Tips
A HIGHLY VERSATILE LENS: HOW TO BECOME A GRAND ILLUSIONIST
The beauty of the Daguerreotype Achromat Lens lies in its great versatility: with a focal length of 64mm, and apertures ranging from f/2.9 to f/16, you can lose yourself in extensive variation of moods and special effects when shooting. From mesmerizing soft focus from f/2.9 – f/4, to crisply sharp stunners from f/5.6 onwards, not to mention the tons of different bokeh effects possible thanks to the interchangeable aperture plates... As an introduction, here are some tips to become a Daguerreotype Achromat Don.
Achieve Sharp, Crisp Photos From F/5.6 and Up
As well as being able to take beautiful soft-focused images, you can stop down your aperture and get piercingly sharp photos bursting with sweet color. Any time you want to try this out, slide in a “regular” Waterhouse Aperture Plate (so not Lumière/Aquarelle) from f/5.6 and up.
Try Shooting Close-Up Objects and Details
The closest focusing distance of your Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens is 0.5 meters — that’s just 50 centimeters! (Or 19.685 inches for you guys who don’t use the metric system.) With such a close range of focus, time to get up close and personal. Lomography recommends you practice this with your nearest and dearest before approaching a stranger. Just a helpful tip to avoid strange looks – or perhaps the odd black eye.
Shoot Objects with a Patterned Background
The Lumière Aperture plates give wonderful soft-focus results, whilst the Aquarelle Aperture Plates allow colors to blend together in painterly textures very reminiscent of watercolor masterworks. We recommend trying this against a background of green foliage, distant lights, or any intriguing patterns that grab the eye.
Compose Images Where the Background is a Good Distance Away
When setting up your photos, try composing your image so that your subject is a good distance away from the background. The depth of field and creative bokeh are one of the features we’re most proud of with the Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens. You’ll notice why – especially when combined with your Lumière and Aquarelle Waterhouse Aperture Plates.
Always Shoot with the Hood!
The Daguerreotype Achromat comes with a lens hood which can be removed at any point, if you wished to shoot with a filter or close-up attachment. However, when not using these elements, we recommend always shooting with it the hood lens on: this significantly reduces stray light from entering the sides of the front element (the cause of unwanted ghosting/flaring, etc). It also keeps the front element safe from bumps and scratches… And pesky fingerprints.
Unleash the Colours
Thanks to the lens’s multicoated elements, the Daguerreotype Achromat offers vivid and powerful colour rendition. To push it to the top of its ability, try shooting with contrast film, or cross processing slide film! When shooting with the Daguerreotype Achromat on a digital camera, test out the ‘vivid colour’ mode. Go wild with all the colours around you, and be a rainbow in someone else's cloud.