OFFICIAL I HAVE A NEW (FILM RELATED) TOY THREAD!!

[Kell]

Also picked these up from my father in law.

Pentax Espio 115 and a Ricoh FF3-AF

I don’t have a battery for the Espio so haven’t checked it yet*. But I used to have an Espio 140. And liked it.

*Why do they all take such weird batteries? I had to buy a pack of CR123 batteries for another freebie (which didn't work) but I thought at least this look like the battery. Turns out it's a CR2. Which I don't have.

The Ricoh seems to fire OK but is noisy. Will have to give it a check with some film and also give it a clean.

 

[Strappy]

Been a while since I've troubled this thread!

Kiev 4AM with Helios 103 (53mm f/1.8) lens, shipped from Ukraine by a very nice chap who included a few films, a mix of expired and fresh Svema B&W. It's in lovely condition, everything works smoothly, the shutter speeds sound ok but I'll need to run a film through to confirm. I've read plenty of anecdotes about mixed build quality in later Kievs, this one's from 1984 so here's hoping I got a good one.

 

[RyanB]

Really chuffed, picked up a Carl Zeiss Flektogon 35mm f2.4 m42 lens as part of an untested job lot the other day. It was simply labelled as a 35mm lens but I could just make out from the pics what it was. Came with 2x CZJ 135mm f3.5s and a couple other junk lenses. The 2 135mm are fully working and will more than pay for the entire job lot if and when I decide to sell them on but my main prize was the Flektogon.
When it arrived I noticed it had a slight rattle and my heart sank but it seemed ok on a few close focus shots I did around the house. I decided to take it out and test it at our local cathedral and was super disappointed. The centre of the images were OKish but everything else was distorted even stopped down, I thought for sure my brilliant buy had soured. I decided despite never taking a lens apart to see if I could disassemble it to find the rattle. I could only find one video on youtube showing a disassembly but managed to open the front and back where I found two different elements had somehow worked themselves loose. A quick tighten up and 2 botched attempts at reassembling followed by a third successful one and the rattle had gone completely, the aperture worked and everything was focusing like it should!!!

Now the happy owner of a fully working and sweet little CZJ Flektogon 35mm.

 

[excalibur2]

Really chuffed, picked up a Carl Zeiss Flektogon 35mm f2.4 m42 lens as part of an untested job lot the other day. It was simply labelled as a 35mm lens but I could just make out from the pics what it was. Came with 2x CZJ 135mm f3.5s and a couple other junk lenses. The 2 135mm are fully working and will more than pay for the entire job lot if and when I decide to sell them on but my main prize was the Flektogon.
When it arrived I noticed it had a slight rattle and my heart sank but it seemed ok on a few close focus shots I did around the house. I decided to take it out and test it at our local cathedral and was super disappointed. The centre of the images were OKish but everything else was distorted even stopped down, I thought for sure my brilliant buy had soured. I decided despite never taking a lens apart to see if I could disassemble it to find the rattle. I could only find one video on youtube showing a disassembly but managed to open the front and back where I found two different elements had somehow worked themselves loose. A quick tighten up and 2 botched attempts at reassembling followed by a third successful one and the rattle had gone completely, the aperture worked and everything was focusing like it should!!!

Now the happy owner of a fully working and sweet little CZJ Flektogon 35mm.
View attachment 417483

in the good old days at the bootie used to buy the complete kit set MTl3, 35mm Flektogon, 135mm Sonnar and 50mm f1.8 (forgot the type without looking for them) for about £20...VG optics but many suffered from stuck iris, ok what did I expect for a lens not used for years, but the annoying thing is:- I took them apart and got them working but if I don't use them......the iris sticks again.

 

[RyanB]

in the good old days at the bootie used to buy the complete kit set MTl3, 35mm Flektogon, 135mm Sonnar and 50mm f1.8 (forgot the type without looking for them) for about £20...VG optics but many suffered from stuck iris, ok what did I expect for a lens not used for years, but the annoying thing is:- I took them apart and got them working but if I don't use them......the iris sticks again.

Sadly those days are gone, I have been wanting one for a while after reading a bunch of reviews but all the ebay auctions for just the Flektogon in working order were absolutely ridiculous. The last one I watched which was the same version as mine went for £179!! I paid £80 for a MTL3, Flektogon, 2x CZJ 135mm f3.5, an Optomax 200mm, Domiplan 50mm and a Prinzflex zoom Plus a bunch of extras like filters and TCs and ext tubes. Everything but the Domiplan works fine(stuck aperture) and I'm not all that bothered as I already have a bunch of very nice and faster 50s.

I have to say having held the Flektogon in my hand I don't think it warrants that price tag. Now its fixed it is pretty sharp but I'm not sure its any sharper than my Panagor 35mm f2 which I got at a reduced price of £16 due to a bent filter ring. The overall build quality of the Panagor is far superior and its only losing out to the CZJ Flek on the close focusing which I have to say is impressive.

At least I now know if the aperture starts sticking or I get the rattle again its not very hard to get apart and get down to the aperture for cleaning, just two optical blocks/ sets that come out whole and I'm there.

 

[Strappy]

Wasn't expecting to be posting again so soon. Pentax Zoom 70-R "compact", in quotes because it's a bit of a brick. My father-in-law passed away recently and we found this yesterday as we're clearing his house. A quick google tells me that the Zoom 70 series is supposed to have rather good lenses and decent performance. I don't have any CR123 batteries to check it works, though at least the big supermarkets still carry those so I'll pick up a couple next time I'm out for groceries.

 

[excalibur2]

Sadly those days are gone, I have been wanting one for a while after reading a bunch of reviews but all the ebay auctions for just the Flektogon in working order were absolutely ridiculous. The last one I watched which was the same version as mine went for £179!! I paid £80 for a MTL3, Flektogon, 2x CZJ 135mm f3.5, an Optomax 200mm, Domiplan 50mm and a Prinzflex zoom Plus a bunch of extras like filters and TCs and ext tubes. Everything but the Domiplan works fine(stuck aperture) and I'm not all that bothered as I already have a bunch of very nice and faster 50s.

I have to say having held the Flektogon in my hand I don't think it warrants that price tag. Now its fixed it is pretty sharp but I'm not sure its any sharper than my Panagor 35mm f2 which I got at a reduced price of £16 due to a bent filter ring. The overall build quality of the Panagor is far superior and its only losing out to the CZJ Flek on the close focusing which I have to say is impressive.

At least I now know if the aperture starts sticking or I get the rattle again its not very hard to get apart and get down to the aperture for cleaning, just two optical blocks/ sets that come out whole and I'm there.

If you have a VG copy of the 35mm Flek and only interested in sharpness it is very sharp and have posted some shots here..how sharp? well the digital guys have tested many old lenses and for my limited experience on film it is sharper than my OLD Pentax 35mm Tak but the much cheaper Canon FDN 35mm f2.8 takes some beating. As you said I don't understand why some lenses are so expensive when there are cheaper lenses available that on film it's difficult sometimes to see the difference esp trying to pixel peep after home scanning and probably the best way would be to compare say 12" X 16" prints done by a pro lab.
As mentioned before I used to have a great hobby buying lenses for peanuts and testing them when film was also going for peanuts and was surprised many times on how some 3rd party lenses (many bought for £1)...... were so good on tests.

 

[The Oldun]

. I don't have any CR123 batteries to check it works, though at least the big supermarkets still carry those so I'll pick up a couple next time I'm out for groceries.

I get my batteries from The Small Battery Company online. The supply just about any battery and don't charge postage. https://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/

 

[David_Mug]

I too have used The Small Battery Company for years. Fast and reliable, cannot fault them.

 

[excalibur2]

Roughly on topic and just AAMOI for silly prices for names of lenses:-
Collectors seem to rave over Anjenieux lenses, at the bootie years ago thought I was on a winner and bought this zoom for £1..well it turned out to be a tv lens and thought it was too much bother to try and fit it on a film camera to test it out...on the bay, at the time, another lens was sold for IIRC about £150....can't think what it could be used for as it's soo heavy

 

[RyanB]

Roughly on topic and just AAMOI for silly prices for names of lenses:-
Collectors seem to rave over Anjenieux lenses, at the bootie years ago thought I was on a winner and bought this zoom for £1..well it turned out to be a tv lens and thought it was too much bother to try and fit it on a film camera to test it out...on the bay, at the time, another lens was sold for IIRC about £150....can't think what it could be used for as it's soo heavy

Wow, that thing would give the Orestegor 300mm f4 a run for its money in the weight department and that's got the be the heaviest lens I've ever used @2+Kg. Has it bent in the back section under its own weight or is it some kind of tilt/shift mechanism?

 

[excalibur2]

Wow, that thing would give the Orestegor 300mm f4 a run for its money in the weight department and that's got the be the heaviest lens I've ever used @2+Kg. Has it bent in the back section under its own weight or is it some kind of tilt/shift mechanism?

Not bent just not connected to the camera.

 

[PeterSpencer]

If you do decide to fit it to camera body you will have to arrange support for the lens, for example mount the lens on a tripod and the body to the lens rather than vice versa.

I know from experience gained when I fitted a Russian MTO 1000mm lens on my Canon 6D via a M42 to EOS mount adapter. The adapter got stuck on the camera body as the weight of the lens must have distorted the lens mount. Luckily there was no actual damage to the camera although I had to get a repairer to extricate the adapter.

 

[excalibur2]

If you do decide to fit it to camera body you will have to arrange support for the lens, for example mount the lens on a tripod and the body to the lens rather than vice versa.

I know from experience gained when I fitted a Russian MTO 1000mm lens on my Canon 6D via a M42 to EOS mount adapter. The adapter got stuck on the camera body as the weight of the lens must have distorted the lens mount. Luckily there was no actual damage to the camera although I had to get a repairer to extricate the adapter.

Weight roughly is 10 kilos (22lbs) (without sq bracket), and thread mount to a camera is about 73mm so how to connect to a 35mm camera would be a problem as it would need an adapter from 73mm to 42mm but when lens is fully screwed home the adapter would have to be about 33mm long as not to foul the mirror, so probably will leave it still standing on the floor as an ornament which it has done for years.

 

[Peter B]

Weight roughly is 10 kilos (22lbs) (without sq bracket), and thread mount to a camera is about 73mm so how to connect to a 35mm camera would be a problem as it would need an adapter from 73mm to 42mm but when lens is fully screwed home the adapter would have to be about 33mm long as not to foul the mirror, so probably will leave it still standing on the floor as an ornament which it has done for years.

Proper doorstop then Brian

 

[excalibur2]

Proper doorstop then Brian

Indeed as would a lens made for a tv camera with a zoom 16mm to 180mm also good for low light be as good as a similar zoom made for some sort of LF film camera? my guess would be NO?

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

The adapter got stuck on the camera body as the weight of the lens must have distorted the lens mount.

When I used a MTO 1000mm I always made it a rule never to hold the combination by the camera alone, as I do with any heavy lens.

There's a really good reason why heavy lenses almost always have a tripod socket fitted!

 

[GooGaBu]

Here is my little film camera collection - somehow have fallen into the Voigtlander category here.
In the middle my fathers old Vito B, on the left the Bessamatic with the Zoomar lens and on the right the latest addition.
Prominent I with 50mm Nokton, 35mm Skoparon and 100mm Dynaron.

All now loaded with film and ready for some action .

 

[PeterSpencer]

How do you find the Prominent viewfinder/rangefinder? I had to give up my Leica IIIA because the optics were too squitty but would like to try a Prominent out. I have my dad's Vito I and a Vito II, which I have used. The cameras are compact, very well built and have great lenses, really good as long as you can cope with the manual focusing.

 

[zx9]

An Ebay nostalgia buying spree.

Yashica FR IMG_8680 by Keith Hudson, on Flickr

Identical to the camera and lens which I used in the mid / late 1980's but which was stolen from a girlfriend's hotel room when on loan to her. The original camera took me through O level photography and was used for most of my degree work, it travelled many thousands of mile in my motorcycle tank bag and became very 'brassed' I was really quite attached to the old camera.

The new to me camera has a non working frame counter and needs the foam light seals replacing whilst the lens a Tamron 17A 35 - 70mm has slight fungus on one or more elements. Both are almost generic faults with these items as most examples seem to suffer but as the total cost delivered was under £60 including a very clean 50mm f/2 Yashica ML standard lens, I am very happy. I have started using a 24 exp. roll of Kentmere 100 but really need some nicer light than we have been having recently to get out and about and shooting with a FR for the first time in thirty years, it is a bit like driving your first car again with the emotions attached to places you visited and people you were with.

 

[excalibur2]

An Ebay nostalgia buying spree.

Yashica FR IMG_8680 by Keith Hudson, on Flickr

Identical to the camera and lens which I used in the mid / late 1980's but which was stolen from a girlfriend's hotel room when on loan to her. The original camera took me through O level photography and was used for most of my degree work, it travelled many thousands of mile in my motorcycle tank bag and became very 'brassed' I was really quite attached to the old camera.

The new to me camera has a non working frame counter and needs the foam light seals replacing whilst the lens a Tamron 17A 35 - 70mm has slight fungus on one or more elements. Both are almost generic faults with these items as most examples seem to suffer but as the total cost delivered was under £60 including a very clean 50mm f/2 Yashica ML standard lens, I am very happy. I have started using a 24 exp. roll of Kentmere 100 but really need some nicer light than we have been having recently to get out and about and shooting with a FR for the first time in thirty years, it is a bit like driving your first car again with the emotions attached to places you visited and people you were with.

The frame counter was a weakness on FR cameras and my FR I ended up for spare screws, and the few Yashica lenses I have fit my Contax camera which is a better camera.

 

[zx9]

The frame counter was a weakness on FR cameras and my FR II ended up for spare screws, and the few Yashica lenses I have fit my Contax camera which is a better camera.

Indeed, I still have my RTS from the same period and it is notionally a better camera in that it has a shutter that runs to 1/2000 and has interchangeable focusing screens that show a couple of percent more view. Buying this FR and Tamron lens was purely an emotional trip back in time, I almost bought a Vario Sonnar for my Aria whilst plotting getting a zoom lens for film use , which would have been a 'much better' combination but ...

 

[PeterSpencer]

I had an FR I for many years and it served me well. I also had an FR II and an FR for a while. The frame counters and self timers seemed to be a weakness for sure. The camera bodies were pretty robust though. I had an accident with the FR I when I accidentally knocked over my tripod on full extension, maybe 2 metres, with the camera attached. The force of the fall cracked the body casting but the camera still worked!

I sold all my Yashica gear when in order to try out some other brands, starting with Minolta, then Canon and Nikon. It's true that the quality of the Yashicas isn't up to the best of those brands but they never let me down. I never had the pleasure of owning a Contax which I always lusted after.

 

[GooGaBu]

How do you find the Prominent viewfinder/rangefinder? I had to give up my Leica IIIA because the optics were too squitty but would like to try a Prominent out. I have my dad's Vito I and a Vito II, which I have used. The cameras are compact, very well built and have great lenses, really good as long as you can cope with the manual focusing.

Very little experience with the Prominent as of yet - mine is the Prominent I so has the tiniest of viewfinders to try to look through and focus.
It is a different experience to use the focus ring and the reeling of the film.. from the two times I've been out with it, have loved it.

First roll of film is still in there - so no results yet, but the 50mm Nokton looks in great condition (haven't used the 35mm or 100mm lens yet) and bought it from
a reputable place.. so hoping all is good.

Not sure why - but Voigtlander just seems to be the make that I keep returning to buy in the analogue world.
The Bessamatic with the Zoomar has really been a super camera/lens ... and one of my all time favourites!

 

[excalibur2]

Indeed, I still have my RTS from the same period and it is notionally a better camera in that it has a shutter that runs to 1/2000 and has interchangeable focusing screens that show a couple of percent more view. Buying this FR and Tamron lens was purely an emotional trip back in time, I almost bought a Vario Sonnar for my Aria whilst plotting getting a zoom lens for film use , which would have been a 'much better' combination but ...

Correction I had the FRI not FRII

 

[excalibur2]

I had an FR I for many years and it served me well. I also had an FR II and an FR for a while. The frame counters and self timers seemed to be a weakness for sure. The camera bodies were pretty robust though. I had an accident with the FR I when I accidentally knocked over my tripod on full extension, maybe 2 metres, with the camera attached. The force of the fall cracked the body casting but the camera still worked!

I sold all my Yashica gear when in order to try out some other brands, starting with Minolta, then Canon and Nikon. It's true that the quality of the Yashicas isn't up to the best of those brands but they never let me down. I never had the pleasure of owning a Contax which I always lusted after.

Well I've been unlucky with Yashica DSB lenses https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/show-us-yer-film-shots-then.53681/page-437#post-7539439

My Contax camera stands out for me with a super smooth film wind on.........but then maybe all my other cameras need a service

 

[zx9]

Well I've been unlucky with Yashica DSB lenses https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/show-us-yer-film-shots-then.53681/page-437#post-7539439

My Contax camera stands out for me with a super smooth film wind on.........but then maybe all my other cameras need a service

At the time the ML lenses were more expensive than the DSBs , possibly urban myth * that Zeiss had a lot to do with the design of the early ML range where as the DSB range was more in house though some of the even older Yashinon lenses were well regarded.

* It has been debated before and probably not worth raking over again.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

I had a FR1 with the Yashica ML 28/50/135 combination for a while; it was a nice outfit for occassional freelance work.

I think I captured this fire at the Exmouth Docks, sometime in 1992, with the FR1 and 135mm lens...

 

[Strappy]

Fresh off the DHL van today, Nikon 35mm f/2 Ai from Japan via eBay. I considered holding out for an f/1.4 version but most of the other browsers were doing the same judging from how the bidding on the ones I was watching went so I convinced myself that I'd be far too precious about the faster lens to take it anywhere and opted for the f/2 instead.

This should complete my small collection of Nikon lenses to use with the FE2. Now all I have to do is ignore the guy selling a 105mm f/2.5 in the Classifieds and remember that I haven't been out photographing anything recently, never mind taking portrait shots.

 

[RyanB]

Now all I have to do is ignore the guy selling a 105mm f/2.5 in the Classifieds and remember that I haven't been out photographing anything recently, never mind taking portrait shots.

I have a couple 100-105mm (Orestor 100/2.8 and a Soligor 105/2.8) coming in the post hopefully this week and its been ages since I last did any portraits, they just round off a focal length gap in my collection.
I think I might have a problem...

This came today just because...

A preset Komura Sankyo Kohki 200mm f/3.5. Absolute bargain at £12.80 including shipping imho. Advertised as blooming in the lens, said blooming/ fungus was a single spot <2mm on the back of the 2nd from the front element which was very easy to disassemble and wipe away with a bit of hydrogen peroxide and left no visible marks to the glass. Other than an odd bit of dust and a bit of oil on the aperture blades(which don't affect it in any way) it seems to be pretty pristine. Just waiting for a m48 to EF adapter to come tomorrow to give it a try with my 5D.

 

[Strappy]

I think I might have a problem...

I definitely had a problem and spent years buying lenses and cameras that I barely used because I was looking for the one lens/camera/accessory that I "needed" to make me a proper photographer (by magic or osmosis or something). Came to a head last year when I realised how much stuff I'd accumulated when we were moving home and I sent the lot off to be sold on commission rather than pack it all over and carry on. There are a few things I regret giving up but on reflection it was the best decision I made.

And now it's starting again after buying the Kiev and the 35mm so I need to be strong and resist the urge to splurge!

 

[RyanB]

I definitely had a problem and spent years buying lenses and cameras that I barely used because I was looking for the one lens/camera/accessory that I "needed" to make me a proper photographer (by magic or osmosis or something). Came to a head last year when I realised how much stuff I'd accumulated when we were moving home and I sent the lot off to be sold on commission rather than pack it all over and carry on. There are a few things I regret giving up but on reflection it was the best decision I made.

And now it's starting again after buying the Kiev and the 35mm so I need to be strong and resist the urge to splurge!

Yeah, I need to start selling some of my duplicates and 35mm film bodies which came as job lots I bought for that one gem hiding amongst the tat. I don't shoot a lot in the winter and I think GAS got a hold of me really bad during this cold season to compensate for not getting out. I quite enjoy testing old glass to see how some of the more unique lenses render the light but I have kept more than I should.
I'm hoping that selling all the duplicates and bodies will net me enough to grab a used Sony ARII or at least get me most of the way there. I love my 5Diii but it can get a bit heavy and doesn't play nice with a lot of the film era lenses with protruding back elements.

Once I have that there is only one more lens I want which is a Takumar 50/1.4 which I really really really need(want)...

 

[excalibur2]

Once I have that there is only one more lens I want which is a Takumar 50/1.4 which I really really really need(want)

Any special reason for 50mm f1.4 as just a quick test (a few shots) on my super tak 50mm f1.4 didn't think it was anything special e.g. sharpness compared to say Minolta 50mm.

 

[RyanB]

Any special reason for 50mm f1.4 as just a quick test (a few shots) on my super tak 50mm f1.4 didn't think it was anything special e.g. sharpness compared to say Minolta 50mm.

Mainly for low light gig photography which I think would benefit from a slightly faster lens. My 50/1.8 does ok but still need to up the ISO more than I want to.
To date I have only really been looking at m42 mount lenses so I guess that is just the one I have read the most reviews on, the Chinon and Porst also springs to mind and seem to be well regarded. If I manage to get the ARII that would open up the field a bit in regards to mounts so I would certainly consider other 50/1.4 options.
I will have a look at the Minolta.

 

[freecom2]

Fresh off the DHL van today, Nikon 35mm f/2 Ai from Japan via eBay. I considered holding out for an f/1.4 version but most of the other browsers were doing the same judging from how the bidding on the ones I was watching went so I convinced myself that I'd be far too precious about the faster lens to take it anywhere and opted for the f/2 instead.

This should complete my small collection of Nikon lenses to use with the FE2. Now all I have to do is ignore the guy selling a 105mm f/2.5 in the Classifieds and remember that I haven't been out photographing anything recently, never mind taking portrait shots.

This is pretty much the only Nikon lens I use regularly. I think it's the perfect every day usable focal length and for day to day shooting I'm not sure the f/1.4 would have that many advantages. Enjoy!

 

[excalibur2]

Mainly for low light gig photography which I think would benefit from a slightly faster lens. My 50/1.8 does ok but still need to up the ISO more than I want to.
To date I have only really been looking at m42 mount lenses so I guess that is just the one I have read the most reviews on, the Chinon and Porst also springs to mind and seem to be well regarded. If I manage to get the ARII that would open up the field a bit in regards to mounts so I would certainly consider other 50/1.4 options.
I will have a look at the Minolta.

Well I thought digi cameras didn't have a problem (compared to film cameras) for low light esp as the difference betrween f1.4 and f1.7/f1.8 is about half a stop but then I haven't tested all my 50mms wide open so don't know if a lens at f1.4 wide open is sharper than one at f1.7/f1.8 also wide open.

 

[RyanB]

Well I thought digi cameras didn't have a problem (compared to film cameras) for low light esp as the difference betrween f1.4 and f1.7/f1.8 is about half a stop but then I haven't tested all my 50mms wide open so don't know if a lens at f1.4 wide open is sharper than one at f1.7/f1.8 also wide open.

Wide open it should give nice bokeh and let me speed up my shutter speed a touch. Besides that if I needed it the 1.4 stopped down to f2 should be sharper than my 1.8 wide open while still letting in about as much light. Maybe I don't have to have it but it would be nice to have a 1.4 in my 50mm collection.

 

[excalibur2]

Wide open it should give nice bokeh and let me speed up my shutter speed a touch. Besides that if I needed it the 1.4 stopped down to f2 should be sharper than my 1.8 wide open while still letting in about as much light. Maybe I don't have to have it but it would be nice to have a 1.4 in my 50mm collection.

As you can use adapters and f1.4 is important maybe you should do a search for best (sharpness or whatever) analogue 50mm f1.4 lens wide open and would think the Canon FD would also be in the running...good luck and maybe you can show results although it would be nice if you used a film camera

 

[Marino]

Zenza Bronica S2

Having this beast next to my 35mm cameras makes them look like a toys.
The weight of it is only for real tough men, it’s like holding a couple of bricks instead of a camera (I’m thankful I did not get the telephoto lens).
Aesthetically it’s such a beauty, but…
But Christ, how am I supposed to use this camera? How Should I hold it?
If I use the camera strap it hurts my neck, no strap and There’s a chance I might drop the camera. I only see it used with tripod and rarely handheld.
Anyone had/has one of these in their possession?

 

[RyanB]

As you can use adapters and f1.4 is important maybe you should do a search for best (sharpness or whatever) analogue 50mm f1.4 lens wide open and would think the Canon FD would also be in the running...good luck and maybe you can show results although it would be nice if you used a film camera

Would be fun to use a film camera but I don't think I could afford to run one anymore. The musicians I mainly shoot stopped playing during the pandemic but recently started up again, haven't gotten a chance to shoot a gig yet but here is a couple shots I did with an OM mount Zukio 50/1.8 wide open 1/125 ISO1600 a few years ago. They don't look too bad edited and resized for the web but noisy when viewed in detail. Really wouldn't have minded a faster shutter speed and or a lower ISO as the gigs were in a renovated crypt lit by a small overhead light fixture.




this was another night with a 35/2.8 wide open but need tons of noise reduction even after convincing the venue to add some more lighting around the musicians( a couple table lamps)


I can work with what I've got I just think a 1.4 would give me more wiggle room as I feel the conditions were pushing my equipment to its limits.