In a word - Wow.
If you don't have one, do yourself a favour and try one out. I was a little bit intimidated with the idea of using a manual focus lens, but I'm glad I decided to go for the cheap investment. I bought them as I don't have any 'fast' short telephoto lenses and didn't want to potentially waste £700 on a DC. I have just had the most enjoyable afternoon about Edinburgh. I do understand 105/135 is long for a 'typical' street style however I am already glaringly obvious being 6'4" and haven't spent much time on my incognito techniques, so wanted to start long and work down (along with my confidence photographing the public). On the other hand, with a telephoto lens its harder to get away with shooting in the peripheral - you are literally pointing the lens almost directly into a persons face (from their point of view).
As much as generally using a prime is classed as a limitation, I honestly found the opposite. I was stuck with a focal length, there was no iffing or butting with regards to composition. Lift camera to face, twist of the wrist, shoot. (arguably the same steps to use an AF-S zoom haha). Reasonably impressed with myself, first street shoot and I was shooting a lot of moving subjects with my keeper rate at around 60-70%.
Anyway enough waffle, I will shortly upload some shots using both lenses, I found the 105 to be stuck to my lens much more than the 135, and my poor 14-24 only got about 15 mins use in total.
A quick check proved the 105 wide open is 'soft' across the frame, shooting at infinite (At closer focus distances ~<5m it was fantastic) - in reality it is barely noticeable but compared to f5.6 and f8 when looking at 1:1 you can tell. Of course we all already knew this, its typical of almost every fast prime.
Anyone else have any comments regarding these lenses? positive or negative? I think I will spend more time with manual lenses from now on, of course there's a time and a place for everything though.
I went and ordered a 135mm 2.8 pre AI to see how that stands up against the 3.5.
(Not after critique here, this is my first go with a manual lens)
creamy creamy creamy.
Car park was empty - I HAD to do the corny look at my car, contrast heavy, uber vingette snaps. The EXIF lies, all the ones of my car are using the 105 2.5 (forgot to change it in setting until a few shots in).
NKN_8773 by ryan hollings, on Flickr
NKN_8770 by ryan hollings, on Flickr
NKN_8766 by ryan hollings, on Flickr
NKN_8759 by ryan hollings, on Flickr
Few from about the day:
Millions of photographers.
NKN_8473 by ryan hollings, on Flickr
Particularly happy with focus on this one. Happy bunch of people. No colour alterations here either.
NKN_8597 by ryan hollings, on Flickr
Sample landscape, nothing special
NKN_8646 by ryan hollings, on Flickr
NKN_8712 by ryan hollings, on Flickr
Regards
Earl
If you don't have one, do yourself a favour and try one out. I was a little bit intimidated with the idea of using a manual focus lens, but I'm glad I decided to go for the cheap investment. I bought them as I don't have any 'fast' short telephoto lenses and didn't want to potentially waste £700 on a DC. I have just had the most enjoyable afternoon about Edinburgh. I do understand 105/135 is long for a 'typical' street style however I am already glaringly obvious being 6'4" and haven't spent much time on my incognito techniques, so wanted to start long and work down (along with my confidence photographing the public). On the other hand, with a telephoto lens its harder to get away with shooting in the peripheral - you are literally pointing the lens almost directly into a persons face (from their point of view).
As much as generally using a prime is classed as a limitation, I honestly found the opposite. I was stuck with a focal length, there was no iffing or butting with regards to composition. Lift camera to face, twist of the wrist, shoot. (arguably the same steps to use an AF-S zoom haha). Reasonably impressed with myself, first street shoot and I was shooting a lot of moving subjects with my keeper rate at around 60-70%.
Anyway enough waffle, I will shortly upload some shots using both lenses, I found the 105 to be stuck to my lens much more than the 135, and my poor 14-24 only got about 15 mins use in total.
A quick check proved the 105 wide open is 'soft' across the frame, shooting at infinite (At closer focus distances ~<5m it was fantastic) - in reality it is barely noticeable but compared to f5.6 and f8 when looking at 1:1 you can tell. Of course we all already knew this, its typical of almost every fast prime.
Anyone else have any comments regarding these lenses? positive or negative? I think I will spend more time with manual lenses from now on, of course there's a time and a place for everything though.
I went and ordered a 135mm 2.8 pre AI to see how that stands up against the 3.5.
(Not after critique here, this is my first go with a manual lens)
creamy creamy creamy.
Car park was empty - I HAD to do the corny look at my car, contrast heavy, uber vingette snaps. The EXIF lies, all the ones of my car are using the 105 2.5 (forgot to change it in setting until a few shots in).
NKN_8773 by ryan hollings, on FlickrNKN_8770 by ryan hollings, on FlickrNKN_8766 by ryan hollings, on FlickrNKN_8759 by ryan hollings, on FlickrFew from about the day:
Millions of photographers.
NKN_8473 by ryan hollings, on FlickrParticularly happy with focus on this one. Happy bunch of people. No colour alterations here either.
NKN_8597 by ryan hollings, on FlickrSample landscape, nothing special
NKN_8646 by ryan hollings, on FlickrNKN_8712 by ryan hollings, on FlickrRegards
Earl
Last edited: