Q: Hi Robert, I wanted to thank you for your books and let you know how much they have influenced me. I’ll start, if I may, with some background bio. I was a bit of a bad lad growing up, but at about 17, I had some sort of Christian conversation experience and spent the next 15 years as a “born-again” Christian. Throughout that time, I became more and more disillusioned with the church and especially with the bible. I used to try to read it from Genesis to Revelation every year. What a horrible book! 60% boring, 30% vile, and 10% inspirational.
I like this photo! The leading lines all converging on the seller's face are striking. I've always found wide-angle photography to be the most difficult kind. There's so much going on in the frame to account for; you can't just include everything and hope for the best. Yet it's also the most rewarding when everything comes together like this. Many of my favorite shots are at 24mm but I have to push myself to go that far. I do have an 18mm equivalent but it collects a fair amount of dust...
Thanks for that Robert. Being a huge fan of vintage lenses I was intrigued to see you were using a vintage Voigtlander. I picked up a 50mm Color Skopar a while back, in mint condition, together with a 135mm, also in mint condition. Built like tanks, though difficult to adapt, and to be honest, have not given them much mileage. I see you're using using an M39 adapter, which to my mind is the most elegant of adapters, due to its compactness. I just saw what looks like a similar lens to yours on an auction site where I've bought several lenses, but I must say the price is rather forbidding. Be well! https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/81940005-voigtlander-apo-lanthar-1-4-5-15cm-prime-lens
I would not advise buying any vintage lenses these days. Chinese manufacturers are making lenses that cost less, do not require adapters, and do as well or better than the old lenses.
The best of these companies is TTArtisan. I am using one of their lenses as my principal optic, the 27mm f2.8, which even autofocuses and sends data to the camera. I also use their 23mm f1.4, which has no chip and is manual focus, when I need something brighter than f2.8.
I hear ya, but unfortunately the GAS flame has already been ignited with regard to vintage lenses at this end. I also have a TTArtisans 25 mm f2.0 APSC manual lens which I enjoy using. I got into using vintage lenses because I found the wall to wall floor to ceiling sharpness available in native AF digital lenses starting to bore me. I enjoy the challenge of the quirks and limitations of vintage glass, and using them contributes to the sensual pleasure of being out and about with a camera. Again though, different strokes... BTW, I wonder if you've had the chance to watch the Netflix series 'Ripley". It's shot in B&W, and the cinematography is nothing short of phenomenal. An incessant stream of eye-gasms. Highly recommended.
Wow! I see it's going for 500 bucks on ebay. Crazy. I paid around 100 for mine. Fortunately, I got into the old lenses years ago before they became desirable.
The 15mm I was looking at has an expert rcommendation of 950 euros minimum. No way I'll be buying that! I already have a Samyang 12mm f2.0 manual lens, not vintage of course, but it does a great job I find.
I like this photo! The leading lines all converging on the seller's face are striking. I've always found wide-angle photography to be the most difficult kind. There's so much going on in the frame to account for; you can't just include everything and hope for the best. Yet it's also the most rewarding when everything comes together like this. Many of my favorite shots are at 24mm but I have to push myself to go that far. I do have an 18mm equivalent but it collects a fair amount of dust...
I love the man withy the roses! The black and white lets me fix on him immediately, where color would dazzle my eyes, making him less prominent...
Thanks for that Robert. Being a huge fan of vintage lenses I was intrigued to see you were using a vintage Voigtlander. I picked up a 50mm Color Skopar a while back, in mint condition, together with a 135mm, also in mint condition. Built like tanks, though difficult to adapt, and to be honest, have not given them much mileage. I see you're using using an M39 adapter, which to my mind is the most elegant of adapters, due to its compactness. I just saw what looks like a similar lens to yours on an auction site where I've bought several lenses, but I must say the price is rather forbidding. Be well! https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/81940005-voigtlander-apo-lanthar-1-4-5-15cm-prime-lens
Hi, John.
I would not advise buying any vintage lenses these days. Chinese manufacturers are making lenses that cost less, do not require adapters, and do as well or better than the old lenses.
The best of these companies is TTArtisan. I am using one of their lenses as my principal optic, the 27mm f2.8, which even autofocuses and sends data to the camera. I also use their 23mm f1.4, which has no chip and is manual focus, when I need something brighter than f2.8.
I hear ya, but unfortunately the GAS flame has already been ignited with regard to vintage lenses at this end. I also have a TTArtisans 25 mm f2.0 APSC manual lens which I enjoy using. I got into using vintage lenses because I found the wall to wall floor to ceiling sharpness available in native AF digital lenses starting to bore me. I enjoy the challenge of the quirks and limitations of vintage glass, and using them contributes to the sensual pleasure of being out and about with a camera. Again though, different strokes... BTW, I wonder if you've had the chance to watch the Netflix series 'Ripley". It's shot in B&W, and the cinematography is nothing short of phenomenal. An incessant stream of eye-gasms. Highly recommended.
Someone is sending me a copy of the entire first season of Ripley, so I will be able to see it.
Great! I'd love to hear what you think once you've seen it.
Have a look at the Voigtlander 12mm f5.6, then. At f11, it's just brilliant and has all the vintage look you would like.
Wow! I see it's going for 500 bucks on ebay. Crazy. I paid around 100 for mine. Fortunately, I got into the old lenses years ago before they became desirable.
The 15mm I was looking at has an expert rcommendation of 950 euros minimum. No way I'll be buying that! I already have a Samyang 12mm f2.0 manual lens, not vintage of course, but it does a great job I find.
I would like to see it, but I have no Netflix account.
The old Olympus Zuico lenses provide all the character you'd want and are not terribly costly.