Some say the only lens you'll ever need is the one you have with you. But I would add an extra caveat, based on my five years of buying, testing and, let's be frank, fumbling around until I get something half decent from, dozens of vintage SLR lenses. That addition is simple - it has… Continue reading The Only Lens You’ll Ever Need
The £5 Cheap Lens Challenge – Part 2
In my vintage lens adventures, I’ve rarely come across any that were truly awful. Indeed many have initially been underdogs on paper, but have then surprised me in use. So I decided to set myself a challenge that encompassed the two aspects of my 35hunter approach – finding a lens that met certain criteria, then… Continue reading The £5 Cheap Lens Challenge – Part 2
Cheap Seats At The Widescreen – The Halina Panorama
My fellow photographer and cheapskate Alan Duncan, who writes at Canny Cameras, challenged me to shoot a roll with a mystery film camera he'd send in the post. I agreed, always interested in trying a new toys, and eagerly awaited the postman's arrival with A Leica M series, Contax III or maybe at least a… Continue reading Cheap Seats At The Widescreen – The Halina Panorama
Film Photography On A Shoestring
There are still many myths around how much it costs to get set up with film photography. I want to shoot a few more down. A while back I wrote about how to start start film photography for £27. Based on at least two of the three rolls of film I've just got back from the… Continue reading Film Photography On A Shoestring
Lens Love #4 – Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Sonnar 135mm f/3.5 M42
Lens Love is an ongoing series of posts about the vintage lenses I’ve used and loved most. The dry technical data and 100% corner crops of brick walls can be found elsewhere. What I’m more interested in is what specifically about a lens makes me love using it, and why I believe you should try… Continue reading Lens Love #4 – Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Sonnar 135mm f/3.5 M42




