Baligtad Lens, Anyone?
By Cecilia S. Angeles
After reading this article, don’t ever go to R. Hidalgo, Quiapo to look for baligtad lens. Perhaps the salesperson will ask you, "Ano yon? Canon ba yon, Nikon, Olympus, Zenit? Sori, wala kami noon." Certainly, there is none on the shelf, much less for sale. Baligtad lens is literally inverted lens. You own one right now, I am sure. It is the kit lens on your camera body.
The pictures you see on this page were taken with my first professional camera, Canon FTb equipped with a 50 mm lens. Its biggest aperture is F1.4. Now considered a vintage camera, it has rested in the camera bag for quite sometime, for it has been replaced by the more convenient EOS and digital cameras. Seeing my FTb idle, I felt guilty. I took it with me on a shooting date, and faithfully it gave me what you now see. Yes, dear readers, taken with baligtad lens. The lens is removed from its mount and attached inverted to the same mount by simply holding it in place. I use my other camera to meter my subject. It is a little uncomfortable to be simply holding the baligtad lens flat on its mount. I heard there is a special adaptor ring for this purpose. Using baligtad lens is not my invention. I came across it in my research.
Small subjects are ideal for baligtad lens. The depth of field is so shallow that your shots look as if taken by macro lens. To get the correct focus, simply look through the viewfinder and move the camera nearer or farther the subject until you get the sharpest area in the image. Hold it. Don’t breathe. Click the shutter. Cross your fingers and pray that you get a sharp image. You may now breathe. You cannot alter the composition except by panning. Don’t grieve if some shots are blurred. Maybe your heart leaped a little as you pressed the shutter.
You may use a tripod, but I cannot imagine how you will move the tripod to and fro to get the focus and still hold the baligtad lens flat on the mount. Do not allow even the faintest streak of light to enter between the meeting point of the baligtad lens and the mount.
Also, remember to be careful not to allow dust or moisture to contaminate your baligtad lens. It has no protective filter while you are using it. I cannot answer for the fungus it may collect later. My camera is strictly manual. Do not try the technique with digital or electronics cameras.
Sometimes it is a thrill going back to the primitive to fulfill art. Picture Perfect has featured the pinhole photography of Julius Clar. So did PhotoWorld Manila 2007. I am convinced I must try being primitive sometimes.
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