Tomás Williamson

A few weeks ago, I got a lens converter that allows me to use film lenses on my Sony A7-IV. I thought that it could be a fun addition to my catalogue of lenses and provide for some extra texture to my images, but I was really surprised at just how much I’ve come to enjoy this method of shooting.

Since then, I have absolutely fallen in love with the way that the pictures look. Obviously it isn’t an exact replica for shooting on film, although you can enhance the grain and other irregularities in an edit, I do absolutely see, and feel, a difference between what I had been shooting and what I’m capturing now.

The big logistical change between analog film lenses and the digital ones I’m used to is manually focusing and shifting the aperture. The latter is not much different aside from the dial being on the lens and not on the body. The manual focus, however, is definitely more of a challenge, but it’s forced me to be even more focused and intentional about what I’m capturing.

Finally, it’s important to note, if you are thinking about trying your film lenses on a digital body, not all lenses will produce “usable” images. There can be differences in sensor size between the lens and body that create unwanted vignetting or different abnormalities in the image. To some that could be a drawback, but to others it might be the reason to switch, its all in the hands of the photographer!

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