Interesting lens for sure. I haven't heard of it before. It seems like it does a color cast + light leak + blurry vignette all in one? Sure saves you editing time if that is what you're looking for :-) But like you said: it's baked in. Does other f-stops get you (much) different looks? But yeah for the money you can't really go wrong I guess 👍
I still have a lot of playing to do with this lens to really see where and if it shines, I think golden hour may produce some nice results and I’m gonna give that a go, as well as testing different f-stops (good call). You’re right, for the money, it’s an interesting experiment that you can’t really go wrong with.
Great shots!! F11 has its standing in the photography community and I appreciate the look. I usually stay around F8 but actually, with manual focus I've been veering more in the 11/16 direction...I know this is slightly away from the topic, but I sold all my Fujifilm gear except for the X-E2, which I find magical, and the 28mm Fujinon plus a TTArtisan 25mm manual focus lens. I love the X-Trans II sensor the best, but I did have the XT30II for many years and it worked well for me until I got a little tired of the Fuji look. I'm 85% Nikon FF and MFT now. I still find that Fujifilm is amazing but I'm just ridiculously fickle with my camera gear. All that said, lately I have been missing the ergonomics of the Fujifilm cameras, especially the tilt screen, which is amazing for street. The X-T30II was not as responsive for me in that regard but I am hearing good things about the X-T5/50 and might just be having another G.A.S. attack!
Hah, I don’t mind going off topic at all!! My XT-30II was my first ‘modern’ camera and I went with it originally because of the ergonomics and size after going back and forth between it, an XT4 and an XT5. Funny thing about the screen is I barely use it, I’m very much a viewfinder guy, simply out of habit, and it just feels a bit awkward for me to use the display, but of course if I’m trying to be subtle, the display and tilt comes in clutch. I do want to try another brand and I’m definitely looking toward Nikon and Sony at the moment but I’d never get rid of my Fuji, it’s just too dear to me. When I’m in Japan I’m going to see if I can track down a model with the X-trans 2 as I’ve heard nothing but great things. When I saw the XT-50 I was very tempted, the updates they made were pretty compelling but I just couldn’t justify the cost, especially considering I could get an XT5 body for the same price used, which is something I’m always considering as well haha. The G.A.S. Is real!
Oh definitely use the EVF as the first point of contact but if I am in a situation where I need to be discreet or I'm moving very fast in a crowd, I use the touch to focus on the screen and I find that is essential. Yeah, I'm trying not to buy another brand right now so considering an APS-C version of the Nikon set up since I have that mostly fleshed out. I currently have a super sweet/cheap deal on a Z50 I might pick up for travel purposes. There's an upgraded version Z50II which is twice as fast but I don't need that since I have the z6III so I might buy this and try to use it for street/travel.
Well I can’t wait to see what you end up with, the choices seem endless at times and that can make things so difficult, I’m really trying to keep it simple but getting into film has complicated things greatly, in the best way haha.
Yes, truly there are too many options! That's why I have so many cameras. Actually, since writing this, the original Z50 I managed to seal the deal on and will have it this week. This will satisfy my G.A.S. situation ... for a while :D
F11 light leak, eh? That's a fascinating look to generate from the lens. Can definitely see what you're saying about it being a good casual shooting lens. Sharpness not so trustworthy for certain times but it definitely has the film vibe to it. Feels like a 90s point and shoot. Was it annoying at all to be set around f11?
Looked it up, kinda surprised that PolarPro doesn't feature more photos of the lens on their sales page as the aesthetic is pretty cool and unique.
It’s definitely interesting but yes, annoying to be locked in at f11 for sure. The softness on the edges particularly bother me, only because it’s so soft it’s almost smudged, which makes it look like a bad photoshop job rather than a lens quirk. I think it’s handy to have in my kit if I’m ever bored and want to do something interesting that you can’t normally do with digital in camera.
They hyped it up a lot but maybe it didn’t sell well and so they are just moving on from it and that’s why it’s not featured as much on their site.
Interesting lens for sure. I haven't heard of it before. It seems like it does a color cast + light leak + blurry vignette all in one? Sure saves you editing time if that is what you're looking for :-) But like you said: it's baked in. Does other f-stops get you (much) different looks? But yeah for the money you can't really go wrong I guess 👍
I still have a lot of playing to do with this lens to really see where and if it shines, I think golden hour may produce some nice results and I’m gonna give that a go, as well as testing different f-stops (good call). You’re right, for the money, it’s an interesting experiment that you can’t really go wrong with.
Awesome :) Enjoy experimenting! Be sure to post your findings ;-)
Great shots!! F11 has its standing in the photography community and I appreciate the look. I usually stay around F8 but actually, with manual focus I've been veering more in the 11/16 direction...I know this is slightly away from the topic, but I sold all my Fujifilm gear except for the X-E2, which I find magical, and the 28mm Fujinon plus a TTArtisan 25mm manual focus lens. I love the X-Trans II sensor the best, but I did have the XT30II for many years and it worked well for me until I got a little tired of the Fuji look. I'm 85% Nikon FF and MFT now. I still find that Fujifilm is amazing but I'm just ridiculously fickle with my camera gear. All that said, lately I have been missing the ergonomics of the Fujifilm cameras, especially the tilt screen, which is amazing for street. The X-T30II was not as responsive for me in that regard but I am hearing good things about the X-T5/50 and might just be having another G.A.S. attack!
Hah, I don’t mind going off topic at all!! My XT-30II was my first ‘modern’ camera and I went with it originally because of the ergonomics and size after going back and forth between it, an XT4 and an XT5. Funny thing about the screen is I barely use it, I’m very much a viewfinder guy, simply out of habit, and it just feels a bit awkward for me to use the display, but of course if I’m trying to be subtle, the display and tilt comes in clutch. I do want to try another brand and I’m definitely looking toward Nikon and Sony at the moment but I’d never get rid of my Fuji, it’s just too dear to me. When I’m in Japan I’m going to see if I can track down a model with the X-trans 2 as I’ve heard nothing but great things. When I saw the XT-50 I was very tempted, the updates they made were pretty compelling but I just couldn’t justify the cost, especially considering I could get an XT5 body for the same price used, which is something I’m always considering as well haha. The G.A.S. Is real!
Oh definitely use the EVF as the first point of contact but if I am in a situation where I need to be discreet or I'm moving very fast in a crowd, I use the touch to focus on the screen and I find that is essential. Yeah, I'm trying not to buy another brand right now so considering an APS-C version of the Nikon set up since I have that mostly fleshed out. I currently have a super sweet/cheap deal on a Z50 I might pick up for travel purposes. There's an upgraded version Z50II which is twice as fast but I don't need that since I have the z6III so I might buy this and try to use it for street/travel.
Nice!! Congratulations!
Thanks. At least I won't have to spend on another system and lens.
I understand that. It’ll be hard to leave Fuji because of the lenses I have but also because of how much I absolutely adore my 35mm f/1.4
Well I can’t wait to see what you end up with, the choices seem endless at times and that can make things so difficult, I’m really trying to keep it simple but getting into film has complicated things greatly, in the best way haha.
Yes, truly there are too many options! That's why I have so many cameras. Actually, since writing this, the original Z50 I managed to seal the deal on and will have it this week. This will satisfy my G.A.S. situation ... for a while :D
F11 light leak, eh? That's a fascinating look to generate from the lens. Can definitely see what you're saying about it being a good casual shooting lens. Sharpness not so trustworthy for certain times but it definitely has the film vibe to it. Feels like a 90s point and shoot. Was it annoying at all to be set around f11?
Looked it up, kinda surprised that PolarPro doesn't feature more photos of the lens on their sales page as the aesthetic is pretty cool and unique.
It’s definitely interesting but yes, annoying to be locked in at f11 for sure. The softness on the edges particularly bother me, only because it’s so soft it’s almost smudged, which makes it look like a bad photoshop job rather than a lens quirk. I think it’s handy to have in my kit if I’m ever bored and want to do something interesting that you can’t normally do with digital in camera.
They hyped it up a lot but maybe it didn’t sell well and so they are just moving on from it and that’s why it’s not featured as much on their site.
This is great. Thanks for the inspiration. Makes me want to get in my archives as well. Looking forward to the next one.
Thank you!! Appreciate it and yeah, looking forward to see what you dig out as well if you plan on sharing them!