On lens hype... and a bargain vintage set

I write a lot of blog articles in reaction to external stimuli, even if this is not immediately obvious. People ask me questions in the pub or on Facebook. I need to explain something in detail to my students. A topic required documentation before I myself forget what I already know. 

This post is in reaction to those YouTube videos fronted by some egotistical talking head who pretends to be a photography expert, discovering, as if struck with a bolt from above, the merits of some old system. You know the type. They use phrases like "game-changer" and "GOAT". 

This tendency leads to particular lenses shooting up in price beyond all reason. Let me provide a few examples of over-hyped gear, before suggesting a set of vintage lenses that won't kill your bank account. 

Field recorders in 2024

I am a trained audio engineer who wrote extensively on field recorders over many years. You can access these articles from my field recording landing page. Two years ago I provided a detailed summary of the state of the art in portable field recording devices. This article brings my research up to date for 2024. 

First, download the PDF that charts every available portable field recorder priced at under a grand. I also include a table of defunct models for historical comparison.

Where is the perfect EDC bag?

For years I have been on the search for the perfect every-day carry (EDC) bag for a camera plus one lens and a few small personal items (e.g. headphones). I will explain my goals and describe the bags that I currently own. Maybe you can help me find something better?

Which SD card?

SD memory cards are used for everything from mobile phones, field recorders, still cameras, and video cameras. The most common question is... which SD card should I buy? This article will decode all of the designations and provide simple answers.

Comparing vintage 28mm lenses

I love the 28mm field of view and wanted to update my insights now that I've returned to using a full-frame camera. Here I will compare five different 28mm film-era lenses, namely:

• smc PENTAX 1:2 28mm (1976) 
• Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 28mm f/2.8 (1978) for Contax-Yashica mount
• Kino Precision Kiron 28mm f/2 MC (1981)
• Vivitar 28mm 1:2.0 MC Close Focus (1983) made by Komine
• SMC PENTAX-A 28mm f/2.8 (1984)

This article is the result of months of work shooting in real-world scenarios and staged tests. Hopefully of interest to other photographers... like you!

Which audio production gear? (Robin Edition)

This article follows on my declaration of principles found in "Does your gear matter" located here. As a third-level teacher and trained audio engineer, I am often in a position to recommend audio gear to electronic music composers and producers. In this article I will set out a minimal threshold for professional audio production.

The best free audio plugins (Robin Edition)

It's been a while since I wrote an article in this series. Perhaps because I don't obsess over tools and am happy with what I have. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that I don't always obsess over tools... but when I do, I like to share with you!

Recently I've been asked what plugins I would recommend, assuming that you have no cash on hand. The problem is not finding plugins, as there are so many. The problem is finding tools worth using. 

Cheap lens equals excellent lens?

St. Mary's Church interior @ F4

Though sometimes I recommend lenses that might cost a few hundred clams, today I am evaluating a SMC Pentax-M 50mm F/1.7 that was €49 plus a tenner for shipping. If you are lucky enough to be in a populous country with boot sales or pawn shops, you might well find this model cheaper.

This lens was last manufactured 40 years ago, so I am somewhat late with this review!

Does your gear matter?

Does your gear matter? Simple answer: yes.

Those populists who say otherwise are perhaps simply currying favour. Or, to be generous, perhaps they are attempting to counteract the overwhelming commercialisation of the internet, where everywhere you turn someone is proclaiming the newest trinket to be the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).

But both extremes are wrong. The newest tool won't make your practice better. But it's also true that ignoring the quality of your gear is foolish. This article will assert the review principles that I abide by, so as to place my articles here in the correct context.

That elusive "3D pop" defined

"Chris" with the Pentax-FA 43mm Limited

Photographers have argued for decades about a certain appealing quality of an image called "3D pop". Some claim that it doesn't exist. Others concede that it does exist, but deny that lens design has anything to do with the effect. Those that promote 3D pop sometimes resort to hyperbolic claims about the characteristics of certain vintage lenses that (they claim) cannot be found in contemporary glass. The subject is so heated that a few years back it spawned a parody article which, in my opinion, did more harm than good.

Here's my take: 3D pop exists and can be well described. Certain lens designs encourage the production of this effect. While it's not necessarily true to say that older lenses are required for 3D pop, specific vintage lenses are desirable, for reasons that will be explored below.