How to Intentionally “Ruin” Photos for a Retro Artistic Effect
I’m usually quite sceptical about these kinds of gimmicks. When choosing lenses, I typically prioritise factors like maximum aperture, optical quality, autofocus speed, and so on. However, this time, I decided to give something different a try – a lens with the optical quality of an empty mayonnaise jar. The idea? To get images straight out of the camera with heavy vignetting, soft focus, chromatic aberration, and all the other imperfections that professional lenses are designed to eliminate.
The manufacturer claims that these lenses – or rather, a piece of plastic inside what looks like a 3D-printed cap – are repurposed from disposable cameras. At present, they are available for the following mounts: Sony E, Canon RF, Canon EF-M, Fuji X, Fuji XF, Nikon Z, M43, Leica M, L, L39, and SLT. Someone has clearly put effort into testing, measuring sensor distances, and ensuring these lenses actually work – and they do!
Shooting against the sun can be both challenging and beautiful. The minimum focusing distance is 1.5 metres – anything closer will be out of focus.
Since this lens has no electronics, your camera must be set to “shoot without lens”; otherwise, it will detect no lens and refuse to take a photo.
If your camera cannot meter light with a non-CPU lens, you’ll need to shoot in full manual mode. However, if it does support metering, it will automatically adjust shutter speed and ISO as needed.
As a bonus, purchasing this quirky piece of kit includes 50 Lightroom presets designed to enhance the retro aesthetic and make your digital photos resemble film shots from disposable cameras. See the results for yourself! I paid just £32 for this. They also offer a 100-day return window if you don’t like it. All my pictures were taken with Canon R50.
If you like the look, you can get this wonderfully imperfect lens with a 10% discount using this link: https://www.retro-pia.com/LUCAS76626 or by entering the discount code LUCAS76626 (not valid during other ongoing promotions).
