Mamiya / Sekor - 50mm f/1.8 lens

Quality construction throughout.

That's how I describe the feeling that comes to mind when I handle my 35+ year old Mamiya/Sekor 50mm f/1.8 lens. For such a small lens, it is relatively heavy. It feels as though there is very little (if any) plastic used in the build. The focus ring is precisely smooth as is the aperture adjustment. The glass looks like it just came from the factory - flawless.

I carry this lens in my kit for sentimental reasons (it used to belong to my late brother) and because I enjoy using it from time to time. I have an adaptor that allows it to be used on my Canon digital SLRs. The use of a manual focus and manual aperture lens reminds me of my photography of yesteryear. I've got to say though, it does look quite odd having this 20th century lens attached to a 21st century camera.

The shot was made looking straight down on the lens as it set on a blank CD-ROM against a black background. I used a single softbox to light the scene. I stopped the subject lens down to f/22 in hope to capture the aperture blades in the image, but the depth of field was too shallow at f/4 for them to come into sharp focus.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/30 second, f/4, ISO 50