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Canon EOS Kiss X3, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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Canon EOS Kiss X3, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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Canon EOS Kiss X3, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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Canon EOS Kiss X3, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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Canon EOS Kiss X3, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

Digital Moments: A look at vintage primes and legacy lenses equivalent to the standard normal primes on 4/3 mirrorless or APS-C digital SLR cameras.

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For the cost-conscious, or better, a vintage DSLR enthusiast, a 45mm (or equivalent) focal length is quite a rare prime to source. Aside from the acknowledged Minolta MD Rokkor 45mm 1:2 series, and maybe a few other discreet lenses, the focal length that sits between the wide-angle 35mm and a standard nifty-fifty is not much discussed on the Net either. The focal length, however, is still considered a standard normal capable of capturing images that mimic what the eye sees.

The all-rounder focal length is equally versatile for various photography genres, including portraits, street photography, travel, architecture imaging, environmental portraits, and just as well as a daily-use lens. While it offers a field of view slightly wider than a standard normal, like other primes, the 45mm focal length will typically have a shallower depth of field, which is good for getting images with a blurred background effect.

With the interest in mind, I did manage, recently, to set up what could very well be a very fine vintage setup for enthusiasts to experiment with - a three-way kit with an OM-Mount Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8, an OM-EOS AF lens adapter, and an APS-C EOS Kiss X3 (EOS 500D) digital SLR camera. The 28mm wide-angle, mounted on the 1.6x crop sensor Kiss X3, is equivalent to a 44.8mm prime on a 35mm full-frame. Exposures are based on the Sunny 16 Rule.

The lens, a retrofocus design released in 1985, is a later version of the initial Sigma Mini-Wide 28mm, which was first introduced in 1978. The version, said to be constructed with fewer elements, has a plastic ring and a diagonal pattern on the focus ring, 6 blades, a focus rotation of approximately 200°, a closest focusing distance of 0.22 meters, weighs 210 grams, is 43-50 mm in length, and enjoys a rating for Sharpness (8.6), Aberrations (7.4), Bokeh (7.7), Handling (8.7), and Value (9.20) on PentaxForums.

The lightweight, small, and compact lens is convenient to carry around, even mounted, provides for good image rendering, has a handy close-focusing ability, ages well, and is sharp all around, even at its widest. A good working copy, with clean and clear elements, smooth focus throw, and snappy aperture stops, is all you need to treat yourself to the experience of a 45mm equivalent focal length lens.

Canon EOS Kiss X3 (EOS 500D), Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

For the choice of a camera, settling for an EOS APS-C digital SLR camera is straightforward, as the model series is fitted with a 1.6x crop factor sensor and the EF/EF-S lens mount system, which is common across all EOS APS-C models. The lens mount is easy to use and adaptable to work with. Getting a lens adapter with an AF confirm chip will activate the camera's focus confirmation system for more precise and advanced focusing.

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Photo of the Day

Canon EOS 300D, Meyer Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8

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Photo of the Day

Canon EOS 300D, Meyer Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8

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Photo of the Day

Canon EOS 300D, Meyer Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8

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Photo of the Day

Canon EOS 300D, Meyer Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8

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Canon EOS 300D, Meyer Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8

Digital Moments: First impression images with a Meyer Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8, a lens acknowledged for its excellent optical performance and unique character.

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The Meyer Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8, the precursor to the Pentacon Auto 50mm f/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 Görlitz in East Germany from around 1960 to 1971 and can be found 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 very versatile 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 (9.0), Aberrations (9.0), Bokeh (9.2), Handling (9.4), and Value (9.2) on PentaxForums.

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.

Canon EOS 300D, Meyer Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8

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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Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM

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Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 24mm 1:2.8 STM

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Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 24mm 1:2.8 STM

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Photo of the Day

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM

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Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM, A Dry Run

Digital Moments: A dry run with a Canon EOS 400D with a frosted screen and what seems to be a camera needing a lot of TLC.

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For whatever it was, I was recently gifted with a beat-up and what looked like a run-down Canon EOS 400D by close family kin, with the LCD screen frosted to almost a no-go with its display and showing other ailments in need of TLC. The camera came with an attached BG-E3 battery grip, sans the pair of batteries it needs to run, no charger, and an off-brand monster of a 70-300mm lens, which turned out later to be non-functional and was kept aside.

It was another week of waiting for replacement batteries and a charger to arrive so the camera could be tested to see if it was running. With the batteries, an alternative lens (an EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM for the equivalent of a 40mm prime on a 35mm full-frame camera), and a CF card installed, the camera sputtered back to life and showed all the signs, except for the LCD display, of a perfectly working unit, which it is.

The entry-level Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi in North America, EOS Kiss Digital X in Japan) digital SLR camera, a relatively compact and lightweight successor of the Canon EOS 350D, was launched by Canon in 2006. The camera, great for travel and a light-pack need, has a 10.1MP CMOS APS-C sensor, a nine-point autofocus system, a deeper and more comfortable grip than the 350D, a retractable auto pop-up flash, and on the display system, a wide-viewing angle 230,00 pixel 2.5-inch LCD screen sans the top status screen as seen on previous models. The 400D uses the same NB-2LH Lithium battery pack as the 350D.

Technical specs for the camera include an electronically-controlled focal plane shutter with a speed range from 30 to 1/4000 second, soft-touch electromagnetic shutter, ISO sensitivity at 100 to 400 in Basis Zone mode, and from 100 to 1600 in Creative Zone mode, 35-zone full aperture TTL metering with Evaluative, Partial, and Center-weighted options, a 10-second delay self-timer, and as with the 350D, the 400D is also endowed with Canon's EOS Integrated Cleaning System which incorporates an ultrasonic self-cleaning sensor unit. The EOS 400D was succeeded by the 450D (Rebel XSi in North America, EOS Kiss X2 in Japan) in 2008.

The functions and features of the 400D are easy to use for new users while offering creative freedom for serious users. Exposure modes include Program AE (Full Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait, Flash Off, Program), Shutter-Priority AE, Aperture-Priority AE, Depth-of-Field AE, Manual Exposure, and E-TTL II Autoflash. The 400D also has a picture style selection for image render pre-sets for Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, and Monochrome emulations.

Back to the camera in hand, I resorted to using it the way SLR film cameras before the onset of the digital were used - set the mode dial to Program AE (sounds familiar?), frame the scene, release the shutter, wish for the best, and move on to the frame. No 'chimping (the habit of checking the image on the camera LCD after every shot is taken) either, the word has not been invented in the film photography world and is not part of the vocabulary. The habit does not exist when shooting film; images are only viewable after the negative film has been sent to the lab for processing.

Though the try-out was done half-heartedly, a dry run to see if the camera was still capable of doing what it was supposed to, the images (as seen here) on the 10.1MP CMOS sensor, post-edited and framed on the desktop to the 4:5 and 5:4 image aspects, are excellent, true to the claim of what the EOS 400D is capable of. A fully working unit of the model could very well be the recommended choice for vintage enthusiasts looking at the low end of the auction market to get themselves into the genre.

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM

Enough said. I might come back to the EOS 400D at a later date and do a real film photography style street shoot, or any other genre I am working in, with it. In the meantime, I have another vintage enthusiast's pick, the Canon EOS 500D (EOS Rebel T1i, EOS Kiss X3), to enjoy the time with.

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Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto 50mm f/1.8

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Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto 50mm 1:1.8

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Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto 50mm f/1.8

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Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto 50mm f/1.8

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The 4:5 Image Aspect Ratio, A Large Frame Format

A look at the 4:5 image aspect ratio, a versatile image format particularly suited for mobile devices.

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The 4:5 image aspect ratio, a very versatile format in photography and digital media, is particularly well-suited for mobile devices and platforms prioritizing portrait-oriented content, such as Instagram, where the images are scrolled vertically. The format allows for a visually appealing presentation that maximizes the device's screen space, which in turn, enhances visibility and engagement.

In photography, the 4:5 ratio, borne out of the traditional film format from where it was first adopted, is perhaps the most traditional film format, where it gained prominence when popularized by photographers who used 5×4 film in large format photography, oriented horizontally for landscapes, or vertically for portraiture.

With its unique visual characteristics, the frame strikes a balance between width and height, making it suitable for content from portraits to product images. It allows for a balanced composition with key elements of the image centered within the central area of the frame. This helps to contain the eye movement in a circular motion within the center of the image, as opposed to the left-to-right or up-and-down movement with images in rectangular frames.

The format is recognized and remains a standard for art prints, with 8x10 or 16x20-inch prints. Though the image aspect ratio is not normally found as an option for frameset settings on digital cameras, images can still be captured digitally and edited to fit the format later on the desktop editor.

Many photo editing tools allow users to easily crop images to fit the 4:5 ratio without significant loss of quality. By planning shots with this aspect ratio in mind, photographers can avoid extensive cropping during post-production, thus preserving critical elements of their images.

Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto 50mm f/1.8

For photographers with a vintage digital SLR with an APS-C sensor, say a Canon EOS 300D mounted with a legacy Pentacon Auto 50mm f/1.8, as in the case of the photo shoot seen here, the advice is to compose the images to fit this aspect ratio in-camera before cropping them later. This will ensure that the intended framing is preserved when the image is cropped.

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