If a Subjektiv was nothing but a lens, then it would be called just that. And if you want to continue to take photos like before and everybody else, then you might as well attach one to your camera.
www.subjektiv.de
The Subjektiv not only stands for this particular view of the world, it wants to demonstrate that nothing needs to remain unchanged. Some things move on, some develop further, others don’t. Ever since humans have attempted to capture the light, a variety of avenues have been chosen. Some because they didn’t know any better, some because there wasn’t any room left, some because they couldn’t pay for it any other way, some just because they loved the result. And so too does our little optic building kit offer the possibility to retrace, replay and re-experience these different avenues by using just one unit and combining it with a range of optical modules. Each style of depiction represents a separate, specific visual language. The Subjektiv enables you to quickly and easily identify which style best suits your own way of seeing and photographing or maybe just your latest project. Contrary to many photographic tools that are fun these days, when it comes to the Subjektiv, only the acrylic lens is made from plastic. Everything else is rock solid German quality production by Novoflex in Memmingen. The front has a 52mm filter thread that can be used for example for infrared exposures. Because no electronic transmissions take place (from where anyway?), most cameras will work without Autofocus but still with time automatic (Canon, Pentax, Sigma, Olympus, Nikon from D200 up). Only Nikon digital hobbyist cameras won’t let any light measuring to take place. For Minolta/Sony we recommend checking the instruction manual. A last resort can always be guesswork or external measuring. We have slightly updated this model to make the exchanging of the lens modules even easier. Look first, then turn. But always subjective not objective. The following modules – all with focal length 65 mm – are included:
The pinhole lens The pinhole lens with f-stop 180. Things couldn’t be easier – or slower. This is where you maximise your exposure times. And suddenly you have time. Time, which you can depict really well. Busy places will empty out, water will become silky. Holes produced the first images that humans saw, experienced and understood. It is this poetry of infinity that these images breathe even today.
The zone plate Compared to the hole, the zone plate is downright bright at aperture 32. And the opportunity to learn something is greater than with any of the other modules. After all, light doesn’t just spread in a geometrical fashion but also in waves. A zone plate, in fact a squiggle pattern exposed on a piece of film, bends the light in one focal point. The strong colour aberration and the low contrast depiction result in a unique and very impressionistic image, which is substantially less in focus than those of pinhole images.
The acrylic lens Plastic excels not just in conjunction with the Holga but demonstrates also with the Subjektiv what it is capable of. The sharpness drops towards the edge, but altogether it is still high enough. The brightness is 5.6. The aperture of the glass lens fits, even though it wasn’t meant for it, and it will improve its imaging performance even more.
The meniscus glass lens Images can be created even with glass. The meniscus lens has already taught our grandfathers the art of photography. And even then it was incredibly sharp, indicated by today’s sensors of how little is needed for an image. Not only kit lenses create chromatic aberrations. You can certainly also insert the meniscus lens back to front or improve its capacity with the help of the included aperture (use aperture 8 instead of 5).