This evening in Paris with Topcor Re GN 1.8/50

[alex ph]

That was the first city walk for a newly acquired Topcor ReGN 1.8/50, to test it in a calm and pleasant atmosphere of the spring beginning anew in the second of third time this year. Who knew it would register a historic and rather dramatic event!


#1 Already from a distant Luxembourg Garden heavy smoke was seen, of a strange greenish colour


#2 Well, a fire in a large city like Paris is not that rare. So, people around were just doing what they came for, relaxing, reading, picnicking.

#3 Coming to the famous Saint Michel square an unusually dense crowd could be seen. All turned towards Notre Dame church, many were filming with their smartphones


#4 There was quite a shocking event attracting views, and only one water jet seen to cope with the fire


#5 Many people were just gazing and shooting, some talking, a small group praying


#6 Younger climbed on the top of second-hand booksellers boxes attached to the river parapet


#7 As metro stations around were closed, and police were managing the crowd rather nervously and at times rudely, people were arriving by foot from more distant points to testimony the event


#8 As the flame was springing out of the towers, a loud sigh was crossing the crowd


#9 At some short moments you might have a feeling to assist an important football game


#10 Walking away, from a distance, you still might see the same smoke, several hours after the beginning of the accident


Hard to believe that now, for years, there might stay just a ruin instead of this symbolic building.

The lens got its first real world outing and proved to be unsurprisingly sharp, with vibrant colour rendition and excellent microcontrast. The shots were taken with Sony A7, at apertures from f2.8 (mostly) to f5.6, following the light conditions.

[Macca]

Great reportage, you had a good lens in hand and eye also.

[Sciolist]

A great set Alex. I think #3 is outstanding.

A sad time for anyone who has visited Our Lady of Paris. She will rise again.

[sergtum]

o, yea
I’m speechless!

[MrKodak]

Horrible and you can see all of Paris gathering, mourning the loss of a symbol.

Terrific image, you can really feel the mood of les Parisienne.

Thank you for sharing!
Would you mind if I share the link to these pictures here or if you have them somewhere else?
They are your images after all and the credit is all due to you but they are too good not to be shared with the rest of the world.

Kind regards,
Henrik

[alex ph]

Thank you, fellows, for your kind words!

MrKodak I appreciate your delicate approach. You may link here, that'll make me pleasure.

[poilu]

[KEO]

Nice shots. They have historical and probably monetary value.

[Lloydy]

Excellent images, as good as any photo journalist would take. You've captured the feelings of the local people, not an easy thing to do.

[dan_]

Excellent photo-reportage, Alex.
I haven't realized it means so much to me till I've seen it burning. It made me so deeply sad, just as when an old, close friend or a family member was in danger of death and I could do nothing to save him.
Now I'm glad the old stones resisted and I am confident it will be carefully restored.

[jamaeolus]

Well captured. Truly a sad event. Fortunately no loss of life and minimal structural damage. It WILL be rebuilt. I believe hundreds of millions of dollars have been pledged already. I have not had the chance to see any of the gorgeous medieval Gothic churches in person (yet!) but my art history professor had spent an entire summer just photographing the interiors of many many cathedrals and was quite happy to spend day after day in class showing slides and explaining what church we were in what was really significant and why. He was a pretty good photographer, so that helped. Ironically his PhD was in medieval Scottish gardens and I think we spent just part of one day looking at slides of them.

[alex ph]

Thank you for your evaluations and thoughts, fellows! I am touched and honoured indeed by your contributions.

KEO, I suppose the monetary value tends to void, as the information flows are oversaturated with images produced or relayed by media. Some more images taken with Topcor would be lost among thousands taken with professional video cameras and profane mobile phones. The next day I turned back to the nearby of the cathedral, just to find a small army of journalists from all aver the world making a permanent production of images and comments.

I attach here another few shots of that media rattle, always taken with Topcor Re GN 1.8/50.

#1


#2


#3


#4


#5

[bwfcnottingham]

[Blazer0ne]

...

[alex ph]

Bwfcnottingham, Blazer0ne, thank you for your appreciation!

The lens focuses smoothly but in an unorthodox way: the most used focusing distances seem to be concentrated in the range of approximately 30 degrees of rotation, while a good part of the rotating track beyond infinity remains "useless". I presume the previous owner played with dis- and reassembling the lens that gave a shifted helicoid articulation. But that does not bother me much, as the lens works fine with Sony focus peaking, and the IQ is just wonderful.

[Blazer0ne]

...

[kiddo]

[Blazer0ne]

...

[alex ph]

Kiddo, mine reaches infinity slightly past 5m and physically does not get any shorter until the infinity mark. That is not an adapter issue, the lens works the same way on the native camera. But it works, I did not pay too high for it, so I am OK with it.

Blazer0ne, I don't think to disassemble the lens as it finds itself in working condition. Anyway on digital the original distance marks often do not make that sense. While a risk to reassemble the lens in improper way is rather high for someone who does not have a large experience. Recently I wished to clean a cheap Pentacon Auto 1.8/50 on Praktica mount. It now lays in parts in my box, I just did not manage to put back the two parts of the helical screw together with the diaphragm connector . They all turn in different directions and seem to be started being screwed in a very precise point. While for a commonly available Pentacon that's an acceptable experiment, the same for a rare Topcor should be a real pity!

[Blazer0ne]

...

[kiddo]

[alex ph]

Thank you, guys, for your thoughts and concern. For the moment focusing works smoothly and the past-5m infinity issue is not very sensible. So, I'll keep the lens as it is and enjoy using it, until there is need to service it in a deeper way.