The Vintage Lens Panopticon

The newest, say, the usual 40 years’ old glass range I have. When you need a lot of light, you go for a normal f1.4 lens. This time my choice is the Auto Chinon 55mm f1.4 M42 mount that I use on my DSLR with a M42 to K mount […]

Reversing lenses for a DIY freelensing macro. Lenses used are a Chinon 55mm f1.4, shot mainly at f4, ISO 1600 at a Pentax K5, no tripod and adapter used, just handheld before the camera without any mounting or stabilizer.

Finally arrived. A perfect rare lens for experiments, given the 4 in-built filters and the wide angle focus length. Produced some 40 years ago, my copy is in mint condition. Fabulous make, heavy, sturdy, small. Loved the orange filter, as its gives an eschatological colour touch to all photos. Cons […]

Today decided to go for another rain walk with the Sigma 28mm 2.8 Mini Wide. A have a sentiment for these lenses, been my first wide angle glass for Pentax K, produced late 1970s. Obviously with regards to lenses I am trapped in that period. The only reason I somehow […]

No lenses are bad, there are only users that have no idea of what they want out of it. Such a teleological view of photo equipment seems to converge with my moods and experience: and these lenses are here to prove it all the way through. Found this old tube […]

No sun, only fog, mud and melting snow here. Some good time with another fav buddy of mine: the much underestimated Exakta 24mm f2.8 full manual lenses, with an A switch for aperture control from the body, produced somewhere in the 1980s. An ideal focus length on a crop body […]

A winter walk under the melting snow with such a true gem of a pancake for retro lens lovers. Small, cool, portable, great design. Boke is nice and smooth for a 5 blades’ construction, size format so highly likeable. Cons might be flare sometimes [use a hood], and focal length […]

The simple joys of DIY tilt-and-shift lens on a Pentax DSLR. You need old K mount lens to unscrew off the mount ring, old lens to disassemble for the front element (here I have used the Helios 44-2 58mm f/2, extremely handful for the purpose), packaging paper and sticky tape […]