My 50mm F/1.1 just arrived! I have to say I am very impressed with the Kamlan lens build quality. Heavy aluminum housing with no slop and nice smooth rotation on focus and aperture ring. Nice clear clean lettering of numbers. Comes with a bayonet lens shade which allows standard 52mm filter to be used with the shade. Nicely packaged and boxed in foam with cleaning cloth and quick release lens cap and rear lens cover for storage.
The pictures at wide open F/1.1 are suitably sharp, and depth of field is extremely narrow, as expected. Bokeh of back point light sources is nice smooth circle. No wierd rings, swirls, or onion skin (some people like that I suppose). Color rendition is pretty good. I won’t know more until I shoot outdoors on a bright day. It’s grey overcast and raining at the moment so indoor test shots here will have to suffice.
First shot of the 20mm lens that was removed. The lined paper shows effect of DOF.
Second shot of orchid (focus is in middle of frame on flower petals):
Shots were handheld at ISO 800 and about 1/300 sec shutter speed. Might be sharper with tripod. Focusing requires use of enlarged digital focus patch and is slow and deliberate. Not for action scenes or subjects that don’t sit still at large apertures!
The lens is well proportioned and feels nice on the camera:
With the lens shade:
I have tested several shots on people and like the focal length for portraits. It isolates and focuses the subject and is a flattering perspective. The 100mm FL in FF is indeed an ideal portrait lens.
Overall, I am very happy and recommend this lens from what I have seen thus far.
The pictures at wide open F/1.1 are suitably sharp, and depth of field is extremely narrow, as expected. Bokeh of back point light sources is nice smooth circle. No wierd rings, swirls, or onion skin (some people like that I suppose). Color rendition is pretty good. I won’t know more until I shoot outdoors on a bright day. It’s grey overcast and raining at the moment so indoor test shots here will have to suffice.
First shot of the 20mm lens that was removed. The lined paper shows effect of DOF.
Second shot of orchid (focus is in middle of frame on flower petals):
Shots were handheld at ISO 800 and about 1/300 sec shutter speed. Might be sharper with tripod. Focusing requires use of enlarged digital focus patch and is slow and deliberate. Not for action scenes or subjects that don’t sit still at large apertures!
The lens is well proportioned and feels nice on the camera:
With the lens shade:
I have tested several shots on people and like the focal length for portraits. It isolates and focuses the subject and is a flattering perspective. The 100mm FL in FF is indeed an ideal portrait lens.
Overall, I am very happy and recommend this lens from what I have seen thus far.
I am about to embark on the cannibalization of a Kodak Carousel projector for the purpose of digitizing slides. My Rollei P66 for the 6x6 and 6x45's will not require the same surgery.
Around Christmas I had my 3 sons around with the grand-kids and we ran 3 carousels of a vacation to france almost 30 years ago when they were in their teens. They all wanted digital copies.
Around Christmas I had my 3 sons around with the grand-kids and we ran 3 carousels of a vacation to france almost 30 years ago when they were in their teens. They all wanted digital copies.
There are commercial services using a robot to do that I am sure. Wonder if it’s worth your time because unless it’s automated, that’s a lot work.
I have the TT Artisan 1.4/50, the 7Artisans 1.25/75 and 1.4/28 - they are really good, especially the 28 mm.
I've sent them out with mixed results, especially the MF slides.
I removed the stealth black tape covering the camera markings. My GX1 still looks to be in great shape. If I was on travel and could only take one lens and it had to be compact and light. I would choose the Lunix 14mm F/2.5 aspheric.
Without the shade you can see how small the lens is. The camera literally is pocketable.
Without the shade you can see how small the lens is. The camera literally is pocketable.
I know it’s a Leica inspired shade with cutouts for the rangefinder optic. But this one is no name brand, although quite nicely made in anodized aluminum, was only $8 on Aliexpress.
Does anyone have a Lumix GX85? I heard good things about this camera and wondered if worthwhile upgrade. Different lens system but Fuji XT-1 is also highly regarded with complete set of mechanical dials and knobs for all main functions.
I’m very happy with the 50mm F/1.1 lens. Like you said, it’s suitably sharp for where it is focused and gives a great soft out of focus background blur. Really isolates the subject. To think, you can get a decent F/1.1 lens equivalent of a 100mm FF for $67 is just insane and unheard of 15 years ago.
I have a 7-14mm F/4 Lumix ultra wide rectilinear zoom lens and it’s a neat lens for interiors and architecture or bold landscapes. The 14mm equivalent wide is mind blowing. I need to use it more often.
I have a 7-14mm F/4 Lumix ultra wide rectilinear zoom lens and it’s a neat lens for interiors and architecture or bold landscapes. The 14mm equivalent wide is mind blowing. I need to use it more often.
A beautiful day in DC yesterday and a shot of Pennsylvania Ave with the Capitol taken from the top of the clock tower of the old Post Office building (now Waldorf Astoria). It is such a clear crisp day, the image almost looks synthetic. (iPhone 12 Promax wide angle (25mm equivalent) at f/1.6)
Here is view of Federal Triangle and the Washington Monument from the other side of the tower:
Here is view of Federal Triangle and the Washington Monument from the other side of the tower:
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Wide angle is wrong choice here, the main subject covers less than 1% of the picture. And all that sky, nothing to see there.
I like the perspective and the straight lines composition.
There seems to be some vignetting (?) at the left edge, though?
There are vertical steel cables spaced at 2cm along the entire “window” to keep out birds I think. I had to stretch them apart and perhaps my finger or the cable was blocking the lens.
@OmeEd - same wide angle lens. I wanted to capture the full extent of Pennsylvania Ave from the Tower to the U.S. Capitol.