That wonderglass I unwrapped yesterday of course stayed on the camera for quite some time – to be honest, it still stays. I was longing such a long time for that shallow DoF that I guess it will take some time until that deprivation is compensated for. I was using zoom lenses almost exclusively for the last 4 years, and of course for recording of events they do have their merits. But I was astonished how fast I got accustomed to that ‘framing with the feet’, and the fixed focal length is no hindrance, at least for the photography I am doing at the moment.
Pixel-peeping (of course you do that, as you can do it so easily in digital photography) I found some CA, but to be honest, I couldn’t care less. It is not too difficult to correct, but even uncorrected probably barely visible, and then I won’t do reproductions or architecture photography with emphasis on ultimate sharpness with this lens. It’s for (soft) moods, I think, and these it can capture in nonpareil style.
Just a remark on that image of the red maple: I barely was able to rescue it as the reds were clipped in quite some areas. Bibble5 highlight recovery did a good job, but still I’ll try to capture this again when light and winds permit.
What camera are you using with the lens? The results are remarkable.
I have been thinking of using my old Minolta lenses with a micro 4/3 camera (with an adapter) – unfortunately none of the current cameras really “click” with me, so I’m still waiting.
@Juha: I use a Sony A700 now. After Minolta’s demise, Sony has taken over and expanded the product line, but has not changed the lens mount. So all Minolta AF lenses are usable with the Sony cameras (probably there are some exotic ones, but I didn’t come across them) and most of the third-party lenses for Minolta as well, with some really old Sigma’s as the notable exeption. Even for the old Minolta MD glass there exist adaptors including chips that send the lens information to the camera. http://www.dyxum.com is probably the best ressource for this.
In fact, before bying this AF 1.4/85 I had considered to get an old MD 1.2/58mm, but focusing manually with that bright groundglass replacement is very difficult. For the Sony A700 and upwards as well as for the old Minolta 7D there are different groundglass types offered, probably worth exploring.
Wunderschöne Bilder !!!
Juha asked the same question I had, about the camera. You can tell your love for the shallow DOF from these resulting images. They go beyond the subject matter to give emotional impressions. Wonderful.
another stunning beauty !
I love this one! I used to have a Japanese Maple in my garden and even though it was spring here in Australia, it would change colour at that time of year!