Film cameras are simple machines that became fashion items. That is why the prices sometimes read like a dare. You do not need a Leica to make an honest picture. You need a camera that works every time and a lens that is not secretly growing fungus in a cupboard

If we’re being brutally honest, film photography is worse than digital. Objectively speaking. Technically, measurably, embarrassingly worse. The resolution is lower. The grain is coarser. The dynamic range is laughable compared to modern sensors. It's wildly expensive, environmentally questionable, and the workflow is slower than your nan on dial-up.

In the fast-paced world of digital photography, where autofocus systems dominate the market (I know I shoot Sony), there is a growing community of photographers who are rediscovering the joy and connection that comes with using manual focus lenses. I am one such enthusiast, whose journey we're about to explore, made a conscious decision to step away from the convenience of autofocus and embrace the tactile experience of a manual focus lens for my Sony camera. In this retrospective, we'll delve into the reasons behind this decision and the transformative impact it had on my approach to photography.