Reigning it in and learning how to utilise a lens like that for me is time consuming but so so satisfying when one finally understands how it behaves. Not that this is the case for you but with some lenses it's taken me up to a year to get to finally get to that stage ( 😅 ). It is understandable that some/ most people would hate that but I see it as fun as eventually an image is created which just cannot be replicated by modern cameras/ phones or PP. My only 'problem' being adjusting back to modern optically perfect gear which somehow seems to look the same and which in turn reduces the fun. But that's only me, we're all different and it certainly would be boring if we were all the same.
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- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
Thanks for that - I've come to prefer true vintage lenses over vintage-y ones like the Voigtländer 35mm f/1.4 Nokton Classic I and II - nice though they are, they're too close to being capable of a modern rendering so as not to make their weaknesses stand out as such instead of giving them some unique, pleasing character; they're good lenses nonetheless, well worth owning - but they're not the real deal. That said, I'm a bit torn between the much more reliable performance of the Canon 35mm f/2.8 LTM and the much more old school one of the Summaron. The Summaron has serious assets; I don't know if you saw this image, but that was taken wide open - look at how well it performs near the edges; yes, it's not perfectly sharp, but certainly holding together well enough! And in spite of its rather wild bokeh (swirly and clear outlines (bubbles)), it renders a very pleasing, balanced image, even considering the flare. Colours are natural, but a bit subdued. Sharpness is much better than I thought it would be, though not as good as from the Canon lens. However, while the Canon 35mm f/2.8 is small (as big as the later version of the Summaron), the Summaron is positively tiny and even better built, too; it's fiddlier to use, of course, but I think I still prefer the original over the later, more convenient versions.
I can clearly see why these lenses were superseded, and my current favourite 35mm lens, the Voigtländer 35mm f/1.5 Nokton Aspherical, a compact lens in its own right, is proof of how far we've come since, but in terms of pleasure in use, modern lenses can't quite match these old ones which you really need to wrap your head around to make them work. All the more kudos to the masters who made them and used them to great effect back in the day - fantastic achievements all around.
All that said, I'm going to take the Voigtländer 40mm f/2.8 Heliar Aspherical LTM, the spiritual successor of the tiny 35mm lenses of old, for a spin today. Let's see if I can make that lens work for me, too. At the moment, it's a bit murky outside, but I hope I can test that lens "contre-jour" as well.
M.
- Location
- Helsinki, Finland
- Location
- Helsinki, Finland
- Location
- Helsinki, Finland
- Location
- Helsinki, Finland
- Location
- Texas
- Location
- Helsinki, Finland
- Location
- Helsinki, Finland
nivaunrahne
Regular
- Name
- Nivaun Rahne
- Location
- Beaumaris, Melbourne, Australia
- Name
- John ...
Superb! Well done, Nivaun.
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK.
- Name
- Charles
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK.
- Name
- Charles
- Location
- Salish Sea
