She who must be obeyed has a notebook in which she enters details of things she wants to photograph. Some time ago we were wandering around Nong Nuch gardens and she announced:
I want to photograph a Habitas.
You mean a house, a habitat?
No, a Habitas.
I have no idea what you are talking about.
A Habitas!! Look, I have a picture of one in my notebook. {She shows me a photo of a Hibiscus}.
Ah, you mean a Hibiscus.
Yes, exactly, a Habitas.
And from that day forward, a Habitas is what we have called it; it’s just easier.
We have a couple of Habistases (Habitus? Habiti?) on our balcony; so I thought I would celebrate my first free day for a while by taking some photos, and looking at a Habitas through a variety of lenses.
I decided to shoot in order of lens cost; so first of all we have the rather expensive Voightlander 25mm:
Next up is the cheaper but almost as wonderful Panasonic 20mm:
Our next contender is the decidedly weird, but occasionally wonderful, Angenieux 16-78mm. The vignetting is not added, it just does that because it wants to; and if you don’t like it, that’s just tough (it’s French):
Then we tumble down into the cheapo world of legacy obscurity and the Isco Gottingen Westromat 50mm, yours for a shade over 2,000 baht:
If the Isco is too much of a mouthful, how about the Canon 50mm for a similar price?:
And if 2,000 baht is still above your budget; then there is always the Russian Industar 22 50mm for less than $30.
Its a bit soft, but that works quite well with a Habitas.
So which is best? There’s no answer to that; whichever pleases you most. But the exercise did raise an interesting question: why the hell do I have so many lenses (and I didn’t use all of them)?
All shots with the Panasonic GF1
Comments 🔗
2011-01-18| TheSon saysThe Voight nails it, for me. Westromat impressive for the cost.
Soon you can add a Xenoplan to the pile…
2011-01-19| Ray saysAs you know I too was recently struck with the same affliction i.e. Shooting flowers. All is not lost, take heart, there is a cure. The withdrawal symptoms are painful, cold turkey is agonizing and so many sleepless nights. Discipline is the key. I’m through it now but I’m very wary around gardens and quickly move on. The cure just came to me one night - I decided to get a life! Good luck.
2011-01-19| Spike saysTheSon, amazingly, I have a Xenoplan size space remaining in my dry cabinet.
Ray, bollocks. You only stopped because you were embarrassed about having to ask my wife the names of all the flowers.
2011-01-19| Ray saysRumbled - drat!