Delighted today

This last year has seen a very real shift in my approach to photography.... A few years ago, I underwent serious retinal surgery, all of my Sony Gear had to go, I had developed a real liking for Macro photography.... but with the vision I was temporarily left with I couldn’t use the viewfinder. I swapped to LUMIX GX8 body, then purchase a variety of lenses from various sources.... Then I developed a real liking toward ...Street Photography ....and....Street Portraiture.... This has developed apace, after studying all the greats... it was during this time I discovered just what, vintage film camera lenses have to offer; so built up a reasonable collection. Once I got how to...Zone-Focus sorted... things changed completely... I could see no further use for four of my AF M 4/3RDS lenses. So this morning I took them to a local branch of the...London Camera Exchange... and received £280 for them...which almost covered the cost of a used LUMIX GX9.... Now my camera of choice, set to mono, and for vintage manual lenses. I have discovered a dream pairing of .. my GX9... Fitted with an eBay sourced £19 INDUSTAR 61 D vintage lens... I rarely use the AF lenses I have left.......Hobbo Here is a sample shot from today... [epzimg]150445_1595012407.jpg[/epzimg]

This last year has seen a very real shift in my approach to photography....

A few years ago, I underwent serious retinal surgery, all of my Sony Gear had to go, I had developed a real liking for Macro photography.... but with the vision I was temporarily left with I couldn’t use the viewfinder.

I swapped to LUMIX GX8 body, then purchase a variety of lenses from various sources.... Then I developed a real liking toward ...Street Photography ....and....Street Portraiture....

This has developed apace, after studying all the greats... it was during this time I discovered just what, vintage film camera lenses have to offer; so built up a reasonable collection.

Once I got how to...Zone-Focus sorted... things changed completely... I could see no further use for four of my AF M 4/3RDS lenses.

So this morning I took them to a local branch of the...London Camera Exchange... and received £280 for them...which almost covered the cost of a used LUMIX GX9.... Now my camera of choice, set to mono, and for vintage manual lenses.

I have discovered a dream pairing of .. my GX9... Fitted with an eBay sourced £19 INDUSTAR 61 D vintage lens...

I rarely use the AF lenses I have left.......Hobbo


Here is a sample shot from today...

Cyril, a nice insight into your journey. I do like the pictures you've been adding, especially as I'm considering adding a GX9 body to my kit later this year. I like to output of my LX15 1" sensor unit and my swap this for a GX9 and adding my 12-32 lens (well my grandson has eyes on the LX15). I haven't yet but I would like to try a Helios 44 58mm (from my Zenit days) on my OMD. You say 'vision temporarily left with'. I hope all is well now and there is no re-occurrence.

Cyril, a nice insight into your journey.
I do like the pictures you've been adding, especially as I'm considering adding a GX9 body to my kit later this year.
I like to output of my LX15 1" sensor unit and my swap this for a GX9 and adding my 12-32 lens (well my grandson has eyes on the LX15).

I haven't yet but I would like to try a Helios 44 58mm (from my Zenit days) on my OMD.

You say 'vision temporarily left with'. I hope all is well now and there is no re-occurrence.

[quote]Cyril, a nice insight into your journey. I do like the pictures you've been adding, especially as I'm considering adding a GX9 body to my kit later this year. I like to output of my LX15 1" sensor unit and my swap this for a GX9 and adding my 12-32 lens (well my grandson has eyes on the LX15). I haven't yet but I would like to try a Helios 44 58mm (from my Zenit days) on my OMD. You say 'vision temporarily left with'. I hope all is well now and there is no re-occurrence. [/quote] Hi, Thank you, feedback is so important to me.... I have used the Helios 44 on my GX9.... Like all the other vintage lenses you need to use it for at least one whole day of shooting, bearing in mind the difference between full-frame and 4 4/3 rd sensor sizes .... I have to allow for the latter, so the aHelios 44 tends toward a portrait lens. It is great fun trying each vintage lens out in turn, learning how to get the best from each..... My two favourites currently are my INDUSTAR 61 D.... and ... My two OPTIK MEYER GORLITZ LYDITH examples.... Keep an eye on my portfolio to see the results I am getting.... if acquiring a GX9 camera, and you prefere mono... the L-MONOCHROME-D mode/ setting adjusted to you liking is the one to use.... I can’t fault it. My vision now.... is better than for the whole of my life, with and without specs.... but without I have severe double vision, and a distorted retina, post surgery.... I have learned to live with it. Hobbo

Quote:Cyril, a nice insight into your journey.
I do like the pictures you've been adding, especially as I'm considering adding a GX9 body to my kit later this year.
I like to output of my LX15 1" sensor unit and my swap this for a GX9 and adding my 12-32 lens (well my grandson has eyes on the LX15).

I haven't yet but I would like to try a Helios 44 58mm (from my Zenit days) on my OMD.

You say 'vision temporarily left with'. I hope all is well now and there is no re-occurrence.


Hi,

Thank you, feedback is so important to me.... I have used the Helios 44 on my GX9.... Like all the other vintage lenses you need to use it for at least one whole day of shooting, bearing in mind the difference between full-frame and 4 4/3 rd sensor sizes .... I have to allow for the latter, so the aHelios 44 tends toward a portrait lens.

It is great fun trying each vintage lens out in turn, learning how to get the best from each.....

My two favourites currently are my INDUSTAR 61 D.... and ... My two OPTIK MEYER GORLITZ LYDITH examples....

Keep an eye on my portfolio to see the results I am getting.... if acquiring a GX9 camera, and you prefere mono... the L-MONOCHROME-D mode/ setting adjusted to you liking is the one to use.... I can’t fault it.

My vision now.... is better than for the whole of my life, with and without specs.... but without I have severe double vision, and a distorted retina, post surgery.... I have learned to live with it.

Hobbo

[quote]This last year has seen a very real shift in my approach to photography.... A few years ago, I underwent serious retinal surgery, all of my Sony Gear had to go, I had developed a real liking for Macro photography.... but with the vision I was temporarily left with I couldn’t use the viewfinder. I swapped to LUMIX GX8 body, then purchase a variety of lenses from various sources.... Then I developed a real liking toward ...Street Photography ....and....Street Portraiture.... This has developed apace, after studying all the greats... it was during this time I discovered just what, vintage film camera lenses have to offer; so built up a reasonable collection. Your story seems a truism for street shooters. We seem to gravitate between macro and street for some reason. I too love the pair of genres. Best wishes in your 'journey'. Once I got how to...Zone-Focus sorted... things changed completely... I could see no further use for four of my AF M 4/3RDS lenses. So this morning I took them to a local branch of the...London Camera Exchange... and received £280 for them...which almost covered the cost of a used LUMIX GX9.... Now my camera of choice, set to mono, and for vintage manual lenses. I have discovered a dream pairing of .. my GX9... Fitted with an eBay sourced £19 INDUSTAR 61 D vintage lens... I rarely use the AF lenses I have left.......Hobbo Here is a sample shot from today... [epzimg]150445_1595012407.jpg[/epzimg][/quote]

The interest in macro and street seems very true of all street shooters. I and many of my friends like the same. Good luck in your journey.

The interest in macro and street seems very true of all street shooters. I and many of my friends like the same. Good luck in your journey.

Not only good that your vision is improved but that you are appreciating it so strongly. I use a Nikkor 300mm f/4.5 IF ED with my Micro Four Thirds bodies. It cost me £120 and gives the most pleasing rendering of images. It lacks the ultra sharp digital imaging look of modern lenses and has a lovely plasticity. I'd like more time to explore these lenses. The zone focusing you speak of is well know to any news photographer. For riots, conflicts or in countries where you'd be banged up for taking a picture, you'd set a Nikon or Leica with 35mm lens to about just over 7ft/ 2m and stop down to f/5.6. This provided sharpness from, as it was delicately designated in the business, [u]"****hole to breakfast time"[/u]. The camera was carried with the strap over the right shoulder with the lens pointing inwards. You could simply whip the camera out and push the shutter and let it swing back under your shoulder and with luck hardly anyone would notice what you had done. The modern fetish with sharpness is a shame favouring technical matters over pictorial. Even when zone focusing isn't 100%, it is sharp enough, used properly. Looking at your motorcycle man, it has that rounded, pleasing rendering I mentioned with my 300mm. Amazing how with a smaller, niftier camera, photography becomes such fun again. Just a thought, but a brightline finder in the camera hotshoe would work well for what you are doing. I used to use a Leitz 35mm B/L finder with my Nikon F. With the mirror locked up the camera was very unobtrusive to use. And the GX9 has the totally silent shutter too. Looks like you are on your way to becoming the next Dr Erich Salomon 👀!

Not only good that your vision is improved but that you are appreciating it so strongly. I use a Nikkor 300mm f/4.5 IF ED with my Micro Four Thirds bodies. It cost me £120 and gives the most pleasing rendering of images. It lacks the ultra sharp digital imaging look of modern lenses and has a lovely plasticity. I'd like more time to explore these lenses.

The zone focusing you speak of is well know to any news photographer. For riots, conflicts or in countries where you'd be banged up for taking a picture, you'd set a Nikon or Leica with 35mm lens to about just over 7ft/ 2m and stop down to f/5.6. This provided sharpness from, as it was delicately designated in the business, "****hole to breakfast time". The camera was carried with the strap over the right shoulder with the lens pointing inwards. You could simply whip the camera out and push the shutter and let it swing back under your shoulder and with luck hardly anyone would notice what you had done.

The modern fetish with sharpness is a shame favouring technical matters over pictorial. Even when zone focusing isn't 100%, it is sharp enough, used properly. Looking at your motorcycle man, it has that rounded, pleasing rendering I mentioned with my 300mm. Amazing how with a smaller, niftier camera, photography becomes such fun again.

Just a thought, but a brightline finder in the camera hotshoe would work well for what you are doing. I used to use a Leitz 35mm B/L finder with my Nikon F. With the mirror locked up the camera was very unobtrusive to use. And the GX9 has the totally silent shutter too. Looks like you are on your way to becoming the next Dr Erich Salomon 👀!