For the last article I wrote, a comparison of Canon 50mm lenses, I needed some way of photographing and displaying these lenses so they wouldn’t roll away. I decided to make some very simple lens stands out of scrap wood. Here’s how.
Tag Archives: lens
Testing enlarger lens coverage
When buying enlarger lenses, it is important not only to choose a lens of the right focal length to give the required magnification, but also sufficient coverage to cover the negative without vignetting. The rule of thumb with enlarger lenses is: Focal length Typical coverage 50mm 35mm 75-80mm 6×6 100-110mm 6×9 150mm 5×4″ I decided toContinue reading “Testing enlarger lens coverage”
New large format lenses
Recently I’ve had an inkling to dabble in large format portraiture rather than medium format. In particular I’ve wanted to try using older lenses with their various flaws. So far my only large format lenses have been high-quality Schneider lenses of (relatively) modern design and wide-to-normal focal lengths, so I decided to pick up some old lenses.Continue reading “New large format lenses”
Film photography in a few graphs
I collect film photography equipment and I also use it to take photographs and make prints. I’m also a massive nerd so there’s a database to help me record every aspect of the kit I own and the pictures made with it. I thought I’d try and produce a blog post with some facts, figures andContinue reading “Film photography in a few graphs”
Using Canon FD lenses on digital cameras
Digital camera lenses are expensive, so it’s no wonder people are turning to much cheaper second-hand manual focus lenses. However these older, mechanical lenses behave quite differently from the electronic ones that digital camera owners are used to. This article discusses the key differences and will hopefully help you get the best out of manual focus lensesContinue reading “Using Canon FD lenses on digital cameras”
Lens test: Canon FL, FD and EF 50mm f/1.4 vs f/1.8
Some time ago I compared the EF and FD versions of the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens. It wasn’t exactly a fair test because the EF lens fits natively on my DSLR, while the FD lens needs an adapter with an optic. Now I am fortunate enough to own a Canon EOS M mirrorless digital camera which canContinue reading “Lens test: Canon FL, FD and EF 50mm f/1.4 vs f/1.8”
Converting a De Vere 54 condenser enlarger to diffusion
I recently picked up a De Vere 54 enlarger for a bargain price. It’s a 1950s machine, designed to take 5×4″ negatives. In order to use the light most efficiently when making large prints, the enlarger is fitted with a condenser to give parallel illumination to the negative. However, the flip side of a condenserContinue reading “Converting a De Vere 54 condenser enlarger to diffusion”
Wide angle lenses – now with 4×5″
A while back I wrote a short article comparing wide angle lenses on various formats. This is a small update to include large format (4×5″), which I have recently bought into to overcome problems with super-wide lenses on 6×9 (or lack thereof) This diagram shows various common film formats, ranging from 4×5″ (large format viewContinue reading “Wide angle lenses – now with 4×5″”
Wide angle lenses
Since I embarked upon my Somerset Towers project, I’ve visited over a dozen churches across the country to photograph them with my Horseman 980 view camera. It’s barely made a scratch in the project, but I have learnt a lot already. View cameras are appropriate for architectural photography because they allow the photographer to captureContinue reading “Wide angle lenses”
A comparison of focal lengths
I know everyone who has several lenses for their camera does a comparison, but that isn’t going to stop me from having a go too. Here is the same view, seen through every compatible lens in my collection. I decided to use my Canon FD manual focus gear as I have most lenses for that,Continue reading “A comparison of focal lengths”
Jonathan Gazeley 