Wilkinson Brothers Paper Mill: Shelton's Lost Pulp Mills

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Ghost Factories along Canal Street E and the Housatonic River Canal Street in Shelton, Connecticut, feels like a graveyard for American industry. Years ago, I walked down this very road to explore the Star Pin Company . Today, Star Pin is nothing but a cracked foundation and scattered rubble. But right next door, separated by a rusty gate, sits another forgotten giant. I arrived too late to see any leftover machinery or the previous tenant's last setups. Cleanup crews had already taken over the site. Grey duct tape and thick plastic sheeting sealed off the window frames and doorways. Abatement workers were busy removing asbestos from the ancient boiler pipes. Nature had already started claiming the site, too. Back in 2018, the local news reported that a section of the back building simply fell into the Housatonic River. Since then, the property has been used mostly for storage. Still, slipping inside was surprisingly easy. I came here on a mission. I wanted to find a hidden pi...
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Samigon 35mm f2.8 Manual Focus Prime Review




Close-up of a Samigon 35mm f/2.8 vintage camera lens, with the aperture visible through the glass. The lens is set against a softly lit indoor background, highlighting its metallic body and engraved details, showcasing the classic design and build quality of traditional photography equipment.



We have here the Samigon 1:2.8 35mm M42 mount lens with an M42 to EOS adapter for the Canon Rebel T3i.








As you can see the lens is all metal construction. The light pro-consumer T3i succumbs to the hefty weight of the well-made almost indestructible Samignon lens. Made in Japan means quality.








This lens will be in use for my summer photography gunning. Unfortunately, the weather is still a bit windy and cold for me to take my precious DSLR outside to really open the aperture on a bright sunny day like today. I am amassing a nice collection of vintage glass for my camera bag and personal collection. The quest for cheap vintage glass for a modern DSLR is really making my wallet happier but a little bit slimmer. Shipping is a killer in the final price.



Nifty Fifty is in focus with an aperture of f22.






Playing around with the lens today showed me the lens is sharp with enough surrounding light it brings out great detail. It has a bit of softness but overall not too much. I realize some of these lenses will naturally have a soft glow in the final pictures. It will make a great walk-around lens and a wide-angle lens for long-exposure shots in the city. I can't wait to test out this baby during the night in NYC. All the samples below have been unprocessed and not cropped.

Samigon 35mm M42 mount Sample Pics



Sunny couch with nifty fifty blurred with an aperture of f16.




More sample pics to come later once school comes to an end.

Camera: Sony HX9V, Canon Rebel T3i, 

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