FunctionallyUnfunctional

Shot with my broken Canon 7D and a Micro Nikkor 105 I've gotten busy and my functionally unfunctional project hasn't gotten much attention lately. I'm hoping to get busy with it again. I've accumulated a fair amount of stuff lately and so all I need is the time to play. Perhaps this little mantid that came to visit with me tonight will be the inspiration I needed.

The Nikon 105 2.5 is a legendary lens. It was a highly regarded by photographers for decades, especially for portraits. I wasn't fortunate enough to own one when I was actively shooting my film Nikons so when this "broken" version became available, I snatched it!  And, of course, mounted it to my "broken" 7D. I needed a few new images for a speedlight class I'm teaching so using the 105 seemed like the perfect opportunity to test the lens. I grabbed an old camera from my collection as a subject. The reason this lens became available is because the focus ring and mechanism are quite loose. I was a little concerned it might not produce acceptable images. Of course, that uncertainty is part the fun of this whole project. While I admit the couple images I shot aren't actually extensive testing, that fear has been temporarily laid to rest. This lens, even in its less than perfect condition, completely lived up to its reputation. I am indeed pleased with t...

We had a minor ice event but it gave me an excellent opportunity for more experimentation with some of my "broken" gear. After reverse mounting my Minolta 35 to capture some macro (previous post) I decided to play with a   normal focal length lens. These images were shot with an old Sears brand 135 Nikon mount lens. Ricoh made these lenses apparently. The aperture wasn't working properly so it was discarded. However, the removal of a few screws holding the rear mounting ring on led me to the problem and now it's working just fine. Mounted to my broken 7D I created these images. So, once again, I've proven to myself, and hopefully the reader, you don't necessarily need the shiniest, newest equipment to create good photographs.

I picked up a Minolta 35mm 2.8 lens recently. Yes, a non-Nikon mount lens has been added to the arsenal. The 35 allows for extreme close up but at a bit less magnification than the 28mm Sigma I previously mounted. And I've heard these Minolta lenses were good reverse macro lenses so I needed to give it a try. We had some freezing rain this morning so it gave me a great opportunity to take the 7D and Minolta lens out for some abstracts. My favorite was this ice-scape image...  But I had fun finding other interesting contrasts and patterns as well... I like the contrast of the ice against this piece of broken tree. The edge of a broken layer of ice. Droplet Textures and Colors Life encapsulated. As I continue to create with my discarded, broken gear my "functional" gear is collecting more and more dust. I'm actually really enjoying finding what I can piece together and make work. It continues to be a rewardin...

If you're wondering why I keep attaching Nikon lenses to my Canon 7D,  let me explain. Is because I can a sufficient answer? Probably not. And while that's part of the answer, there's more. In an earlier post I explained that I'd been given a Canon 7D camera that, by all rights, was fatally broken. The shutter and sensor still work but the electronics that couple any Canon EF lens to the body are fried. Try to put a Canon lens on it and it locks up completely. However, without a lens the shutter fires just fine. So I tried putting a reversing ring onto it so that I could use it for macro photography. And it works great for that purpose as my previous snowflake post proves. When no electronics coupling the lens to the body, newer electronic aperture lenses will shoot only wide open. However, older manual aperture lenses afford the ability to shoot at any f-stop the lens provides. Depth of field is super shallow in macro photography so gaining any edge, albeit ti...

No... not me. I'm certainly no snowflake! I'd been playing around with different options using my broken gear. The macro capabilities of reverse mounting lenses has me intrigued to say the least. Achieving perfect focus at extreme magnification isn't easy but it sure is fun to play with.   Yesterday it snowed a little bit. It wasn't the first snow we've had but yesterday was very cold. That meant snowflakes would maintain their shape for a bit once grounded. And it meant that I could go play with the super magnification reverse mounted lenses combined with extension tubes provide.  I was pleased with this particular capture and decided it was a keeper for sure.  I will be posting more macro along with other images captured with various pieces of equipment I rescue and repurpose. Stay tuned...

Due to the experience with my gifted 60D and rescued Sigma lens I'd gotten a bit of a bug for what might be capable with other "junk" gear. The answer came when a gentleman came into our store with a broken Canon 7D. He'd done his research online. He was pretty certain his camera was beyond cost effective repair. But he needed confirmation. He was correct. His camera wasn't worth repairing. It was a "fatal" error. Our customer left the store with a new Canon 7Dii and the broken camera was left for disposal.  I own a 7D and know what a fabulous camera it is so I wasn't immediately inclined to toss the broken 7D. Maybe I would need parts or something. I took the camera home and then one day decided to play with it. I put a battery in it and fired off a few shots. It seemed to work perfectly. Until I mounted a lens on it. Locked up and dead. After removal of lens and battery I tried again. Sure enough camera worked seemingly perfectly without a ...