S-M-C Pentax Takumar 105mm f/2.8

It sure is good to be back!

After a long distance marathon of work completing my writing contract for the awesome folks at Capcom Games Vancouver, I finally had a little free time. Miraculously, we got a taste of Spring here in Vancouver this weekend (although as I write this it's pouring rain again...).

It felt like forever since I took the camera out and I was surprised at how rusty I felt with it.

It was nice to see a few old friends.

Yes, I still get a kick out of photographing our feathered friends! This guy got a kick out of me...

I don't think any of these pictures are necessarily remarkable from an artistic standpoint but I'm happy with how they turned out simply because they were all taken with the manual focus Super-Multi-Coated Pentax Takumar 105mm f/2.8 - a lens that's FORTY ONE YEARS OLD!

Focusing manually can be a little challenging (especially with moving subjects) and the lens has some funkiness to it in certain light conditions but overall, it's an awesome piece of glass. There's a reason why the Takumar aficionados give it a 9.06 out of 10 rating. Though some would consider this lens outdated and too much work, there's something I find kind of cool about manual focusing and relying on my eyes and hands rather than the brain of the camera. With a very long focus throw compared to modern day auto-focus lenses, the Takumars are also great for shooting video which is another reason I love hunting down these hidden gems.

Most of these pictures are pretty much SOOC as the pros would say - Straight Out Of Camera, i.e. no post-processing or tweaking. I have to say, I love the way these particular vintage lenses render colour.

Nice bokeh too!

This particular lens I found off of Craigslist and got from a retired pro photographer who was the original owner and only used the lens a couple of times in the last 41 years so it's in almost brand new condition.

Hopefully I'll be able to shoot some video projects with it soon. Stay tuned!

Until next time folks, here's hoping Spring is here to stay!