Is Hasselblad Still a Camera Company?

I read Michael Reichmann's Wretched Excess on Hasselblad's dress ups of the NEX-7 and RX100 and sell them for an insane amount of money. Beyond the basic cameras that's made by Sony, everything else is bling-bling.  I don't doubt there are lots of people out there with so much money they don't know what to do with, and won't blink an eye and drop seven grand on a NEX-7, er, I mean the Luna, but to the majority of us who actually use cameras to shoot pictures, all this makes no sense. I fully get where Hasselbling is going. They target a very small group of people who buy these cameras as fashion accessories, or as a show-off piece. There are people who are addicted to acquire stuff that are out of the norm. Just think how many "special edition" Leica models has been introduced and you know there is a market out there.

I will shamefully admit that I am addicted to camera gear; I am addicted to using old lenses to take pictures; I am addicted to weird optical stuff that can be made to take pictures, and now dangerously on the verge of bicycle addiction. I don't blame those who buy Lunas and Stellars, but the tactic employed by Hasselblad is simply wrong. It ruins the reputation of a company often associated with great photographic equipment, prestige, and the mark it has left in the photographic history (images taken from the moon). Perhaps, Hasselblad wants to be the next Hermes and LV, selling excessively expensive accessories. What a shame.

Shot from the backyard - Sony NEX-6 & Elgeet Cine Navitar 2 inch f1.5 @ f1.5.

Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5 C-Mount - Photo Set

The Wollensak Raptar 2 inch (50mm) f1.5 is the last c-mount lens I purchased, and that was last year.  So, I have been pretty good at NOT buying a lot of lenses. I figured I really should use more of what I have already got. Most c-mount lenses vignette severely on the NEX cameras, including this one. In many ways, that's one of the charm of this kind of lenses; it's a hardware based vignette feature and no Photoshop is required :)

I really like this lens. Not only because it's optically interesting, but the build quality is first rate. The chrome finish looks gorgeous; decades passed and it is still beautiful. Very happy to have this lens. In fact, I like this one more than the Kodak Anastigmat 50mm f1.6, even though it does not have the close focusing capability as the Kodak. Both lenses are superb but the excessive swirling of the Kodak sometimes drives me crazy.

Bokeh - NEX-6 & Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5. Click for larger.

Bokeh #2 - NEX-6 & Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5. Click for larger.

Glenpine in Black & White - NEX-6 & Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5

The Jay Walker - NEX-6 & Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5

Must, Resist...

I am weak when it comes to camera gear purchases.  The situation is made worse now that I don't have my old NEX-5N, which I am enamored of.  It has excellent image quality and dynamic range.  The Panasonic G1 that I am using now was a good camera, but I find that its high ISO capability leaves me wanting.  The noise over ISO 400 looks like two generations behind the NEX-5N.  In fact, it reminds me of the Canon 1Ds I used to have.  Excellent low ISO, but noisy over ISO 400.

More than a few times I almost pulled the trigger and bought the NEX-6, but kept reminding myself that it would be cheaper after Christmas, and that the Panny G1 will tie me over.  But, I have been spoiled by the NEX-5N.  Sigh.

"Girls" - Panasonic G1 & Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5. Click for larger.

Walk-Around with Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5 C-Mount Lens

Now that I no longer have my NEX-5N, I am back to the good old Panasonic G1, which I have had since it was first introduced.  It's not correct that I don't have the NEX-5N, as I can always borrow it from Dillon, but I am using the G1 as an interim solution until I get a new camera.

With the smaller sensor, the Wollensak 50mm f1.5 Raptar looks quite a bit better at the corners, but it also loses some of its charms - the blurred corners and vignettes.   I have noticed that the G1 has very strong colours, particularly on red, whereas the NEX-5N has more neutral colours.  This can be good or bad depending on your preference.  Doesn't bother me.  I can always dial it down during RAW conversion.

The Wollensak 50mm f1.5 remains one of my current favourite c-mount lenses, but I prefer it on the NEX-5N better than the Panasonic.  The lens shows more character on a larger sensor.  Regardless, it's a very sharp lens but at the same time renders pleasing colour tones.  A little long on M4/3 but still nice.

At the street corner - Panasonic G1 & Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5. Click for larger

Mean looking Eagle - Panasonic G1 & Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5. Click for larger

Yellow Peppers - Panasonic G1 & Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5. Click for larger

Nick Nack - Panasonic G1 & Wollensak Raptar 50mm f1.5. Click for larger

More JML 25mm f0.95 Pictures

I had the luxury of one free hour all to myself today while waiting for the kids' music class to end. Walked around the music school's neighbourhood and eventually ended up at the Distillery District. Lots of photo opportunities everywhere. Used both the Kern Paillard Switar 75mm f1.9 and the JML 25mm f0.95, but ended up with lot more pictures from the JML. I am really taken by its sharpness wide open. It's not only usuable, but I like to use only at that aperture. It's truly a fun lens to use. You don't even need to Photoshop the vignette corners! It's naturally built-in :-)

All pictures were taken with the Panasonic G1 with JML 25mm f0.95 Lens. You can see more pictures taken with this lens here: JML 25mm Gallery

A Couple of Colour Pictures from JML 25mm f0.95

Took the JML 25mm f0.95 TV lens out today and shot some pictures in the evening light. Well, I think I learned a little bit more about what this lens can do. I shot mostly indoors with this lens before and at relatively high ISO and therefore the definition of the pictures were never really good, due to strong noise reduction on the G1. Under good lighting and low ISO, this lens performs admirably, wide open. In fact, I like to shoot this lens at wide apertures. It does create some nice and unique background blurs.

One of the things that I consider is a short coming, and I didn't mention before, is the somewhere long minimum focusing distance at 0.5 meters. For a wide angle, the minimum focusing distance is about 0.3 meters. Not a real big deal, just wished it were a little shorter for close up shots.

JML 25mm f0.95 TV lens @ f0.95 + Panasonic G1

JML 25mm f0.95 TV lens @ f0.95 + Panasonic G1