Popular Photography Magazine

Photo: EndgedgetBefore iPhones or even camera phones for that matter, Polaroid cameras were pretty much the only player in the “on-the-spot photography” game. And part of what made the Polaroid camera such an obsession during the days of yore, was the instant-gratification it offered its users, by offering a physical print in only a matter of moments.

Ingo Arndt, 42, a wildlife specialist and contributing photographer to the German edition of Geo magazine, spends more than half the year on the road, photographing animals everywhere from Alaska to Antarctica and beyond. He took a few hours recently to share insights with Senior Editor Peter Kolonia. How did you start out?

Scaling up to an equivalent 52.5mm normal focal length on Pentax’s DSLR bodies, with their APS-C-sized sensors, the Pentax 35mm f/2.8 macro lens tested here exactly a year ago had a lot going for it. So why introduce this new 35mm lens with a slightly brighter, f/2.4, maximum aperture? Simply, cost. The older lens offered better than 1:1 subject magnification and almost no linear distortion. Plus, as one of Pentax’s Limited series, it was extremely well crafted. But it comes with a somewhat steep $540 price tag.

Samyang announced a modified version of its 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC lens—the new version of this manual focus prime is slightly smaller and includes a Depth of Field Scale. It also features a bright red metallic aperture ring. First announced at Photokina 2010, this prime will available in all major mounts including Canon, Nikon Pentax, Sony, Samsung NX and Micro Four third mounts. No exact date has been given for when the Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC will officially hit shelves, however it seems sometime in late spring is a good bet. The lens will run you about $530.