Photo of the Week 2026-04-06

 

' Pavilion at Jacob's Landing '

' Riverbank Lofts - Old Hespeler Sawmill '

' Jacob's Landing Benches '

It was well past time that I got out for a photo walkabout and still under orders for no strenuous activity or lifting, I went for an easy location and light on the gear. The first two shots were made with my EOS M3 and FDn 20mm f/2.8 (effectively 32mm on the crop sensor) mounted via Fotodiox adapter,. The third image was shot on a R5 with FD 100mm f/2.8 Chrome Nose mounted via Fotodiox Pro adapter.

 

Using vintage, manual focus lenses adapted to modern digital mirrorless cameras certainly changes my process. The requirement to make mechanical inputs for shutter speed, aperture setting and focus slows down image capture. Add to that my decision to use prime lenses instead of zooms and there is also the need for me to physically move when I alter composition... and as long as I'm moving forward or back why not side to side or up and down to fine tune things. 

 

Whether it's the change of gear, my mindset, the nostalgic component, limitations of fixed focal lengths, this leg of the Journey is proving very enjoyable. 

 

DJE 

Photo of the Week 2025-08-11

 

I've come upon an unexpected, though not entirely surprising fork in the road on this leg of my photographic journey. Returning to film photography required a return to some older, in fact vintage gear, some of which I've mentioned in previous posts.

 

Today's image started with an opportunity to acquire (at no cost) a few Canon FD film camera bodies and lenses. This led me to pick up an adapter that would enable me to use the lenses on my current digital bodies. I'd intended the set up to be used mainly for quickly testing performance and operation of the vintage lenses which can suffer from a number of issues relating to age and poor storage conditions. Initial test shots using our Wheaten Terrier, Sullivan, as captive subject were very successful and inspired me with something else to explore.

 

And explore I did ...

 

' dreamy knapweed '

One of the vintage lenses in my arsenal is a 1971 vintage Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 Chrome Nose and ... what's the sense in having a f/1.2 lens if you don't shoot it wide open? 

 

Right?

 

Right!

 

This image captured in mid day sun, along a local concession road where chicory and knapweed are in abundance. Shot with my lovely, very clean copy of the 55mm f/1.2 on my 2020 vintage Canon EOS R5.

 

Using vintage lenses means manually focusing and wide open at f/1.2 near the lenses closest focus distance proved a challenge hand held. The conditions may have been better suited to using a tripod to steady the camera and using the rear LCD display magnified to focus because the depth of field is very, very thin.

 

And what does a 1971 vintage Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 Chrome Nose look like. This ...

 

It's a hefty beast for a  'standard' lens, weighing in at 565g (1.25 lbs) due to it's all brass, metal and glass construction typical of the day. By comparison a typical 50mm standard lens today can weigh half as much. Of course comparable premium lenses are comparable in weight but without the solid feel and tactile helicoid focus system.

 

With results like this, there just may be a return to the shallow DoF style that some knew me for a few years ago.  

 

DJE

Photo of the Week 2025-07-21

 

This weeks post is being written later than usual. It's Monday morning, already nearing 8am, I'm cottaging solo for a few days to make some progress on a shed renovation project and tuckered myself out yesterday. Some until-now hidden wood rot took a little more time to rectify than I had expected so by the time I'd made (maple pistachio encrusted trout fillet) dinner on the BBQ and cleaned up I decided to let blog writing slide until the morning ...

 

... well, it's now morning and I sit enjoying coffee, listening to robins, cardinals, blue jays, gulls and crows through the open cottage windows as the day makes itself ready.

 

I recently picked up a vintage Canon FDn 50mm f/1.2 and needed to test it while the return window was still open so I mounted it on an R5 with an adapter to make some digital images I could inspect right away. The condition of the lens, cosmetically and optically is excellent and I'm very pleased with the results. In the near future, I'll shoot some film with it likely on the New F-1 body but for now ...

 

' Blackbridge Mill in June '

' Blackbridge Mill through the Gate '

I missed the (manual) focus justa tad on the gate image. Focusing at wide open with this f/1.2 beastie presents a challenge, or maybe it was my posture as I stooped awkwardly to get the framing just the way I wanted. Not so young eyes or not so young body, not sure which one to blame ;-) 

 

DJE