NikonGear'23

Gear Talk => Lens Talk => Topic started by: golunvolo on May 14, 2016, 23:10:32

Title: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 14, 2016, 23:10:32
After a looooooooooong ordeal with Spanish customs and, if it wasn´t enough, with Spanish mail system, Bjørn´s -non of his fault- lens is finally in my eager hands, chipped and all, ready to go. After a few minutes around my house it was clear that this beast will not be easily tamed. It promises a lot of fun and special images...but you all already know that.
  Just for perspective, all images are nef-processed in camera and resized in PS.
   My intention is to keep on posting here for a while if anything interesting pops out.
   Please feel free to add your own, ask, suggest, comment

   1# The lens. Still with Mr. Bjørn´s contact in it. Not stolen, I swear.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 14, 2016, 23:13:21
I felt like the first image should be of a flower of some kind.
Exposing in bright sunny light proves difficult even at 100 ISO. Maximum shutter of 1/4000th of the d750 was not enough

  2#Second shot: flower
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 14, 2016, 23:15:42
With the flower done -for now- I tried something I wanted to for some time.

  3# & 4# Aged soft wrinkles
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 14, 2016, 23:18:12
The lens came mounted and chipped. It works in every mode. It was so easy to just put it on and shoot. What comes out and what I can point it at is a completely different matter :)

   Thanks Bjørn!

   5# Color. Super Color...
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 14, 2016, 23:22:00
Two more shot in the terrace. This is going to be a long learning curve and an interesting one. Big challenge of a lens.
 
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on May 14, 2016, 23:33:31
Congratulations with your new lens - sorry it took so long to get it through all the official loopholes !!

I'm relieved it all works as advertised though, and you get the correct data 95 mm f/1.4 in the EXIF.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Frank Fremerey on May 15, 2016, 04:32:47
looks like you are having fun!
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: charlie on May 15, 2016, 23:05:47
Another Heligon, nice. I look forward to your 95mm results, I don't recall seeing this lens used much before. The photo of the eye works well. 
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 20, 2016, 18:08:07
Today I took the d700 and the heligon for a walk. I spend a wonderful hour at the backyard having fun like I haven´t had in long time. Many, many pictures of plants. Wonderful new vision of the world, colors and dreamy results. This one is to prove that, even most -most, most, most...- are very soft, sometimes I´ve got lucky.
   
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 20, 2016, 18:50:02
Exposure in daylight continue to be tight. D700 goes to 1/8000 but @ISO 200.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 20, 2016, 19:15:56
A different approach.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Frank Fremerey on May 20, 2016, 20:36:09
I love the little fly on the yellow blossom. Just like modern architecture!
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Jakov Minić on May 20, 2016, 23:27:38
The last one is top class!
I am glad you are enjoying your Heligon. I know exactly what kind of smile you have on your face.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: John Geerts on May 21, 2016, 00:51:38
Yes agree. Fascinating colours.   The Heligon is a 'dream-machine' to play with ;)
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Akira on May 21, 2016, 01:20:07
Yeah, I love the pleasant color of the last two.  You treat the Heligon just right, Paco.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 23, 2016, 12:36:30
Thank you guys for the encouragement. At this state, failure or success is big part chance as I´m just getting acquainted with the particularities of the new tool. Still trying to use it in a conventional way and I should be paying more attention to what it can do differently, I guess.
   Fun all the way.
    Dream maker for sure.

   On a side note, I tried to print that one last image A3 size -297 x 420mm or 11.7 x 16.5 inches. It was a nightmare... That shooting, processing and printing are 3 different specialized ways of dealing with images today is not a secret but I haven´t tried something so personal and delicate for some time and the results were way off mark. Thoughts for another time. Now, to keep on shooting.

   
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 24, 2016, 00:08:14
I keep on going. I pass by a particularly photogenic spring fence yesterday and came back today to try the new toy. It is an interesting mix of excitement and frustration. Things that use to work now are impossible or plain silly and some "mistakes" open new way to approach the image making. On top of that, opening the files later on the computer has become kind of a mystery.
   I´m trying hard to stay away of everything I already know from the images I have seeing in this forum, not to cut any corners, and find how the lens performs for me and how it affects the shooting experience.
   Some shots from today:  3 visions of normal subjects through Heligon. Still trying to shot as I use to.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 24, 2016, 00:14:17
3 visions of the same subject. One thing about this lens, it seems capable to shoot "through" objects, making them disappear in front of whatever you are focusing on. The relationship in the space between objects in the frame came make them a mist, invisible, dreamy, background vivid colors...
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on May 24, 2016, 00:16:10
Seems to me you are well underway to find your own path through Heligon-land, Paco :D
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 24, 2016, 00:17:41
The useful frames rate has dropped dramatically. I´m just happy this is the digital imaging era... With this image, I didn't know what was going to happen. I doesn't look like I took it. I love that :)   
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 24, 2016, 00:21:28
Seems to me you are well underway to find your own path through Heligon-land, Paco :D

  Thanks Bjørn! It is a beautiful path, full of surprises.

  That last one actually looks like a piece of a map :)
 
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Jakov Minić on May 24, 2016, 10:23:07
Paco the barbed wire series is showing all the qualities that heligons deliver.
Couple that with your qualities, and voila :)
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: John Geerts on May 25, 2016, 18:18:36
Yes, very nice series. 

Well, the Heligon is thé lens with the lowest succeed rate in the number of pics, a few in the hundred or something  ;)   But then, these are exceptional, as you show it.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on May 29, 2016, 01:14:23
Thanks! I´ll keep on going. Next step should have even a lower rate: look for suitable subjects. 
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 05, 2016, 21:42:35
On the verge of being boring -meaning you have already seing similar images from other members here- I do enjoy what comes out of this lens. Nothing really new, but for me. Images call for hard post. Some images from today
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 05, 2016, 21:45:20
Last one goes in a different direction. Let me add one more.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 05, 2016, 21:53:36
In exploring this now
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 05, 2016, 21:55:17
On a side note, finally they do print beautifully. Very special.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 07, 2016, 21:18:32
Red scratch. 
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 07, 2016, 21:20:51
I start to have some confidence. :)
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 07, 2016, 21:22:34
Heligon world has a very particular set of rules. Here, some ideas to explore further.

 
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Frank Fremerey on June 08, 2016, 00:05:25
#29.1 : smashing color impact. Wow.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Frank Fremerey on June 08, 2016, 00:09:49
#17.1 ... very cool color scape and form contrast!

No I do not know the South of Spain in Detail.

I have been to Cordoba about 100.000 years ago. It was very hot
and our blood contained deviational substances. Loved the place
Churches and Mauric artefacts I remember. Changing cars...
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 08, 2016, 00:29:59
Córdoba Is Hot. If you havent been there for a while try To go back in May, much better and a lot going on - my girlfriend is from there-. I'll be spending a few days near "el Palmar" -amazing food and beaches, then Barcelona. Summer is here!
  Colors are a treat with the Heligon. Already inthe process of mounting the 100mm 1.6
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 24, 2016, 00:36:25
The investigation goes on. This nice planet effect had me entertained for quite a bit.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 24, 2016, 00:39:21
New subject of investigation. Many attempts failed because it was difficult to get enough information to make it meaningful on their on
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 24, 2016, 00:41:32
This is it for now. I surrender to the magic of this lens. Can´t wait to adapt the other one and find some other specialized optics to play with.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on June 24, 2016, 00:54:11
I'm so happy you make these wonderful images with that particular lens. Keep up the good work. Apparently your model is comfortable with the Heligon poking around at close quarters and we are served enjoyable images as the immediate result.
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 24, 2016, 12:33:59
Thanks Bjørn, for everything.

  The model is a fantastic talented, beautiful, patience -sometimes-, caring, inspiring and my girlfriend. She might read this :)

   
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Jakov Minić on June 24, 2016, 12:36:28
Paco, very delicate and beautiful!
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 24, 2016, 12:40:39
Thanks Jakov,

  you are as generous as always. I´ll like to go to one of your our meetings and get to do some Heligon shooting! Now that will be interesting
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: Jakov Minić on June 24, 2016, 12:42:28
Paco, whenever you are in the neighborhood, just drop a line and we'll make a Heligon meet-up!
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: John Geerts on June 24, 2016, 18:37:06
Impressive shots, Paco !
Title: Re: Rodenstock XR-Heligon 95mm 1:1.4
Post by: golunvolo on June 25, 2016, 15:47:07
Thanks John,appreciated.