Posts from the ‘Rants & Raves’ Category

Mar 27

My First Impressions – MS Optical Perar Super Triplet 28mm F4

Welcome to the inaugural launch of this website!

DISCLAIMER!!!: My reviews are only based on the images I take and how user friendly it is. Some images will be post processed with slight crops and pushing or pulling on the contrast or darks. That is about the only post work I do. I am not knowledgeable about equipment from any technical point of view. So if any one expects to read detailed specifications or any tech reviews, there are other sites that have the expertise. And, my bias is based on if the lens helps me capture the image I envisioned.

I had the pleasure of meeting Bellamy Hunt of Japan Camera Hunter. He was here in Los Angeles to head the Los Angeles Street Photography Workshop with Rinzi Ruiz, where I was a guest presenter and an attendee. Bellamy brought with him a few toys for us to play with. One of which is the world’s tiniest 28mm lens for the M-mount I have ever seen: the MS Optical Perar Super Triplet 28mm F4 (‘Triplet’ is spelled incorrectly on the lens I used – might make it a rarity).

I was able to shoot with it for about one hour. I used my M9 with Aperture priority at F8 and the occasional F6 or F9. My ISO was set at 400 and I zone focussed.

This lens is a 3 element tessar type, 28mm F4. Visually it is the most fascinating lens I have ever seen. The aperture blades are on the outside! It is hand made by a Mr. Miyazaki in the basement of his house in Chiba, Japan. You can read about him in Japan Camera Hunter’s website here. The lens is part of the first run of 180 in the batch.

The Perar Super Triplet is meant for the photographer who loves to play with and own specialty lenses. The colors are rich and gorgeous. It tends on the blueish side. And it also shoots a tad (like a hair) underexposed. I think it’s around a half a stop. I like things a little contrasty myself.

The sharpness is not comparable to other 28mm lenses. In fact, if you enlarge the shot, you can see that it’s fuzzy. But the lens is tiny so you can’t compare it to a large 28mm lens. However, the details that this lens captures is amazing. It is like a little ‘superman’ – its vision is quite exquisite.

In the photo below, you’ll also notice cyan drift in the corners. It’s something that’s easy to fix in post. But I did not do it here to show you what I’m talking about.

Below, I corrected the cyan drift in Light Room 3 using the Lens Vignetting correction slider. I had to push it to + 100% to get it all out.

BTW, this is the Disney Hall downtown Los Angeles by Frank Gehry.

I didn’t notice any obvious edge distortion on the sides. I chose architecture to demonstrate this point. Okay, it’s not fair with a building that already has curves. However, there is general distortion that’s noticeable on wide shots. For instance, when you look at the officer walking towards the stainless steel signage in the middle of the picture, the sign leans toward him. But when you look at the concrete floor joint lines, they look pretty straight.

Here’s a shot with straight lined buildings, but I shot it vertically which took out some of the distortion. I also took out the cyan drift in this shot.

I never had to worry about the aperture blades being on the outside. Although, I did pay attention to it while I was cleaning the lens. It’s definitely not a ‘desert’ lens.

You’ll notice dust particles in some of my shots. I didn’t have a duster or air can with me. I only had a lens cloth. So I may not have done a good job of cleaning. But the lens does take a 19mm filter that can be screwed into the hood. This is the same filter that is used on the Leica Elmar lens. I would highly recommend a UV filter to keep the dust out.

Street photos with people and objects appears to be the lens’ favorite subjects.

I also noticed the brights blow out a touch. But I can understand considering the tiny size of the lens.

But as first impressions go, I love this little lens. If I had a few more days with it, I think my shots would have been geared to its obvious strengths of color, slight under exposure and ease of use. It’s definitely easier to get closer because the camera doesn’t have an obtrusive lens sticking out.

Like I said, it is a specialty lens. It’s actually quite a good ‘street photography’ lens. And the weight- pffsh, what weight? I would buy it when I stock up on lenses the next time the cash flows. You can read more about specifications at Japan Camera Hunter’s site here.

I really appreciate Bellamy letting me play with this little lens. He tells me there are still a few left from the first batch. They run for about 55,000 Yen (approx. US $663.00 with today’s exchange rate). There is also talk of doing a second run. If you’re interested, Bellamy is the man. You can contact him at http://www.japancamerahunter.com

Thanks again Bellamy!

Mar 27

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Frank Jackson B + W Class

Last October-November, I had the chance to take Frank Jackson’s Black and White photography workshop at Samy’s Camera on Fairfax in Los Angeles. It was a workshop to remember. The first night we met, Frank Jackson left an indelible impression.

A self taught professional photographer, Frank knows everything there is to know about the craft of photography. Whatever he told us, it was like drops of gold essence distilled from years of experience. His mantra and emphasis in the class was knowing lighting and correct exposure like the back of your hand. After all, the word “photography” is derived from the Greek word: φωτός (phōtos) “light” γραφή (graphé) “drawing” , meaning “drawing with light”.

Frank showed us how to use available light and simple source light, like a house lamp, without the need to buy any equipment. He gave us exercises that didn’t require a studio facility. For homework, we could shoot anything keeping in mind of what he taught us, including applying it to street photography.

To balance the course out, Frank brought in a couple models so we could shoot with a single source umbrella reflector lighting and the use of textured fabric backdrop.

Finally, he insisted that we make large prints of some of our photographs so we can see the tangible results. Can you imagine? I had never printed any of my digital photographs on paper, ever. I learnt in a big hurry what often looks good on a computer screen, when printed, digital artifacts appear. And it looked like Sh@%! I had to rework my images to make sure there was no noise and pixeling.

Throughout the duration of the class, Frank gave us tips and advice on lighting and photography. Wasting no moment.

The only complaint I have is that there was no time left to print the photographs for half of the class attendees. Me included. So there was no group feedback which Frank intended to have in a little “end-of-class exhibit”. It was because Samy’s printer was in the same room as the Lightroom course was being held. Bad logistics on Samy’s part.

Despite the tiny glitch, I learnt one of the most valuable lessons that changed the way I look at photos forever. Since then, I think about how light affects my shots. If you look at my previous photos in my old blog, Wandering Lulu, most of the photographs paid no attention to lighting at all. I was busy just trying to capture the motion. I still don’t always get it right. And I am learning and getting use to the idea of exposure and manual photography to control the light. But it all started with Frank Jackson. Thanks Frank!

I highly recommend this course to anyone, especially street photographers, who want to strengthen their photographic foundation skills. You can look up Frank Jackson’s website and Samy’s class schedule here: Frank Jackson, Samy’s Camera

(Above) I shot it while walking on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, CA..