It's the season when the green gets progressively deeper.
I went out into town with an old lens I'd always yearned for.
"CONTAX Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f/1.2 T* MMG"
This is a legendary lens, made in very small numbers about 40 years ago, only for special commemorative years.
Modern lenses excel at capturing things with crystal clarity, even making the air itself seem transparent. But this lens is different.
It has a mysterious power, as if it imbues mere air with a "special atmosphere" and a "moist heaviness."
Mounting the heavy block of glass onto my Nikon Z6II, I headed out into the dazzling summer light of the city.
Scenery melting gently, as if in a dream
"F1.2" is the size of the aperture that draws light into the lens. This is not just a number.
It creates an extremely shallow depth of field, roughly the thickness of a single sheet of notebook paper. It's a special number that transforms the scene before your eyes into an entirely different story, as if through a magical filter.
The moment focus was achieved, the green background and flowers melted gently, like watercolor paints.
Just a slight turn of the focusing ring while looking through the viewfinder completely changes the expression of the world.
My companion, holding a camera, stands out, neatly separated from the bustling background, floating alone.
Ordinary, everyday scenes, viewed through this lens, somehow become unforgettable movie moments.
A slightly wistful distance: "looking from a step back"
The "85mm" focal length of the lens offers a rather interesting perspective when walking through the city. You can't capture a wide view, but it's not too far either.
It's akin to the distance you keep when gazing at someone you adore, or the bittersweet feeling of "summer is ending."
A single pipe reaching towards the blue sky. This simple scene somehow appears endearing.
Light spilling through the trees. The Z6II beautifully captured the serene stillness of the shadows.
Fleeting moments of people passing by. The large, white bokeh of the parasol in the foreground makes it seem like something out of a dream.
Each time I point the lens at an ordinary spot in the city, it casts a "shadow of a story" there.
Rooftops of buildings, sunlight filtering through alleyways, parasols of passersby.
The slight darkening of the four corners of the photo naturally draws the eye to the main subject in the center. Just looking at it leaves a lingering feeling that warms the heart.
Old lenses reborn with the latest cameras
Manual focusing, where you adjust the focus by hand, is actually a delicate and demanding task.
With old film cameras, you wouldn't know if the shot was properly exposed until you developed the film.
It was a world full of tension.
However, the Nikon Z6II transforms this "extra effort" into the joy of photography.
The Z6II's viewfinder is exceptionally large, with a magnification of approximately 0.8x, and is clear and easy to see right to the corners.
It's easy to grasp where the focus is, allowing you to thoroughly engage with your subject even with manual focus.
Furthermore, with magnification and focus peaking displays, it's comfortable to use even with old lenses.
It's a camera that allows you to enjoy the very sensation of focusing by hand.
Approaching a railway crossing. It's like carefully capturing a fleeting moment with your fingertips.
It magnifies the screen significantly in the viewfinder and effectively suppresses camera shake.
This legendary lens, which old professional photographers used to shoot with bated breath, "all or nothing," transforms into "the best companion" that allows you to joyfully snap away while walking around town, all thanks to modern technology.
Stepping beyond a "world that's too perfectly photographed"
Have we, without realizing it, come to judge "good photos" solely by their lack of flaws or blur?
But what truly moves us and makes us exclaim, "Wow, that's beautiful!" must be a warm atmosphere that is beyond words.
Flowers blooming in the shadow of leaves. The melting bokeh is like the brushstrokes of a watercolor painting.
A classic lamp on a street corner. It depicts the rust on the metal and the thickness of the old glass with a nostalgic atmosphere.
That gentle flutter in your chest the moment you look through the viewfinder.
In this era where everything is captured with robotic precision, this lens reminds us of the true joy of photography that we love so much.
Wouldn't you like to experience the slightly wistful and breathtakingly beautiful summer light that this lens reveals?
Click here for a list of CONTAX Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f/1.2 T* MMG products
Click here for a list of Nikon Z6II products
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