As a photographer there is always some new piece of (insert the latest neat gadget) to desire. One for me is the Lens Baby. I have been eyeballing one for some time. I’m trying to stick with the gear I have now and only buy something new if there is something I can sell that is rarely used.
I have a Voigtlander 75mm F/2.5 Color-Heliar SL lens. It was one of a small number made. It is a Nikon AIS mount lens which means that it is a manual focus lens. Although the quality is superb weddings are so fast paced I rarely use it one jobs. I had almost convinced myself that I should go ahead and sell it. The kicker is that it is special to me due to my father being a Voigtlander Vitessa shooter for many many decades. I bought the lens in large part as a remembrance of him. A little redundant to some degree due to my photographic work being a tribute to Dad in and of itself.
The Voigt is a great lens and I have decided to keep it. The lens baby is cool but they are common. I’m sure I’ll get my hands on one soon. The voigtlander I bought is one of only a few hundred of the 75mm made. I watched for one on eBay for a few months before buying mine from a gentleman in Japan for a great price. As they say, “There are many like it, but this one is mine…”
At my next wedding I will be shooting more with this lens. It is special to me and I believe the few images I’ve captured with it hold something of that specialness.
I think for all of us when we buy a new lens we think “Maybe this will be the one I keep forever.” For me, this obscure Voigtlander that reminds me of my Dad’s love of photography may be that lens.
