One camera and one lens.
Apr 20, 2024 06:26:25 #
I have been photographing for more than 50 years. When I started I was perhaps 20 or 21 years old and what motivated me was a university assistant professor who invited me to see him working in the darkroom.
I cannot remember all of the details, but I think he was using a Kodak Retina or another German camera which were popular at the time, and I am talking about the mid 50’s. Exacta had a primitive SLR but that was not the camera he was using.
Every film at the time, at least where I was living, was monochrome.
Cameras did not have any electronics; they were all manual. Lenses were only single focal length, no zooms and obviously no AF. Yes, only handheld exposure meters and the Gossen and Weston Master with Selenium cells were the exposure meters we were using. The Pentax 1 degree spot meter was not available at the time, it was introduced around 1964 and had a Cadmium Sulfide cell.
Japanese cameras were not very popular then. I began using a Petri rangefinder, a type of camera we would be calling mirrorless today. It had a fixed lens and with it I had a second hand Weston Master that actually I did not know very well how to use it. No Internet at the time to learn how to use it. A horrible meter to use in low light. Readings, except in bright light were not very accurate.
I bought a Nikon 35mm f2 AIS in the early 80’s that has seen little use. I decided to give it a spin using my dSLR, a Nikon D610 in the manual mode. I was remembering the old times except for using the in camera meter. Let’s not talk about flash, they were manual, most had an electric bulb and using them was a nightmare. I shot the gallinule using fill-in flash a rather impossible shot at the time.
I went late in the evening to a local park to shoot once again like I did in the 50’s and it was a lesson in discipline and a great experience. Once again selecting apertures manually and once again using manual focus. I zoomed in and out with my legs. All that brought back many memories.
These are some of the images I made. I am sure that some of the old timers here will feel some of the nostalgia I felt. I hope you like these images.
I cannot remember all of the details, but I think he was using a Kodak Retina or another German camera which were popular at the time, and I am talking about the mid 50’s. Exacta had a primitive SLR but that was not the camera he was using.
Every film at the time, at least where I was living, was monochrome.
Cameras did not have any electronics; they were all manual. Lenses were only single focal length, no zooms and obviously no AF. Yes, only handheld exposure meters and the Gossen and Weston Master with Selenium cells were the exposure meters we were using. The Pentax 1 degree spot meter was not available at the time, it was introduced around 1964 and had a Cadmium Sulfide cell.
Japanese cameras were not very popular then. I began using a Petri rangefinder, a type of camera we would be calling mirrorless today. It had a fixed lens and with it I had a second hand Weston Master that actually I did not know very well how to use it. No Internet at the time to learn how to use it. A horrible meter to use in low light. Readings, except in bright light were not very accurate.
I bought a Nikon 35mm f2 AIS in the early 80’s that has seen little use. I decided to give it a spin using my dSLR, a Nikon D610 in the manual mode. I was remembering the old times except for using the in camera meter. Let’s not talk about flash, they were manual, most had an electric bulb and using them was a nightmare. I shot the gallinule using fill-in flash a rather impossible shot at the time.
I went late in the evening to a local park to shoot once again like I did in the 50’s and it was a lesson in discipline and a great experience. Once again selecting apertures manually and once again using manual focus. I zoomed in and out with my legs. All that brought back many memories.
These are some of the images I made. I am sure that some of the old timers here will feel some of the nostalgia I felt. I hope you like these images.
Apr 20, 2024 07:32:25 #
Apr 20, 2024 07:35:54 #
The minimalism of #2 is lovely, the serenity of #3 and #4 exquisite.
Apr 20, 2024 08:28:25 #
Apr 20, 2024 08:52:59 #
Apr 20, 2024 09:30:28 #
Results look great!! As someone who also shoots MF lenses on a digital body, I'll encourage you consider a mirrorless digital as several 'MF enabling technologies' are added with the mirrorless digital body, including:
a, IBIS (depending on MILC model)
b, Focus Assist - imagine zooming the view finder -- held to your eye -- to focus on the fine details of your composition
c, Focus Peeking - imagine a shimmering color in the view finder telling / showing where the focus plane resides in the un-zoomed view of the composition
d, Exposure compensation with AUTO ISO
That last item (d) is how newer digital cameras operate with AF lenses. If you run in shutter priority on the body with AUTO ISO and your EC moving (holding) the meter to the right (or left) of the 0-mark, you just adjust the manual aperture on the lens, or the shutter speed on the body, and the camera exposure dynamically adjusts the ISO to maintain the EC adjustment.
a, IBIS (depending on MILC model)
b, Focus Assist - imagine zooming the view finder -- held to your eye -- to focus on the fine details of your composition
c, Focus Peeking - imagine a shimmering color in the view finder telling / showing where the focus plane resides in the un-zoomed view of the composition
d, Exposure compensation with AUTO ISO
That last item (d) is how newer digital cameras operate with AF lenses. If you run in shutter priority on the body with AUTO ISO and your EC moving (holding) the meter to the right (or left) of the 0-mark, you just adjust the manual aperture on the lens, or the shutter speed on the body, and the camera exposure dynamically adjusts the ISO to maintain the EC adjustment.
Apr 20, 2024 09:47:48 #
Apr 20, 2024 10:25:02 #
StanMac
Loc: Tennessee
camerapapi wrote:
I have been photographing for more than 50 years. ... (show quote)
Some beautiful images there, William.
Stan
Apr 20, 2024 10:58:33 #
Very interesting and reminiscent story; thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks. Having recently acquired a Leica Q3 with its fixed 28mm f1.7 lens, I too am back to zooming with the feet. Back to basics - and enjoyable.
Apr 20, 2024 11:23:51 #
Apr 20, 2024 11:32:22 #
camerapapi wrote:
I have been photographing for more than 50 years. ... (show quote)
Nice work.
I mostly shoot in Manual Exposure mode. I have two Voigtlander Z Mount manual focus lenses that I use on my Nikon Z 6II and will probably buy a third. I also have a Leica M11 Rangefinder camera, which is all Manual. I have 2 Nikkor AIS and 4 Voigtlander F-Mount lenses that I use on my Nikon Df.
I enjoy shooting in Manual Exposure and Manual Focus, It makes me feel more part of photo taking than AF-ON or pushing the button half way.
Apr 20, 2024 11:37:13 #
Apr 20, 2024 11:53:09 #
Thank you ladies and gentlemen for your interesting comments. Paul, I appreciate that you stopped by to take a look at those images. I appreciate your comments on mirrorless and although I have mentioned them before I will once again. I have Olympus mirrorless cameras; right now I have the EM-10 Mk II, the OM 5 Mk III and the Pen EP-5. I am happy with the three of them and I believe I will stay with Olympus for the time being. I am only using Zuiko lenses with my cameras, except for a Sigma 60mm f2.8 Art which is AF. Great lens! I do not intend to use lenses from Nikon, which I am presently using, to adapt them to those cameras.
Thank you once again for your comments.
Thank you once again for your comments.
Apr 20, 2024 11:59:24 #
Apr 20, 2024 13:29:58 #
Excellent results, William. Once again, it is the photographer, not the equipment.
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