HMD Nokia 3.1

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 8/7/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

HMD Nokia 3.1

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 8/6/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

HMD Nokia 3.1

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 8/5/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

HMD Nokia 3.1

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 8/4/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

HMD Nokia 3.1, A Golden Hour Ensemble

Mobile Photography: Images with a HMD Nokia 3.1, an obsolete budget smartphone released in 2018, still beloved and functional for the golden hour enthusiasm on weekend grocery trips.

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

I am still enjoying my current stint of vintage enthusiasm, on occasion, with the HMD Nokia 3.1, an entry-level Android smartphone released in 2018 by HMD Global under the Nokia brand. The smartphone is the successor to the Nokia 3 and runs on Google’s Android One program, which received updates up to Android 10.

The phone features a 13MP rear camera with an AF f/2.0 aperture lens (8MP front), a 5.2-inch HD+ display, MediaTek MT6750N chipset, a 2990mAh battery, up to 3GB RAM/32GB storage, a minimalist, plastic‑back design with decent build quality, and various color options.

Although nowhere near the top echelon of smartphones, the 8-year-old is still decent enough, albeit as a budget option with a camera app that can be slow to respond, unreliable focus, and no image stabilization. The camera does work well, though, for casual daylight photography, and as I have used it often, for golden hour shots.

As a norm, the 3.1 is the only device I carry on my weekend grocery trips, or my other early morning errands, and if you get them right, the images are of very decent quality, often with high saturation and warmer color tones, which adds to the warmth of golden hour shots like these.

As reviewed and experienced, the camera does struggle more often than not with its AF feature, and in low-light, performance can be poor with noisy and soft images.

Overall, though, as and when it was launched in 2018, the 3.1 was generally well-received for its high-quality construction, which features a metal frame and a polished and well-crafted design with a 5.2-inch 18:9 display that is of good quality, and for providing a clean software interface, minimal bloatware, and the promise of timely security and Android OS updates.

HMD Nokia 3.1

Much as I have enjoyed and relished the camera function of the 3.1 for quite a while now, hanging on to it for a while longer means that I will also be staying put with an non-updateable OS, a failing battery, and a couple of other woes, which makes it all sounds that a whole system upgrade is inevitably on the horizon.

Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/31/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/30/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/29/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/28/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8

CCD Resurgence: Images with a Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8, widely praised as a compact, inexpensive, and reliable wide-angle prime, a 'sweet-spot' 42mm standard normal full-frame equivalent on the Sony DSLR A-350.

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

The Minolta (Maxxum in the US) AF 28mm f/2.8, often overshadowed by the brighter and later-issued Minolta AF 28mm f/2, is an A-mount lens made for the Minolta Maxxum 35mm AF SLR camera series. This exceptionally compact and lightweight wide-angle prime, introduced in 1985, is known for its solid build, sharpness, and natural color rendition.

The lens has a metal mount and internal components enclosed in a plastic outer barrel. It features a 5-element in 5-group design, a 7-blade aperture (f/2.8–f/22), a minimum focusing distance of 0.3 meters, and uses 49mm filters. Weighing about 185 grams, the lens includes an integrated sliding hood and has a narrow focusing ring at the front that rotates during autofocusing.

In its original form as a 35mm full-frame lens, with a wider field of view than that of a 35mm wide-angle, the 28mm is significant as a pioneering wide-angle focal length that redefined street photography, photojournalism, and landscape documentation with a field of view that offers a natural wide perspective with more context than standard lenses without excessive distortion.

On the Sony Alpha DSLR-A350, the AF 28mm f/2.8 is equivalent to a 40mm (42mm exactly) lens on a 35mm full-frame camera, a focal length popular with many photographers as they realize the potential of exploring the unique balance between the context and content of images the lens is capable of capturing.

The 40mm (or equivalent) focal length, often referred to as the 'sweet spot for street photography,' is very versatile and can be used, aside from being the optimum for street photography, for other genres, including city and urban scenes, landscape, portraits, travel, as well as documentary and storytelling.

The balanced nature of this focal length also means photographers don't have to make significant compromises when framing their shots, with enough width to establish the scene's context while providing sufficient reach to extenuate the main subject.

Images, as captured with these crops and close-ups from the garden, are punchy in contrast, with warm color rendering, and reasonably sharp in the center at f/2.8. Optimal sharpness is achieved when stopped down to f/5.6 or f/8, the recommended aperture for landscape settings. The 7-blade diaphragm helps to garner pleasant bokeh.

Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8

The Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 (released 2008), designed for entry-level users, is one of the APS-C consumer DSLRs recognized with having the highest-resolution CCD sensors when launched in 2008. The camera features a 14.2MP CCD sensor, a 230,400 pixels 2.7-inch tilting screen, a unique quick-AF live view function, and built-in sensor-shift image stabilization. Images are excellent at low ISOs (100–400), but tend to be noisy at higher ISOs (400 and higher).

Pentax K-m, Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/24/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Pentax K-m, Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/23/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Pentax K-m, Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/22/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Pentax K-m, Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/21/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Pentax K-m, Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5

CCD Resurgence: Images with a vintage legacy Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5, acclaimed for its exceptional sharpness, 12-blade circular bokeh, and rugged all-metal build, a 202.5mm full-frame telephoto equivalent on the Pentax K-m.

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

The Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5, one of the highlights of the film photography era, is a highly regarded pre-set prime known for extreme sharpness, 12-blade creamy bokeh, and robust metal construction. The lens, originally based on a Zeiss Sonnar design, is a Soviet-era swappable T-mount (produced mainly by KMZ / Zenit) which typically comes with a M42 screw mount.

The lens, a long-time favorite with vintage enthusiasts for its compact size, metallic build, and pleasing rendering, especially for portraits and controlled telephoto work, was introduced in 1974.

The solid all-metal and glass compact (multi-coated if it comes with an MC designation) is a 4-element in 3 groups construction, has a minimum focusing distance of 0.12 meters, takes 52mm filters, weighs 410 grams, and enjoys a rating of Sharpness at 9.0, Aberrations at 8.7, Bokeh at 8.7, Handling at 8.1, and Value at 9.5 on PentaxForums.

The lens also carries the designation "-A" to denote that the lens has a removable shank and can be installed in other camera lens mount systems. Variants of the lens include a multi-coated "MC" version and a "K" version with a PK mount.

On the Pentax K-m, the Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5 is equivalent to a 202.5mm lens on a full-frame camera. The focal length, categorized as a medium telephoto, offers a balance between magnification and perspective compression, with a narrower field of view ideal for portraiture, street photography, and isolating subjects.

In use, pre-setting the lens to its designated aperture opening, and closing the aperture to the setting before taking the shot, whilst framing and focusing is done at full aperture, is the way forward.

To set, first turn the aperture ring to its smallest opening (f/22), press the aperture ring down towards the body of the camera, and turn it to the required aperture setting. Release the ring and turn it slightly to the right to click the lock into place, and you are ready to go.

Pentax K-m, Jupiter 37-A 135mm f/3.5

In manual mode on the Pentax, you still have the advantage of using the green button (the Exposure Compensation button on the K-m) to quickly set the shutter speed and aperture for proper exposure. Do this by pressing the button before releasing the shutter.

Olympus PEN E-P5, G.Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/17/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Olympus PEN E-P5, G.Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/16/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Olympus PEN E-P5, G.Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/15/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Olympus PEN E-P5, G.Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 7/14/26

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Olympus PEN E-P5, G.Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

Camera and Lenses: Images with a legacy G.Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8, a vintage wide-angle prime known for its solid all-metal construction, a long-throw focus ring, and classic mechanical build, a 70mm short-tele equivalent on the Olympus Pen E-P5.

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

The wide-angle Olympus G.Zuiko Auto-W 35mm f/2.8 (G.Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8 for short), one of the most affordable Zuiko lenses when it debuted along with the OM System in 1972, is deceptively small, more compact than the Zuiko 28mm f/2.8, but stood high on the threshold with its acclaim for sharpness, contrast, color rendition, and the acknowledgement for low distortion and minimal vignetting.

The lens carries the ‘G’ designation to indicate the optical design of early version Zuiko lenses, with the 35mm f/2.8 being a 7-element in 6-group construction, and comes with 6 aperture blades, a minimum focusing distance of 0.3 meters, measures 33mm in length and 58mm wide, takes 49mm filters, and weighs 170 grams.

Later versions of the 35mm f/2.8 were reportedly to have a longer body length (43mm) and a heavier weight (240 grams). The letter designation for Zuiko lenses (e.g., D=4 elements, F=6, G=7) was also phased out by the early 1980s when Olympus transitioned from single-coated to multi-coated lenses. The lenses were then labelled "Zuiko MCs."

On the 2x crop sensor Olympus E-P5, the 35mm f/2.8 lens is equivalent to a 70mm short telephoto or a handy portrait focal length on a full-frame camera, a focal length highly recommended for head-and-shoulders shots, architecture, environmental portraits, and candid street photography, where the main subject can be captured within the context of its scene.

With its minimum focusing distance of 0.3 meters (and maximum magnification of 1:6.4), but short of being a true macro lens, the lens is equally adaptable for crops and close-ups. Pairing it with a digital camera that has EVF aids (magnification, focus peaking) adds to the comfort of using the setup and the convenience of achieving greater depth in your photos.

Though not clinically sharp by modern standards, images are artistically pleasant with punchy colors and film‑like hues, clear separation, and smooth and creamy bokeh. Minor tweaks on the desktop image editor do help to accentuate and enhance these qualities.

As it stands, the Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8 is quite a cult favorite among vintage‑digital enthusiasts for its compact size, smooth manual focus, and image renders that may feel analog even with modern digital bodies. It is one of the smallest OM prime lenses available, and pairs beautifully with small digital bodies, like the Pen E-P5, fitted with readily available lens adapters.

Olympus PEN E-P5, G.Zuiko OM 35mm f/2.8

The Olympus PEN E‑P5, a compact, rangefinder‑style Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera released in October 2013, is an enthusiast-level retro‑film‑camera design with modern specs. The camera is fitted with a 16.1MP Four Thirds Live MOS sensor (the same as the OM-D E-M5), a TruePic VI image processor, and 5-axis In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS), a system that works well with adapted manual lenses to allow for more stabilized shooting at slower shutter speeds.