Are you taking my picture?

Are you taking my picture?, originally uploaded by benny ng.

Tried some scale focusing shots without bring up the camera to the eye. Tough man!

Estimated the distance, set the camera on the table and fired away. Missed slightly and had to crop and level the horizon on this image. Oh well..

Composition is usually hit and miss if you don't look through the viewfinder. But, your subject won't realise that the camera is loaded and will think that you are just messing around with your gear. 25mm is about the longest you can do that effectively and still get something usable in the frame. Wider options like 21mm, 18mm, 15mm and 12mm will be even better given their huge depth of field, but your subjects might be too small or distorted if placed at the edge. Besides, on the really wide angles, vignetting can be an issue and careful composition needs to be considered, either to emphasize or hide it.

Cheers,

(Canon 7 Rangefinder + 50mm f/0.95) X 2!

(Canon 7 Rangefinder + 50mm f/0.95) X 2!, originally uploaded by benny ng.

So Yiming got seduced. Ended up with one of these speed monster instead of the Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1.

Check out the serial numbers of this pair of "brudder" lens!

Let's see how long he last with this. Focusing on the rangefinder ain't forgiving. Especially at f/0.95!

I give him 6 months.... Ha Ha!

My gosh!! It sure is big and long alright!

Canon IIB Rangefinder + Serenar f/4 100mm, originally uploaded by benny ng.

The Canon IIB is one of the earlier models amongst those I have.

Whilst I was organizing the mess with the addition of the 2 new dry cabinets, I thought I'll take this one out for a happy snappy. Mated with with the Serenar f/4 100mm lens and it sure is heavy!! Add the camera holder and it makes a brick seem so much lighter.

The camera holder is really a weird accessory. Although the camera itself has an off center tripod screw, this accessory allows for the camera to be mounted both horizontally and vertically, in the center of the lens axis. There is also a spirit level included as well. I suppose this is for panoramic landscape pictures more than anything else.

I would hate to imagine what a vintage leather bag, with 2 cameras, 3 to 5 lens and their respective finders, the camera holder and loads of film, would weigh.....

Don't you just love the vintage look!

Cheers,

The Serenar 5cm f/2.0 LTM!!!

Chiif X Canon IIF2 X Serenar 5cm f/2.0 LTM, originally uploaded by benny ng.

Chiif X Canon IIF2 X Serenar 5cm f/2.0 LTM

Chi Fei came by for coffee and so I showed him part of the stuff that landed the week before. Amongst the stash was the Canon IIF2 rangefinder camera. It's one of the last few type of bottom loading version and this particular model has less than 3000 pieces ever made.

What is of interest is the lens, which is the Serenar 5cm f/2.0 LTM. This particular variant is one of less than 350 produced! Finally, I'm now down to one last lens for the LTM line up.

Now let's focus on finding the black Canon 85mm f/1.9.

Cheers,

Vintage classic: Canon 100mm f/3.5 LTM

Vintage classic: Canon 100mm f/3.5 LTM, originally uploaded by benny ng.

Some of the classic Canon 100mm f/3.5 screw mount lenses amongst the stash.... small form factor and spectacular performer.

In total, there's 7 variations with 2 distinctively different barrels. I'm missing type 5, although type 2 is also not shown in the picture.

Collecting variations of a single lens type must surely be signs of a sick mind.

Cheers,

At the end of the day....

At the end of the day...., originally uploaded by benny ng.

Taken 3 days ago with the famed Canon 50mm f/0.95 when the usual gang when to Labrador park. Shooting almost directly into the sun. A bit of lens flare across the frame if you can see it.

Not an easy lens to use, but the nice dreamy effect is something that a lot of the modern gear can't seem to deliver. Maybe it's just a hazy lens! Ha Ha!

Cheers,

Yo Mon! Check dis out!

Yo Mon! Check dis out!, originally uploaded by benny ng.

Shot on my brand new Panasonic LX3!!! Got it last week and took it out for a spin this week.

Anyway, we went down to Peninsula today as John was going to pick up his Xpan! Yup. He's going to give rangefinders a shot. Chii Fel returned me the Canon 7s with the 50mm f/0.95. Yiming 'inherited' the monster for the day and had some fun with it when we went to Labrador Park.

Oh, the image is cropped in Xpan format (65:24) in commemoration of John's new camera.

Cheers,

Luke Skywalker's missing lightsaber!

Luke Skywalker's missing lightsaber!, originally uploaded by benny ng.

Obviously bored stiff...

Anyway, got the Canon 135mm f/4.0 cleaned up and the focusing and aperture rings relubricated. Now it's looking great! The original hood also arrived a week ago. Thanks to Dan who help me tranship the item from an ebay seller who prefered not to ship outside of USA.

This is one heavy baby and you can really feel it's presence. With the mounted hood, it really feels like a lightsaber from the Star Wars movies! Just the right size and weight. Let's see how this fella performs when I take it out for a spin.

Cheers,

Canon 35mm f/2.8 LTM in black

A bunch of new toys landed after a trip out last week. Amongst the stash, the more notable ones are..



Canon 35mm f/2.8 LTM in black. It's the one mounted on the Canon IVSB. This is different from the earlier chrome version.



Canon 35mm f/2.0 LTM in complete packaging and paperwork. Supposingly new and unused. It's indeed very minty and can't seem to see any mounting marks. Even the 'Canon' plastic bags for the lens and the case are still intact. From the packaging, you can see that it's a type 2 lens, meaning the later version.

Artisan & Artist leather case for the Epson R-D1. Discontinued and extremely hard to get. Finally managed to land one after 3 tries.

I believe there's also the Canon 100mm f/3.5 Type 7 amongst the packages. Haven't got around to it yet. Also Canon Rangefinder filters, shades and viewfinders.

Cheers,

Canon Rangefinder Lens update

So... I must admit it got a bit out of hand..

I never thought of myself as a gear collector but I do know that I'm a bit of a horder. In any case, I am very much drawn to these obsolete (but no less functional) rangefinder offering from Canon.

The list so far...

19mm f/3.5

25mm f/3.5

28mm f/2.8 (Chrome)

35mm f/1.5
35mm f/1.8
35mm f/2.0
35mm f/2.8 (Chrome)
35mm f/3.2
35mm f/3.5

50mm f/0.95
50mm f/1.2
50mm f/1.4
50mm f/1.5
50mm f/1.8 (Chrome)
50mm f/1.8 (Black)
50mm f/2.2
50mm f/2.8 (black/chrome)

85mm f/1.5 (Black/chrome)
85mm f/1.8
85mm f/1.9 (Chrome)
85mm f/2.0

100mm f/2.0
100mm f/3.5 (Black/Chrome)
100mm f/3.5 (Black)
100mm f/4.0

135mm f/3.5 (Black)
135mm f/4.0

There about 9 more lens to complete the range of lenses, but actually a lot more if we are talking about a comprehensive collection.

Let's see how long it takes to hunt down the remaining lenses.

Compressed

Compressed, originally uploaded by benny ng.

Just playing with the Canon 100mm f/2.0 LTM on the Epson R-D1s. This lens is suppose to be notoriously hard to focus, especially on the R-D1s due to the camera's short baselength as well as the shallow depth of field at f/2.0.

Anyway, Bernard, John and I went to the Padang after hanging out at Peninsula for a while. The light was good and I managed to get a shot of the financial district in a slightly different perspective.

Cheers,

Canon 25mm f/3.5 LTM

Canon 25mm f/3.5 LTM, originally uploaded by benny ng.

One one the recent acquisitions... Canon 25mm f/3.5 LTM. Epson R-D1s in the background.

A very compact lens, very similar to the Canon 28mm f/2.8 LTM. I wonder how this antique stands up to Voigtlander's Color Skopar 25mm f/4?

Macro shot taken with my trusty Canon IXUS 40!!

Canon 19mm f/3.5

A very interesting lens....

Available in LTM mount or a much cheaper FL mount with or without retrofocus.

Anyway, just bid on a Canon FL 19m f/3.5 R for the fun of it.

Also, chanced upon another Canon 19mm f/3.5 LTM in Japan.

キヤノン19ｍｍF3.5 スクリューマウントレンズです。
Canon 19mm f/3.5 screw mount lens.

レンズ内多少ゴミの混入あります。
There are dust inside the lens element.

前枠やピントリングの黒塗りがはげているところがあります。
Front frame and focusing ring has brassing on the black paint.

専用ファインダーと前後キャップが付属します。
Finder, front and rear caps included.

ファインダーはレンズにキズがありますのでオマケ程度にお考えください

Should I? Shouldn't I? I do have more lenses that I can use at this point in time.. We'll see...

The Perfect Boyfriend

The Perfect Boyfriend, originally uploaded by benny ng.

He doesn't smoke or drink. Won't stray. Never talk back. Don't complain if he's a bit of a bore though...

Urban

Urban, originally uploaded by benny ng.

Took the Canon 50mm f/1.5 LTM for a spin around the Marina area. It's a real vintage, chrome on brass, heavy, with a little focusing lever that is also an infinity lock.

Anyway, it's a Sonnar copy and it's really sharp at f/4.0! I love this lens!

Cheers,

Taipei = Scooters

Taipei = Scooters, originally uploaded by benny ng.

It's just amazing how many scooters there are in Taipei. I think there must be millions! Benson told me that there's at least 1 to 1.5 units per household. On the roads, the only adjective I can think of is 'swarm' when describing their sheer numbers.

Taken with my trusty Canon 50mm f/1.5 LTM!

Cheers,