IN PRAISE OF JUNKY OLD LENSES
article by Robert Boyer
article by Robert Boyer
One of the things I like about working with film is that I can work with junky old cameras that will work with just about any lens you can jamb on the front. Just as good if not better - you can jamb any film in the back as well. In fact you can jamb glass and japanned tin plates coated with homemade emulsion on the back to, but that is another article. The lens that I used for this sheet of film was one of the oldest and junkiest that I own although I am always on the lookout. I don’t collect collector grade lenses - I buy them ratty - not pristine examples of the “genre”.
This one happens to be a Wollensak Velostigmat Triple Convertible from the 1920’s. Even if it was in pristine condition it has no coatings, strange and unique optical aberrations - the kind that computers design away today - and wonderful out of focus renditions. On top of that this one has a chip out of the front element and some of the interior elements are starting to separate to. I use it and other junky old lenses for the same reason I use film. A unique rendering. Of course I can make “perfect” images on film as well - I just use an appropriate film and one of my “new” Rodenstock’s or Schneider’s on the front of the very same camera.
The image included is actually a crop of the full frame. Why? Because I print this stuff big I don’t shoot it so you can look at tiny samples on the web. Even though you cannot get a real sense of what the print looks like looking at a crappy scan on a backlit display that can only show 256 levels of grey on a good day here is what a section of the 4 FOOT TALL print looks like. I used the grainiest film that I shoot as well for this image. Grainier than Kodak TRI-X. The film was Efke PL100, an emulsion designed in the 1950’s and that was considered a “fast” film back then. The TRI- X of the 50’s was probably grainier than this but it hasn’t been in decades processed normally in a normal developer. Don’t get me wrong - I love Kodak TRI-X and shoot both the 400 and the 320 varieties more than any other film but if I want a bit of grain in a large format print I usually go for PL100 in a “grainy” developer.
Just some food for thought for all of you that might be lusting after that new wonderfully “perfect” lens.
This one happens to be a Wollensak Velostigmat Triple Convertible from the 1920’s. Even if it was in pristine condition it has no coatings, strange and unique optical aberrations - the kind that computers design away today - and wonderful out of focus renditions. On top of that this one has a chip out of the front element and some of the interior elements are starting to separate to. I use it and other junky old lenses for the same reason I use film. A unique rendering. Of course I can make “perfect” images on film as well - I just use an appropriate film and one of my “new” Rodenstock’s or Schneider’s on the front of the very same camera.
The image included is actually a crop of the full frame. Why? Because I print this stuff big I don’t shoot it so you can look at tiny samples on the web. Even though you cannot get a real sense of what the print looks like looking at a crappy scan on a backlit display that can only show 256 levels of grey on a good day here is what a section of the 4 FOOT TALL print looks like. I used the grainiest film that I shoot as well for this image. Grainier than Kodak TRI-X. The film was Efke PL100, an emulsion designed in the 1950’s and that was considered a “fast” film back then. The TRI- X of the 50’s was probably grainier than this but it hasn’t been in decades processed normally in a normal developer. Don’t get me wrong - I love Kodak TRI-X and shoot both the 400 and the 320 varieties more than any other film but if I want a bit of grain in a large format print I usually go for PL100 in a “grainy” developer.
Just some food for thought for all of you that might be lusting after that new wonderfully “perfect” lens.
Great article!!! Exploring the world of large format and antique lenses and opened up a whole new world for me.
ReplyDeleteLoved the article. I use a Holga lens I modified from time to time - just for fun. And also just discovered today that an old "junk" kit lens from Canon that I dropped last year is actually really fun to work with. The zoom stopped working because the internal cylinder is off kilter. So now I have a fixed 50 mm lens with a tilt shift! For FREE! :-)
ReplyDeleteHere are some of my first attempts with the "tilt shift" lens I "created" by dropping my Canon glass. Oops! :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowfarmhousephotography/sets/72157624374048718/