The Yashica Yashinon DS 50mm F1.9: A pleasant surprise in the world of Nifty-50s

In my last post, I talked about my latest collection of vintage lenses and how well they shoot. I’ve also said that I’m still on the lookout for more vintage lenses! Whenever I find myself in an antique store, I always look for old camera equipment. On a recent trip to Jackson, California, I found myself in one of the local antique shops. Inside one of the glass cases was a collection of vintage lenses that all looked interesting. However, there were two that stood out. One of the lenses I ended up buying was a Yashica Yashinon DS 50mm F1.9, for $15. Little did I know what an interesting lens this is!

In a world filled with all sorts of “Nifty-50” lenses, this lens is somewhat special. The Yashica Yashinon DS 50mm F1.9 has the interesting distinction of being a very good bokeh lens, while still maintaining sharpness across the board. There’s even some swirling in the Bokeh effect! While not as dramatic as the Helios 44-2, this lens wide open almost creates a “halo” of bokeh around your subject. I took the lens out for a quick test run with my Canon Rebel T5i and a Fotodiox M42-EOS adapter. While I had a short amount of time before sunset, I was pleased with the images this lens was producing.

I shot most of my images wide open at F1.9 in order to test out image sharpness. Usually, shooting wide open with a vintage lens isn’t ideal, as you lose sharpness. However, this lens didn’t lose much sharpness at all wide open. It’s even sharper than my Canon FD 50mm F1.8. Well-let scenes came out sharp with a natural contrast, while still retaining that dreamy Bokeh effect. Comparatively, the Canon FD 50mm F1.8 I own almost becomes washed out where it looks like a dream sequence on a soap opera. I imagine that shooting at F2.8 would not only produce much sharper images, but still keep that distinctive Bokeh effect!

The Yashica Yashinon DS 50mm F1.9 also produces images with a slight yellow tint, which I find helpful. Often when I’m shooting with a vintage lens, the colors tend to be on the cooler side. I usually have to adjust the white balance in order to produce an accurate result. Not so with the Yashica! Although some scenes did come out a little too warm, I was still pleased with the results. This lens also works very well as a Black and White photography lens. Black and White images with this lens have great contrast and detail. In addition, the vignetting in color and black and white images feels natural. This makes for both a nice landscape lens, and a great portait lens!

I did notice a few weaknesses of the lens. The focus throw tends to be long, and sometimes sticks. The stickiness might be from the age of the lens however. Also, the lens doesn’t do too well when shooting close to the sun. Images get washed out and the lens flare is massive. I would suggest getting a polarizer and a lens hood when shooting in direct sunlight. I also noticed that there are no half-steps in between apertures. This is a minor nitpick, however.

Despite these minor flaws, the build quality of this lens is very good! While the lens is smaller than my Nikon Nikkor-SC 50mm F1.4, it still feels hefty. The majority of the construction is metal and glass, with a rubberized focus ring. In other words, this is a high quality piece of kit for a really good price! I got really lucky finding this lens for $15! Normally, you can find the Yashica Yashinon DS 50mm F1.9 on Ebay for between $30-$60. Now compare that with some other well-known lenses, and you’ve got yourself a bargain!

While I only just started messing around with this lens, I plan on taking it with me on a later excursion to really test out how it works at higher apertures. I might even take it with me to the next Folsom Cars and Coffee! The possibilities of this impulse-buy lens is exciting. I also mentioned that there were two lenses I looked at. I’m going to have to order yet another adapter in order to use this other lens. But, it was definitely the stranger of the two I picked, so it might be worth it!

Until next time!

Can you shoot an event with just a phone?

Recently, I’ve been asked a question that’s been bugging me for days. I was having coffee with a friend one morning when he started asking questions about photography. Among the questions he asked, the one he stood out the most was “Can a professional photographer get away with using a smartphone?” Could I as a professional photographer, shoot an event with just a phone?

I’m a believer in expertise. I think that regardless of the toolset you use if you have a deep understanding of the processes and techniques used in photography, you can still create stunning photos. It’s not about how good the camera and lenses are, but how good the eyes behind the viewfinder are.

But, could I shoot an event with just a phone? I decided to give it a try!

Caught without a camera

One late summer evening, my friend let me know that there was a small classic car show happening nearby. This was a few days after our conversation, and just after a major event. My camera was basically out of commission as none of the batteries were charged and I still needed to offload photos. Then I thought, “Wait, this could be a chance to test what my phone can do!” This was a chance to test my hypothesis. I grabbed my phone and ran out of the door.

My phone of choice is the LG V30. Back in 2017, the V30 featured one of the best (if not the best) built-in cameras in a field that included the iPhone X and the Samsung S8. I decided to get the V30 because of the camera and its ability to shoot in RAW format. I was always curious if I could get away with using just my phone, so I was excited to finally put the phone to the test of capturing a local car show, in less than ideal lighting conditions. 

Leveraging the phone’s ability to shoot in both RAW and JPG, as well as the ability to modify the viewscreen to show professional-style tools (view grids, histograms, white balance, etc.), I got to work. I utilized all of my regular techniques; like dropping close to the floor for close up shots, pulling in really close for macro photography, and then using the view grid for shot composition. I used my phone as if it was a DSLR camera to make sure I can accurately compare the photo quality to using a DSLR rig.

The results were pretty surprising:

Is the best camera is the one you always have with you?

After processing the photos and making my regular tweaks in Lightroom, the quality of the photos was very surprising! While some images weren’t quite as sharp as I wanted, the majority of my photos were almost indistinguishable from photos shot with a professional photography rig. I think my phone performed better under certain conditions than my camera! So, you can professionally shoot an event with your phone.

This, however, begs the question: should I rely more on my phone camera than my rig? I think the answer is both yes and no. While your phone is an extremely powerful tool that not only allows you to take photos, edit them, and upload them to a microblogging platform, it shouldn’t outright replace your camera and lenses, because a phone camera is more limited in its capabilities. I can’t take my phone behind the fences at Laguna Seca and expect the photos to look the same, can I?

I think the best approach is to use both your camera and your phone in tandem. I’ve often used my phone to shoot photos for my Instagram and used the photos from my camera for my blog. The most recent example of this was when I went to Laguna Seca for the 30th Anniversary Miata Reunion; where the photos from driving on the track were from my phone whereas the gallery photos were from the camera.

In conclusion

In the end, I think the question of shooting events with your smartphone boils down to your skill. There is nothing wrong in my opinion with using your phone as a professional camera for Instagram or blogging. There are set limitations for what a phone camera could do. This is where a dedicated camera will outperform a phone camera.

Until someone makes a phone with interchangeable lenses, I’ll continue using both my phone and my camera. Though, It’s nice to know that I can sometimes leave my camera at home!

The Lotus Evija: Is it a true Lotus?

The Lotus Evija
The 2020 Lotus Evija. Photo © 2019 Lotus Cars.

Could this be the future of “Simplify, then add Lightness?”

Lotus has finally revealed the all-electric hypercar they’ve been teasing for months, and now it has a proper name: Evija. The Lotus Evija is Lotus Cars’ attempt at chasing down the Tesla Roadster with a lightweight carbon monocoque chassis mated to a 2000 horsepower motor and the industry’s lightest weight battery pack. Tipping the scales at 1680 kilograms (3703 pounds), Lotus claims that the Evija is the lightest production electric hypercar to enter production. For comparison, the Nio EP9 weighs 1735 kilograms (3825 pounds).

The Lotus Evija
Photo © 2019 Lotus Cars.

Marbled carved by the wind

While the massive weight doesn’t seem very Lotus-like, the large swaths of bodywork seemingly carved out of the car does lend itself well to Lotus’ modus operandi. Done for the sake of aerodynamics and lightening, the Evija has openings practically everywhere. My particularly favorite angle of the car is from behind; where the taillight LEDs line the inside of the rear airflow exhaust. The massive rear diffuser with the integrated LED safety light is an interesting touch as well. Noticeably absent are the inclusion of wing mirrors. Instead, the car uses retractable camera pods behind the front wheels, leaving the profile of the car unfettered. Altogether, the car does look like a Lotus, with some styling references to the Lotus Evora and even the Danny Bahar Esprit concept car.

The Lotus Evija
Photo © 2019 Lotus Cars.

The styling continues into the interior, with the dashboard and center console being dominated by open spaces. Reminiscent of the tubular frames in some of Lotus’ cars from the 50s and 60s, the interior is pretty sparse. The climate controls, radio, and drive controls are all on the center console “blade”, and the only other decorations in the interior are the instrument cluster and the steering wheel. Inspired by Formula 1, the steering wheel is squared-off and simplified. All of the controls are compressed into the center of the wheel, with turn indicators, lights, cruise control, and other functions beings within thumb’s reach. The steering wheel is dominated by a single red dial that controls the driving modes, with five distinct settings. Lastly, a single multi-function display provides just the information you need according to the different driving modes.

The Lotus Evija
Photo © 2019 Lotus Cars.

The Bleeding Edge

Technologically speaking, the Evija is at the bleeding edge of electric vehicle design thanks to the involvement of Geely. While the power and speed of the car are nothing to scoff at, the time it takes to charge the batteries is leaning toward the realm of science fiction. Lotus claims that the Evija can completely replenish its batteries in nine minutes using an 800kW charger. Even when using a 350kW charger, the Evija would still take 18 minutes to completely charge. Thanks to its Williams Formula-E-derived drivetrain, the Evija has the lightest, most energy-dense battery pack ever fitted to a production car. The total range for this car is rated at 270 miles; comparable to the current generation Evora.

A true Lotus?

The Lotus Evija
Photo © 2019 Lotus Cars.

One question remains, however: Can an ultra-limited production car valued at $2 million be considered a Lotus? Honestly, I’m on the fence about this one. When I first wrote about the Lotus Hypercar, I claimed that such a car flies in the face of Colin Chapman’s ideals of what made a great sports car. The creed “Simplify, then add lightness” was more than a mantra; it was the formula for what made a Lotus, a Lotus. You don’t need massive amounts of power and displacement to make an engaging car. You just need a lightweight reinforced chassis and great suspension tuning. The Evora is probably the best car I’ve ever driven thanks to its incredibly stiff chassis and excellent suspension.

The Lotus Evija
Photo © Lotus Cars.

On the other hand, Lotus has always been introducing innovative technologies. In the 70s, Lotus dominated Formula 1 thanks to its adoption of ground effects. When Lotus was involved in sports car racing in the 60s, cars like the Lotus 23B were miles ahead of the competition thanks to Lotus’ innovative use of fiberglass and other lightweight materials. For Lotus to find a way to develop a lighter-weight, denser battery pack, they could potentially lead the way in making actual lightweight, electric sports cars for the masses.

The Lotus Evija
Photo © 2019 Lotus Cars.

While I still scoff at the existence of a $2 million hypercar Lotus for the son of a sheik, I have to hope that if this car is successful, some of that technology could trickle down to their more “pedestrian offerings”. Imagine an electric Evora with a similar drivetrain or even an Elise.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

The Lotus Evija
Photo © 2019 Lotus Cars.