The Leica M9 moves like a silent minstrel through this maze of photons, capturing moments veiled by time’s relentless drift. At first glance, the image seems swallowed by night—an underexposed frame resembling an unopened tome of secrets.
Yet with three gentle stops lifted in post-processing, life surges into the dormant dream. The yellow bicycle awakens from shadows like the first amber rays of dawn, its radiance spilling across the scene. Surrounding foliage unfurls from the gloom, revealing hues steeped in the CCD’s chromatic alchemy—as if nature herself dipped her finest brush into twilight to paint this elegy.
CCD’s palette carries the warmth of aged bourbon, its tones ripened into velvety resonance. Every leaf, every gradient of light becomes a vessel of memory, whispering tales forgotten in dusty corners. Within this small rectangle of captured time, light and color unite in chorus—a hymn to moments resurrected from oblivion.
Modern photography obsesses over bokeh arms races—f/1.4! f/0.95!—while forgetting 1970s optical witchcraft. Enter macro extension tubes: hollow metal rings that turn humble f/2.8 lenses into bokeh dragons. Mount a Yashica ML 35mm f/2.8 via $30 adapter, add 16mm of extension, and suddenly:
Focus distance shrinks from 0.3m to 0.15m
Effective aperture blooms to f/1.2 (mathematically)
Backgrounds melt into Van Gogh swirls
Science? More like smoke and mirrors with EXIF data.
sony a7s with yashica ml 35mm f2.8
II. Gear Alchemy: From Trash to Treasure
1. The Poverty Spec
Item
Cost
Role
Yashica ML 35mm f/2.8
$80
Bokeh engine (Contax CY mount)
Fotodiox CY-E Adapter
$25
Frankenstein’s neck bolt
K&F 16mm Macro Tube
$18
Aperture loophole pick
Total
$123
vs. $5,800 Leica Noctilux
2. The Math of Deception Extension (mm) = (Desired Magnification) × (Focal Length) For 0.5x mag: 16mm tube + 35mm lens = portrait alchemy
In a world obsessed with Leitz’s legacy, the 1950s Rodenstock-Heligon 35mm f/2.8 glides like a Bavarian black swan—rare, refined, and effortlessly regal. Priced today between 1,200–1,200–2,500 (2025 USD), this 220g chrome-and-brass relic bridges large-format grandeur and 35mm intimacy. Forget modern aspherical monsters—this lens is a Viennese waltz in a mosh pit of autofocus chaos.
Design: Precision as Poetry
Bauhaus Ballet
Body: Solid brass cloaked in chrome—sleeker than a Porsche 356, denser than a Tolstoy novel. Collapses into Barnack bodies like a pocket watch.
Aperture Ring: Ten-blade iris clicks with the precision of a Glock trigger—each stop a haptic sonnet to analog craftsmanship.
The “Red A” Legend
Lenses stamped with a scarlet A are Rodenstock’s Mona Lisas—richer contrast, creamier bokeh, and a patina that whispers, “I was forged for kings.”
Stopped Down: At f/8, microcontrast rivals modern APO glass—leaf veins, fabric threads, and existential crises pop.
Color Palette: A German Autumn
Greens: Moss on Neuschwanstein Castle’s stones.
Reds: Oktoberfest beer tents at twilight.
Blues: Alpine lakes under a cloudless sky.
Chinese Proverb Footnote:“画龙点睛” (“Adding pupils to a painted dragon—perfection in the final touch”) A nod to how its “Red A” variants elevate images from great to sublime.
Bokeh Sorcery: The Swirl of Time
With 10 aperture blades and a helical focus design, backgrounds dissolve into buttery swirls—like espresso art in a Munich café. Zone-focus street shots? Even misfires feel intentional, thanks to its 3D “pop” that predates TikTok filters by 70 years.
Who Needs This Lens?
✓ Large-format Pilgrims: Craving Rodenstock’s magic in a pocketable form ✓ Leica Hipsters: Who’d rather explain “Heligon” at parties than drink ✓ B&W Alchemists: Chasing Ansel Adams’ ghost through Tri-X grain
Avoid If: You pixel-peep, shoot sports, or think “vintage” means “cheap.”
Final Verdict: The Unseen Masterpiece
The Heligon 35mm f/2.8 is photography’s secret handshake—a wink to those who know. For the price of a weekend in Salzburg, you gain:
A portal to 1950s optical rebellion
Proof that “obscure” often means “extraordinary”
Bragging rights over Leica purists (“Mine’s Bavarian, darling”)
Epilogue: The Swan’s Song Rodenstock made millions of lenses, but only this Heligon 35mm f/2.8 sings with large-format majesty in a Leica’s body. In a world chasing f/1.2 monsters, it whispers: “True artistry thrives in subtlety.” As the Chinese masters knew, perfection lies not in the dragon’s body, but in its eyes. Now go paint yours.
Rodenstock-Heligon 35mm f2.8 + leica mp
info
Below is an unofficial chronological list of all Rodenstock lenses from 1954 to 1961
2,000,000 ——1945
2,500,000 ——1952
3,000,000 ——1954
4,000,000 ——1957
4,500,000 ——1960
5,000,000 ——1961
Rodenstock-Heligon 35mm f/2.8 L39 NO：
22981xx, 23274xx, 23275xx, 23276xx, 23277xx, 23695xx, 23696xx, 23698xx, 23699xx, 23710xx, 23711xx, 23712xx, 24596xx, 24597xx, 24598xx, 35253xx
People often think that street photography is an infringement of portrait rights, but they don’t understand the nature and purpose of street photography as an art form. Street photography is a form of art that captures the essence of urban life in a way that tells the story of the city through the language of the camera. It also records people’s emotions and styles. It’s about paying attention, feeling things, and sharing your vision, not about being secretive or invasive. So, it’s clear that linking street photography with violating portrait rights is a big misunderstanding and a devaluation of this art form.
On the other hand, painters who work on the streets, whether they’re painting landscapes or people, work in a way that’s different from street photography but is still an artistic reproduction of the real world. Painters often choose to work on the street because it’s a great source of inspiration. They find the reality and diversity of life there really inspiring, and their paintings are a direct expression of what they see and feel, which is similar to street photography.
The street photographer is a skilled artist with a quick hand. The poet is more of a critic behind the photographer. Language can also be a part of photography. It can make a photo more readable. They were twins, and it was clear they didn’t walk at the same pace or have the same expression at the moment.
Leica M8 with Summicron 35mm f2 v4 King of Bokeh (7-element)
The reason why reflection is popular in photography is not because it looks like a mirror, but because if you flip the photo, you will see that this perspective makes the figure look more magnificent, yes, this perspective comes from the horizon.
Leica M8 with Summicron 35mm f2 v4 King of Bokeh (7-element)
I’ve developed a good habit: when I’m on my phone, I always stop and stand, and I’ve firmly given up the bad habit of walking and looking. This change came from a big wake-up call. I tripped over an iron screw on the road, fell on all fours, and the phone flew out several meters away, which was quite a mess. Luckily, there was no one around at the time, which prevented the situation from becoming a bigger deal. I was lucky that I didn’t bring my camera that day, or it would have been a disaster. I was also lucky that there were no street photographers around, or it would have become another “accidental scenery” photo. It turns out that those missing warning stakes of the barricade screws are hidden in the daily invisible traps, always reminding us to walk when we need to be more vigilant.
Leica M8 with Summicron 35mm f2 v4 King of Bokeh (7-element)
Vivian Maier captured a lot of portraits of people with a sense of the times, which made me realize that street photography doesn’t require a lot of compositional skills. Just take a picture of what you see and keep taking pictures of it. That approach will definitely be right. Because over time, even the most ordinary things can become unusual, and every person without expression can become meaningful. Time itself is an artist.
Leica M8 with Summicron 35mm f2 v4 King of Bokeh (7-element)
In many cases, when the subject is aware that you’re taking pictures of him, he’ll often appear less relaxed. Only photographers who can blend in can capture the real face. Clearly, I’ve got this down pat. Haha.
Leica M8 with Summicron 35mm f2 v4 King of Bokeh (7-element)
