1st try with the Laowa lens.

gramps

gramps

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'Gramps'
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The Laowa 15mm f4 lens is primarily a macro lens with the ability to focus down to a true 1:1 ... it also has a shift movement to allow for distortion correction in camera.

http://www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-15mm-f4-wide-angle-1x-macro-lens/

I don't do macro but the 15mm with the shift option appealed to me for landscape and some close work ... only problem for me is that it is fully manual and I have practically no experience of working with a manual lens and no experience with a shift lens :)

So first time out with the lens today for a little trial and walkabout.

1. The Bee

Bee.jpg




2. Bristol Cathedral

Cathedral.jpg



3. The Flats

Ferry.jpg



4. Lloyds Building

Lloyds.jpg
 
STARRIDER said:
Superb images..(y) what camera are you using with this..?
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Thanks Dave, it's with a Nikon D810 ... can't say I am comfortable with fully manual yet though :)
 
Interesting lens. Looks generally pretty good. It would be interesting to see the EXIF for these. What was the aperture for the last one, looks a little soft in the corners?
 
davekiddle said:
Interesting lens. Looks generally pretty good. It would be interesting to see the EXIF for these. What was the aperture for the last one, looks a little soft in the corners?
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Exif that is produced is with the pics so can be viewed with an exif viewer but it doesn't display aperture.
With all the concentration in trying to get used to the lens I didn't make a note of aperture settings and TBH softness could be down to me as much, if not more, than the lens :)
 
Well, the images certainly look ok... be interested to see how you get on with a bit more practise of the manual focusing...
 
Solo man said:
Well, the images certainly look ok... be interested to see how you get on with a bit more practise of the manual focusing...
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Yes indeed, I think I might be better off using a tripod or monopod for a while too ... interesting to notice how reliant I have been on AF :)
 
Had my eye on one of these lenses myself gramps but after alot of research went for the Samyang 14mm. Nice set of shots!

Have seen some spectacular macro work with this lens though it's meant to be very tricky to get the most out of
 
F/1.4 said:
Had my eye on one of these lenses myself gramps but after alot of research went for the Samyang 14mm. Nice set of shots!

Have seen some spectacular macro work with this lens though it's meant to be very tricky to get the most out of
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I can't see myself doing any 1:1 TBH :D
 
Solo man said:
Oh yes, it sure takes a while to get used to doing manual focus again..
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Yep, dug out the Bronica a while ago and whilst I had no problem recalling things it was amazing how much long it took to do everything manually.....
 
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Interesting results although I must admit I don't really understand this 1:1 and focusing, etc

Anti distortion is clever and saves all that faffing around in photoshop by the looks of things. Enjoyable set, Roger.

Observation and not a criticism - is the height of the subject shortened, especially in the cathedral shot but also the following two images?
 
EdwardL said:
Interesting results although I must admit I don't really understand this 1:1 and focusing, etc

Anti distortion is clever and saves all that faffing around in photoshop by the looks of things. Enjoyable set, Roger.

Observation and not a criticism - is the height of the subject shortened, especially in the cathedral shot but also the following two images?
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Thanks Edward, the lens can correct distortion by using the shift feature but it doesn't shorten the height ... they are wide angle views (cropped top and bottom) created by the 15mm focal length :)
1:1 focusing means this lens can focus to within 5mm of the front lens so incredible for close macro work.
 
Wonderful set of images... Seems that manual focus is liking you even though you are on the fence... Lol
 
killy said:
I am impressed with what you have achieved so far - have you tried live view to get correct focus ? you can zoom in to get it spot on.
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Thanks, no I haven't tried live view yet, it was just a quick first test hand-held so was always going to be less than spot on ... next time I think it will be tripod mounted with a definite intent on getting the best possible out of the lens. TBH I didn't expect to have anything to use, as thinking about manual exposure and focus as well as composition is a new challenge for me :)

Oh and sliding the shift mechanism is also quite challenging!
 
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Hi Gramps
Agree with the guys above - you've made an impressive start. Images look real good, especially as you're getting to grips with full manual and the actual lens.
Looks like a good buy for you.
Cheers
 
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