Just a short one today!
Just a selection I shot on HP5 last April. Of course the camera was Oskar the Leica IIIa.
The lens was my nice Summitar 50mm f:2.0. It’s not a sharp lens, it flares, is renders harsh light in some dreamy way, but I quite like it.
Some might say it has that fabled ‘Leica Glow’. I call it a mediocre lens that I have to live with and that gives, on occasion, very nice results.
All depends on the light, the subject and the look I like.
If you are into retro looking photographs, do not hesitate and get a Summitar! They are among the cheaper Leitz lenses as they are screw mount. Nothing to compare to a Summicron of course.
Of course for the price of this lens I can get a couple or three Takumars for the Spotmatic. And those will be perfectly clean and render sharp, contrasty images like I love them.
So is it worth to bother with imperfect lenses?
Yes…. and No?
What do you think. Is sharpness overrated or shall we always strive for the best image quality. What’s more important, the image quality or the look?
And please don’t tell me that the imperfections can be added in Photoshop!
Thanks for visiting!
Frank Lehnen Photography 
Is it worth bothering with imperfect lenses? Yes it is,
You know (or at least you should know) what effect each of your lenses produce and then you use the lens that will produce the result/effect you were looking for or the effect that best suits a certain subject, but it’s all subjective anyway and if you like your images then that’s that.
I have more than one “imperfect lens” and I prefer to think of their imperfections as their strengths.
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Thanks, that’s sound advice!
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Gudde Mëtteg Här Lehnen,
Gëtt et iwerhaapt DAT perfekt Objektiv?
Ech hun eng ganz Parti Objektiver déi all irgendeng Mack hun, an awer géif ech se nit méi hiergin well se irgendeppes hun wat mech faszinéiert, a sief et nëmmen dass se gudd an der Hand leien oder kompakt a liicht sin fir mat op d’Rees ze huelen oder an eng kleng Fotosposch ze maachen an nit mussen e grousse schwéiere Fotosrucksak matzeschleefen wou een sech dann ënnerwee beschwéiert fir de Rucksak auszedin an d’Objektiv ze weesselen. Ech schwätzen aus eejener Erfahrung, ech hun an der Zäit och sou Rucksäck geschleeft well ech gemengt hun fir all Situatioun gerüst ze sin, speziell wann ech éierens gereest sin wou ech virdrun nach nie war a nit wousst wat mech géif erwaarden. Fazit: Ech hun emmer 3x méi matgeschleeft wi ech gebraucht hun a mer d’Liewen selwer schwéier gemeet! Lo geht en Apparat an 1-2 Objektiver gutt duer. (An natierlech Filmer 🙂 )
Et ass wéi beim Fotoapparat: Dat bescht Objektiv ass dat wat een derbäihuet ;-)!
Wann een oft mat engem oder zwee Objektiver fotograféiert léiert een se besser kennen a ka se hire Kalitéiten oder Fehler entsprechend och besser asetzen.
Bescht Gréiss,
JCArgentix
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Wei ëmmer e ganz gudde Commentaire! Manner as mei, daat hun ech och agesin. Freier wollt ech en 18-55mm an en 55-200 fir nëmme kee Lach an de Brennweiten ze hun… elo wees ech dass daat Blödsinn war.
Idealerweis as een, maximal zwee Objektiven genuch !
Brauch just Zeit fir dei Richteg ze fannen….
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Does it has to be sharp? It depends http://wideopen1.squarespace.com/
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Obviously… No! Thanks for your comment!
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As with many things in photography – it depends on your final vision/objective. want to record an item for insurance purposes or bring out specific detail or features? Go for a sharp lens. want an image that is easy on the eye or dreamy? Sharpness is not required. I quite like the look produced by vintage glass, hence my digital cameras don’t get that much use! We see in analogue anyway so sharpness and resolution of modern lenses often outperforms the eye does it not? I mean why are there so many film presets and grain simulations in the plethora of photo editing programs? Save time on the PC/Mac and spend it shooting film! As much as circumstances permit.
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Right!
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Gudde Moien Här Lehnen,
Ech hun nach e Fotosite entdeckt den Eech och vläicht intresséiere kinnt: QIMAGO.de
Do ass och Analoges drop, a vill Sucherkamera….Vill Spaass beim “stöberen” a si gespaant wat Dir dovun halt.
Bescht Gréiss,
JCArgentix
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Merci, luusen haut emol do ran!
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