ANOTHER GEM

[FUJI]

Recently I have been carrying out serious research into which Vintage Film Lenses give best results on a Micro Four Thirds Camera.

The Carl Zeiss I featured the other day comes close to the top...but, then I was pointed toward this little beauty by a fellow enthusiast on YouTube.

There are amazingly expensive lenses on eBay...but this one has been rather forgotten...until recently, that is.....it now enjoys a following among serious Street and Close-Up Photographers because of its unusual but very effective results and colour rendering.

It is the....MEYER OPTIK GORLITZ LYDITH 3.5-30 mm

This test series clearly shows its huge potential.

If you have a camera tat will take Vintage lenses, then this ne is an absolute MUST !

 

FUJI

 

[Hatter]

It certainly looks very sharp.  
Does auto-focus work or do you need to do it manually?

 

[FUJI]

6 hours ago, Hatter said:

It certainly looks very sharp.  
Does auto-focus work or do you need to do it manually?

 

Thank you for the feedback......

When used on digital cameras all vintage lenses means that your camera requires switching to the....Shoot W/O Lens ...setting.....focus and aperture are set manually, ISO can be set....the best thing is, that all current, lens changing digital cameras have ...FOCUS ASSIST...in the menus ......on pressing the shutter half way it puts a beautiful neon glowing pattern around everything that’s in focus it is a huge help.

For my Street Shooting I set my manual vintage lenses to Zone-Focus at circa 10 feet, to infinity....the camera is then a super-fast ..Point and Shoot...for anything closer, manual Focusing is the order if the day,

My friends new Leica still works that way,,,,no autofocus on Leicas as far as ai know....they stick firmly to ...Rangefinder traditions.

The only drawback as far as aim concerned, is that I can miss a few shots that the camera/lens aren’t set for....but that is how it used to be.

Using vintage lenses forces a slowing and more considered approach to photography....

FUJI

 

[Hatter]

Thanks, Fuji.

Auto-focus is important to me - as a spectacles-wearer I think I'd struggle without it!

[FUJI]

17 minutes ago, Hatter said:

Thanks, Fuji.

Auto-focus is important to me - as a spectacles-wearer I think I'd struggle without it!

No, problem to me, I wear variofocals with a powerful prism to correct serious double vision after eye surgery.....I like ....Auto-Focus....but the fun of going fully manual is like getting into a vehicle with an old crash gear-box.....fun to re-Lear and to get right.

Thanks to my Leica owning buddy, I have at last, grasped the principles and practicalities of ....Zone- Focusing....setting to infinity.....and setting forca chosen specific distance.

Once you get the hang of Zone-Focusing there is no need to look through the viewfinder or at the screen....you just ...point and shot....like lightning it is.

 

I much appreciate you feedback.

 

FUJI

 

[Clicker]

I remember when you first started using zone focusing  more  for your street work Fooj ... you certainly seem to have mastered  gauging the distance   now  and it obviously  helps a great deal  when you shoot from the hip a lot in your  photography ... Your candid unposed work is really  resulting in some fine shots .... well done   my friend ...  you certainly have a recognisable style  .... 

[FUJI]

5 hours ago, Clicker said:

I remember when you first started using zone focusing  more  for your street work Fooj ... you certainly seem to have mastered  gauging the distance   now  and it obviously  helps a great deal  when you shoot from the hip a lot in your  photography ... Your candid unposed work is really  resulting in some fine shots .... well done   my friend ...  you certainly have a recognisable style  .... 

Thank you Polly,

I learned the technique from my ex-pro Leica owning pal....Zone Focusing Is a matter of trusting all those numbers to be found around the periphery of vintage lenses, then double checking using ...Focus-Assist....every so often. I have accidentally knocked or rubbed the focus-ring whilst walking, so checks are wise.

The beauty of Zone Focus, is that you know, anything you point at within your chosen zone will be sharp, even if moving ...Look at the trike in my most recent post; the rider is in focus but shutter-speed has blurred his wheels to add movement.

I can get a little frustrated by needing to completely re-set if I want to catch things closer to me, so the sudden changes from portraits to street aren’t as easy or quick as when fully auto.

I find that setting the lens between 10 feet and infinity gives good results, but always check to confirm, prior to shooting.

I love my current vintage lenses, cheap but very real winners.

FUJI