Whitby (Retro Style)

It’s funny, in a way, how artistically and photographically I’ve come in a bit of a circle with the new Fuji Camera. I embraced my DSLR in a massive way about 20 years ago now, taking in all the technical abilities of the digital format.

I then found a Praktica TL5-B in a charity shop and developed a slight obsession with film. While I developed an interesting Hybrid Digital/Analogue Process I think I would perhaps have had some choice insults at the idea of in camera film simulations.

Having brought the XT-30iii, really to minimse the size of the gear I carry about, and kind of still retained the idea in the back of my mind that the film simulation was a bit of a gimmick. But in then, one of the other things I hoped for with the camera was less processing backlogs, and without really thinking I have often simulated film style shots (based on my own results) when processing digitally anyway.

And to add to that, it would seem there is a plethora of interesting “artistic” lenses for the fuji – after the fisheye, I took a go on a the 7Artisans 18mm f/6.3 “Biscuit” Lens.

While not quite a plastic meniscus lens (It actually has 6 elements in 5 groups) this basically gives you the equivalent of what you would find in a classic point and shoot – the 18mm equates to 24mm full frame, and f/6.3 or thereabouts is quite common for a simple point and shoot. Add in some subtle vigneting, and Fuji’s Nostalgic Negative recipe and well… lets see.

The lens does have manual focus, which is a slight step up again from a basic point and shoot, though there is no scale other than 0.3 and ∞ on the barrel. The hyperfocal distance here is 2.59m, so estimating that (I will measue precisely at some point and mark the barrel) gives an easy set and forget to have acceptible sharpness from about 1.3m to ∞, or when shooting further away just focussing on ∞ gives acceptible focus from 2.59m to Infinity, with the background sharpest. Given the way this lens would be used, really what more do you want – though the 0.3m close is generous if you need it and focussing in this close gives a nice 0.27m to 0.34m DOF for blurry backgrounds.

So here’s some shots, from the annual summer seaside trip – this time to Whitby.

I’m still a little amused, mostly at myself, at the idea of slinging a £50 lens, on an £800 camera and emulating old film. But this, I guess, is photography in the 21st century, and it does not suprise me one bit. And all in all this is pretty fun.