Leica - First Light!

My First ever Leica lens - Leitz Elmar 90mm f/4 - 1938!
Wow, it's incredible to use a lens this old and still get very nice photos.

Trying out a few lens with the Nex adapters...

Minolta 55mm f/1.7 Rokkor

Pentax-M 50mm f/2 "Focal" 135mm f/11 minolta mount)

Takumar 55mm f/2

Nex IR - first light

I tried out the IR capability of the Nex using a 760 IR filter, and was very pleased with the first result. The weather is poor for IR outside - windy and cloudy! Even so, I am happy with the results taken at ISO 1600.
Interesting thing to note: Focus in all my photos was out... I forgot that IR has a different focus point than visible light. The lens I'm using (Super Takumar 55mm f/1.4) has an IR focus mark - I must remember to make that adjustment next time!

(composite photo Nex-5, Super Takumar 55mm f/1.4 2sec, ISO 1600)

Update!

Using the IR focus mark, I reshot the same scene... Plus a bit of PP

Mirrorless SLR

I've been thinking about getting a mirrorless SLR for a long time now. Options I've considered are Olympus and Panasonic M4/3 mount and Sony e-mount.

I've liked the look the a pana GF1, but the idea of putting up with 2Xcrop factor really bothered me. So, when I saw a refurb Nex-5 at a good price, I bought it. 5 minutes later I had ordered adapters for Minolta MD mount, Pentax PK, M42, DKL, and C-mount lenses.

Finally, all my manual lens could be used!

Here is the Nex with a Voigtlander Color-Skopar X (Retina mount). I really like this combo.Here are some of my first pics from the Nex+Skopar. I need to learn how to use the lens - very different from my M42's - a few outside shots...And a few from inside...

I attached the M42 bellows and am very pelased with the result. This photo has roses in the background...There was a bit of PP to get this photo looking nice...I'm really excited by the camera. I have applied the v3 firmware pack and although it is small, it seems very capable.

FCP pt. 7 State of the project

This is the current "look" of the FCP. The lens has been upgraded a few times since starting the FCP (see pt2). In this state, I have mounted the Goerz lens to an old Asahi M42 bellows mount. The Asahi bellows are just narrow enough to let me focus beyond infinity. Minimum focus distance (with the bellows fully extended) is approximately 20cm. (photo taken on iPhone 3GS)

I have mentioned that I have a persistant cloudiness to my photos. I have felt this was due to the poor quality of the lens surfaces. In frustration tonight I dismanteded the lens and gave the components some tough love and polished the surfaces by rubbing with my fingers. I was very happy to see that after some effort, the lens began to clear a bit. I have taken some indoor shots and so far there looks to be a big improvement.

Goerz Kalostigmat at 0.4s f/6.8.

Nice centre sharpness, see this 100% crop. I will try in the sunlight tomorrow morning.

FCP pt. 6 - The "raw" images

I thought it might be interesting to show some of the "before" processing images that come from the Kalostigmat lens setup, and mention some of the major post processing actions I . These images are all posted as finals in previous FCP posts.

(From FCP pt. 3)
The light here is from the side of the camera, so the lens does not fog up too badly. However, this is an unacceptably hazy image, so I coverted to B&W to remove the yellow cloud. I also applied "black levels" to remove some of the distracting background, and increased the contrast in the centre of the flower.



(From FCP pt. 4)
The first thing you notice is the haze in this photo. This is a real problem with the Kalostigmat setup caused, I think, by the poor condition of the lens and exacerbated by the sunlight directly behind the lens. To cure this I auto level the image, increase clarity, boost contrast and boost black levels. In this case, the goal was to recreate the look of an old B&W photo, so all of the actions were performed in B&W - I'm sure this picture would be a real mess in colour. I also heavily cropped the photo.

(from FCP pt. 5)
Again, abit of haze in the photo, but not too bad. The clarity, contrast, and black levels boost were all applied.

FCP pt. 5 - Driving with the FC

The images from the Lens+bellows combo are not that great, but certainly far more interesting than my other lens (today at least).
Driving down to Sorrento today, I took a few pics. All from Kalostigmat 100mm, f/3.5. This is a very interesting lens...
Heavily cropped cow picture... Cows seem to be an "up and coming" theme-maybe a future project?
I like the 3D effect in this photo (click on photo to enlarge)

The Kalostigmat lens picks up blue quite nicely on the a550.

FCP pt. 4 - Portraits

My oldest daughter posing for the Goerz camera. Evening light, Goerz Kalostigmat 100mm f/6.8 hand held. All of the images from the Goerz have a certain look...
...there are a lot of colours in this lens...

FCP pt. 3 - Macro!

Extending the bellows gives the lens macro capability.

Wow! I did not guess this would be the result. Once processed through LR3, the photos look nice printed in B&W.

All photos Goerz Kalostigmat 100mm f/6.8, and hand held (evening light):

FCP pt. 2

I decided to rebuild the cardboard back mount and re-attached with rubber bands.

These are some initial shots... They seem OK, but not particularly inspiring.

Folding Camera Project Begins

The Goal of the Folding Camera Project is to modify an older style folding camera to attach my SLR - marry the old and the new. This will be technically feasable because the focus registration of the folding camera is quite long, and fairly adjustable due to the bellows.

To start off the project I bought a Goerz Folding Camera off eBay. I was originally hoping for an older style wooden camera, but the pricing for these cameras, even in poor condition was too high. So I have opted for the smaller (and cheaper) metal folding cameras that were mass produced in the early 1900's.

My camera features a Kalostigmat f/6.8 lens, and the bellows are light proof. The aperture is stuck fully open, and the lens is dirty and lightly crazed. Still - it's all I need to get started. As soon as I got home I opened the camera to have a look inside.

I've decided that any future work on this camera will not be destructive. I will some how mount the DSLR to the back of the film box.

To get a initial look, I took the lens off my a550 and shoved it inside the Goerz and see if this seems like it might work...

This is my first image:- Goerz Kalostigmat 100mm f/6.8, 1.6s - handheld lens.

After converting to BW, adjusting contrast and clarity, then some final cropping in Lightroom 3:

Not too bad, but I better be able to get some better focus.

After an hour with a peice of cardboard, an m42 extension tube and a dozen rubber bands, quality was improved alot...

Here is a 100% crop... not too bad at all.

Drive to Tyabb

I drove to Tyabb to discuss a camera project with Jack from "Jack's Cameras", and saw a bull.

That was one big bull.

I grabbed a flower picture by the side of the road while I waited for the traffic to pass.

100% crop. All pics taken with an SMC Takumar 55mm f1/8.

NTG project pt. 3

Different lens tonight.
On a whim I atttached the Sun 135 f/2.8. I was surprised how the lens gave me a different view to the project. All of these shots were 10-20 seconds depending on location and given plenty of boost in Lightroom 3. Lucky for me there was not too much of a breeze. All shots taken long after sunset, about 10:30 pm.

The colour seperation of the rose and the sky is not as high as I would have liked, but I think the processing has enhanced the "3D" effect.

Interesting to see the white balance correction has caused the dark green fence post to be blue.

There is an orange sodium capour light near by.

I'm not sure where the red and blue backgroup came from.

Nice shadow on the underside of the wheelbarrow. The angle is only possible due to the streetlight.

NTG project pt. 2

It's been windy, so the long exposure shots have been... difficult. This is the only shot I have been happy with lately. Taken at the front gate. 4 seconds with the yashica at f1.9.

Pictures taken at 9:00 pm.

NTG project-first shots...

Yashinon DS-50 taken at f1.9

10 seconds on a still night, lens wide open

8:30 pm

+ a healthy bit of Lightroom

Crazy swirling Bokeh - more luck +breeze thananything else...

Night time garden project

The next project I am undertaking is the "Night time garden".





The photos will all follow these rules:


All photos to be taken in my front garden
Photos can be taken at only at night
The only the illumination allowed is the porchlight
Flashlights cannot be used to assist focus, or find pictures
Only Manual Focus photographs are allowed
Post processing is allowed

Manual Focus Airedale

Here is Spencer, normally shy, looking at the camera, very unusual for him!

Dim conditions in the hall, but you wouldn't know it from the image. I like the reflections in the wood.

Taken with a Sony a550 and Manual Focus Yashinon-DS 50mm f/1.9 1/30s