Just started and i have questions!

[Social Misfit]

Hello - Iv have just started photography - both digital and Film cameras..


I have one of those Kodak easy share Cs330 point 4MP - rather decent for point and shoot.

- and i have recently recived from my dad 2 older film cameras - a Praktica L2 and a Nikon Fg -- im failry famillar how to set those up - but the Praktica also comes with a lens im not fammilar on how to use at all - its rather old as well .. apparently its for macro shots and that is what im interested in -- the lens is an OPTICAM 1:2.8 -- F=135mm - is it really for macro? - also how come to get even focused on a subject even far away i have to have the apperutre so slow that the picture comes out dark? - I have a hunch it varries on many things but a little help would be nice..

Thanks - Baden...

[drg]

Welcome to PR!

The 135mm lens may not be strictly a macro lens. This was a very common focal length of that era. It might be macro capable, but I doubt it without an adapter, extension tube or filter type diopter corrector. I'm not familiar with that brand and is it specifically marked as a macro lens?

As to the pictures coming out dark, is your meter accurate?

I'm not sure as to what you mean by about it having to have a slow aperture to acheive focus? I would hope you are focusing with the lens wide open and then manually closing the ap or letting the camera do it once you've established your exposure setting.

Hope this helps a little, will answer more if needed or other questions and again Welcome to PR.

[Social Misfit]

Thanks for the help- i think it isnt a macro lens now because of what you told me - because i noticed it just realy zooms in on things - other than being able to focus on close ups even when the zoom is on infinity - as for the apperture bit - i dont know if im naming the term correctly - ill read up on the glossory - but the thing that gets darker to make it focus i think um when i adjust the knobs - when looking through the lens -its the part that a black octagon? - but um yeah for some reason to focus it just has to have like zero light in and that doesnt work well for me at all - i dont know if im using it right - -and i have a meter its a Sekonic E.V Auto lumni - and im rather fluent on how that works so i mprety srue i have the right settings its just i cant get anything to focus propperly - any suggestions also for a begginer - um what do you suggest would be a good place to start for taking pictures? -- also would you be able to recomend any good lenses that would be in a good price rage -- for the L2 Practika? -- Thanks alot..

[another view]

being able to focus on close ups even when the zoom is on infinity

Speaking of glossary, it's the focusing ring that you're talking about. "Zoom" is a type of lens that has a range of focal lengths. A 135mm lens is a "prime" lens meaning it has only one focal length. I only bring this up because it's a lot easier to figure out what's going on if proper terminology is used...

[Social Misfit]

oh ok! - wow thanks so much for that - so there realy isnt any problems with my lens - its just that it only has one focal length - so in this case my 135mm is for realy far away things that need to be enlarged?? - - if thats correct then, i think weve solved it lol --

- Thanks so much guys - Baden...

[another view]

Yes - sounds like this lens has only one focal length which is 135mm. There are reasons you may choose a prime (single focal length) lens over a zoom (range of focal lengths) lens - it's not a case of one being better than the other.

A 135mm lens is a telephoto lens so that's why it magnifies things that are far away. For comparison, a 50mm lens is considered "normal" and fairly close to how your eye sees. Shorter focal lengths like 28mm are wide angle, which do just the opposite of the lens you've got.