Everybody enjoys a good-looking butt. I watched this particular Coot dive and tip for about 15 minutes before I decided it might make a decent capture. The shot was made with a Pentax 400mm f/4.5 Super Takumar and my Sony NEX-5N.
Tag: Sony NEX-5N
A Flicker
A couple of weeks ago I put my Konica Hexanon 300mm f/4.5 telephoto lens on my Sony NEX-5N and the tripod. I have a Vanguard TBH-250 on top of a set of Manfrotto 3021 legs. It’s a good combination of ball head and sturdy legs. It’s a lot stronger than I need for the Sony, but it’s very stable with that combination.
I put a polarizing filter on the lens and then watched the birds working the feeder on the side fence. Wife and I used to love watching these birds work and kept the feeders full. I thought this bird to be a European Starling, but my friend Leslaw tells me it’s a Northern Flicker. It’s related to the Red-Headed Woodpecker. (And that reminds me of a Wife story…)
The Hexanon is a very good telephoto lens. I was shooting at about f/8, ISO 400, and probably about 1/2,000th of a second. Enjoy…
Prospector Pete
On my way to Reno Saturday, I elected to take the old U.S. 395 through Washoe City. There, next to the Chocolate Nugget (sounds nasty, doesn’t it?), resides Prospector Pete. He’s a very patient model and quietly posed for me while I worked the light.
The Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AIS is a great lens. It’s sharp and contrasty throughout its aperture range.
Chinon 135/2.8 Test
My friend Jimmy loaned me this Chinon 135mm f2.8 lens in Konica AR mount. It’s a beautiful build with a really unique shape. It’s a little broad at the aperture ring and tapers a bit at both ends. It’s a beautiful lens and worth having just for those characteristics.
I’ve been carrying it on walkies the last couple of days. Yesterday morning the light was right on this small flower. The lens doesn’t focus particularly close (about five feet), but with a 200mm equivalent focal length on the Sony’s APS-C sensor it’s still close enough for a decent image. The bokeh of this lens is very smooth and it’s plenty sharp wide open.
I think it’s a keeper, even if I already have four or five (or more) 135mm lenses.
Pentacor 135/2.8 Test Shot
My glass-pushing friend Jimmy loaned me a Pentacor 135mm f2.8 compact lens a while back. It’s in the Practika B mount, which is a bayonet. I didn’t have an adapter for my NEX, so I had to wait for one to be shipped from China.
The adapter arrived late last week, so I put the lens on my NEX the other morning for walkies. The image quality is quite good. The colors seem a little cool (probably the Zeiss heritage), but the lens is adequately sharp wide open and has a very well behaved bokeh. The out of focus background is smooth and not busy. I rather like the lens.
If I didn’t already have so many 135mm lenses, I’d probably keep it. If the price is right, I’ll probably keep it anyway. 🙂
Flutterbye Reprise
Wednesday near noon I took a short break. The Girl was bored and wanted some time together playing in the backyard. We played a bit, then returned to the house so I could work.
On my way back from refilling my water bottle, I glanced out the back door and saw another flutterbye. The lens on my NEX was the Yashica 135/2.8. It’s good glass but doesn’t focus as closely as either the Pentacon or the Kiron (macro, of course). Nonetheless, it was what I had at hand, so I grabbed it and slipped out the back door.
The insect only allowed me a couple of frames. I took what I could get.
Later, as I ate lunch, I wondered to myself whether Wife is sending these creature to me. I love to watch them and they are so beautiful.
Soon it will be time for the quail to come around again. I’ll start putting out bird food near the end of October as the days grow shorter, colder, and there is less forage for the little creatures. I’m going to move the feeders around so I can get pictures of the birds as they work. I have tools that will let me get close. I’m looking forward to those images as well.
More Flowers
The other morning while the Girl and I were one walkies, I came across this patch of flowers that begged to be photographed. I had the Olympus Zuiko 35/2 on my NEX. It’s a new-to-me lens that has been begging to be shot for a couple of weeks. So, I made a few captures while the Girl did doggie things. Then we went on our way. I really find the bokeh of this lens interesting. It’s unlike any of my other lenses.
Backlit Flowers
Yesterday morning, the Girl and I left the house for a short walk. Smoke from the Rim Fire hung in the air, not so badly as some mornings the last couple of weeks but bad enough that I didn’t want to be out in it very long. The neighbor’s flowers were backlit and had a bit of shadow behind them to give some contrast.
The glass was a Konica Hexanon 135mm f3.2 manual focus lens. The aperture was set about f4.
Sunflower
On Monday-morning walkies, the Girl and I paused at the neighbors’ sunflowers. The light was interesting and I had the Pentacon 50/1.8 on my Sony NEX-5N.
The capture was pretty straightforward. I shot the flower at f2.8, f4, and f5.6. I believe this is the f5.6 shot. It’s decently sharp and has good image quality.
It’s a good lens and focuses quite close.
Pentacon 50/1.8
Monday morning I decided to take my camera along on morning walkies. I haven’t been carrying the camera given the really crappy atmospheric conditions the last week and change. But, the Rim Fire seems to be producing less smoke, or at least we’re getting less smoke here in Carson City. So, I thought a bit more walk would be good and there might be a few things worthy of a capture.
My friend Jimmy gave me this Pentacon 50mm f1.8 lens to shoot. I was going to shoot the Prakitcar 135mm f2.8 that I also have from him, but it’s in a Practica B-mount and I don’t have an adapter. [Aside: I ordered an adapter from Hong Kong this morning. I should be able to shoot the Prakticar in a week or two. It looks like good glass.]
So, I put the Pentacon 50/1.8 on my Sony NEX-5N and headed off. The Girl waited more or less patiently… well, less patiently this morning. She was ready for walkies.
With the improving atmospheric quality I elected to walk a bit more than we have been. The smoke really bothers me. It was a good walk and I found some pretty flowers along the way. I never tire of the colors that flowers present. It was overcast this morning. so the light was quite flat. Yet, I think that’s some of the best light for flowers.
The Pentacon has some interesting image quality. It’s not the sharpest lens in my collection wide open. It’s adequate, though. However, it has some interesting bokeh. I’m not sure if it’s good or not as it borders on the busy. Yet, I find this particular image interesting enough to share.