A new lens

by Posted in TTartisans 50mm f2 Leave a comment
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I bought this lens for a few reasons:

  • I came across some reviews on YouTube, all of which were favorable.
  • I wanted to see for myself if it was really as good as the reviews suggested.
  • Although I had a few vintage lenses, I didn’t have a modern 50mm lens for my Sony e-mount cameras.
  • It was inexpensive (less than $100).

So how did I like the lens:

  • A solid lens. Well made. Not in the least “plasticky”.
  • It’s manual focus. This is very subjective. Some people love manual focus, others not so much. I started out using manual focus lenses, so I don’t have a problem with this. Indeed, it can be good as it slows you down and makes you think more about your images. It can also be bad if you’re trying to photograph fast moving subjects.
  • It vignettes a lot. Again subjective. I rather like vignettes, and in any case the vignette is easy to fix in post-production.
  • It’s a little soft wide open but is clears up as you stop down.
  • I’ve read that the lens flares badly, but I was never in a situation where flare would be a problem, so I can’t really comment.
  • Average minimum focus distance (around two feet).
  • Pincushion distortion is noticeable but can be fixed in post-production.
  • Not a lens that will yield great bokeh in any situation, but in many situations, it yields appealing results.
  • Lateral chromatic aberration is OK except for around the edges and in the corners. Can be corrected in post-production. Longitudinal chromatic aberration is surprisingly good.

It’s a fun lens. I like the colors, it’s sharp enough for my needs and I also like some of its “flaws” (e.g. the vignetting). It has the character of a vintage lens but with superior performance. It’s inexpensive (approx $69), small, light, and provides a pleasant shooting experience akin to lenses from the film era. However, it costs less than a vintage 50mm on eBay and will be less bulky than a vintage lens and its adaptor.

I’m sure there will be those who complain about its inadequate sharpness; its tendency to flare; it’s vignetting; its distortion etc. That’s fine. Let them go for their huge, expensive, close to perfect optically, and, dare I say it, rather soulless lenses. For me I like a little character and for this price you really can’t go wrong.

I’m very pleased with my purchase.

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All pictures (except for the first) taken with a Sony A7IV and TTartisans 50mm f2.

At Ossining Station

by Posted in Abstracts, Black & White Leave a comment
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In the preceding post (See:At Scarborough Station) I mentioned that I had a choice of two stations when I was going into New York City. In that post I chose to go to Scarborough.

For this post I chose to go to Ossining.

As is often the case strong winds blow down the Hudson. On this day they were not only strong, but very cold so I sought refuge in one of the shelters on the platform. These shelters are like large glass boxes. There’s nowhere to sit, but there is a large button that you can press to get heat. These pictures were taken through the shelter windows.

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At Scarborough Station

by Posted in Black & White, Landscapes Leave a comment
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I was taking the train to meet some friends in New York City. I have a choice of two stations: Ossining and Scarborough. They’re both about the same distance from my house. When we were commuting into the city for work, we always used Scarborough, largely because we were entitled to village parking.

However, of late I no longer need the parking, so I tend to use Ossining more, as the facilities are better: places to sit, wait, have snack, have a drink, access to taxis etc. Scarborough has none of this.

On this occasion I chose to go to Scarborough.

It was a strange day: reasonably clear by the station, but extremely hazy over the river. It was so bad that at times you could barely see the other side of the river.

I thought I might get some decent photos. Here are the results.

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Taken with a Sony RX100 VII

And now for something completely different

by Posted in Abstracts, Black & White Leave a comment
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At least for me.

After one of our last snowfalls, it got very cold and windy. I was a bit bored, but didn’t want to go out because it was so cold. I was in my kitchen when I noticed that the strong winds were blowing these tall weeds, waiting to be removed come Spring. I hadn’t done much black and white lately, so I thought I’d go with that. Add a slow shutter speed to blur the image and this is what you get.

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Taken with a Sony RX10 IV