My Journey with Vintage Lenses | Vintage View

This is my Favourite Macro lens (canon 50mm 2.5) taken with a 1980 vintage, manual lens.

I'm really starting to enjoy vintage lenses.

At first I wasn't sure what all the excitement was over vintage lenses. Sure they're inexpensive, but they're so much more work. It's not so much that you focus manually (I'm no stranger to pulling focus) it's the super small focus throw, combine with how stiff the mechanics can be that creates the difficulty.

Aside from that, the don't resolve at the same level as modern lenses*. It's also much harder to control light when using these lenses. Flairs and blown highlights are everywhere.

Sure, some of the flairs looked cool & there where some other effects I liked, but had no idea how to control. All-In-All I wasn't sure the benefit out weighted the work & missed shots.

Brick wall, Vintage lens,  I'm happy.

But, I kept trying and playing & even got a few more vintage lenses.  That's when things started changing. These additional lenses where so much easier to use than the lens I had been using. Turns out the Canon 50mm 1.8 FD (from my old AE1) wasn't a good place to start. These other lenses focused more easily & where generally easier to control.  So I played with them more & got a little better with them.

Hazy

An images that made me think 'these lenses CAN be useful'

Now I'm starting to see the appeal. They're not for every project, or even most projects, but they can really do some interesting things when used on the right projects. I wouldn't say I can control all of the 'vintagey goodness' & I'm still a long way from confidently using them on a paid gig, but I'm enjoying thier use a lot more & slowly getting better with them.

I went full funk on this shot taken with a 1980's vintage  lens.

More Bricks & Vintage

So for me the next step is to start using them more for motion (video) work with them. I'm a little daunted to start this.  When taking stills I can take the time to set up each image and change the exposure and manage flairs etc. This will be a little more challenging when shooting 24 images a second.  I'm going to have to find new strategies to get the images I want.

 

I like that it has the vintage characteristics of super smooth bokeh, really high highlights & a nice warm tone, while while not going to overboard

Sometimes when using Vintage lenses, I go too far and end up with a big blurry mess.  I've been told that this image isn't that, but I think it's pretty close to that line.   What do you think?

* As I understand it, the optics of these older lenses won't give you best levels of colour fidelity, contrast & sharpness that modern digital sensors are capable of capturing.

Not just the specs

I was recently asked for an opinion on a camera purchase. They didn't want to change careers and become a photographer, they weren't interested in impressing there friends with the latest thing. What they wanted was a camera that took good photos and was easy to use.

That's what often gets overlooked, ease of use. The specs are often pushed but they are just a place to start. Stats aren't everything, in-fact, for most people they aren't the most important factor in getting the  images they want. Ease of use and how well the specs are implemented is usually more important.

As an example if you had to go through 8 multiple choice menus packed with esoteric jargon to take a photo, you probably wouldn't bother. That's an extreme example but it illustrates a point. that usability is valuable. In today's market the differences are subtle, but still important.


I'd like to finish with a real life example of 'specs aren't everything'.
A while back someone asked me about a new camera. They didn't know much about cameras and were going on a  'bucket list' vacation, so they wanted "good pictures". They had seen a DSLR at a big box store and where asking about lenses and accessories and how long it would take to learn how to use.

They had a myriad of other questions  before they took the scary leap into "expensive professional cameras" at least that's how they saw it.I tried to give them all the info and talked them through a few things & showed them some stuff on my camera & they looked stressed, like really stressed. So much so I thought maybe they should go with a really good point and shoot. That might be a little less scary,  so I said there are other options, what exactly they expected to do with this new camera, or better yet what do they expect it to give them they're current camera couldn't. As soon as they started speaking I realized I should have started with those questions.

Stop the Action

They currently had a generic but decent compact point and shoot. They had been at a family BBQ and took a few snaps of kids running around and they where blurry, a relative with a DSLR got clear photos of the kids.  The thought then went like this "I'm going whale watching , the whales are moving (like the kids), therefore I need a DSLR to get clear pics."   A reasonable but not entirely actuate conclusion. I asked "do you shoot on Auto?"  "I don't know, what's that mean" was the response. That's when I finally clued in.
"can see your camera for a second" 
"sure"
beep beep bepp,
"here go home and take some pics of the kids and let me know how they turn out."
Next Day: "I took some pics of the kids on the trampoline, not blurry at all, everyone on facebook said they where great."

Problem solved.
 
They had asked me about a camera, but what they really wanted to know was how to get a pic of a whale that looked good on facebook. This person was about to spend $1000 on better specs, when they had all the specs they wanted. The only thing missing was a few choices.

T5 vs T5i OR 1200D vs 700D

Someone (new to DSLRs) asked me about the difference between the canon 1200D (t5) and the 700D (t5i). I put together some info & sent it off to them, then thought "this might be of interest to other people"  so I turned it into a blog post. 

 

 

Basics & Recommendation

The 1220D (t5) will take perfectly good photos and not bad video.

But you'll have to work harder and take more to get the shots you want & you might be look for an upgrade a bit sooner.

The 700D(5ti) will take great photos and good video and make it easier to get the shots you want.  It's got more flexibility in how you use it, & a bit more you can do as you learn. It can also get some shots that the other just can't get, especially with low light, fast, bursts and videos.

As far as I'm concerned, if you can afford it the 700D(t5i) is definitely worth the extra money.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Explanation

T5 is one class lower than the other.

t5 & t5i are sort of marketing names for them. 
the real model names are 1200 D (5t) & 700D (t5i) with canon model numbers , lower is better.*

They have a lot of the same stuff so I 'll just list what the700D (t5i) has that the other doesn't or when it has improved versions of the same stuff.

700D (t5i) has:

- better screen resolution (almost double the pixels)

- swivel screen (doen't sound like much til you try to get shots from interesting angles. it's much easier to twist the screen towards you than twisting yourself to see the screen.

- Touchscreen.  you can use the menus by touch , you can also focus by touching the screen

- better auto focus. has more and better focus points than 1200d and an entirely different & better auto focus system making it faster & more accurate.

- auto focus during video (with the right lenses)

- better processor.  helps with the higher shooting speeds etc.

- higher FPS.  shoots more photos (frames) per second. 3fps for 1200, 4.8 fps for 700d

-Higher ISO. (25600 vs 12800)  which means it can take photos in much less light. theoretically it should be able to take see stuff in 1/2 the light of the other one. In practice , if you push them to their limits the phots will be grainy & pretty ugly, but you have the extra ISO what would have been an grainy shot that pushed the 1200d, could be a usable shot with the 700d, because it's not at it's limit. - has mic jack.  internal mics are pretty bad so being able to add a mic means you can make a video that people can listen too without cringing.

- better kit lens 18-55 STM (takes advantage of new auto focus system & can do auto focus in video.

Details

Links to canon for more info
1200D
700D


*Over view of model numbers
4 digit model (called XX00 ie 1200)  are 'consumer' models for basic snapshots & for your own social media.

3 digit models (XX0 ie 700D) are 'pro-sumer' models for people who want a step up from basic or for people becoming pros or starting out small. like selling photos to other people for their social media,  portraits etc.

2 digit models (X0 ie 80D) are solid pro models. better than the lower models but not as rugged  as the higher end models. sometimes new features are released here 1st to make sure they are dependable enough for the high end models.

single digit models (7d, 6d, 5d, 1d) are higher end pro-models for he big kids.  they have top of the line specs and are very dependable.

A new pair of rebels (750D & 760D Specs)

There`s a new pair of rebels in the canon world.
The little brother 750D (T6i)  & the bigger brother 760D (T6s) and they are hoping to make rebels more prominent & bit more respected in prestige hungry world of DSLR`s.
How it will all play out is yet to be seen, but they centainly seem to be the best rebels canon has producer so far. With a new sensor, and few goodies borrowed from more up-market models I`d say this is the first significant improvement of the line since the 550D (T2i).

they are list at  henry`s for preorder with a price of  $929 for the 760D (T6s) & $849 for the 750D (T6i).  My personal feeling is that you get more than your $80 worth if you go for the 760D, but that`s just me.

Now on the specs.  I`ve used 3 different sources to try to confirm and clarify the initial set of specs I found,  so THESE ARE NOT OFFICIAL SPECS! But they are as curate as I can can find.

760D (T6s)

750D (T6i)

Enable 24.2MP CMOS sensor  DIGIC6 processor 7560-pixel RGB + IR photometry sensor (NEW) 63 zone TTL metering AF is 19 points cross type. Center F2.8 corresponding dual cross Hybrid CMOS AF III Dynamic tracking continuous shooting in live view (Servo AF in live veiw) LCD monitor 3 inches 1.04 million dots.Vari-Angle ISO100-12800 (extended with ISO25600) Max shutter speed 30 seconds 1/4000 seconds (synchro is 1/200 sec) Continuous shooting 5 frames / sec Viewfinder penta mirror. Field of view 95%, magnification 0.82 times, the eye point 19 mm Built-in guide number 12 flash Video full HD 30 fps Horizontal level Top LCD panel Dial on the back Intelligent Viewfinder Wi-Fi & NFC Remote operation by smartphone tablet Creative mode including the HDR movie Battery LP-E17 Size 131.9 x 100.9 X77.8Mm Weight 565g (CIPA standard). 520g (body only)

Enable 24.2MP CMOS sensor DIGIC6 processor 7560 pixel RGB-IR photometry sensor (NEW) 63 zone TTL metering AF is 19 points cross type Center F2.8 corresponding dual cross New hybrid CMOS AF III N/A LCD monitor 3 inches 1.04 million dots Vari-Angle ISO100-12800 (extended with 25600) Shutter speed is 30 seconds 1/4000 seconds (Synchro 1/200 sec) Continuous shooting 5 frames / sec Viewfinder penta mirror. Field of view 95%, magnification 0.82 X, the eye point 19 mm Built-in guide number 12 flash Video full HD 30 fps N/A N/A N/A N/A Wi-Fi & NFC Remote operation by smartphone tablet N/A Battery LP-E17 Size 131.9 x 100.7 x 77.8Mm Weight 555g (CPA criteria). 510g (body only)

The specs have a lot of good things to say, but I`d still like to see some examples of what can be shot on production models.

Season Finale

https://www.flickr.com/photos/66888488@N02/15529504382/

Closing/Fan Appreciation Day.  Racing shots, presentations, prize draws & some general crowd & fan shots.

As the final 'Event Day Video' I wanted to try a few different thing, while keeping the basic fiormat we have been using throughout the year.

There are a few different camera angles, theres some "slo-Mo" (overcranked @ 60fps the time remapped), and I used some off camera sound from

the TV feed to mix with nat sound and then laid a music track under that.  As always fi I had it to do again or if i had another week to rework ti I'd

tweek things and make a few changes but that can go on for ever.

Projects like this are alway a juggle between adding one last thing or making another revision and getting it out to people while the content is still fresh.

Link Of The Day - It's Back

Camera Filters .  ND, Variable, Grad, Round, Square, Big, Small, Cheap, Expensive they all get a few words in this video.

Site with original Post  http://dslrvideoshooter.com/ It's a few down the list (they hasve other cool stuff too).

Reposted here with some interesting comments about circular polarizers and Tokina 11-16.

Link of The Day - 70D Hands on test

The 70D is in stores and in the hands of people who want to be the first to use what has been touted as a reveloution in DSLR auto focus, especially for video.

Ok,  the hype hasn't been as big as the 5Diii,  but there ahs been a fair bit of talk about the new auto focus systwem, bigger sensor, and general improvments over the 60D.

Mitch at Planet 5D has done a  Hands on test test & "unboxing"  (never quite got unboxings).

I'm going to be watching for more info and waiting for "hello World" (magic lantern compatibility).

If things work out I could see this being my next body.

Link of The Day - Canon 70D Announced

It Looks pretty Sweet.

*New Af Stystem can do video AF with existing lenses, that sounds cool (providing it works as well as they say)

* new sensor

* alli comession (same as 1dx)

* wifi (& controller app)

* avaiable September

Here are the official specs for the camera:--from No Film School---

  

---

• 20.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• DIGIC 5+ Image Processor
• Dual Pixel CMOS AF with Live View
• 3.0″ 1,040k-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen
• Frame Rates:  1920 x 1080: 30 fps, 25 fps, 24 fps
• @ 1280 x 720: 60 fps, 50 fps
• IPB and ALL-I Compression
• SD, SDHC, SDXC Memory Cards
• Full HD 1080p Video with Move Servo AF
• Built-In Wireless Connectivity
• 19-Point All Cross-Type AF System
• Continuous Shooting Rate Up to 7 fps
• ISO 100-12800 (Expandable to ISO 25600)
• Scene Intelligent Auto Mode
• Body: $1,200
• With 18-55 STM: $1,350
• With 18-135 STM: $1,549

Watch the videos & read the write up  here.
Henry's Preorder for body only is $1299

Link of The Day - Intersting angles

Nothing "Ground Breaking" but still worth a quick look.
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/03/20/camera-angles-5-ways-to-add-impact-with-unusual-perspectives/
Always good to have a few ideas ready when your shot jsut doesn't look as interesting as the thing your shooting.

Link of The Day - cool name, Super Cool Lens

Somwhere in my wanderings I came across DogSchidtOptiks.

 These are lenes hand made in England from 40 year old russian parts. The lenses are full of flares, colour casts low contrast, etc., BUT these elements can be ordered to suit what you want. (Options)

Apperently the Vintage parts creat super sharp lenses, that they funk up,  but are still sharp.  They are all metal and glass & you can even choose from 1 of 3 custom finishes.

They give a cool vintage/analog look that isn't anamorphic, but they work with anamorphic adapters, and they do look alot like film.

They are made one at a time and sold on Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/listing/126095702/flare-factory-58-dslr-mount-pre-order?) .  They are currently behind so they are taking preorders and have to let you know when they will be able to ship your order.

They have 7 samples on Vimeo to show different what type of footage different options will produce. (http://vimeo.com/meltingbloke/albums)
I haven't compared them all but the oners I looked at had some cool stuff going on, definately more organic feeling than modern lenses.

The best thing (well .. one of the best things) about them is the price,  about $180 CDA shipped.  That's cheaper than a lens baby. 

For me these will look way cooler on your camera and produce images at least as cool as a lens baby,  and they seem like they may be more suited to video then lens baby.***

I haven't orderd one, but after reading the FAQ's Sheet, I am seriously thinking about getting one.
If they where from a big company I'd probably say "It's a gimmick", because it is, but because they are hand made by a small (I assume) operation I somehow find them cooler. 

***I like lense baby and think they have are a neat tool.  I just thnk these have more "coolness"

Link of The Day - 340 Summerfolk pics

All 340 Photos from Summerfolk 2012 are now on Flickr.

Link of The Day - Craziest Low Light tests Ive ever Seen.

I may have posted something about this sensor a while back , but the video wasn't working. 
Now it is and it's amazing.
http://www.cinema5d.com/news/?p=16863#more-16863

Link of the Day - Vimeo Video School

there are a bunch of things in the vimeo video school, a set of "DSLR Basics" with Phil, A series "Do more with your DSLR", and the series with Vincent Laforet.  Plus , weekend challenges , and miscellaneous lessons, tips etc.
But I found two quick ones I liked.
Jump cuts - https://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/360/understanding-jump-cuts the good the bad & the ugly
B-Roll - https://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/271/cover-your-backside-with-b-roll interesting idea of doing an interview and the interview footage is used less than footage related to the interview , so the interview basically ids the b-Roll

Link of the Day - Variation on "Zoom with your Feet"

http://www.petapixel.com/2013/03/09/wildlife-photographer-disguises-himself-as-a-swan-to-get-close-to-other-birds/
The arctile has some info and examples of his pics.
His Site has some really nice shots too.