First Impressions of the Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens: Joel Byron

Joel Byron is a big fan of Lomography and anything analogue. In 2010 he edited the famous Lomography Caterpillar Matrix video which had over 60,000 hits! We lent Joel a Daguerreotype Achromat Art Lens and he shot a video along Brighton Beach.

What came to mind when you first saw the Daguerreotype Art Lens? What is special about its build?
The Art lens has a quality look and feel, this is enhanced by the weightiness. It is very easy to use and feels natural to hold and work with. The aperture plate can be chosen and slipped neatly into the top front of the lens to change the Bokeh and create different looks for any shot.

What did you decide to shoot? What camera did you use?
I focused my shoot on a study of Brighton Palace Pier. The pier is a colourful place with lots of movement and energy, plus it offers some amazing views back towards Brighton Sea Front. I shot with a Sony FS5 fitted with a Canon Metabones Speed Booster, this mean’t I could fit the Canon mount on. The FS5 was a really useful camera to work with as it has some features which complemented the lens. Firstly there is a variable ND which mean’t it was easy achieve the correct exposure whatever the lighting conditions. Secondly the camera has Super Slow motion which added another dimension to the shoot and mean’t I could ramp the fps up to 100 for some shots.

Did the Daguerreotype Art Lens impart a special look to your movie?
The lens is great. I think as an 85mm portrait lens it is something special. As a lens for other projects it can be integrated as a particular tool for a certain look. If you’re shooting at night then the variety of plates allow unlimited options with the bokeh and it can look stunning.

In terms of your own filming needs, what is the best feature of the Daguerreotype Art Lens?
I’d love to use the lens to shoot a music video or fashion shoot. The unique bokeh means you can create some pretty psychedelic effects. This lens can provide a film-maker with something different, a particular look which is unusual and original.

What tip would you give to a first-time user?
Have fun and experiment. Play around with the lens and get used to working with the plates. When shooting at night make sure you have a point of focus within the foreground as the lens will not find focus on distant objects if you’re using the funky shaped plates. Be careful to look after the plates properly and remember they are in the camera when you’re travelling about from location to location. Better to take them out after each shot to erase the fear of losing them.

2016-05-24 #tutorials #videos #soho #tipster #brighton #london #uk #joel-byron #daguerreotype-achromat-2-9-64-art-lens