The Sonnar 1.5/50 has class

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

When do you understand when a lens has class?

I think, it happens when you take a snapshot with it that surprises you beyond what was a reasonable expectation . Because prepared shots create the conditions for all lenses to give their best. But when you take a snapshot in an uncontrolled situation, and it turns out like a prepared shot, maybe like one that you perhaps would not even have to skill to prepare so well... well, then you know the lens has class.

Enter this snapshot I took today at the country restaurant where I and Monica celebrated my bday today (with one day anticipation, because tomorrow is working day). I wanted to take a snapshot of the table, for a personal memory. I didn't do anything but stretch myself back on the chair as much as possible to have something in focus (the 1.5/50 Sonnar is not exactly a close focus lens). So I took the shot, and when at home, I opened it, and I was astonished at the rendering exquisite.
All objects were rendered with a beauty that I am sure I would have never been able to obtain with another lens and lots of hours of work moving around lamps and screens.

Everything in the image was delightful, from the focused glass to the blurred objects, each with their own personal type of blur, because the 1.5/50 does not blur all things the same way: some are smeared, like with a finger track on pastel paint, some are fuzzy, like fresh dry wool, some are doubled, like seen through another glass.

Here it is, I don't add other comments, except that I am still hypnotized by the image: I even seem to be able to feel the slight dew of the bottle just taken out of the fridge