Random Photos

[BadgerBadger92]

Ok, here's something for lovers of vintage gear and "lensoholics" like me...

A couple of months ago I acquired another optic toy, a so-called "bokeh monster", which is a nickname for lenses that can deliver (1) a small depth of field and (2) a very smooth bokeh (i.e. background blur).
I got it for ca $30 on an online auction, which I consider a bargain.

Here is the Pentacon 135mm f/2.8 (zebra style version)...

View attachment 315871

...which was made in G.D.R. (East Germany):

View attachment 315872

One small thing that caught me by surprise was that the lens has a detachable metal hood
which I haven't seen on any of my other lenses:

View attachment 315873

But here's what makes the lens extra cool and a so-called "bokeh monster"; it's got 15 aperture blades (!):

View attachment 315874

I really admire the workmanship.
The lens is very, very finely made with smooth but robust controls, and it is a pleasure to use.
Well, partially . There is one downside in my opinion: it's heavy (ca 500 g):

View attachment 315875

The weight makes it a bit tricky to use handheld. Together with camera and M42 adapter the total weight of the gear approaches 1 kg. So, handheld, you don't do exactly casual point-and-shoot stuff with this setup, but rather a bit of physical workout . And this little beast truly deserves to be called "built like a tank". I don't know if it would withstand a nuclear explosion, a major asteroid hit or hitting the singularity of a black hole, but when I hold it, it feels like there is a chance of survival .

But boy... it can really blur out backgrounds in photos:
(note how the backgrounds have been "disintegrated" in the photos, which I took earlier in July)

View attachment 315876

View attachment 315877

More info for anyone who may be interested:

• Pentacon / MeyerOptik Gorlitz Orestogor Preset 135mm F2.8 (PentaxForums)
• Pentacon 135mm F2.8, a gem from the cold war (vintage-photo.nl)

(by the way, I notify @Andy Resnick who I think also likes vintage optics )

I’m thinking about buying a Sigma 85mm F1.2 ART lens. It’s perfect for portraits and getting good lens compression and is very sharp with excellent bokeh. Too bad it’s nearly a thousand dollars, so I’m saving up

 

[DennisN]

Sigma 85mm F1.2 ART lens

I think I've read about it somewhere.

Too bad it’s nearly a thousand dollars

Gosh, that's a lot for one lens, but I know very well that some lenses can be really expensive.

I've mostly got vintage lenses, and I've spent around 2000 dollars on all my photography gear (incl. camera, filters, tripods and various accessories).

I hadn't really planned to spend that much, but photography is a hobby I realized I really enjoy. And life is short so one may enjoy life as much as possible. :)

I consider my money well spent. For that amount I have acquired ca 30 various lenses, of which I consider ca 22 of them to be keepers. I'll likely sell the other 8.

It is a bit ridiculous to have so many lenses, but one benefit is that I have gotten the opportunity to try out the stuff thoroughly, so now I know which my favorites are ( the different lenses have different strengths and different rendering characteristics).

With my range of lenses I also have the opportunity to do practically everything between superwide focal lengths up to supertele (and also macro photography). I've got 12, 28, 35, 40, 50, 55, 58, 135, 200, 300 and 400 mm prime lenses. It's a bit crazy, I know :).

It fits my character, I have to admit. I love to experiment. :)
And it's been very fun to look for and try all the vintage gear.

 

[epenguin]

Oh well, this time of year we always used to have the theme of autumn in a competition. I'm not getting around so much so dug this up from 2007. No spectacular colours, no special lens or technique, and I wonder if it hasn't even faded sitting in a disk, but I still like it. Our hemisphere going towards its winter repose as it does every year... well used to.

 

[DennisN]

No spectacular colours, no special lens or technique, and I wonder if it hasn't even faded sitting in a disk, but I still like it.

I like it too! To me it looks a bit like a landscape painting of a nice scenery (and if the colors were boosted I think it might lose the feeling of "painting").

 

[BadgerBadger92]

I think I've read about it somewhere.

Gosh, that's a lot for one lens, but I know very well that some lenses can be really expensive.

I've mostly got vintage lenses, and I've spent around 2000 dollars on all my photography gear (incl. camera, filters, tripods and various accessories).

I hadn't really planned to spend that much, but photography is a hobby I realized I really enjoy. And life is short so one may enjoy life as much as possible. :)

I consider my money well spent. For that amount I have acquired ca 30 various lenses, of which I consider ca 22 of them to be keepers. I'll likely sell the other 8.

It is a bit ridiculous to have so many lenses, but one benefit is that I have gotten the opportunity to try out the stuff thoroughly, so now I know which my favorites are ( the different lenses have different strengths and different rendering characteristics).

With my range of lenses I also have the opportunity to do practically everything between superwide focal lengths up to supertele (and also macro photography). I've got 12, 28, 35, 40, 50, 55, 58, 135, 200, 300 and 400 mm prime lenses. It's a bit crazy, I know :).

It fits my character, I have to admit. I love to experiment. :)
And it's been very fun to look for and try all the vintage gear.

I also forgot to tell you I love your floral photography work! Nice colors!

 

[DennisN]

I also forgot to tell you I love your floral photography work! Nice colors!

Thanks!

 

[DennisN]

Three more autumn photos...

Fallen leaf:

Autumn vines at the corner:

Colorful autumn vines:

 

[morrobay]

Gorgeous Autumn vines @DennisN Is that all in natural sunlight? Octoberfest with Neng, 39

 

[DennisN]

Gorgeous Autumn vines @DennisN Is that all in natural sunlight?

Thanks! Yes.
(though I edited the so-called "gamma correction" which can give more vibrant colors.
Edit: I also shot in the so-called "vivid" scene mode in the camera & I used a lens which gives warm colors.
Edit 2: And I used a CPL filter too)

The third photo is actually not taken in direct sunlight. And it's only a small part (maybe 5%) of a long wall full of vines in similar colors. It's nearby, and I'm thinking of going back and shoot sometime when the wall is hit by direct sunlight.

 

[DaveC426913]

(though I edited the so-called "gamma correction" which can give more vibrant colors.

Is this an in-camera setting? My Canon G-15 produces pretty dull colours that I have to boost in PhotoShop.

 

[DennisN]

Is this an in-camera setting?

No. It's in Photoshop:

Choose Menu->Image->Adjustments->Exposure.
Then in the opened dialog there is a "Gamma Correction" slider.
When I use it (which is quite often*) I almost always lower the value (dragging the slider to the right).

* I've found myself to like the effect. I often do:

Menu->Image->Adjustments->Levels->[Auto] (auto levels button) and afterwards I lower the gamma correction.

Edit:

I've also found that Menu->Image-Adjustments->Vibrance->[Vibrance slider] dragged right can give a more natural boost to colors than "saturation".

 

[Borg]

A simple little bench that I built in my garage for Raspberry Pi experiments.

 

[Andy Resnick]

I’m thinking about buying a Sigma 85mm F1.2 ART lens. It’s perfect for portraits and getting good lens compression and is very sharp with excellent bokeh. Too bad it’s nearly a thousand dollars, so I’m saving up

I read about that lens (minor correction: it's 85/1.4, not 85/1.2), it seems to be a great deal- alternatives cost several times as much.

When I was shooting with a Sony Alpha, I used the 85/1.4 lens (Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM) and it was a joy to work with.

Good lenses cost money, but the benefit is that you won't ever need to upgrade.

 

[DaveC426913]

She-Hulk is light and fun, but needs more plot tension.

There needs to be either a real physical danger (she totally thrashed her first opponent without even a fight. . .can we at least see her capable of getting hurt?) and/or a real value/ethical one. . .something to up the stakes/tension and balance out the camp/fun.

Just my humble opinion.

Choose Menu->Image->Adjustments->Exposure.
Then in the opened dialog there is a "Gamma Correction" slider.
When I use it (which is quite often*) I almost always lower the value (dragging the slider to the right).

* I've found myself to like the effect. I often do:

Menu->Image->Adjustments->Levels->[Auto] (auto levels button) and afterwards I lower the gamma correction.

Edit:

I've also found that Menu->Image-Adjustments->Vibrance->[Vibrance slider] dragged right can give a more natural boost to colors than "saturation".

I've experimented with Gamma Correction and Vibrance but couldn't figure out what they were doing that wasn't covered by Levels and Saturation, which is where I spend most of my time.

I will read up on them and play some more.

 

[DennisN]

A spur of the moment shot some minutes ago...
...the logo of Physics Forums shown on my tablet screen, shot with my Canon macro lens (the logo has a dark background, since I run my browser in "dark mode"):

 

[jtbell]

Today I came across this tree which is apparently caught in a time warp. At the bottom it's still summer, but at the top it's autumn!

 

[DaveC426913]

Today I came across this tree which is apparently caught in a time warp. At the bottom it's still summer, but at the top it's autumn!

View attachment 316145

We have some beautiful effects here I've tried to capture where only the outer tufts of leaves are gold or orange while the rest of the tree is still green.

 

[BillTre]

There is probably a gradation in temperatures the leaves experience (from top to bottom or inside to more exposed areas) during mild cold periods.
I am guessing the leaves respond to their local temperatures independently.

 

[morrobay]

There is probably a gradation in temperatures the leaves experience (from top to bottom or inside to more exposed areas) during mild cold periods.
I am guessing the leaves respond to their local temperatures independently.

And that gradient affects the resorption/conservation of chlorophyll that is seen.

 

[DennisN]

I took out my East German "bokeh monster" (Pentacon 135mm) for a short session in the courtyard today...

October afternoon:
(I quite liked this because of the somewhat "metallic" colors of the leaves.
It really surprised me, I haven't seen this effect before in any of my photos)

Colorful leaves in afternoon sunlight:

 

[DennisN]

If anyone thinks macro lenses are too puny, here's an alternative vintage device for sale : Jeol Microprobe (an electron microscope).

Start saving, it can be yours for merely 9 999 EUR...

 

[Rive]

I took out my East German "bokeh monster" (Pentacon 135mm) for a short session

For most people it's the dog which they takes out for a walk

 

[pinball1970]

I took out my East German "bokeh monster" (Pentacon 135mm) for a short session in the courtyard today...

October afternoon:
(I quite liked this because of the somewhat "metallic" colors of the leaves.
It really surprised me, I haven't seen this effect before in any of my photos)
View attachment 316269

Colorful leaves in afternoon sunlight:
View attachment 316270

Stunning yet again. The first red leaf looks like woven fabric. Beautiful.

 

[DennisN]

Stunning yet again. The first red leaf looks like woven fabric. Beautiful.

Thanks!

I got pretty excited by the look too, as I hadn't seen it before.
I will try to recreate it elsewhere, though I'm not quite sure what made it look like that.

It could be the lens, the reflective characteristics of the leaf, the afternoon sunlight, an odd white balance (?) or some combination of those perhaps.

 

[morrobay]

Some various from the back area around here.

 

[morrobay]

Same area taken from back window. 10x @ 75m.

 

[DennisN]

It was foggy yesterday, and whenever it is I get an automatic urge to go out and take some photos.

 

[Rive]

It was foggy yesterday, and whenever it is I get an automatic urge to go out and take some photos.

I too like foggy weather, but somehow I just can't get it right on photos. Something somehow always different.
We had a hike today and it was foggy/cloudy and we made some photos, but... Well...

...this time it was the road: it wanted to tell a different story

This one was caught well, I think - but it's not about fog:

That stream has something against roads

 

[morrobay]

After a cappuccino at Jomtien beach cafe alot to photograph:

 

[morrobay]

The Thai ministry of health legalized cannibus last June. Now everywhere you look:

 

[Rive]

The Thai ministry of health legalized cannibus last June. Now everywhere you look:

Happens. It'll pass. Once upon a time we got hit by a cocktail wave: cocktail bars on every street corner and in every 100m inbetween.
Most of them gone in two years without any fuss.

 

[DennisN]

A red leaf:

(Lens: Helios 44M7, this time on a full frame camera (Sony A7R))

 

[morrobay]

Air 32C, water 30C . You can get condos here for about $30,000. Photos Jomtien Beach.

 

[morrobay]

And looking South

 

[morrobay]

And looking West - Sorry - But it's

world I live in...