Repair: Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f/2.8 (Exakta-mount)

27 Jan 2024 1 Comment

by richardhaw in nikon,lens repair,lens maintenance,nikon repair,, Nikon,museum,classic lenses,, Uncategorized

Hello, everybody! Do you know Teresa Teng (鄧麗君) from Taiwan? She was a famous singer who made her name in Japan but set out to conquer the rest of East Asia with her beautiful voice. Her song is filled with emotion that it melted the heartless communists across the sea, reintroducing the warm feelings of love and playful youthfulness. Needless to say, her songs have been covered by many people, from the little country of Taiwan to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, she suddenly left us in 1995, leaving a big void in many people’s heart. She would be celebrating her birthday in January 29, 2 days after posting this article if she’s still with us. I hope that this article has introduced to you one of the most beautiful and the best singer of Asia, please listen to her voice. And just like the wonderful songs of Teresa, our topic today has been remade in numerous versions, spanning decades, with several variations, too. While not as well-loved as our timeless genius, it was considered by many to be one of the bests in its time. Stay and read more about this great lens.

Introduction:

The Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f/2.8 came in many variants, this one was made in the early 1960s, it’s speculated to be made from 1961 up until 1964, with reports saying that it was till for sale in the 1970s. It was made by the East German counterpart of Carl Zeiss so it has the Jena name. By many accounts, this is said to be the best version from the golden age of photography, along with the next version that has the striped barrel commonly called the “Zebra” by many. Both lenses share the same optical formula and they are also regarded as the best in terms of quality because the products coming from this factory after this period begin to gain a reputation as being “hit-or-miss” to put it lightly, such is the virtue of a command economy that many disillusioned people fantasize about to this day.

It’s well-made, the all-metal construction makes it durable. The rings set the aperture opening and focus, it also has a huge button for depressing the shutter, which is coupled to the operation of the iris. You will know more about this button later.

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Review: Cinestill 400D

07 Jan 2024 2 Comments

by richardhaw in nikon,lens repair,lens maintenance,nikon repair,, Nikon,museum,classic lenses,, Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

Hello, everybody! Do you like eating durian? I love it a lot but it’s not for everyone, it’s an acquired taste so it may take some time for your palate to accept it. Some say it’s sweet and tart while some say it also reminds them of vomit in the way it smells, the texture is also reminiscent of rotting flesh to them. I don’t see it as such, for me, it tastes and feels like exquisite cheese. You can debate with everyone about it but food is a matter of taste, just like how Joachim Loew (the German coach) like his own snot. Today, we shall look into something that is a bit confusing to me, I just don’t know what to make of it, is it good or is this trash? Join me today as we look into this confusing topic.

Introduction:

The Cinestill 400D is something that I have always wanted to shoot with but I was always indecisive, it’s not cheap at all and that’s one of the main reasons why. At one point, my curiosity had to be scratched, so I bought 2 rolls of this stock to review. As far as I know, I don’t recall seeing this film in Tokyo when I was still living there 2 years ago so this must have been sold just over a year ago or somewhere around that period.

Cinestill likes to color their film based on its perceived characteristics, purple suggests that it has a warm tone, leaning towards magenta or amber. The purple theme is cute, making it very appealing to younger customers and intrigues the rest, too.

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