Category: lenses

Test Shot Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 Macro

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The Silver Saddle Ranch compound, viewed from the south of the horse-working paddock. Shot with Sony A7iii and a Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 macro lens at f/8. Post processed with PhotoLab for black and white conversion and some cleanup.

The Girl and I got out Sunday for our daily walk. With the change in weather, we are walking Silver Saddle Ranch once again. The risk of snakes is abated but there remains a risk of other critters. I sometimes see a large coyote and there was a report of a mountain lion working a sheep ranch nearby.

I am reminded that life is inherently risky. The risk can be mitigated to some extent, but none of us get out of alive. There is no such thing as safe. But, I digress.

I found a Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 macro lens in my inventory. (I actually found a second sample and I have no idea how I got two. They were purchased long ago.) I carried it mounted to the Sony A7iii Saturday and Sunday and came away with a couple frames that are OK, by my estimation.

We had a great walk, except that Goofus, AKA The Girl, had too much energy and ran too hard. She limped around the house Sunday evening and Monday morning. So, I am going to have to mitigate that to some extent. With the coyote I saw yesterday and the mountain lion report, I need to keep her closer in anyway. She can still range out a bit, just not more than a few tens of feet.

The lens is quite good, especially given its age. It is plenty sharp, focuses quite close (and I have the extension that will let it focus to 1:1) without the extension, and the rendering is good. It was built by Tokina. Those lenses built by the Komine and Tokina companies were generally of higher quality than the run of the mill Vivitar glass.

The reputation of the Vivitar is that it produces a very nice background blur (bokeh) and renders an image well. It is useful for general photography when the focal length is appropriate.

So I made a few images as we walked. It is my way of rebuilding after focusing on problem solving. I give my mind a break from the analytical work and feed my soul.

When we came around to the northbound part of our trail, I noticed the scene of the ranch compound. The wave cloud over Mt. Scott added to the scene. It also begged to be in black and white, at least to me. I made the capture, while The Girl waited impatiently for me.

Because of the traffic, I put her on lead until we passed the compound. When I saw the way was clear, I released her from the lead but kept her close anyway.

As we approached the rig and the end of our outing, the Sun popped out from behind the clouds. I paused to make an image of the entry sign. I am working on a Silver Saddle Ranch gallery and the sign will make a nice theme photo.

When I reviewed the image, I noticed some chromatic aberration along the hard lines of the top of the stone. It is not prominent, but it is there. This is not unusual for vintage glass and is easy to correct in post processing. It also diminishes with an increase in f-number.

It was a good walk. Even with the overcast and cooler weather, I returned home refreshed. The Girl came home tired, and a tired dog is a happy dog.

Life is good. I am grateful.

Beginning a New Week

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The access road to Silver Saddle Ranch, not far from the main gate. Shot with Sony A7iii and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 probably wide open, but may f/2. Post processing in PhotoLab7.

Sunday is the first day of the week. Perhaps it should be called Sonday or maybe Son-day in honor of the Savior who rose on the third day. I have thought that for a long time and it bubbled up from my memory as I began to write.

Last week was too busy. This week might be the same. This is not a complaint, but an observation and simply part of the consultant’s life. Deadlines occur and I do my best to make them.

But, that kind of busy-ness leaves little time and energy for reflection, photography, or radio. I do set aside a few minutes in the morning to write in my paper journal, plan the day, and pray a little before the day goes out of control.

The holidays and the end of the year are soon upon us. I hope to take some time this year to reflect on and process the year behind and think about the year ahead. That did not happen last year because I was traveling to see my loved ones and dealing with a broken camper. I should not have a broken camper to deal with this year and I pray nothing else happens.

Aside: I heard my neighbors last night about 0230h. It sounded like there were tearing up the house, but probably they were just moving things around. There was nothing to indicate a domestic problem. But then I heard the sound of a woman screaming and it sounded outside. At first I thought it might be a television, but then Sera started barking. That got me up to investigate, but I heard nothing more and could not get a direction.

There were a couple of days last week when I did not even carry a camera. I needed to get The Girl (and myself) out for some exercise. I needed to just get it done. I could not afford the time to dawdle along at my usual pace. So I left my camera at home and thought that if something interesting was presented I could always just use my phone.

But one day I carried the Sony A7iii and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 that is in my inventory. I saw the frame above and decided to make a capture. I thought that the sign was the interest, so I placed myself such that I could isolate the sign from the background and then made the capture. I kept the aperture open so as to place the background out of focus.

Then I noticed that the dog-waste dispenser and waste bin were both in the focus plane. I like that.

The image is not portfolio grade, but tells an interesting story. At least, it does for me.

Now I think I need to get on with my day. The Girl will want a walk, even if she is limping a bit. I think she over did it Saturday.

I am grateful. Life is good.

Tokina 28–85mm f/4, Reprise

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Mount Scott and Slide Mountain, shot from Silver Saddle Ranch with the Sony A7iii and the Tokina 28–85mm f/4 zoom at 28mm and probably f/8. Post processing in DXO PhotoLab7 to boost the colors a bit and to remove the vignetting of the Tokina at 28mm.

Back in 2013 I was using a Sony NEX-5N mirrorless body and a Nikon D300 dSLR. I know this partly because I remember and partly because of this entry. Both of those cameras are crop-sensor cameras. Each has an APS-C size sensor. The lens that was the topic of the 2013 entry (and this entry) offers an image circle sufficient to cover a full-frame sensor.

I still have the D300, although it has not seen much use the last few years. I traded the NEX-5N to my buddy Jimmy years ago for some vintage glass and a little cash. The NEX-5N was replaced by the Fuji X-T1 when I dove in to the deep end on Fujifilm products.

I had a couple of full-frame (35mm) mirrorless cameras in my inventory until I recently them to fund an upgrade. The first was the original Sony A7S that I bought as an experiment (it was not the current version when I bought it). I used it to shoot old 35mm lenses so they would render as they were designed to do on a 35mm frame. A couple of years ago I decided to buy a little newer model (the A7Sii) so I would get the in-body image stabilization.

I recently sold both the A7S and A7Sii bodies, after buying a Sony A7iii. One of the reasons I sold my Sony A7S and A7Sii bodies is because most of my use for the full-frame body is to play around, literally, with old lenses. Old can mean anything from 30-years ago or more. Much of my collection is from the 1970s and some from earlier, back to the 1950s.

The A7Sii was an upgrade to the original A7S (in my case) simply to get the in-body image stabilization (IBIS). IBIS provides a usable image at low shutter speeds without a tripod. A couple of months ago I decided I did not use the extreme low-light capacity of the A7S bodies and had intended to sell the original A7S anyway. I bought a Sony A7iii because I still intend to work with my old camera lenses, but wanted a little more resolution and an updated camera experience.

OK, that is the backstory so back to the lens. Jimmy loaned me the Tokina back in 2013 for a test run. The performance I got from it justified the asking price, so I bought it. I used it a bit with the D300, but moved on to other things a few years later. Then last year I started working with my cameras more (the story has been told) and am working through my lens collection, sorting, testing, and deciding what to keep and what to sell.

Sunday morning I noticed the fat, squatty Tokina sitting on my Nikon shelf and picked it up. I am enjoying playing with non-standard focal lengths and I thought the 28–85mm range might be interesting on the full-frame sensor. I remembered shooting this lens with the D300 on a hike around the Marina with Jimmy and Ki up in Sparks one warm summer evening. (That was a good, good day!)

I pulled the images yesterday. There were only a few as I was distracted in the field. What I learned is slightly different from my experience with the crop-sensor bodies — there is some substantial vignetting at 28mm and f/4. It is not apparent in the upper image because vignetting is trivial to fix in post processing. There is a slider in PhotoLab and it takes only seconds to get it corrected.

The lens is reasonably sharp (for a zoom). The Sony colors are a little flat (in my opinion), but again that is trivial to fix in post processing. The range of focal lengths the Tokina provides is useful and I do not have a Nikkor zoom lens in that range. (That is a problem with a solution. I also have prime lenses that cover the focal length range.) So, although my thought was to sell the Tokina, I think I will keep it for now. If I can find a nice Nikkor or Tamron in that focal length range, then I might sell the Tokina. It would not be a good lens for a film camera unless one likes the vignetting.

The bottom shot is from the other end of the focal length range, 85mm. The light is not particularly good, but there was no vignetting and the lens is, again, reasonably sharp. It is certainly sharp enough for general photography.

In the end, my outing Sunday was good. The Girl and I got exercise. I chatted on the phone with my ham buddy, Dick, while walking. I made a few images, although none are portfolio grade. The captures gave me an idea for a post and that was tickled by the original post from 11-years ago.

I am grateful. Life is good.

Mount Scott and Slide Mountain, shot from Silver Saddle Ranch with the Sony A7iii and the Tokina 28–85mm f/4 zoom at 85mm and probably f/8. Post processing in DXO PhotoLab7.

Wood Cut

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Freshly sawn, it appears. Shot with Sony A7iii and a Prakticar 135mm f/2.8 at f/8. Light processing in DXO PhotoLab7.

The Girl and I had a good walk at Silver Saddle Ranch about noon. I was a little overdressed, but so badly that I suffered. The wind was down and the sun shone nicely.

I had a a Pentacon Prakticar 135mm f/2.8 medium telephoto lens affixed to the Sony A7iii for some test shots. The near focus distance is about 1.3m, or a bit more than four feet. That is not bad for a portrait, but a little far for close work. I did come away with a couple of good frames, of which the above is one.

I did spend some time today thinking about Wife. She would have been 72-years old today, so Happy Birthday old girl! I would have teased you when we went out for dinner in celebration. I miss you. I always will.

But, life is good and I am grateful.

Sera Over Shoulder Look

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The new-to-me Sony A7iii arrived today. So I made a quick test shot with it and the Canon 55mm f/1.2 SSC. This is straight out of camera.

The new-to-me Sony A7iii arrived today. There’s plenty of battery to take with me camping, so I will. But I paused for a quick grab shot and The Girl was looking at me. The message is: “What are you doing? I want to go walk!” (Laughing out loud…)

She is bossy.

I am heading out to camp for the weekend. I need to make a quick grocery run and then finish loading the camper. It will be a good weekend.

I am grateful. Life is good.

The Fox

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After supper with Jimmy, I drove downtown for a short photo walk. The Fox looked good in the evening light, so I made a couple of captures. Sony A7Sii, CZJ 35mm f/2.4 Flektogon at f/4. SOOC

I think quite a lot of the Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm f/2.4 Flektogon lens. It is a good walk around lens and I had it affixed to the Sony A7Sii when I walked downtown Carson City after supper with my friend Jimmy.

I was hoping to catch the lights lit at Cactus Jack’s or The Nugget casinos, but no joy. Still, the capture of The Fox is good enough.

Life is good!

Test Image: Soligor 35mm f/2.8

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This is a test image captured with the Sony A7Sii and a Soligor 35mm f/2.8 lens at f/8. Post processing comprised only a denoise pass with PhotoLab.

Some time ago, like maybe a decade, I actively collected lenses for the Konica AR mount. They were mostly Hexanon (Konica) lenses, but a few third-party lenses made it into the mix.

I carried an old Soligor 35mm f/2.8 adapted to my Sony A7Sii a couple of times this week on walkies. Then I made a few captures with it at my worktable.

Aside: I also carried a Vivitar 35mm f/1.9 for a day or two. I have more thoughts on the latter for later publication. In fact, I will write a 35mm shoot-out for those 35mm lenses in my inventory. I learned a few things by shooting some test shots with them. This entry is a mini-review of the Soligor.

My impression of the Soligor is not particularly favorable. It is reasonably sharp, but nothing outstanding. However, it has poor flare resistance. This is evident in the image above even though the lens is stopped down to f/8 for that capture. It is bad. It is worse wide open at f/2.8.

So, although the lens was probably an alternative to the much more expensive Hexanon issue (at the time), I think it is not a good alternative.

The capture at the bottom of this entry is from the Vivitar 35mm f/1.9 at f/8 with the same camera and same post processing. The difference between the two images is striking.

This was fun. I remain grateful and life is good.

This is a test capture made with my Sony A7Sii and a Vivitar 35mm f/1.9 at f/8. Post processing comprised a denoise pass with PhotoLab.

Berries: Sony A7Sii and Fujinon 55mm f/3.5 Macro

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Test shot of berries on some landscape shrubbery. Shot with the Sony A7Sii and a Fujinon 55mm f/3.5 Macro lens at f/8.

On Monday I carried the Sony A7Sii with an old Fujinon 55mm f/3.5 Macro affixed to the camera. It was a test run with a lens my buddy Jimmy loaned me. I made a few captures on walkies and shared one of a yellow jacket and rose a couple of days ago.

On our circuit through Carson City to the Station 51 park and back, we came across a shrub (“Bring me a shrubbery!”) covered in orange berries. I doubt they are edible or the birds would have carried them off. But, the color made for an interesting capture with a macro lens.

The Girl sniffed around a bit as I worked the subject. It was a quiet day on the Nevada DOT grounds. The overcast made the orange really pop.

The subject worked, The Girl and I made our way home to get on with our day — she a long drink from her bowl and a nap… me with a dry shirt and a push on some paying work.

It was a good day. Time spent with The Girl is time well spent. Life is good.

Testing Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.7 Planar

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Testing the Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.7 Planar. Shot with Sony A7Sii at f/4 (probably). No post.

I carried a Carl Zeiss (aus Jena?) 50mm f/1.7 Planar affixed to the Sony A7Sii while on walkies the other day. I was curious about how the lens would render a few subjects.

The Planar formula is quite old, being developed by a Zeiss designer before 1900. However, it is an excellent design as the image above demonstrates. My instance is quite sharp, the colors are rendered well, and the out of focus areas very smooth.

I need to find a subject with specular reflections in the background or some lights to see how those will render. I like the lens.

Walkies were good. The weather is cooler, as evidenced by the overcast. Life is good.

Yellow Jacket

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I found this on walkies this morning, a yellow jacket working a rose. Shot with Sony A7Sii and a Fujinon 55mm f/3.5 macro at f/8. Post in PhotoLab to make some minor adjustments.

After working part of the morning, The Girl and I got out for walkies here in Carson City. I had stuff to do and a meeting at 1300h, so I did not want to drive up to Spooner for a hike. So, we walked in town.

The weather broke this weekend and it was about 50ºF outdoors. (And it was cool in the house as well.) I wore a cover and took just the Sony A7Sii fitted with a legacy Fujinon 55mm f/3.5 macro lens. It is a new to me lens, but Fujinon glass has always been good. So, I had high expectations.

The light was mediocre, but we did get a little sunlight mixed in with the overcast. The Girl really wanted to chase the plethora of ground squirrels near the rose hedge at the old flume. But I was afraid to let her go as there are sometimes other dogs and poorly mannered handlers.

When we got close to the hedge, I could tell it was clear (of dogs and poor handlers), so I let her sniff about for the dreaded bushytail.

I made a few images of the roses, mostly to test the lens until I saw a yellow jacket working one of the flowers.

“There it is!” I thought. I made a couple captures and the one above is the best.

The remainder of the walk was good and uneventful. My 1300h meeting was cancelled. I worked a bit until mid-afternoon, then The Girl and I took a nap.

She is doing much better. In fact, I think she is back to 100%. This is good. It makes me happy.

It was a good day. I am grateful. Life is good. Really, it is.