I like cheap thrills

So a post concerning my gear...

Now considering my last post, me partly calling out people focused on just gear. I would like to address my favorite lens.

None of the lenses I use have auto-focus, this is a budgetary and kinda philosophical choice. My favorite lens, the Nikkor 55mm 1.2, was given to me by my dad. He got it when he was in Vietnam, being a medic and conscientious objector he took photos for a while. Over time he took thousands of slides and put his Nikon F2 thru its paces. To think the same lens he went to war with is the same on I use and love now gives me the warm fuzzies.

My A7 with the 55mm f/1.2 on my neck - RX100M3 shot by a stranger that I gave my camera to take this shot

The lens has not coatings, it weighs a lot, is hard to focus, coma's like crazy, and has chromatics that would drive a lot of people crazy... BUT it produces beautiful bokeh, isolates subjects like none other, if you get your focus right it can be sharp but still have a touch of softness to it, and I can shoot in the dark.

Now I have to admit that AF would be really nice (especially at 1.2). But I have learned a lot of how to estimate my surroundings. Also, at night, when little light is available, I see lots of people with cameras get frustrated with their camera because it wont pull focus... I want to walk up and flip that switch on their kit lens from AF to MF. Learning how to pull focus quickly has saved me a lot of headache.

Now this is not to say "vintage is better" because its not. I am saying that learning how to do the basics... estimate shutter speed, using the right f-stop to get the feel you want, setting the ISO to the lowest usable, and working within the limitations of my gear... these things have helped me.

Would I like a 24-70mm f/2.8 and a 70-200mm f/2.8,
yes...
yes I would. (Hey Sony, send me some G-Masters?)

But back to reality, this is a hobby and justifying $5700 on glass is difficult. Not to mention, all the warm fuzzies I get when I take a good picture with a lens that is 45 years old (or more, depending on when you are reading this) that my dad used extensively.

I guess I like cheap thrills.

-Eric