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Digital Moments: Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

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Photo of the Day

Digital Moments: Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

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Photo of the Day

Digital Moments: Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

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Photo of the Day

Digital Moments: Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

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Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

Digital Moments: Image making with the Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8, acknowledged for its unique color characteristics and excellent bokeh.

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The Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8, the precedent to the Pentacon Auto 50mm 1:1.8, is a very well-made legacy manual focus lens with 6 (non-coated) elements in 4 groups and 6 (six) straight aperture blades. The lens is acknowledged for its excellent optical performance and unique character, especially with renderings of warm colors when stepped down to its mid-range apertures (f/5.6 to f/11). Though the lens performs well wide open, some users note it can be slightly soft at f/1.8, while becoming sharper when stopped down. The lens, manufactured over several iterations (including the zebra and all-black versions), portrays images with a distinctive vintage look and excellent bokeh.

The lens, often described as a 'bokeh monster,' was produced by Meyer-Optik Gorlitz in East Germany from around 1960 to 1971 with M42 and EXA/Exakta mounts. Earlier iterations are typically black with silver stripes (zebra), later versions are all black. The lens has a very close minimum focus distance of 0.33 meters, making it a very versatile lens for shooting in various situations, often making it a favorite for both portrait and macro photography. The lens measures 52mm (diameter) x 48mm (length, weighs around 220 grams and takes 49mm filters. and enjoys a rating for Sharpness at 9.0, Aberrations at 9.0, Bokeh at 9.2, Handling at 9.4, and Value at 9.2 on PentaxForums.

Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

On the Canon EOS 300D, the first 6.3MP entry-level DSLR introduced by Canon in 2003, the lens is a comfortable fit (via a M42 lens adapter), with the focusing ring at just the right distance forward. Even for its age, the robust and well-built lens is still an excellent performer, and the focus throw is glide-smooth. Exposures are aperture priority with the lens aperture set to f8 and exposure compensation at -2/3 stops for a better color concentration. Images were tweaked further on the desktop image editor for tone, brightness, and contrast.

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

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Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd, A Quick Look

The CCD Resurgence: A retro look at the 2009 10MP CCD Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd, an economical and low-cost option for beginner CCD enthusiasts.

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While I was hoping that the camera would have the Super CCD type sensor that Fujifilm used in their S_x Pro Series cameras, which it does not, the solidly built 10MP CCD Fujifilm Finepix S8100fd does feature a Fujinon 18x super-zoom (28-486mm equivalent) lens, 'Dual Image Stabilization,' light sensitivity up to ISO 6400, 13 scene modes, 230,000 pixels 2.5-inch LCD screen with anti-glare coating. The camera is also fitted with a dioptre correctable electronic viewfinder, and super macro mode for shots as close as 1cm. Introduced by Fujifilm in 2009, the S8100fd is a minor update of the S8000fd with Face Detection and Intelligent Flash mode support.

The Dual Image Stabilization feature combines CCD-shift image stabilization and high ISO sensitivity to keep the shutter speed high for sharper images. A three-way save for the camera's images to either the camera's 58MB of internal memory or to an xD-Picture Card or SD/SDHC card is also possible. Both cards are slotted on the right-hand side of the Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd's body with the XD slot cleverly tucked away to be almost hidden. Buttons, including exposure compensation, are where you'd expect to find them, with an 'F' that button pulls up a menu for film grade emulations.

Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

The S8100fd automatically activates its red-eye reduction from portraits taken (with flash) in face detection mode, the camera is also intelligent enough to detect subtle variations in lighting and adjusts the camera for correct exposures. Another useful feature is the camera's capability of shooting at a maximum speed of 13.5 fps up to 33 frames with the resolution dropped to three megapixels. A better alternative is probably the 6.8fps shoot at five megapixels. The camera is powered by a set of 4x easily available AA batteries with a rating of 350 shots for Alkaline and 500 shots for Ni-MH 500.

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Photo of the Day

People and Places: Lumix DMC-GH2, Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5 Asph.

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Photo of the Day

People and Places: Lumix DMC-GH2, Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5 Asph.

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Photo of the Day

People and Places: Lumix DMC-GH2, Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5 Asph.

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Photo of the Day

People and Places: Lumix DMC-GH2, Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5 Asph.

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Lumix DMC-GH2, Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5 Asph. I

People and Places: Reminiscing the 3:2 image aspect ratio with a Micro 4/3 Lumix DMC-GH2 and Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5 Asph.

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I wondered, sometimes, what it was like to be a photographer back in the days when 35mm film rolls were the film in use, the 3:2 aspect ratio was the image format to print with, and where photographers had only the choice of one prime lens to work with. Even today, the 3:2 image aspect ratio is still the norm for current DSLR cameras with APS-C or full-frame sensors, and the ratio is typically the most popular set of dimensions for photographers to shoot and work with, with enough room for the images to be cropped in post-processing if needed.

The 3:2 image aspect does make for very versatile compositions, it is well-suited for a variety of subjects, including landscapes, portraits, and environmental shots, while providing a balanced frame that can effectively capture both the subject and its surroundings, as used for documentary photography or creative storytelling. The 3:2 ratio is also well adapted to physical photo print sizes, such as 6x4-inch prints, where the images can be printed without significant cropping or loss of detail.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2, Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5 Asph.

I did a street shoot recently, to experience the ratio, not with a vintage 35mm SLR camera mounted with a legacy manual focus lens, but rather with a more modern counterpart, a 2x crop-sensor Micro 4/3 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2, mounted with an autofocus Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5 Asph. lens. While the DMC-GH2 has a feature that allows the camera to capture images in different aspect ratios while retaining the same image diagonal, the lightweight and compact Lumix G 14mm 1:2.5, is officially recognized as the world's lightest interchangeable prime lens. These are the images, though still short of the equisentials of the art and craft.

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The Half-Frame Format: Olympus VR-370

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The Half-Frame Format: Olympus VR-370

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Photo of the Day

The Half-Frame Format: Olympus VR-370

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Photo of the Day

The Half-Frame Format: Olympus VR-370

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Olympus VR-370, In The Garden

The Half-Frame Format: In the garden with the 16MP CCD Olympus VR-370, a compact point-and-shoot with a 12.5x optical zoom lens (24-300mm equivalent).

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Foraging around in the garden, after the morning shower, for a good flower shot with the Olympus VR-370, with the images post-processed for a slight dark mode effect, and framed in the half-frame format, or 3:4 image aspect ratio. The half-frame format, or images in the 3:4 image aspect ratio, is coming back with the launch of the Pentax 17 35mm half-frame film camera. The format, also known as the portrait format, measures 3 units in width against 4 units in height (3:4) and became popular with the Olympus PEN half-frame film cameras. On film, the image frame is 18x24mm, half the size of the standard 35mm film frame, which is 24x36mm. This cost-effective design fits 72 images on a standard 36-frame film roll.

The half-frame or portrait format, most seen on smartphone displays, and as presets for image frames on current digital cameras, is typically used for subjects with strong vertical orientations, like people, tall buildings, and waterfalls. On the other hand, while landscapes and scenery may display best in a horizontal orientation, both are interchangeable. The primary considerations are your style, your use of the image, and what you want to convey to the viewer. The image format is also good for user experience when visiting websites. Visitors will always want sites to be enjoyable and easy to use, and the right image sizes help.

Olympus VR-370

On the Olympus VR-370, a compact point-and-shoot digital camera with a 16MP CCD sensor and 12.5x optical zoom lens (24-300mm equivalent on the full frame) the images were shot in a vertical orientation (just like when you are using a smartphone, a little bit awkward though), cropped to suit and edited on the desktop for the dark-mode effect. The camera itself, highly recommended for the CCD enthusiast, has a built-in flash, a 3.0-inch LCD with 460k-dot resolution, Dual Image Stabilization for sharper images in dim light and when shooting at long telephoto focal lengths

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