[Photolog] 

analog lenses, circa 1989

by Reviewer Rob

More analog lenses.

Here’s my manual-focus 19mm Tamron f3.5 to 22 that I bought new in 1989 or so, when it was modern technology. I got it down at either George’s North Park or Nelson’s in Little Italy. I forget for sure which it was but I’m pretty sure it was Nelson’s. I loved this lens for so long because of the strange fisheye effect it gave when shooting in crowds. Groups of people could fit in a shot and I never had to walk backward a step to get the shot. So I used all the time, especially in nightclubs with a flash at f8 and 400 ISO, until going digital in 2005. I set it aside ten years ago during the whole switch from 35mm to digital ut I’m going to begin playing around with it again now. Here it is mounted on my Nikon D5200.

One nice thing about this 19mm fixed focal length Tamron is its compact profile. It’s less bulky to carry and it fits well in almost any camera bag space. My heavy digital autofocus 10 to 24mm has a lot wider angle but the thing is almost as long and fat as the camera body it mounts on, so the 19mm’s snubnose profile has its advantages when shooting in a crowd too. I especially like the way the focusing collar is rigid and stays preset no matter how much it gets swung around. All I have to do is get within a certain margin of distance from a subject in some place like a crowded dark nightclub or a wedding reception dance floor and I don’t even have to check the focus because I know at f8 with a flash they’ll be sufficiently sharp. Makes for fast photos and great candids. #oldglass #analog #nondigitallensesrule

Hello old friend: Tamron 19mm fixed, f3.5
Hello old friend: Tamron 19mm fixed, f3.5
I like this old Tamron wide angle's stubby profile.
I like this old Tamron wide angle’s stubby profile.
Shot about ten inches away from the mirror, so about twenty inches away from the subject in focus: me. This was believe it or not my main lens for years between 1989 when I got it to 2005 when I went digital. I was so in love with that strange fisheyed effect, especially for crowd grab shots. Haha, something to grow out of I guess.
Shot about ten inches away from the mirror, so about twenty inches away from the subject in focus: me. This was believe it or not my main lens for years between 1989 when I got it to 2005 when I went digital. I was so in love with that strange fisheyed effect, especially for crowd grab shots. Haha, something to grow out of I guess.

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