AGeoJO wrote:
More from a recent session - Did I tell you guys that it was at lavender fields already ? BTW, that Sigma lens hasn't stopped to amaze me.
genji wrote:
Wild (yet beautiful) bokeh indeed. Can you tell me a little more about the Aires 45/1.5? Does it have an LTM or a proprietary mount?
It's definitely an oddity! Aires made rangefinders in (lower-priced) competition to Leica, and their last model (late 50s-early 60s) included 3 lenses: 35/3.5, 45/1.5, and 100/xx. They also had a slower 45. Part of the lens mount is built into the camera, making the lens unusable on its own. There's a guy in California dba "rareadapters" who makes an adapter that fits and includes the "missing" rear component of the lens (no glass involved). It's sort of clunky and cumbersome, but it works.
The lens is apparently rather rare. I had to buy the whole camera and 3-lens set just to get the 45, which was the only one I actually wanted. I need to put the rest onto Ebay at some point. I'll keep the 35, I guess, since it has similar bokeh to the 45, but it's so slow that it's hard to see unless you're really close to the subject. The 100 is nothing special, just big and heavy.
DannyBurkPhoto wrote:
It's definitely an oddity! Aires made rangefinders in (lower-priced) competition to Leica, and their last model (late 50s-early 60s) included 3 lenses: 35/3.5, 45/1.5, and 100/xx. They also had a slower 45. Part of the lens mount is built into the camera, making the lens unusable on its own. There's a guy in California dba "rareadapters" who makes an adapter that fits and includes the "missing" rear component of the lens (no glass involved). It's sort of clunky and cumbersome, but it works.
The lens is apparently rather rare. I had to buy the whole camera and 3-lens set just to get the 45, which was the only one I actually wanted. I need to put the rest onto Ebay at some point. I'll keep the 35, I guess, since it has similar bokeh to the 45, but it's so slow that it's hard to see unless you're really close to the subject. The 100 is nothing special, just big and heavy....Show more →
Thanks for the comprehensive reply! I've recently developed a fetish for 45mm lenses so I was immediately interested in the Aires 45/1.5. After asking you those questions I found a page with a detailed history of the Aires cameras and realised the lenses had leaf shutters. Thanks also for the pointer to the RareAdapters guy -- what a weird and wonderful range of adapters for sale.
After have sold a few lenses recently I decided to buy two more "fun" lenses. Another Lensbaby (Edge 50) and the Russian Monolens I mentioned earlier.
Here are some shots from around town with the Lensbaby. Edge 50 gives a slice of focus (instead of a spot that my first one has) and it can also be used as a regular straight (surprisingly sharp!) lens, meaning that I don't have to carry my normal lenses when I'm in "experimental mood".
HelenaN wrote:
After have sold a few lenses recently I decided to buy two more "fun" lenses. Another Lensbaby (Edge 50) and the Russian Monolens I mentioned earlier.
Here are some shots from around town with the Lensbaby. Edge 50 gives a slice of focus (instead of a spot that my first one has) and it can also be used as a regular straight (surprisingly sharp!) lens, meaning that I don't have to carry my normal lenses when I'm in "experimental mood".
Helena -- So glad to see your work with these new and interesting lenses! You are one of the best at capturing these effects of selective focus and blur. A real surprise is the "straight" images with complete focus from the new Lensbaby. Great work. Beautiful summer colors from the Northern latitudes -- I envy your light.
? BTW, that Sigma lens hasn't stopped to amaze me.
