Comments on: ‘Digital guru’ interview in ProPhoto magazine http://rebusiness.com.au/2009/04/digital-guru-interview-in-prophoto-magazine/ Work Smarter. Look Better. Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:11:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Matt http://rebusiness.com.au/2009/04/digital-guru-interview-in-prophoto-magazine/comment-page-1/#comment-1107 Matt Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:55:28 +0000 http://rebusiness.com.au/?p=586#comment-1107 Well done AB, congrats. I'm not the first to bang on about glass, but all the same - the answer is 42. M42 to be precise. Well, it's AN answer, not THE answer. Anyway, m42 screw lenses (manual-style) are SUPER cheap on ebay et al, add a $12 (or $60 for AF confirm) adapter from Hong Kong and you've got yourself a beautiful prime lens in all the old school measures (28, 35, 50, 58, 85, 135, 200mm) for cheap. I picked up a Soligor 135 and a Zenit Helios (Zeiss copy) 58mm for $29 for the pair. $29!!!! The Soligor came in this awesome little leather zip-top case, with a hood included. For $150 you could easily get yourself a Zeiss 35 or 50mm, and then a nice 85/135mm with spare coin for filters etc. Awesome fun, this manual focus business, and the prime lens certainly makes you think about composition. Gets you walking at the very least. A nice change from my Sigma 24-70 f/2.8, which is a great all-round lens for under $800. Well worth investigating the not-Nikon/Canon lens manufacturers; a friend has the Sigma 10-20mm which is a wonderful piece of glass. Here's what I've shot old-school so far: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattjacquitoby/sets/72157621790019466/ (the Zenit has a pin to activate the aperture blades, the first adapter I bought doesn't have the necessary flange to connect; everything so far is f/2...) Well done AB, congrats.
I’m not the first to bang on about glass, but all the same – the answer is 42. M42 to be precise. Well, it’s AN answer, not THE answer.

Anyway, m42 screw lenses (manual-style) are SUPER cheap on ebay et al, add a $12 (or $60 for AF confirm) adapter from Hong Kong and you’ve got yourself a beautiful prime lens in all the old school measures (28, 35, 50, 58, 85, 135, 200mm) for cheap.
I picked up a Soligor 135 and a Zenit Helios (Zeiss copy) 58mm for $29 for the pair. $29!!!! The Soligor came in this awesome little leather zip-top case, with a hood included.

For $150 you could easily get yourself a Zeiss 35 or 50mm, and then a nice 85/135mm with spare coin for filters etc.

Awesome fun, this manual focus business, and the prime lens certainly makes you think about composition. Gets you walking at the very least.

A nice change from my Sigma 24-70 f/2.8, which is a great all-round lens for under $800. Well worth investigating the not-Nikon/Canon lens manufacturers; a friend has the Sigma 10-20mm which is a wonderful piece of glass.

Here’s what I’ve shot old-school so far:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattjacquitoby/sets/72157621790019466/
(the Zenit has a pin to activate the aperture blades, the first adapter I bought doesn’t have the necessary flange to connect; everything so far is f/2…)

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