FALLING SOMEWHERE AS RAIN

As my love affair with soviet-era lenses continues, it seems that I am not alone in my appreciation of vintage glass and prices of such lenses have recently rocketed, as the practice of attaching old lenses to new cameras becomes more commonplace. Certain Helios models are referred to in eBay listings as having “swirly bokeh” or being “lomo” or a “bokeh monster”. Jupiter lenses are cited as being ideal for ‘street’ work and almost all find favour with enthusiasts looking for the cinema look as used by Denis Villeneuve in Dune and Zac Snyder in some of his films. As the lenses become more hard to find or become too expensive for my meagre pocket, I decided to look sideways, rather than further afield for other soviet lenses which might hold some appeal. Some years ago, I bought an Industar 50 pancake lens, more out of curiosity, as it was cheap and looked suitably antique. It was a L39 fit, as favoured by Leica, a brand slavishly emulated by Russian manufacturers. Although it was a squ...

My weekly trawl through the vintage photography section on ebay, sometimes flags up the weird or the curious and even less often, I manage to buy something. Over the last five years, vintage lenses and related material have shot up in price and popularity, as the hipster crowd have found it looks good to be seen with an analogue camera on their arm, alongside the tweeds and neatly trimmed beards.  Vintage Camera Stall, Camden Market  Also, the distinct look and effects possible with old glass have been popularised by Hollywood, as many film makers use older lenses to achieve specific effects. Zack Snyder recently used an old Canon lens to film 'Army of the Dead' and the cinematography of the 'John Wick' series echoes the glowing neon favoured by japanese camera enthusiasts, looking to re-create the cyberpunk effect. Shinjuku District, Tokyo One of the oddities I managed to score and very cheaply, despite having a bit of a drive round Lancashire to collect it, was this o...