First experience with the Sonnar300 has nothing to do with the pictures. Having 12 inches of black metal in front of one¹s belly does make one more interesting to others. The owner of the breakfast restaurants turned out to be a man who loves Leica cameras and who actually shoots 16mm shorts.
(He wanted to look through the lens) Fathers with babies really wanted to have their picture taken (three, four?). And then there was this really strange glancing everywhere. Who says New Yorkers can not react.
The lens is really heavy. It is big and bulky and it also has a viewing angle that is just a bit beyond the regular human experience. Upon discovering an interesting detail on a house, I found myself going away almost a block, in order to be able to get more than just a portion of it. Taking pictures of people will requite a bit more patience, since the lens needs about four turns to get into focus. And did I ever mention that the Praktina FX I own does not have a meter? (Forget TTL) So shots need to be based on experience, of which I do not have much. Let¹s hope I still manage to get the ratio of one ok picture per film.
It is so much faster to shoot with the minilux. Just press the button and the picture will be crisp. Oh, well...
Taking some time to shoot a picture can have its own charm.
One incredible thing about a real big black tele-lens attached to a camera with a focusing hood (is this the right expression?) is that one just happens to be outside of the zone of awareness of a common New Yorker, or probably any warm blooded creature outside of complete wilderness. It is possible to shoot candid pictures openly. It is possible to shoot portraits from across the avenue. This is going to be real fun, once I figure out how to focus faster... And maybe develop stronger arms, so I can hold the camera steady, longer. Oh boy. Tomorrow, maybe some pictures. : )
We are shooting analogue.