Posh Lens test... posh for me anyway!

[Ambermile]

Well, it is The Rolleinar 55mm f/1.4 arrived earlier this week and I have been itching to try it out and see what it can do. My interest was also piqued by a comment made a while ago by Ujjwal about the Rolleinars being harsh lenses (I like harsh) and yet I have not found the stock 50mm Rollei (Planar HFT) to be so. Hmm. And then there was BY, saying the it's black and white for a reason. And then the pushing discussion. And the flat light lately comments.


The above points all came together today as I had to go to Yarmouth yesterday for an OT appointment (half the film) and to Poringland today for a mad nurse appointment (other half). Got home, needless to say Mrs A was cooking so no kitchen access! Magnanimously, I agreed to wash up - 'cos I'm good like that - and once the sink was clear I got stuck in. Shot this roll of FP4 at ISO100, developed in 1:2 ID-11 and pushed to 800 or thereabouts... not like it's an exact science is it? As it turned out, the piccies are rather nice, just about exactly as I wanted them - harsh, vivid, no holds barred and in ya face. Well, for me they are...

 

[Ambermile]

Couple more...

Incidentally, damned lucky to get anything, snagged up in the bag and had to re-roll the film in a reloadable cassette and swap reels as the first one lost a ball bearing inside the bag!

 

[ujjwaldey8165]

Great shots Arthur.

I suppose I meant contrasty, when I said harsh. But then, being a stupid Indian, my vocab is rather pathetic ( A joke, by the way; and any insult to any forergner, indian or otherwise is intentional )


I really love the contrast of the Zeiss lens. More contrast, more punch in them, compared to the Leica ones....

 

[Ambermile]

I knew that, and that's really what I got - but pushed a bit by the processing to make sure it was contrasty since the light is not so good for some reason.

 

[pepper]

The first shot and the daffodils show the contrast up really well. Really nice looking shots and as Ujjwal says a lot harsher than the Leicas general soft tone.

 

[Ambermile]

Well remember they have been savagely pushed to get this way, and auto-levelled as well The last thing I wanted was grey images to be honest, and I was pretty sure that is what was in the bucket after 12 minutes, so I gave it another 6 at 70 degrees

 

[TheBigYin]

Looks like you've hit the desired brief there Arthur. Nicely contrasty, full tonal range used, and some good strong lines in the first set. Even like the Daffodils, despite the Skips in the background

 

[Ambermile]

Skips are an important part of the pic - that's a deliberate and valid use of dof I'll 'ave you know... goddamned phillistines

 

[trencheel303]

those photographs are fantastic, could easily have been taken 50 years ago.

 

[Ambermile]

Thanks - that's about the nicest thing you could have said!

Arthur

PS - were you Ms Snockers before you got married?