I don’t own a lot of gear and what I do have I look after, a good part of it has been with me for many years, and some of the lenses I use are over 50 years old! In reality I probably have more gear than most people (not necessarily photographers or super keen amateurs) would consider normal and that’s only because over the 40 years I have been interested in photography, I have held onto most of it. They are old friends.
The film camera bodies I have are no longer in use – kept carefully away, the lenses are another matter though and they still get out and about with me on my digital camera bodies. I have great pleasure in using them and my story today is about two “old friends”, one analogue, one digital and how I use them together, they are one of my favourite shooting combinations.
I’ve known for a short while that I would write a post about them, and though I have shot with this combination numerous times, I took them with me on a day trip to Toronto to capture images specifically for this post. One camera, one lens. They are my Fuji X-T1 and Olympus Zuiko 28mm f2.8, and you’ll know, if you read my blogs, that I don’t really talk about gear, but I felt, in this instance you should know about these two old friends.
The Fuji, I bought new, though as an open box item 5 years ago, it was probably sitting around for years, untouched and un-noticed until I came by it. I bought it for a good price! The Olympus 28mm was bought by my father 40 years previously, and as I mentioned elsewhere, came with us on our first trip to North America in 1982, and was used in Toronto at that time. I remember the trip well! The Olympus saw many years of in-activity, kept away in a draw, at first victim to the dawn of autofocus, then digital photography. With the advent of mirrorless cameras many people started using old vintage glass on their mirrorless bodies (via adaptors) and over the last 3 years, I joined the brigade. The Olympus and Nikon manual focus lenses, I already owned, were joined by some vintage Takumars and an interesting Russian Helios.
Last year, whilst I was out in the woods, for the first time, my Fuji X-T1 gave me some trouble – on changing lenses, it refused to identify the lens and work. Changing back – it was the same and I discovered, when I got back home, it can be an issue with Fuji bodies. The camera functions on the body worked perfectly – it just wouldn’t recognize any autofocus lens mounted on it, a problem with the contacts on the mount of the body. An expensive repair was not an option and for the next few days it took up its new role, on my desk, as an expensive and beautiful paperweight. I was gutted!
However, the role was to last but a few days and I was back out enjoying using it again – this time with manual focus lenses. The X-T1 is my lowest resolution camera body and also the camera I reach for the most. There’s something special about the images the sensor creates and coupled with manual focus lenses, produces a really special and gratifying shooting experience. I know from trial and error with the Fuji and the lenses I have the shooting experience with the different combinations can vary a good deal. The Olympus 28mm is my favourite lens to use with the Fuji.
Using manual focus lenses on digital bodies – used in manual mode has brought me a great deal of satisfaction whilst shooting. No, I don’t use this for any professional work, or work that requires me to react quickly. Using a combination like this is all about slowing down and enjoying the experience a practice that I believe can improve your photography. It does require practice (practice, practice, more practice) and will comely quickly to some and may not be for other people.
The photos I have shown here in this post, were all shot on Monday this week – it’s now Thursday morning, as I write this post. One camera, one lens, everything, including focusing, was manual, I also decided that morning to use a single ISO (and not change it), fortunately it was a bright day.
As I have said so many times before, and you’ve heard it from other people too, it’s not about the gear – you don’t need the latest and greatest. Know your gear, understand light and composition – have ideas and vision – learn to “see”. Be passionate – good, great, amazing photography comes from within.
Unburden yourself – one camera, one lens, and…you.