem, for crying out loud! Field curvature produces funny areas on the field that come in or go out of focus, and a lot of M lenses suffer from it, including the vaunted 35mm Summilux-M, as both Lloyd Chambers and Ming Thien have shown.
With increasing resolution, is the design of the M lenses approaching a brick wall?
But #7: Insane economics. The M 240 is $7,000, but for it to be really usable, it needs the EVF ($550, which = 75% of the cost of an NEX-6 camera!), and the grip ($900). In total, $8,450 for the most basic usable system, not counting any sales taxes.
In comparison, the top of the line 24-MP NEX-7 today costs $1000, and comes with a built-in hand-grip and EVF, as well as far better high ISO performance, WiFi, autofocus, and superior video capabilities than the M 240. The next generation of the NEX will likely also have GPS built right into the camera.
And even a full-frame NEX with a whopping 36MP sensor (the same as in the Nikon D800E) will probably cost no more than $2,500, with the option to autofocus as well as a lot of other features not in the M240. That is less than 30% of a usable M240!
But #8: Doomed to a weaker technology road map. Saddled with the RF legacy, the M cameras will always be slower to evolve compared to the rapid pace at which other camera makers have been progressing.
When the 18MP M9 was introduced in 2009, it was the state of the art. Only the Canon 5D MK-II and the Nikon D3x had greater resolution. But the Leica M lenses were superior to most of the Canon and Nikon lenses. The combination made the M9 the best 35mm camera in the world for a short period of time.
But since then, the world has raced past Leica. The Nikon D800E is the king of 35mm now, followed by other cameras like the Canon 5D MK-III, Nikon D7100, Nikon D600, Sony RX1, etc.
Mirrorless EVF cameras have been evolving especially aggressively. They barely existed three years ago, but today, APS-C sensors are almost as good as full-frame sensors, and EVF cameras are going full-frame. The Sony RX1 was the first, and within a year, it seems certain that there will be a number of EVF cameras with full-frame sensors. The prospect of a 36MP NEX-9 is especially appealing.
These cameras will work as universal bodies for any lens, except the Leica and other M-mount lenses that require Leica's special micro lens array. There are many outstanding lenses out there, including Leica-R and Zeiss ZF/ZE/E lenses that these mirrorless EVF cameras can work with.
So within a year, I expect a tidal wave of full-frame EVF cameras to hit the market, most of which will hugely outperform the M240 at a cost of about 30% of the M240. The M240 feels a little behind the times on day one.
The Leica M optics are still the appeal!
So considering everything, it is tough to logically argue the case for the M240. The only thing that keeps the M240 case alive is the optics of the M lenses.
Certain M lenses are very unique, especially the ones that use the Noctilux design (50/0.95, 24/1.4, 21/1.4). The 35/1.4 Summilux with the floating element has a strong and wavy field curvature, but it can also produce an artistic result. Lenses like these are charming for their "Leica look" images, if one knows how to use them.
There are other M lenses that are functionally exceptional, such as the 50/1.4 Summilux, the Super Elmar-M 21/3.4, The 24/2.8 and 28/2.8 Elmarits, the 75/2 and 90/2 APO Summicrons, etc. The latest APO Summicron 50/2 is the best 50mm lens ever designed, with a stunningly flat MTF, although it suffers from a focus shift.
Once you get to know these lenses and how to work them, they are delightful (although I am not a fan of the focusing tab on many of the M lenses). The lenses are the appeal of the M system.
But the elephant in the room is that Leica is not providing a tool to really take advantage of the M lenses. The M8 was a joke, the M8.2 was a hastily put together fix to make the M8 somewhat usable, the M9 was OK, but had too many usability problems, the M9P was a slap in the face to the customers, driven by arrogance ($1,000 for a piece of gorilla glass over a crappy little LCD?), the M9 Mono was another overpriced offering in which Leica did not even bother to put a high-res retina-display monochrome LCD, and now, the M240. Over-priced and under-achieving.
For all the great M optics, Leica has been demanding a very unreasonable toll to access the M lenses by pricing the M cameras absurdly high for what they deliver.
The other question, as mentioned above, is: will increasingly high sensor resolution expose the weaknesses of the M lens design? (field curvature, and especially, focus shift). Lenses designed for the DSLRs or the Sony E-mount do not have focus shift problems.
Bottom line
Two years ago, my left brain and right brain had a huge battle over my M9, and my left brain won. So I sold my M9, and I have not regretted it one bit.
Now, I find myself in the same situation. My right brain says "See how beautiful the camera is! You have such a wonderful collection of fantastic M lenses! No other camera can work with them as well as the M240 can! The APS-C cameras will only give you a crop-size image, and any full-frame EVF camera simply will not work with the M lenses. So it's a no-brainer: keep the M240. I can't believe this is even open to discussion!"
My left brain says "Anyone using an RF today is either brain dead or has a vested interest in Leica. The RF is finished as a camera paradigm. In fact, the entire M system will be obsolete soon. The M240 is an absurdly priced, $8,450 camera full of compromises and almost obsolete on day one. So it is time to not only not keep the M240, but also get rid of all the M lenses! Time to switch to a more competent EVF platform, like a full-frame NEX-9 and use it with Leica-R or Zeiss ZF lenses, which are optically even better than the M lenses. There is no need for a discussion!"
So that is where I am. Usually, when I have these arguments, my left brain wins! So I shall be likely parting ways with the M240, as well. It took me 16 months to get tired of my M9, and it took me a few days to nix the M240.
Leica had a chance to design a brand new EVF-based mirrorless camera to work with all of its wonderful M and R lenses. Such a camera could have been Leica's 35mm digital camera platform for the next 60 years. Instead, Leica once again came up with yet another set of digital extensions to a 60-year old film camera design that demands way too much money and way too many compromises from the user.
That is really unfortunate. I don't want to spend that kind of money for a camera that comes with so many excuses, and gets in my way. The camera is a tool that should serve me. Not royalty that I must serve!
This is still a fabulous camera for those who love the rangefinder. But that is not me.
I will hang on to at least some of my M lenses for a while - there is a hope that Leica will be forced to come out with an non-RF EVF camera with an M mount. Or perhaps there will be some other FF EVF camera that might work with M lenses. So I will wait to see what happens in the FF EVF world before deciding on what to do with my M lenses.
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Above image taken with a Nikon D4 + AI-s Nikkor 28mm f/2.8
D40_4643
After a few months, I can't get over how often I use this camera. Quirky? Yes. But so was the Leica M3 it reminds me so much of.
The menus are ... weird. And the focus can be aggravatingly slow and imprecise. But what the camera gets right makes it worth putting up with the niggling problems. One day they'll fix them. And when they do, I'll be waiting in line.
For a guy that spent a lot of time with rangefinders back in the day, the Fuji X100 is an absolute joy to use. I am headed to the UK for two weeks (family vacation) and this is all I am bringing. No external flash. Probably won't use the internal one either.
Nikon F2A just back from some spa time at Sover Wong's shop in the UK. Slowly getting all of my beloved cameras back to factory specs.
Back in my day we used glass fuses. Sometimes the glass broke and your fingers got cut...that's the way it was and we liked it! (obscure Dana Carvey reference if anybody gets it).
The Nikon F3, Nikon's first pro-level camera with an electronic shutter, was in production from 1980 through 2001. The pictured camera is fitted with the HP High-Eyepoint prism.
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The Nikon F3 was the first professional level Nikon SLR to incorporate an electronic shutter and automatic exposure capability. Of course, the F3 provides the same high-quality materials, refined fit and finish, and durability for professional use as all F-Series cameras. Like its predecessors, the F3 was part of a remarkably broad and advanced professional camera system.
When used in the new aperture priority mode, shutter speed range is a stepless 8 sec. to 1/2000 sec. An F3HP is an F3 body with a so-called "High-Eyepoint" DE-3 prism. Compared with the original F3 standard DE-2 eyelevel finder, the F3HP has a larger viewfinder eyepiece. Actually, most of the F3s that I have seen incorporate the HP viewfinder. Of course, the F3HP viewfinder provides a 100% frame coverage, like all F-series cameras, and a large, bright image with 0.8x magnification. Nikon offered 21 interchangeable focusing screens for the F3, but for general photography, the standard K screen (with split image, microprism collar, and matte field) is satisfactory.
Back in the day, I waited years to upgrade to the F3HP because I liked my F2AS so much. However, since I, like many, had been using a Nikon FE as my second body together with the F2AS, I eventually succumbed to the desire to have aperture priority auto exposure metering on my main camera body, as well.
The F3HP, particularly without the optional MD-4 motor drive attachment, has a perfect shape, body size, and weight for comfortable and stable holding as well as all-day carrying. The F3's built-in handgrip allows a firm grasp.
One advantage of the F3 over the F and F2 is that the exposure meter is incorporated into the camera body instead of the prism. As a result, you can now change viewfinders and still keep the exposure meter. The F3HP's easy-to-view High Eyepoint DE-3 prism is perfect for most purposes, but for various specialized professional applications, Nikon offered other types, such as the DW-3 Waist-Level Finder, the DA-2 Action Finder, and the DW-4 6x Magnification Finder. Nikon even produced the DX-1 AF Finder, with an electronic focus-aid indication!
The exposure meter on/off switch is a plastic lever that is incorporated around the shutter release button. This is something of a precursor to a similar switch on the future F4 and other newer Nikon camera bodies. However, I find the switch on the F3 quite tight and hard to turn. In fact, my original switch got damaged from long use and became stuck in the off position. I had get the switch replaced at my local repair shop. Fortunately, there is no reason why the switch could not just be left in the on position during periods when the camera is in frequent use. Even with the switch in the on position, the meter circuit does not actually activate unless the film wind crank is pulled slightly away from the body and the shutter release button pushed part way down. The shutter and meter are locked off when the film advance lever is pressed into the lock position. The F3 is the first F-level camera to utilize a standard ISO shutter release thread in the center of the shutter release button, instead of the older AR-2 style connector. The shutter release button is positioned just right, in the middle of the body, and has a silky-smooth feel.
As indicated above, the F3 is the first F-series camera body to support aperture priority automatic exposure instead of just manual exposure adjustment. Simply turn the shutter speed dial to "A" to enter this mode, then adjust the aperture ring appropriately. A really cool feature of the F3 is the 80% center-weighted exposure meter, concentrated within the viewfinder's 12 mm outer reference circle area. The 80% central weighting is a great compromise between Nikon's standard 60/40 weighting and a spot meter. The 80% weight allows you to easily meter on the most important section of the image, while still incorporating some exposure information from the remainder of the frame. You can center the 80% central spot on the metering target, then hold down the exposure memory lock button on the front of the body and re-frame. However, since I personally find it uncomfortable to use the exposure lock button in this position, I usually use manual exposure mode in these cases unless I am in a rush to shoot.
The F3 viewfinder includes at the top of the frame an ADR readout of the aperture setting on all Nikon F-mount lenses that have an aperture ring (basically any pre-G lens will work on the F3). To the left is an LCD display of the automatically or manually selected shutter speed, in full stop increments. One thing that I don't like about the F3's manual exposure mode is the compact-style manual exposure indicator display in the viewfinder. When in manual exposure mode, correct exposure is shown by small +- indicators to the left of the shutter speed display. You adjust the exposure until both the + and - indicators are visible at the same time. This system, while extremely accurate, is not as clear or quick as the match needle setup in the Nikkormat EL/FE/FE2/FM3A or the three diode (-o+) setup in the F2AS/FM/FM2n system. The F3's viewfinder display is illuminated by ambient light. However, you can push a small button on the prism to electronically illuminate the display in the dark.
The F3 is the last F-series body to have manual film wind, unless you attach the optional MD-4 Motor Drive (with up to 6 frames per second performance). Starting from the F4, the F-Series evolved to built-in automatic film advance. This is great if you need to often shoot rapidly. However, if you just want a high-end film camera for slower, more deliberative shooting, manual film advance provides quieter film operation, much better battery life, and a smaller and lighter package compared with the auto-advance F4, F5 and F6. Unlike the semi-pro bodies like the FE and FM, the film advance lever on the F3 may be operated in one complete stroke or a series of shorter strokes. The F3 can be used without a battery in an emergency. Just push the mechanical shutter release lever on the front of the camera, although the mechanical shutter speed is limited to only 1/60 second. That is certainly a far cry from a full range of shutter speeds, but at least flexible enough for many situations, if needed. Nevertheless, lack of power is almost never going to become an issue. My F3HP battery and shutter have never died throughout decades of use, and a single battery seems to last forever with the camera's low power usage.
The meter coupling lever on the F3 can be locked up to allow mounting of prehistoric non-AI lenses, although most users probably converted their non-AI lenses to AI decades ago. As a pro-level camera, the F3 has a proper mirror lock-up feature for certain specialized lenses and for slow exposure times. Of course, multiple exposures on a single frame are also supported.
Since the camera has an electronic shutter, it also has an electronic self-timer, complete with a flashing red light, just like modern SLRs.
The eyepiece has the usual shutter lever, but still no adjustable diopter. This is no problem, however, since Nikon still makes screw-in diopter lenses for the F3. Actually, the F3HP works fine with diopter lenses for the F90X, F100, etc. These diopter lenses have screw-in rings that are slightly thinner than harder to find ones that are actually designed for the F3. The large F3HP viewfinder eyepiece is relatively easy to use with glasses. On the F3 without the HP prism, use diopters that are designed for the FM/FE series of cameras.
In order to use an electronic flash unit, just like the earlier generation F and F2 bodies, the F3 still requires that an accessory shoe be mounted over the rewind knob, or that a special Nikon F3 flash unit be mounted directly onto the camera in the same position. (Of course, you could also use a side-bracket flash with a synch terminal cable.) Interestingly, the maximum flash synchronization speed is 1/80 sec., slightly slower than the 1/90 sec. maximum synch speed on the Nikon F2. The new advance is that the F3 offers TTL automatic flash exposure, although the F3 can't simultaneously meter ambient light. The powerful F3-era Nikon SB-16a Speedlight is a perfect match for the camera. Newer Nikon flash units can also provide TTL flash functionality with the F3, when used with the special adapter AS-17, which also allows convenient flash exposure compensation.
If you don't have the AS-17, you can do balanced fill flash the old way, as follows. First, set the background exposure manually, with a shutter speed at or below the maximum electronic flash synchronization speed. Then set the appropriate camera distance based on the film ISO, selected aperture and guide number. Finally, fill flash is achieved by further shutting down the aperture by 1-2 stops, and correspondingly adjusting the shutter speed. You can also set the SB-16a to TTL and adjust the flash exposure down by 1-2 stops using the exposure compensation dial. The compensation dial does not adjust the background exposure in this case because both shutter speed and aperture are set manually. All that being said, for fill flash, it would frankly be easier and faster to use a more modern body such as the F90X, F100, F5 or F6, which all provide various forms of 3D matrix automatic balanced fill-flash, Nikon's most advanced flash system. The F4 also has a pretty good flash capability, but it is still one generation older pre-3D technology (i.e., no communication of subject distance from D-type lenses.)
The basic Nikon F3 and F3HP were available in black. The Nikon F3 was also available in a few special variants, all of which had the High-Eyepoint viewfinder, such as the Nikon F3/T with a titanium exterior, the Nikon F3 Press, and various limited edition models. The F3/T was produced in both champagne and black colors.
As a pro-level camera, the F3 offers the benefits of aperture priority auto exposure, basic TTL flash, and a more compact and elegant design than the prior-generation F and F2 bodies. Compared with its later descendants, the F3 does not provide such benefits as matrix (multi-segment) metering, automatic balanced fill flash, multiple exposure modes, and built-in automatic film advance. On the other hand, the core F3 is significantly smaller and lighter than those later pro-level bodies. And, when used properly, the F3's exposure metering system can be just as effective, or even more so, compared with the early-generation matrix metering systems in some later Nikon cameras. For deliberative photographers who still like to shoot film, the F3 and F3HP provide a highly-refined and relatively compact manual focus platform for the extensive universe of "Pre-G"-type Nikon F-Mount lenses.
Copyright © 2015 Timothy A. Rogers. All rights reserved.
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And now, for something entirely different!
I've always wanted to be able to build "Artsy" stuff, but I've never really taken the time to try and build something as an art piece.
So last night, I sat down, and I built art!
I met Brian, Jason, and Jonathan for a Vancouver-area Four Thirds Photographers photowalk through Steveston. As always, Jonathan likes to bring out something fun and film-y on our group wanders. September 2, 2013.
Can't do a macro shot without some background blur ;-)
The PCB is a infered LED driver for old vintage nigh vision equipment from the good old USSR.
I just received my copy of the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art so I will be posting sample images, they may not be the best quality artistically they should give an idea of what the lens is capable of with no lens corrections made.
I took this as another example of the DOF control that you get with this lens. The focus point was on the edge of the "O" key closest to the camera.
Day 32 Project 365 - I'm not very good at these black and white shots but it seemed fitting for this one.
كل هاي الصور مصورهم بهالعدسه =)
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ادري ماعندي سالفه بس عجبتني الصوره.... ويعني من زود الملل xP
Got bored, took a little while. The kanji on the left reads "Nipponsei" or "Made in Japan"
The tab is Shockwave's I think
Credit if used.
DIY Lens mount conversion, results (see below for "how to")
Here is the completed Minolta 58mm f/1.2 modification mounted on my Sony Alpha DSLR. Originally the lens is for the Minolta MC mount, which can not adapted to the Minolta AF mount "passively", i.e. any adapter would need to have optical elements to maintain infinity focus (at the expense of image quality). I managed to replace the mount on the lens itself by substituting an M42 to Minolta AF adapter for the original mount. After readjusting focus on the lens, it now aligns perfectly with the original distance scale, all the way to infinity.
While I did this for the Sony/Minolta AF system, the guide to the modification (see below) applies to any current DSLR system for which you can get a suitable adapter, e.g. an M42 to Canon EOS or a glassless M42 Nikon adapter can be used.
The lens was chosen because there is no f/1.2 lens available for the Minolta AF mount and most other f/1.2 lenses available tend to be either extremely expensive, hard to find, and/or far inferior (e.g., the Tomioka 50mm f/1.2 for M42 is not very good in my opinion). This lens, on the other hand, cost me about €100 and has bokeh worthy of legends. It is not the sharpest of lenses wide open (still, quite decent), but it has very pleasant image characteristics and is a lot of fun to use.
I recently updated this modification by installing a microchip which identifies itself as a 60mm f/1.1 lens (closest setting available at the moment). The chip was kindly provided by James Lao, who makes custom chips and M42 to Minolta AF adapters. If you use an electric adapter for the mount, the exact same guide can be used, or you can later install the microchip on the adapter (as I did).
With electronics the focus confirmation and in-camera anti-shake both work with this beast. (Focus confirmation doesn't depend on reported focal length, and for anti-shake the slight difference doesn't really matter that much.) The in-camera anti-shake of Sony DSLRs makes this a low-light photography marvel.
See the pictures beginning from here for my complete writeup on doing the modification. This method can also be applied to some other lenses, and certainly for converting to camera mounts other than Minolta AF.
I finally got a 55mm f1.2 lens for my A-1 film camera. I'm looking forward to see what bokeh-lishious things I can do with it. it's old, It's big, it's heavy, it's beautiful :)
Taken with my Sigma DP3 Merrill.