Vintage

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax M 28mm f2.8

You know you’re old, when the word ‘vintage’ describes items that were made 20 years after you were born. technology moves at a pace these days hitherto not seen in the last 100 years. Camera technology and new models of camera body and lens are being brought out every year and with increasing levels of tweaking what is already there. Sigma for example, have released an update version of their 24-70 f2.8 dg dn art lens in the last couple of weeks. This replaces a lens created only a few years ago which was itself, considered excellent. Every camera manufacturer is forever updating their bodies and lenses to improve on what came before. I have the Panasonic S5II which replaced the S5. There was gap of a few years between models and the camera is a big improvement on what was a great camera.

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax M 28mm f2.8

‘Invest in good glass’ is a phrase photographers advise newbies into the world of photography. It is sensible advice and a good lens will make a good composition into potentially, a great one. What if the lens you are using is 50 years old though ? Did the camera companies know a thing or two about producing high end quality lenses back then? I have been user of old manual focus lenses for nearly 10 years now. To be fair, I used some of them when they were new releases back in the late 70’s and 80’s but that’s beside the point. The advent of mirrorless cameras and adapters have enabled photographers to experiment with film era camera lenses. I have tried a few mounts and different manufacturers in recent times. I am a fan of Olympus Zuiko lenses (beautifully made, generally very contrasty and sharp), Canon FD lenses good too but the manufacturer I always return are Asahi Pentax. Their SMC (super multi coated) lenses produced from the mid 1970’s to the late 1980’s are always my go to choice.

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax A 50mm f1.7

There is something about the process of taking a photo that is enhanced by using a manual focus lens. They make you feel more at one with your camera and the advent of focusing tools such as focus peaking, make capturing photos relatively easy. They can be quicker than autofocusing lenses as they don’t hunt for focus. You set the focal distance and everything will be in focus. Pentax made some lovely prime lenses back in the day. To be fair, they still make lovely lenses now but their film era glass have a certain quality about them. The colours are punchy but not lurid. They are slightly cooler than say Olympus Zuiko but attractive. The out of focus areas are very well controlled and you can get some beautiful bokeh with them. The biggest plus for a photographer however is the price of these lenses. The three focal lengths I use are 28mm, 50mm and 135mm. You can get a really good Pentax M lens in all these focal ranges for well under £40.

Panasonic S5II + SMC Pentax M 135mm f3.5

If you were to only use manual vintage lenses, you could have a complete lens kit (including maybe a 70-210) for under £150. That is half the price of a modern secondhand standard Panasonic kit lens. What you get for that money are high quality metal lenses with beautiful glass. Yes, in tests they don’t perform to modern standards but you learn to work around that. The double advantage for someone who also happens to own a modern Pentax DSLR is that these 50 year old lenses will fit your modern camera without the need for an adapter, That is a huge plus and I continue to take my hat off to Ricoh Pentax for that.

I still use my modern autofocus lenses on both my S5II and Pentax K70. Sometimes, I need their autofocus, their sharpness, their weather sealing. I love the modern lenses but I have more fun with my older ones. They can be unpredictable but that can also be a bonus. You get effects that you would otherwise not with a modern one. If you have never used vintage lenses, I urge you to do so. They are an affordable way of creating interesting photographs. Many filmmakers are now using vintage lenses to get a different, more creative look. I would recommend Pentax or Olympus Zuiko but classics like the Helios 44m. It is an amazing focal length lens, that produces wild swirly bokeh and pretty sharp detail. Get yourself an adapter to fit your camera body and choose according to what lens mount your vintage lens has. Remember to make sure your camera is switched on to shooting without lens. This allows you take a photo. You won’t get exif data but you’ll just have to remember that! Go and have fun and you might get hooked like me!

Start of Summer

It’s beginning to feel like Summer. I was never really a big fan of the season but in recent years, I’ve grown to love it. I embrace warmth, long days, sheltering from the hot sun in cool shade. My photography seems to be reflecting that which is around me. Fields and meadows bursting with delicate flowers.Long grass dancing in the summer breeze.

All the images on this post are made with the Pentax K70 and various lenses. It is a joy to use, reliable and with great image reproduction. My main gear is as ever, evolving. I won’t be updating on any changes in gear as I would prefer my work to be judged on its creative merits rather than any fancy camera or lens. You see the world through the eyes of a photographer as you do with a painter, illustrator and in general, all artists. It is an interpretation of that world which the recipient is able to make a connection. Photography is as much of a valid art-form as any other. We as photographers, try to capture moments and produce our interpretation of that moment.

These images aren’t all the sharpest I could provide. The camera, lenses and photographer are all capable of producing pin sharp photos but I chose to not go for that. Summer isn’t always the sharpest season, in that light and nature are sometimes more of a feeling than an observation. A field of wildflowers with a hazy background can be as evocative as a clinically in focus photo of a flower, tree or landscape. Cloudless skies, strong shadows will make sharp images and I’m a fan of those ; but just because of that admiration, it doesn't exclude more subtle images. Maybe this is part of my creative evolution? I know I can do sharp, I choose not to do so.

The other thing I’ve noticed in the last week or so is how much green there is. All shades of green, some subtle, some vivid but there’s a lot of it. We endure winters where trees and shrubs are stripped of foliage, preserving their energy for surviving in cold, dark inhospitable conditions. These couple of months when trees come into full bloom are the greenest they will be. Later on in summer, the trees show signs of having too much of a good thing.

I like summer. I really like summer, it’s probably my favourite season partly because autumn follows on from summer. Autumn, with its oranges, yellows, browns is often thought of as the top landscape/nature photography season. So many Lightroom presets are created to help you find the perfect edit for your autumnal images. I get that, I understand the allure of those photos. I love capturing them, eating them, printing them. Summer however, is a great time to be out in nature. You wear less, you have longer days to work with. I am fair skinned and the sun likes me. I burn easily but these days, I learn to live with it and compensate for it. I really love observing hot sun from a shady spot. I get all the visual benefits of summer without the downsides of being out in full sun. Ultimately as creatives, we have to work with what’s available and within the confines of our environment and season. The start of summer is a good time for me and let’s hope it continues for the next few months!