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| "Extremes" - A Day with the Planar T* 1,4/85 ZE |
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The Planar T* 1,4/85 ZE is a short telephoto lens and a classic focal length for portrait photography. The photographer René Budde from Hamburg was able to test the newest product from the range of Carl Zeiss lenses for a day. He talks to us about his experience.
CLN-Team:
What was your experience when working with the Planar T* 1.4/85 ZE?
Budde:
After years of working with autofocus and zoom lenses, at the beginning you think that you are going to be restricted by manual focusing, but this attitude changes very quickly when you realize the creative opportunities that open up for you. While you are taking photographs, looking for the "right" point of sharpness, the original idea for the image can sometimes change. You can be drawn into the scene and are effectively travelling through the image. And in doing so you discover again and again new aspects about the composition. That it truly exciting!
CLN-Team:
What is different between the Planar T* 1,4/85 ZE and working with an autofocus lens?
Budde:
You give much more thought to the composition of the picture. You set the details, the distance and the depth of field. After that you have to move your whole body to vary the distances, and then finally make the "shot".
The great thing with the Planar T* 1,4/85 ZE is that you do not only discover your surroundings under 85mm conditions, but you continue to discover it through the viewfinder. This aspect, teamed with the precise focussing mechanism, is simply great fun because you are working with your camera rather than letting your camera work. You can put your personality into the image. You will photograph more consciously.
CLN-Team:
The Planar T* 1.4/85 ZE is a high-speed lens that is useful for creatively controlling the depth of field. How did you take advantage of this feature?
Budde:
The intensity of light, the very slight telefocal length and the sluggishness because of the weight make you long for there to be natural light. My favorite light! In addition to this, the Planar T* 1,4/85 ZE draws the out-of-focus areas in a very harmonic way. This opens up several creative possibilities I can use for my way of photography.
CLN-Team:
Do you have any final words?
Budde:
The Planar T* 1,4/85 ZE is not an easy lens but it is not intended to be one. You should take it with you more often so that you can work more quickly with it.
I have been waiting for the synthesis of a modern fully formatted D-SLR camera and a lens like that for a very long time. If I am being honest, it looks good, it is as heavy as it looks, it can be precisely adjusted and its performance is utterly beyond question. More please!
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| | About René Budde
René Budde, who lives is Hamburg, has been working as a freelance photographer for twelve years. His work has already been on show to the public in a number of exhibitions. First and foremost he takes shots from the world of music, architecture and artistic, creative life. Reportage-style images from France, Portugal, Spain, Asia and the USA as well as portraits complete his portfolio. |
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December 2008 |
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