The Problem with Modern Lenses.. transfered to those new to view camera image making

Due to recent events, been using the digital and 35mm film camera lots while out on re-hab walks. Light weight portability is an important factor for these image goals. This brewed interest in the current digital camera lens offerings.. leading to do web readings of current lens fashions. Appears current digital camera lens offerings are much about that idealized optical performance with "sharp", high contrast, zero distortion at all lens apertures and all that same eye poking image fashion of today.

Noted in this article from some years ago:
https://petapixel.com/2016/03/14/problem-modern-lenses/

Current best of the high tech lenses for digital, no thanks.

Question is, how much of this image goal fashion and habit is carried over to those new to the cosmos of view camera?
Much like favored view camera lenses, the digital and 35mm film camera lenses favored are "vintage" manual focus or second generation canon EF lenses.
Even knowing well the limitations of on-line digital images, the modern Sigma Art, Sony GM and similar current "state of the art" digital lenses have zero appeal. Images made by these image systems appear clinical-cold, artificial, flat, cartoon like and un-real in too many ways.


Bernice

There's no disputing tastes.

Step 1- Buy a dSLR or mirrorless state-of-the-art 40+ MP camera and lens for $6-12K
Step 2- Buy a $24 ring light off Amazon
Step 3- Using camera on full auto, take selfie using your remote control and live view app on your phone
Step 4- Upload your photo to Instagram at 480x640 pixels, applying 'Beauty' and 'Polaroid' filters
Step 5- Brag about your state-of-the-art gear and how much you spent on it.

I remain surprised at how many members here buy the latest digicams. No offense meant, I find I keep accumulating them myself, but usually 6 or 10 year-old cameras and lenses I pick up for a song, and I do enjoy using them from time to time. And unless I put considerable effort into my large format craft, the pics I take with those little computer thingys with a lens are consistently better than anything I can do in LF. So are my phone pics. We are the keepers of a dying art, the world has moved on. It's not like the digital crowd are at any risk of running out of electrons, either.

To the topic at hand, I routinely sell obsolete small format lenses on fleabay to people who want to use them on their latest digital contraption. Looking for something different than that ultra-processed, saturated and sharpened look. So their little computers dutifully process the images they get from a 50 year-old Soligor lens, and try to turn it into the exact same image as if they'd used their expensive new 'digital' lenses.

Garbage article.

BTW, a friend of mine makes beautiful portraits using mostly a 35mm Sigma Art lens. I've seen plenty of excellent photographs made with them, and any "look" to them is more related to the imaging system and editing - not to mention lighting and environment.

There is nothing to how many "elements" or glass types that make a lens better or worse. There's certainly character differences and one is free to think certain styles of lenses suit their way of seeing and shooting.

I bought this and a 50

TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 Lens for Nikon Z (Black)

Still testing

Very affordable

I usually buy a new Digi NIKON every few years

I bought my $1000 Z fc as an introduction to new tech

I love the video eyepiece as it easily compensates for my fading vision

I am slowly learning what it can do, kinda disappointed it cannot write directly to my toy printer, but my phone can help

Soon I will put it ONTO 200-500 which becomes 750 mm

I am just happy to be STILL alive and playing

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan Fromm

There's no disputing tastes.

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Just as long as they're put forth as "I like this, don't like that" and not "there's a problem with what I don't like." In the latter case, disputation is more than justified. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Corran

Garbage article...

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Well, Bryan, I'm not so sure denigrating landfill material that way is fair to rubbish. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Corran

...There is nothing to how many "elements" or glass types that make a lens better or worse. There's certainly character differences and one is free to think certain styles of lenses suit their way of seeing and shooting.

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Correct. For example, I vomit at the sight of "swirly bokeh" but it's fine for those who love a petzval or vitax. To each her or his own.

Baloney. Don’t like sharp/well corrected lenses? Easy to fix. Not easy to go the other way.

Canon introduced their K35 cinema lens set in the mid 1970's (based on Canon FD-L series 35mm camera lenses) , granted an Academy Award in 1977 for their optical design. More than a few famous films were made with these K35 cinema lens sets.

Current rehoused sets are sell for well into six figures of $ or €
https://www.kitplus.com/FORSALE/Came...ed/215240.html

Typical rental cost about 5,000 U$D per day.

There are other "vintage" optically inferior lenses being rehoused and making high $ cinema and other major media releases today.

Believe there will be extensive post processing involved during the visual release process. If the idealized image goals can be achieved in post production via software, why is this and other "vintage" lenses experiencing demand for their "inferior" optical performance _?_


Bernice

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Corran

Garbage article.

BTW, a friend of mine makes beautiful portraits using mostly a 35mm Sigma Art lens. I've seen plenty of excellent photographs made with them, and any "look" to them is more related to the imaging system and editing - not to mention lighting and environment.

There is nothing to how many "elements" or glass types that make a lens better or worse. There's certainly character differences and one is free to think certain styles of lenses suit their way of seeing and shooting.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Michael R

Baloney. Don’t like sharp/well corrected lenses? Easy to fix. Not easy to go the other way.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tin Can

I am just happy to be STILL alive and playing

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This man has found the secret of life.