Batteries Not Included

What I'm keeping

2010-03-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

A lot (three?) people asked what cameras I am actually keeping for myself after I am done with the big sale (see post(s) below) and the answer is really: Not many.

I'm keeping:

- One Olympus 35ECR as it is so easy to use and have an amazing lens in it,

- One Olympus 35UC as it was such a pain to find and it also takes great photos, and finally

- One Black Olympus 35SP - looks and works great.

So gone is the Hasselblad, Leica M3, Contax IIIa, etc and I find myself almost back to where I started with the cameras I am keeping.

There are still cameras/accessories (a lot) left for sale so if you're interested do let me know.

Will take some new photos this weekend and will post here.

Some items still for sale

2009-05-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

Many of the items are still for sale. Please contact me for any additional information you may need.

2008-06-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Cameras and Camera Accessories to sell:

Note: Cameras are rated from a collector’s perspective but all cameras are in good working condition and ready to take photos unless otherwise stated.

Note: Actual shipping cost from zip 94114 will be added.

Note: Most Olympus cameras can come with the original leather case for free if you want it.

Cameras

Olympus 35 LC, Great cosmetic and working condition, $65
Olympus 35 LC Great working condition, dirt spot on back, faint scratches, $45
Olympus 35 LE, Good condition, works. Some scratches, $60
Olympus 35 EC-2, Good condition, small scratch on lower left, $30
Olympus 35 ECR, Excellent cosmetic and working condition, $25
Olympus 35 ECR, Dent on top, not tried if it’s working, $10
Olympus 35 EC Chrome, Good looking, works well, $30
Olympus 35 EC BLACK, Gorgeous, like new, $50
Olympus 35 SP Chrome, Great condition, some scratches on bottom, $75
Olympus 35 SP BLACK, Beautiful condition but with SSN on bottom, $165
Olympus 35 SP BLACK, Very faint paint loss on edges, VERY nice $180
Olympus 35 UC, VERY RARE, some scratches on back, $300
Olympus 35 UC, VERY RARE, some dirt stains, scrachecs, $220
Olympus Trip 35 Chrome, Nice condition, never actually used it, $25
Olympus Trip 35 BLACK, Gorgeous in original box and papers, like new, $125
Olympus Quickmatic EEM,Very good condition, wide lens, $15
Olympus OM-4 BLACK, Gorgeous – but is NOT working and missing timer release lever, $50
Olympus 35 ED, Light scratches and paint loss on rear, $35
Canon VT deluxe, Gorgeous. [Sold as a kit, see below] $500
Graphic 35 Like NEW w/box and all accessories, $60
Zeiss Ikon Ikomatic A Works but poor to fair condition. $10
Contax IIIa kit Gorgeous w/ a lot of stuff (see end of doc) $600

Links for various cameras showing what they look like and/or how the photos they took came out:

ECR: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/11/olympus-35-ecr-abandon-all-control.html

Graphic 35: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2007/07/got-myself-graphics-35-camera-but.html

Graphic 35: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2007/06/push-it.html

Trip 35: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2007/01/what-trip-part-2.html

Trip 35: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-trip.html

Olympus 35 SP: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/09/shooting-with-olympus-35spn_17.html

Canon VT deluxe: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/42888241/medium.jpg

Black OIympus 35SPs: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/43605959.jpg

Olympus 35 LE: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/42112475.jpg

Filters

Note: The 19mm filters are the very rare screw-in filters that fits the old SM Elmar 50mm lens and allows you to change the aperture without taking the filter off.

For more information see links at the bottom of this section

Note: All filters with no scratches unless otherwise noted.

Note: I am not sure what the 9mm (?) filters are used for but some time ago someone suggested that they are for a rare 3D viewer that Leitz came out with in the 30’s.

Leitz 19mm, yellow, #1, FIRHE w/ original box $60
Leitz 19mm yellow, #1, FIRHE $45
Leitz, 19mm yellow #1, FIRHE $45
Leitz 19mm, yellow #3, FINUS $65
Leitz, ELPET, in box, $20
Leitz ELPIK, in box, $20
Leitz 9mm (?), yellow, marked ‘1’, $30
Leitz 9mm (?), clear, marked ‘F’, $30
Leitz, chrome ring, green GGr (fits a Canon 50/1.4 perfectly), $30
Leitz, screw-in, orange #3, black ring (smaller than for a 50mm) $15
Leitz Clamp-on, green, in black ring $10
Leitz, screw-in, dark red (Rh) $10
Leitz, Yellow/Orange #3, slip-on, $10
Leitz, Yellow/Orange #3, screw-in, $10
Canon 40mm, Yellow #1, Chrome ring $25
Canon 48mm, Skylight $10
Canon 48mm, SKY-1A, Black ring, original box, $12
Heliopan, 40x0.5, UV 0, in original box, $25
Heliopan 48mm, UV ES, Slim version, in original box, $25
Hoya 48mm Y [K2], in box, $5

Note: Since I don’t know the filter size for items 32-36 I can sell them all (five) in one package for $40.

Links for some of the filters mentioned above:

FIRHE: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/09/firhe-good-things-come-in-small.html

FIRHE/FIRMY: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/09/firhe-joined-by-firmy_27.html

ELPET/BEOOY: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/11/getting-closer.html

Hoods:

Canon, Chrome metal, Series VI (50/1.8, 35/2.8, 35/3.2) $25
Canon (same as #43) with a stuck(?) Series VI 34mm ring $10
Canon square, black, plastic, Series VI (50/1.9, 35/3.5) Great. $30
Leitz, VALOO, Black, great condition $55
Leitz, FIKUS, (Elmar 5,9,13.5 cm), Black and chrome, $45
Leitz, FISON (Elmar), chrome, great condition, $40
Black S-50 hood (fits Canon 50/1.4 for instance) $15
Zeiss Ikon, Chrome, 1110 A28,8, really beautiful and rare $35
Mamiya hood for 75/3.5 lens for the Mamiya 6/6MF camera $45
Black, no-name, metal hood, 55mm $8

Links for some of the hoods:

Square Canon hood (#45): http://k53.pbase.com/u14/rsilfverberg/upload/41784140.canon_deluxe8.jpg

S-50 hood (#49): http://k53.pbase.com/u11/rsilfverberg/upload/42740140.s50.jpg

Chrome Canon hood (#43/44): http://k41.pbase.com/u11/rsilfverberg/upload/42740136.canhood1.jpg

Accessories/Various stuff:

Leitz, Plastic cap, 50mm, $5
Leitz, red, unmarked box, fits 19mm filters, $5
Cabin small light panel (CL-5000P) (does not come with the A/C): $50
Olympus, Black plastic lens caps (for 35mm fixed RF cameras) x 2 $5/each
Flexameter, unusual!!, original leather case but seams are open $50
Canon RF external lightmeter. Looks GREAT. Didn’t fit. $45
Canon leather case for 4-5 filters (older), brown $10
Canon leather case for 4-5 filters (older), brown $10
Canon leather case for 4-5 filters (older), black $10
Canon chrome Series VI ‘stepup/down(?)’, 42mm $8
Leitz, BEOOY kit in original red box $35
Leitz, ELDIA in original red box(!) $25
Leitz, flash for M3 WITH the holder under the camera $45
Leitz, Elmar 90/4 lens. Hazy. I didn’t like it at all. Comes w/ caps $25
No-name rear cap. Fits the Elmar 90/4 for instance $3
Leitz, NOOKY for Elmar (SM) $40
Olympus PS200 Flash, Gorgeous condition $25
Great looking leather camera strap “Joseph Kussac” $25
Canon, external viewfinder, 50mm. Great. $55
Canon 50mm screw-in to clamp-on converter ring chrome $25
Canon Series VI 40mm chrome ring $5
Canon RF 50/1.4 lens in GORGEOUS condition w/ original cap $225
Canon RF 50/1.8 lens in also GREAT condition $100
Batteries: KS76 1.5V (SR44) “Best by 2006” (two of them) $4
Batteries: Z675PX 1.4 Zinc Air unopened (two of them) $5
PEAK Loupe, 4x magnification, no skirt. $15
Ragnar Axelsson’s “Faces of the North” book. Signed. $35
Leitz. Parts of focotar set. $15
Leitz MR lightmeter for M3. May well be broken & some scratches $10
Flashbulbs (about 100). Mostly M3 bulbs like Sylvana. Nice boxes $25
Sigma lens. For Canon EOS. 70-300/4-5.6 APO Macro Super $50

Links for some of the accessories mentioned above:

Product information for Cabin light box CL-5000P: http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=detailsdisc&sku=VRCLB45

(If you want to buy the A/C for it the product # for that is 601101)

Canon Light Meter (#58): http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/43050125

Canon Light Meter (#58) http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/43050126

NOOKY: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/10/getting-some-nooky.html

ELDIA: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2007/01/eldia-interesting-and-quirkybut-is-it.html

VALOO: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/04/valoo-coolest-hood-ever.html

Focotar set (parts): http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/57992735.jpg

Flexameter: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/03/its-birdits-planenoits-flexameter.html

Flexameter: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/57275531

Flexameter: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/57275533

Flexameter: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/57275535

Flexameter: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/57275537

Flexameter: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/57275539

Elmar 90/4 (shows on camera): http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/01/leica-iii-f-obsession-continues.html

Elmar 90/4: http://k53.pbase.com/o4/75/184875/1/54279560.leicaiii_finder5.jpg

BEOOY: http://silfver.blogspot.com/2006/11/getting-closer.html

Leitz, flash mount and flash: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/38740719

Canon, external viewfinder: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/41784140

Canon 50/1.4 lens: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/42593109

Canon 50/1.4 lens: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/42593113

Camera kits:

Contax IIIa color dial camera kit, All in GORGEOUS condition (see picture link below)

Kit includes;

Contax IIIa camera in wonderful condition,
Sonnar 50/1.5 lens (email for samples of photos taken with it!!),
Black leather half-case from Luigi,
3-4 original Zeiss filters for the Sonnar (some with in their original Bakelite boxes!)
External Zeiss 50mm viewfinder (VERY rare. Missing one screw on its foot that can be replaced rather easily)
Original Zeiss hood for the Sonnar.

For the entire Contax IIIa kit: $600

Canon VT deluxe: Truly a gorgeous kit and that goes for camera body as well as the accessories. Many things looks like-new.

NOTE: EVERYTHING works fine with one exception: The rangefinder spot in the camera tends to fade in and out – or disappear. I have emailed with DAG and his assessment, without having seen the camera is that a glass element may need to be replaced and estimated a $50-75 repair cost. Since this is unconfirmed I am selling the camera with that disclaimer and that is also why you are seeing this kit at a lower price than what this beautiful package would normally fetch.

Kit includes:

#19 - Canon VT deluxe (see description above) $175
Original Canon leather case that supports the rapid winder $15
#31 - Leitz, chrome ring, green GGr (fits a Canon 50/1.4 perfectly), $30
#49 - Black S-50 hood (fits Canon 50/1.4 for instance) $15
#71 - Canon, external viewfinder, 50mm. Great. $55
#72 - Canon 50mm screw-in to clamp-on converter ring chrome $25
#74 - Canon RF 50/1.4 lens in GORGEOUS condition w/ original cap $225
#75 - Canon RF 50/1.8 lens in also GREAT condition $100

For the entire Canon VT deluxe kit (all 8 items listed above): $525 – or pick the items you want

(I was asked to break out the kit items for individual prices as well so they are listed for each item.

The #’s refer to the numbers in the document where the items are also listed individually).

Contax IIIa photos: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/contax_iiia

Canon VT deluxe photos: http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/canon_vt_deluxe

The Big Sale

2007-07-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of selling off a number of cameras;

Click to enlarge

as I simply don't use them enough and they are much too good to be sitting around on a shelf.
These are the cameras that have taken many of the photos featured on this blog and even though it will be hard to let some of them go I am hoping that they will go to people that will appreciate them and put them to better use than what I have lately.

I am going through boxes to match up cases, caps, etc to the cameras and should be able to start selling them off within a few days.

All cameras are in great working order (meters, etc) as well as cosmetic condition.

Photos of the cameras for sale are posted here: Cameras For Sale

Stay tuned for more and if there is any camera that you may be interested in drop me a note.

Just a few photos

2007-07-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Nothing too exciting, or for any particular reason, just a few recently scanned photos I felt like posting after developing a roll of film that had been lying around for quite a while.

That's the Golden Gate Bridge there in the background...
Leica M3, Summicron 50/2

Chinatown
Leica M3, Summicron 50/2

Southpark
Leica M3, Summicron 50/2

Got myself a Graphics 35 camera, but....

2007-07-02T00:31:00.000-07:00

A month ago I happened to stumble upon a Graphics 35 camera at an outdoor junk/garage sale (see blog-post about the camera here).
Its rather unique push-focusing mechanism and classic looks intrigued me and it was not long until I was the happy owner of a mint copy of this odd camera. Heck, it even came in the original box from the 50's along with all possible accessories - all in unused condition. Things couldn't be better. But, then I decided to...use it.

This is a horrible camera. There is no way around it. It sucks.

Let's see, what didn't I like;
a) Weight. It's heavy. It weighs more than my Leica M3,
b) Focusing. My initial fascination with the very unique focusing system quickly turned into frustration over what in reality was a rather poor ergonomic design choice.
c) Viewfinder. One small window for rangefinder focusing and a slightly larger viewfinder for composition. The focusing window is potentially the smallest one I have ever seen and is even further reducing the pleasure of using this camera.
d) Shutter speed range. Fastest shutter speed is 1/300. Enough said.
e) The shutter. After advancing the film the shutter needs to be manually cocked. Something I kept forgetting and caused me to miss the shot I had intended to take. In addition to this the shutter release is located on the front of the camera and, this is ingenious..., is a lever that you pull to the right. So after you have focused the shot you move your finger down to the lever and pull it outwards, to the right. Fantastic.
f) Film frame counter. It's manual in that you have to set it to the number of frames of the film. Minor inconvenience taking the above into consideraration.

What did I like;
a) The lens. The camera I got has the slower f/3.5 lens but it performed fairly well in a number of situations both inside as well as outside. It was the one really positive surprise.
b) Hm. Nothing else really.

Below are some sample photos taken with the camera that shows that it does have the ability to render light and dark onto a strip of film.

Away it goes
Now, I'm sure that different people 'bond' differently with different cameras so it may well be that there is someone out there that would love to own - and use - this rather unique piece of... so I'm more than willing to sell mine to anyone that think that they can give it a good home.

The camera came is in near un-used condition (wonder why...) after having had two rolls of film through it. It comes with the original colourful paper box, original flash, leather case, wrist strap and shoulder strap. All in mintish condition. I paid about $60 for the whole package including shipping and would be more than happy to let someone else suffer with it for the same price.

Choose Film

2007-06-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

Last week I was the happy winner of 'Photo of the Month' at a new site named Choose Film.

Sites dedicated to film are not very common these days and it triggered me to sit down 'virtually' with Mr Jerry Deeney - a very friendly and accommodating representative from Fujifilm UK - to ask him some questions about the site - Choose Film.

Q: Good morning Mr Deeney. What is your position within FujiFilm UK?
A: "I'm the Marketing & Business Development Specialist for Professional Imaging, Fujifilm UK Ltd…which basically means I look after all of the marketing activity for the Fujifilm Professional film range in the UK. "

Q: It does not take long to realize that there are some very strong ties between the site Choose Film and Fujifilm. Who is behind the site - is it owned or sponsored by Fujifilm?
A: "We at Fujifilm UK created the site and Choose Film is fully owned by Fujifilm UK Ltd. "

Q: When did Choose Film open up:
A: "We launched Choose Film at the Focus-on-Imaging photo trade show in Birmingham, UK at the beginning of March 2007. "

Q: Why a site dedicated to film now? What triggered the idea of this site?
A: "We wanted to build a community for photographers that shoot on film. Everyday we speak to photographers who are tired of constantly being force fed that digital photography is better. Many of the magazines and photographic stores are spreading rumours that are frankly not true about the discontinuation of certain products and the demise of film photography. We wanted to quash these rumours and to build a home on the Internet where photographers could help to answer each others questions on film. Buy and sell film camera equipment, find film suppliers, second-hand film cameras and decent processing labs, show off their own work to the world and to generally have the knowledge that Fujifilm are still 100% behind film.

We are often asked why choose film is ‘non-Fuji’ branded. The reason is that we want Choose Film to stand on its own. We openly encourage members to upload any images shot on any brand brand of film. The site is a celebration of all things film. If we imposed ‘Fujifilm only’ rules, I think it would have spoiled the whole ethos of the idea."

Q: So it would be fair to say that Fujifilm continues to see a future for film in this increasingly digital world?
Q: "Absolutely! There will always be a market for film.
It has obviously become more of a niche market over the last few years. But, those that have gone digital for practical reasons – news, sport etc, went digital years ago. Film is a choice now, hence the name – ‘choose film’. It is a creative choice. People that choose film are choosing it for quality not for convenience."

Q: On that note, are there any planned, future releases of either new or updated emulsions from Fujifilm?
A: "Fujifilm Professional has released eight new emulsions in the past two years. The latest this year being the new Fujichrome Velvia 50 and the new Fujichrome Provia 400X films. The total number of films in our Professional and Consumer range is currently 27 different emulsions."

Q: What can you tell us about the future plans for Choose Film?
A: "We are never short of ideas for choose film. We are currently developing more functionality options for the members personal profile pages; we want to create a tighter network between the members, so that members can find other photographers with similar interests or that are local to each other.
We have a number of competitions and promotions planned for the year, which will be exclusive to the members of Choose Film"

Q: Are you yourself a film user and if so what is your choice of gear - and film?
A: "Yes, of course. I have been using film and film cameras for 20 years.
My current favourite is my Lomo LCA camera. For me, there is something about its unique polariser and vignette built into the lens that cannot be beaten. As for film, I don’t need to look any further than Fujifilm. For neg, I mainly use PRO400H, for Black & White – Neopan Acros 100 is an unsung hero, one of the finest black & white films on the market. For transparency it’s the new Velvia 50 for contrast and saturation or Astia 100F for subtlety and skin tones."

Q: Thanks again for the opportunity to find out more about the site and Fujifilm's plans for it. Any closing comments?

A: "We were quite overwhelmed by the response of Choose Film. We initially launched the site to the UK market, but quickly realised that the Internet knows no boundaries.
We found it very refreshing to hear from photographers all over world that they still love using film. No matter what Country, photographers are faced with the same problems – being forced by magazines to ‘go digital’ and finding a lack of support for film from the places it once thrived.
We hope that Choose Film can address some of these problems and can help its members to continue using film.

Choose Film is still only less than three months old, yet we have nearly 3,000 members signed up from all over the world. We feel there are many exciting things to come. Film technology is getting better everyday and our latest emulsions are best we have ever had.

For Choose-film.com and its members, this is just the beginning."

So, if you like me still enjoy the use of film - and appreciate seeing others working with that media - then take a moment and check out this new site and see what it has to offer.

The Soft Touch

2007-06-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I received a 'Softie' as a gift from Luigi when ordering one of his excellent leather camera cases. I had never used - heck even seen - one of these little accessories before and truth be told I had always questioned the value in using one.
But seeing as it was a gift and that I was also pretty sure that I would lose it if I didn't do something with it I promptly attached it to my Leica M3's shutter release button and thought little or at least close to nothing about it. I did have a few lost shots as the Softie makes the shutter easier to trigger by accident due to it being a bit more elevated and more sensitive but I still kept it on the camera for months as I didn't feel that it was too much of an intrusion.

Then, earlier today, when walking around with my Leica in hand snapping random street scenes I suddenly realized that I had lost the Softie. This in itself was not that unexpected as one of the challenges with at least my Softie was that it had a tendency to come loose and I had more than once found it rolling around in my camera bag. What surprised me, right there on the street, more than the actual loss - was the realization that I really missed it.
Especially when shooting street scenes with the camera at waist level (which granted is more 'fun' and any good results are of the gratuitous kind) I found that having the Softie in place made it so much easier to take the photos as I tend to press the shutter with the mid-part of the finger instead of the finger-tip in those situations.

So backing up a bit and to answer something that some people may be asking themselves - what is a Softie?

A Softie is the commonly used term for Camera Soft Release Button. It can be flat, concave or convex and screws into the camera's regular shutter release button providing a elevated shutter button with, often, an increased surface area. Some people claim that by using one they are able to handhold their cameras up to an additional full stop but the most commonly perceived benefit is to be able to squeeze of the shot using the mid-section of your finger instead of the tip of it (that and 'comfort' which obviously is a matter of taste).

There are a number of soft release buttons currently manufactured and sold and if your camera's shutter release button accepts the attachment of a cable release then odds are you would be able to use one of the many available soft release buttons out there.

One of the more popular sources is for instance Luigi's concave and convex softies available on his Leicatime site.

Concave soft release button. Photo courtesy Leicatime.com

Convex soft release button. Photo courtesy Leicatime.com

Tom Abrahamsson of Rapidwinder also offers the dome shaped soft release button - and in a number of different colours. Tom also manufactures and sells the 'Minisoft release' that fits a number of additional cameras such as the Rolleiflex and the Olympus OM series.

So who 'invented' the soft release button - and when?
I have honestly no idea and would be interested in hearing from anyone out there that may know the answer. One of the oldest soft release buttons that I know of is Leica's OZTNO (part number 14088) that was manufactured around 1955:

OZTNO soft release button mounted on a Leica M. Photo courtesy camera-kotobuki.

But even before that one Leitz produced a soft release 'dome' for their Barnack cameras back in the 1930's which could be the first commercially available soft release button:

(I'd be interested in learning more about the Leica part code for this contraption as well if there is anyone out there with information about it).

Bottom Line: If you haven't used a 'Softie' before you may want to spend the ten dollars or so that it will cost you just in order to see if it something that works for you.
I didn't think I would ever find the need for one but after today's loss I must admit I am planning to replace mine as soon as possible as my Leica now feels 'incomplete' without one.

Push it!

2007-06-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

Found myself at an outdoor 'Antique Fair' this past weekend even though a more appropriate name for it would had been 'Junk Fair'. Having said that it was fun to stroll along the tables seeing everything from a framed NSync poster to a rather impressive collection of radios from the 20's-30's. There were also quite a few cameras and lenses to be found and hidden amongst home-knitted pot heaters and grizzly-bear bookends I came upon Rolleicords, Kodak instamatics, Olympus OM's but also the one camera that triggered my interest - the Graphic 35.

Graflex Graphic 35, Photo by Wayne Cornell

The one I handled at the fair was fairly beaten up and had some parts missing but what intrigued me about it was the focusing mechanism - both how it worked internally as well as externally.

The image through the viewfinder is split horizontally. Pushing two buttons located on either side of the lens moves these two images until the two halves are lined up. Pretty much like a rangefinder split image but - different.
See an illustration attempt below for how the view through the viewfinder looks like:

Line up the horizontal slices to focus your photo

Reading up a bit on the introduction of this camera it appears as if I was far from the only one that found this way of focusing rather...unique.. or at least much different to what I have experienced in the past.
Below are some of the ads used to introduce this camera to the public in the mid-to-late 1950's:

The camera was amazing people on planes...

..as well as on trains

And even found its way to underneath the Christmas tree

The Graphic 35 went through a number of updates and the later models had the F/3.5 lens replaced with a faster F/2.8 version and for the collectors out there, if there is anyone for these cameras, the versions produced (many in parallel) were;

F/3.5 (single color band): Feb 1955 - Apr 1956
F/3.5 (double color band): Apr 1956 - May 1957
F/3.5 (universal color band): Apr 1956 - July 1957
F/2.8 (double color band): Nov 1955 - Apr 1956
F/2.8 (universal color band): Apr 1956 - July 1957

But even with a number of updates the camera never really hit it big with the public and was discontinued no more than three years after its introduction in 1955.

Now, I didn't buy the one that I found at the fair but having read up a bit on this somewhat quirky camera I must confess that I'm considering picking one up at some point in the future. If I do I'll be sure to post a more thorough user experience here along with samples of how well (if at all) it works.

eBay prices fluctuates from $20 to $200 depending on condition and accessories.

If you find one in good condition and for a good price it may well be worth getting one just for the 'push focusing' experience :)

Looking back - and forward

2007-05-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

I haven't been taking many photos lately for various reasons.

From a photographic perspective I think I ended up in the proverbial slump that many of us may find ourselves in from time to time.

The 'easy' way out would had been to revert back to a gear-focused mind-set 'If I only had another camera body', 'I would do so much better with a wider lens', 'I need a smaller kit so I can carry it with me in my pocket at all times', etc, etc... None of those reasonings are particularly wrong or ill-thought out but if you spend too much obsessing about what you have - instead of using what you do have - you will end up chasing that magic bullet as all possible photo opportunities passes you by.

Having said all that let me now crawl to the cross to confess that I am considering a change in gear.. Well, maybe not as much a change as an addition.

I have used manual rangefinder cameras almost exclusively for the past three-four years or so. I love the way they operate, look and the results they can produce but there have also been so many occasions where I felt limited in what I could reach for photographically.

A 35mm rangefinder camera has a realistic FL reach between 28 and 90mm. Sure, some go wider and longer but it's within this range that most people end up. Including me.

I started thinking about the camera I used when I got into photography as a hobby back in 1997-98 - the Canon A2e (or EOS5 depending on where you live).
It was a auto-zoom, eye-focus assist, auto-exposure SLR. Completely battery dependent and had a significant amount of plastic in its body. Thing is - I loved taking photos with it.
For a year I used nothing but a 50/1.8 lens on it and loved combining a bit of manual foot-zooming with the luxury of having the camera calculate the shutter speed for me and place the focus where I wanted.

Looking back at some of the photos I took then I see that they are not significantly different or even better than the ones I may take today but I remember the ease of taking them and the 'luxury' of taking a macro, zoom, super wide at the turn of the already equipped lens.

Some of the photos I dug out, from those days;

This was one of the first photos I was thinking about when looking back at my SLR-auto-everything days.
I remember taking it at the St Patrick's day parade in Chicago around 1998-1999 and also I remember what a split second scene it was and how the auto-focus, auto-exposure and zoom didn't help me to take the photo but enabled me to. Had I been carrying one of my rangefinder cameras I would not had been to focus and take the photo before the moment had disappeared. Now, I place a huge emphasis on 'I' in the previous sentence as I am convinced that there are other photographers out there that would had been able to take this photo three times using a rangefinder camera - but I'm not one of them.

The above photo "American Religion" was taken around 2000 at a pre-season game between The Raiders and The 49ers. I was at the extreme long end of my tele-zoom at 300mm when I took this photo. Once again, something that I would not had been able to capture using my existing gear preference.

Taking this photo, in some late-night open tattoo parlor in Chicago, I greatly benefited from close focusing capabilities. The customer was a very drunken man all dressed up in a cowboy outfit and t this point he had already passed out. I remember asking the tattoo artist if he thought the customer would be surprised in the morning when he sobers up and his reply was 'Most of my customers are'.

Another close-up/macro photo.
Obviously not easily attainable using a rangefinder camera (possible - but not easily).
I had just moved to California and was at 'home' at a hotel room with a really bad cold. As I started to recover I got bored. Pulled out some weeds that I had picked up in Oregon during a road trip there and placed them on a lightbox, rigged up the camera on a tripod and stacked two or three close-focusing filters on the lens and shot away.

When my A2e eventually passed away after having been crushed in the overhead compartment on some flight I ended up not taking photos for a long time. I got back into the hobby a few years later after having acquired a Hasselblad and later a range of rangefinder cameras. While I truly have - and continue to - enjoy using manual cameras I also recognize that they come with significant limitations. I think part of my stubbornness from trying to force these cameras to be my only tools comes from knowing the history of them and how well they have been put to use throughout the past decades. If they were good enough for Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Kapa why would I need anything else?
I think this may be the core of an issue that many users of either/or rangefinder/classic cameras sometimes face.

If you fail to get images that excites you using such equipment it often triggers two responses;
a) buy more lenses/filters/bodies - because obviously it must be 'not enough gear' that is preventing you from achieving your goals - or,
b) seriously doubting your photographic capabilities and end up disillusioned and less inclined of picking up that M3/ZI/R2.

If the above applies then maybe you are just like me, being too stubborn in trying to fit that square peg into a much too round hole.

I will most likely keep my square pegs - but I am seriously looking at round-peg options to add to them.

Thing is, they will require batteries..

Under the hood

2007-03-11T00:14:00.000-08:00

Stumbled upon some old photos showing what it took in order to assemble a Leica camera back in 1932 - both in terms of parts as well as labour - that I thought were interesting enough to share.

All photos copyright Leica AG and from their "A Pictorial story of the Leitz Leica camera", 1932

Dem Bones

2007-03-01T13:08:00.000-08:00

"Your head bone connected from your neck bone,
Your neck bone connected from your shoulder bone,
Your shoulder bone connected from your back bone,
Your back bone connected from your hip bone,
Your hip bone connected from your thigh bone,
Your thigh bone connected from your knee bone,
Your knee bone connected from your leg bone,
Your leg bone connected from your ankle bone,
Your ankle bone connected from your foot bone,
Your foot bone connected from your toe bone,
I hear the word of the Lord!
I hear the word of the Lord!"
===============================================
Dem Bones, Johnson & Johnson

Leica M3, Summicron 50/2, Museum of Science, San Francisco

Californication

2007-02-20T13:23:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of recent photos from here in California - both taken with a Leica M3 and Summicron 50/2 and then cropped square - 'cause I liked them better that way. :)

Leica M3 and Summicron 50/2

To Crop Or Not

2007-02-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

It is very popular to claim that a photographer should crop his or hers images in the viewfinder as the photo is taken - but I think it's safe to say that we have all applied cropping in post-processing, be it a digital or a wet darkroom, at one point or the other. Sometimes because of more mundane reasons such as the photo being a bit tilted and needed some cropping after straightening it up but sometimes also due to the fact that the way we see the image changes when we view it on paper/screen.
But where do you draw the line? Does excessive cropping in post-processing in any way diminish the value of the image? Is there a difference in cropping out unwanted elements vs cloning them out of the image? Both can have the power to remove unwanted elements that was there when the photo was taken. Is there a line and if so where is it and who draws is?

The above thoughts were triggered after having posted a photo on photo.net asking for cropping suggestions - not because I thought it was a particularly good photo in need of rescuing but rather because I find it interesting to learn what others may see in an image.

See below for the original photo - and some of the versions that people submitted:

The original uncropped version

Version 1 - by Rob F

Version 2 - by Thomas Risberg

Version 3 - by Maciek Eyman

Version 4 - by Keith Novak

Version 5 - by Charles Mason

Versions 1-3 shows the scene through alternative cropping excluding elements and changing the image format.

Version 4 takes it one step further by tilting the entire image creating a whole new perspective.

Version 5 goes even further - now with cropping as well as cloning out the distracting street scene in the lower right hand corner.

Are some versions more acceptable than others - and if so why and who decides that?

a) Is the image accurately represented?
This would be a concern mostly in editorials or historical representation of scenes and events.
Reuters just a few weeks ago came out with some updated ethical guidelines pertaining to post-processing activities: Reuters on 'the use of photoshop'

Reading through the guidelines and the comments that followed it's clear that even though Reuters considers cropping to be acceptable there are a number of voices that claims that cropping is just as much a deletion of elements in a photo that cloning it out is.
I'll leave that discussion to the professionals but take it down as 'cropping is OK in editorial work'.

b) Does cropping in post-processing lessen the 'value' of the image?
This is the perspective that I am personally more interested in.
Let's say you see a photograph you really like and one of the reasons is that you are really impressed by how the photographer was able to capture a certain scene.
You later find out that the image you saw was about 20% of the original photo as it had been heavily cropped in order to eliminate some distracting elements. Do you still like the photo? Are you less impressed by the photographer's abilities?

This comes down to how much importance you place on the process of getting a photo vs how much the final image is worth to you. Personally I must admit that part of why I like certain photos is because I know the steps the photographer must have gone through and admire the skills that are evident in the image (positioning and timing when taking the photo, wet darkroom skills, full-frame contact printing, etc). But in the example above does it matter of the person cropped it down to 20% in post processing or if he did it at the original scene by using a different lens? Does it matter if the photographer sees the final image in-camera or on-screen? This is one area where there are no guidelines as in the case of editorial photography. You simply have to make up your own mind about what is important to you.

One popular school of thought is that it's only the final image that matters.
If the photographer did the crop in the viewfinder or in photoshop doesn't matter as it's still the same person's vision that comes through in the image.

In the end I think it comes down to if you yourself is happy with the image you create - regardless of what post processing steps you took. You crop. I crop. Heck, Ansel Adams cropped.

My personal take is that I do consider cropping to significantly altering an image to the extent that I am always never as 'proud' or 'happy' with an image that I reached by cropping as I can be if I did it all through the viewfinder.
Part of this is because of wanting to push and challenge yourself (as well as a semi-luddite's view on photography) - and also appreciating that in others.

I'd be interested in hearing other people's thoughts on this.
Does cropping 'lessen' the value of the final image in your eyes (regardless if it's your photo or not)?
Is there a value in the process - or is it just the final image that matters?

Cat Show

2007-02-05T01:41:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to visit a cat show about a month ago. It was my first one and 'cat people' doesn't seem to be too different to 'dog people' - with the potential difference that their pets undergo more physical scrutiny during competition judging.
A few photos illustrating that below.

Leica M3, Summicron 50/2

Don't abandon hope yet!

2007-01-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

I know a number of us participated in Kodak's film give-away when their new Porta film was introduced.
The 20,000 rolls that Kodak put up were all spoken for on November 13 of last year - and finally this week, after having almost given up hope, this arrived in the mail:

The canister contained;
- One roll of Kodak Portra 160VC,
- One roll of Kodak Portra 400VC,
- One roll of Kodak Porta 160NC,
- One roll of Kodak Portra 4ooNC
- A mail-in rebate certificate worth $25 if purchasing $125 worth of film, and
- some marketing material.

The rebate offer expires on 1/31/07 so I won't get much use of that - BUT I am really looking forward to trying out the new film and am hoping to put it through my Hasselblad already this week.

So for those of you out there that are still waiting for your film..don't abandon hope quite yet...

Frans Lanting

2007-01-29T12:39:00.001-08:00

A week ago I attended a session in San Francisco, hosted by the ASMP, where Frans Lanting showed his latest work - LIFE - A Journey Through Time.

Lanting, most known for his stunning nature and wildlife photography such as this one;

faced a new challenge with his latest project.

As he explained himself - 'Photographers obsesses with the 'now' - to capture a moment in time before it vanishes. This project led me to try and take photos of scenes that existed thousands and millions of years ago'.

In pursuing photos that would accurately - or as accurately as we can assume that they can be - depict a world now long gone, Lanting traveled the world and collaborated with scientists from a number of fields.

The resulting images are impressive and in the end maybe the value from his work is not to show what the world once looked like - but rather what it still has the capacity to be.
If we let it.

SeaWood Photo - an old time camera store

2007-01-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

To quote SeaWood Photo from their homepage:
"It is hard to find a true "camera shop" anymore and we take pride in the fact that we are."

After having visited their store in San Anselmo, California for the first time this weekend, I can honestly say that I agree wholeheartedly with their description of themselves.

I wanted to try out a 19mm deep-dark red screw-in filter for my Elmar 50/3.5 LTM lens and I thought it would be fun to combine that with some hiking in the San Anselmo hills. Walking into the store I must admit my hopes were not too high for finding some Infrared film but I soon realized that this was not your regular Ritz-Wolf-[insert generic-camera-store-name-here]-camera store.

On the counter was a MF Bronica camera used as a pencil-cup, on the shelves behind it were row upon row of classic 35mm cameras for sale. To mention a few: A nice looking Olympus PEN FT, two black OM-4's, an OM-1n, three Canon F1 (at sale for about 200 dollars each), more Nikon F-cameras than I could count along with countless lenses in various mounts. Speaking of lenses there was a nice looking Nikon 20/2.8 for 240 dollars and Olympus OM 50/3.5 for 100-something dollars.

Turning the attention to the glass shelves under the counter one could spot such cameras such as an Canon 7 in excellent condition, a Leica M6, five-six Exakta cameras and a couple of Hasselblads.

Another room contained MF and LF cameras in various condition (mostly in so-so condition to be honest) and development equipment. A somewhat out-of-date list of their used equipment can be found here and will at least give an indication of the kind of items you may find here.

As impressed as I was with the cameras - and their reasonable prices - I was even more impressed with how knowledgeable the young salespeople were about the cameras they were selling and how they treated their customers. Waiting to be serviced they tended to two other customers and they really took their time explaining features and helping them take educated decisions. One man was buying a new digital camera and was considering a 4-500 dollar lens to go with it. The sales man picked up on that he was not quite sure what he wanted and suggested that instead of going for the more expensive lens he could buy a 100 dollar kit-lens as that would be good enough to get him started and allow him to figure out what he wanted down the road.

I had a great experience at this store and I will make it a point to visit them again when I find myself in the area the next time - and I recommend you doing the same if you enjoy camera stores with great, classic cameras and a very friendly, knowledgeable staff.

ELDIA - interesting and quirky..but is it useful?

2007-01-18T23:51:00.000-08:00

It arrived in a small red box...

Opening it up one can make out some knobs on a Leica sized body...

Once out of the box a Leica screw-mount shaped body is revealed - with a red window through it and with no lens mount.

Is this an early, forgotten Leica camera prototype that never saw the light of day?
A highly specialized scientific piece of equipment custom made for some secret project?
Looking further (and well, reading the text on the box) it becomes clear that it is neither of things - but rather a humble filmstrip copier.

Introduced in the 1930's is this gadget now just something destined for the 'shelf of hopelessly useless items' - or can one actually find some use for it now seventy years after it was put on the market?

A few weeks ago I purchased some Leica close-up equipment and 'thrown into' the deal was this film copier and it turned out to be the more interesting item of the purchase. I knew very little about it - and film copiers in general - and why would I as I live in a world where film scanners and digital projection occupies much of the role that these items once held. But being fascinated with older camera equipment I tried to find out as much as I could about it in hopes that I would be able to give it at least one more time in the limelight (or red-light as it may be).

What is it used for?
Imagine you have some 35mm b&w negatives and you want to project them for an audience. Also imagine that this is decades before computers, scanners and digital projectors became common utilities. In this world - queue the Film Copier that can turn your favorite Tri-X photos into bright slide projections.

How does it work?
A roll of undeveloped film is loaded into the film copier and then a roll of developed negatives is fed through the copier and exposed frame by frame (a simple lamp will do) creating 1:1 contact prints onto the positive roll. As simple as that. It is also possible to feed a strip (or single frame) or photographic paper through the copier to create a strip of paper contact prints.

Illustration showing a negative strip being copied in the ELDIA

What else do you need?
Film - and this is where it gets hairy. According to the old instructions one is to use an orthochromatic film for the 'receiving' film in the copying process but readers have emailed me and let me know that there are alternatives.

Michael, writes:
"In my use it was a trial and error experience using Tmax 100 film in the ELDIA to make B&W slides from my negatives.
I used it under an enlarger, when exposed correctly it makes really beautiful slides (going from your original negative film to negative film gives a positive).
Dust is only an issue if one is careless. I will add the results seemed so much richer than those I usually get from making copy slides with tungsten slide film and a copy stand. And a lot easier in many ways. Give it a spin, you might be surprised"

John, writes;
"The appropriate film still exists: Kodak's Eastman Fine Grain Release Positive 5302 - used for making 35mm B&W movie prints and sensitive only to blue light. There's also 2302, on polyester base, hard to find in anything but huge quantities.
I once made a slide using a long-expired roll of microfilm, it came out fine developed in Dektol.

Richard K, writes:
"Actually, I've never used mine although I have all the materials.
The film I would use, if you can still get it, is Eastman Kodak Fine Grain Release Positive, a film originally meant for making motion picture prints.
Its an extremely fine grain, blue sensitive, emulsion with about the same speed as fast enlarging paper.
The contrast is varied by choice of developer and to some extent by developing time.
It can be developed in Dektol or other print developer for relatively high contrast for projection transparencies.

Exposure is done using an enlarger. Kodak used to recommend finding the approximate exposure by using Grade-2 Kodabromide but that's discontinued.
I think you would be in the ball park by using something like Ilford VC paper without a filter.
Of course final exposure must be judged results.

The Eldia appears to be very simple to use. The red window on the back appears to be for aligning the negative with the thing on a contact printer. As you can see the instructions are minimal. I think I will have to try mine
soon, maybe next time I fire up my darkroom."

Apart from film you would benefit from having a dark room, a 25w light bulb and some developer. That and a couple of hours.

How are the results?
I can't personally vouch for how well this works but from what I have read on the internet (and from comments above) - the ELDIA has the capability of providing some very nice contact prints with excellent tonality and sharpness. I am hoping that I will be able to post my own impressions in the near future.

I need one - how do I get my own ELDIA!?
As with so many other obscure photographic equipment the easiest way to track something like this down is through google and/or eBay. Expect to pay about 15-30 dollars depending on condition, box and manual.

Note: Leitz also produced a copier named ELDUR for contact printing the older lantern slides (3.25x4 inches).
See below for a comparison photo between an ELDIA and ELDUR:

ELDUR (left) and ELDIA (right)

Finally some more detailed instructions on how to use the ELDIA from the original manual:

Page 1/2

Page 2/2

If you've made it this far you may already be using, or have used, one of these copiers - or you may be interested enough to invest thirty dollars in trying one out. Regardless I would love to see or hear about your experiences.

It may not be as convenient as a scanner or as slick as a digital projector - but it could be a cheap and fairly interesting way to spend a few hours traveling back in time and to a process now mostly extinct. Who knows - it may trigger an interest in the world of slides and analog projection which is a topic better covered in a completely separate post...

International Camera - a colourful past and present

2007-01-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

After so many camera stores and labs closing their doors lately here in Northern California (Brook's, Reed's, etc) it was good to visit one institution that is still alive and kicking: International Camera.

International camera has a very colourful past and one that has left more than one imprint on the history of cameras.

It all started back in the 1930's....
35mm photography was really taking off when a German company Leitz introduced their Barnack camera. It had a number of companies racing to put out their own version of this popular high-end product and one small radio parts supplier company in Chicago decided to change their direction and funded the "Candid Camera Corporation of America".

In 1938 they started producing a line of cameras named "Perfex" and the first one out the door was the Perfex 'Speed Candid' that was the first American full frame, 35mm camera with a focal plane shutter. It was a camera that was met with mixed reactions. It sported features rarely - or never - seen in 35mm cameras before but at the same time the quality and reliability was often questioned. To add pain to injure the camera also later came to be known as potentially the ugliest camera ever made.

An original ad from 1938 below.
The company continued to produce another seven cameras in the Perfex line (along with at least one D8 movie camera) and was groundbreaking in incorporating a synced hot shoe in their later cameras. Were they great cameras? Well, maybe not..but they do occupy their rightful place in camera history and from a collector's perspective you should be able to collect them all without breaking the bank.

In 1949 the company changed its name again to what it is know as today - "International Camera Corp" and in 1959 the company finally ceased the production of the Perfex cameras.

The company is still around today though - in Chicago and Oakland - and at my first visit to their Oakland location a month ago I was equally impressed and shocked (read: thrilled) at the number of film cameras being sold and repaired there.

Below are some photos taken at the store using an Olympus 35SP and Kodak Tri-X 400 film.

The owner at International Camera, Oakland, CA

Lots..and lots..of cameras along the walls of the store...

Many simply hanging off hooks - in or out of their cases. It's a treasury hunt there

Some of the more valuable items behind glass

Rolleiflex, Minolta, Fuji and lenses...lenses..lenses...

The repair room

If you find yourself in Oakland do yourself a favour and pop into this place - but make sure you got a few hours to spare there is a LOT of cameras and lenses there. A LOT....

Another one bites the dust

2007-01-11T00:39:00.000-08:00

For 27 years Reed's Camera in Walnut Creek catered to the photographic needs of their customers in Northern California. Last month, after months of financial difficulties, the store closed their doors for good.
An interesting article about the store and their struggles can be found here.

The challenges that Reed's Camera faced are by no means unique to them and are very real to any camera store these days. So if you do have the opportunity to support your local retailer please do. As much as I like the option that the internet provides - it would be very sad if that one day becomes the only option.

What a Trip - Part #2

2007-01-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

I finally had the roll of Tri-X, that I put through my Olympus Trip 35, developed and scanned (more about the camera here: "What a Trip - Part#1") - and here are some of the frames from that film.

For being a fairly 'modestly' equipped camera I think it performed very well.
The built-in non-battery dependent meter seemed to be spot-on in almost every frame and it was quite fun to guesstimate the focusing distance when taking photos. In essence 'all' that was left was to compose and snap photos.
I will absolutely bring one of my Trips out again in the very near future - and if you have 10-15 dollars to spare so can you :)

"You too?"

2006-12-30T23:52:00.000-08:00

When I'm out walking around I must admit I do what I believe that most other people - that are interested in cameras and photography - do: I check out other people's camera gear.
In these 'digital days' I have on several occasions noticed that there is some sort of acknowledgment or 'nod' between people that sport some sort of film-camera and it often leads to a casual, passing conversation about the equipment used.

Browsing a larger department store a few weeks ago I came upon a gentleman that I spotted - or should I say his Leicaflex - at quite a distance. I was carrying a black Olympus 35SP over the shoulder and the previously described 'You too?' expressions were soon exchanged - along with a photo. The 'unknown photographer' was visiting from Taiwan and when I commented that it was a great camera he had brought with him he was quick to comment on that the Leicaflex SL 2 was a much better version. A few minutes later we were both on our separate ways, disappearing into a sea of camera phones and digital points-and-shoots.

Leicaflex SL user
Olympus 35SP, Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera Heaven

2006-12-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

They are disappearing - but when you find a good one it's truly heavenly..
I'm talking about good old fashioned camera stores.

In 2003 David Tran opened up his camera store Camera Heaven in what is now San Francisco's "Little Saigon" neighbourhood. It's one of those smaller stores that it would be easy to walk straight past if you didn't know it was there - but once you step through the door you can feast your eyes upon hundreds of cameras ranging from older models from Rolleiflex, Contax, Leica and Canon to the latest in digital P&S and dSLR's.

David himself is often found behind the counter with camera parts in his hands as camera repair represents a significant part of his business. On my latest visit a few weeks ago he happened to mention that the sale of film cameras was steadily going up. Maybe there is life after the pixels.

If you get a chance drop by. Who knows - maybe you'll walk out with that nice, black little Contax I or Pentax Spotmatic I saw there.

David at Camera Heaven
Photo taken with an Olympus 35SP and Kodak BW400CN film

Note: Little Saigon is part of the Tenderloin district and spreads over about two city blocks. While it may not be the most upscale area of the city it is the home of many smaller, quality stores such as Camera Heaven. In 2004, with about 80% of the store owners being of Vietnamese heritage, the area applied for - and received - a $20,000 neighbourhood fund from the city that is being used for clean-up and branding.

What a Trip - Part #1

2006-12-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

Introduced in 1968 the Olympus Trip 35 camera still have a huge user base and is somewhat of a cult camera.

Being a fan of the Compact 35-line of Olympus cameras I obviously have one (actually two or three - but who's counting) but the sad thing is that I couldn't remember how well - or if 'well' at all - it performed so I loaded it up with a roll of Tri-X 400 and took it to the streets of San Francisco this past weekend.

I will post the actual results in a few days but until then here is some information about the camera itself.

My black Olympus Trip 35

Another 'glamour shot' of it

Production
As mentioned above the Trip 35 was introduced in 1968 (even though you may read some incorrect statements about 1967 on some sites) and until the production was discontinued in 1984 supposedly 10 million cameras were produced. This also means that finding and buying a Trip 35 today is very easy and you won't have to break the bank to get one (expect to pay anything from $5 - $40 depending on the shape the camera is in).

Using the camera
When talking about the controls of this camera 'less is more' comes to mind.

First of all there are no batteries in this camera. It has a built in selenium meter (the metering cells are located in a circle around the lens giving the camera that special look that some love - and some hate) that works independently of batteries. What is interesting here is that selenium cells don't last forever and many cameras that depend on them are no longer functioning - but the meter in most Olympus Trip 35s seems to hum along just fine (however DO ask if the meter is working before buying one because if it doesn't the camera will not work).

Tip: One easy, rough test to see if the meter is active is to 1) point the camera towards a very dark - or very bright - area and press the shutter. If the meter is active a red flag should appear in the viewfinder and you won't be able to take a photo (this also implies a shutter speed slower than 1/40th or faster than 1/200th) and then to 2) use the camera in daylight where you should be able to fully depress the shutter.

So how do you focus? Well, the camera is using what is commonly referred to as 'scale focusing' (also often referred to as 'guess focusing'...). Note though that when shooting at 1m (or closer) you should pay attention to the small 'parallax frameline markers' in the viewfinder).

As far as aperture settings are concerned you have four options: 'portrait', 'couple', 'group' and 'far away' - these settings are all available on the lens mount, represented by icons, and is the only kind of focusing you will have to worry about.

When you are looking through the viewfinder the distance-icon you selected is cleverly displayed in the lower right-hand corner as per below:

In the smaller window one can see that the (A)utomatic and 'couple' settings are active

Tip: If you look at the opposite side of the lens mount you can see the 'actual' distances that these icons represents (1m, 1.5m, 3m and infinity).

There is no way of adjusting the shutter speeds. Unless you're using a flashgun - set the aperture ring to "A" (for automatic) and the camera will automatically determine if to use 1/40th or 1/200th (which are the only two shutter speeds available). In 'manual' mode only 1/40th is made available.
Note: See in the Link-section below for some 'advanced' tips on how to modify the camera to work around this limitation.

The lens is a four-elements (in three groups) D.Zuiko 40/2.8 and I will hopefully later this week find out for myself if how it performs but knowing the Zuiko line of lenses I have fairly high hopes.

So far it's been a really fun camera to use and when the photos comes back later this week I hope I will be able to recommend it based on performance as well. For approx. $15 it seems hard to go wrong...

Trivia
* A series of Olympus TV and print commercials in the 70's and 80's featuring the famous British photographer David Bailey using the Trip 35 helped elevating the camera to the cult status it holds today.
The catchphrase from these commercials was "Who do you think you are - David Bailey?"
One of the original commercials can be seen here: LINK (requires Realplayer).

* Bailey is still actively involved with Olympus and their advertising work - example.

* The Trip 35 came in three versions;
a) Chrome body and chrome shutter release (first version),
b) Chrome body and black shutter release,
c) Black body and black shutter release

Version 'a' above features a brass gear driving the take-up spool while versions 'b' and 'c' uses a Delrin (plastic) gear.

*Filter thread is 43.mm and the camera will accept a hood as well

Related Links
Olympus Trip 35 - Scanned Manual (PDF)
Adding manual shutter control
Another manual control modification
Olympus 35 Site with photo gallery
Olympus History
Japanese Trip 35 Ad
Japanese Trip 35 Ad #2
Olympus Trip 35 Flickr group

Silverscreen Legends

2006-11-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

A few months ago the Castro movie theatre in San Francisco featured all three of the 1950's Creature from the Black Lagoon movies - in true 3-D !!
After taking off the 3D glasses and clearing the head a bit (those plastic, coloured glasses makes you dizzy..) one could go upstairs and meet two of the original cast members: Julie Adams (the beauty) and Ben Chapman (the 'beast') - (a photo of both of them from the movie set: Beauty and the Beast).

The light was dim up on the second floor where autographs were being signed and various pieces of Lagoon-memorabilia were on display (and for sale). I wish I had brought some faster film but below are some snaps of the two actors - using a Leica M3 and Tri-X 400 (at about 1/15th).

Ben Chapman signing autographs
Leica M3, Summicron 50/2, Tri-X 400

Julie Adams - still looking good
Leica M3, Summicron 50/2, Tri-X 400

Belated Halloween Photos

2006-11-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

The Castro Halloween party is a tradition in San Francisco where thousands of dressed up people take to the streets and create a visual fest where it's as important to see as it is to be seen.

Unfortunately the event has been plagued by an increase in violence in the past few years and this year was no exception with a shooting injuring nine people and its future is uncertain. It was my first - and most likely last - visit to the event.

Walking around with my Leica M3 I took two rolls of Delta 3200 and I finally got around to developing and scanning them. I am not used to film faster than 400 (occasionally 800 and 1600) so the high amount of grain in the Delta 3200 film caused a bit of a post-processing pain. I ended up settling on a work-flow where I increased the contrast more than usual and the applying some grain reduction through NeatImage which gave me a look closer to what I liked.

Below are some sample photos from the two rolls:

Contax IIIa in the park

2006-11-16T01:54:00.000-08:00

Took my Contax IIIa with a Sonnar 50/1.5 lens with me to the park a few weeks ago. It was one of those overcast days that lends itself so well to black and white photography - but in all honesty I just wanted to finish the roll of Tri-X that had been held captive in the camera for weeks and weeks :)

It was also nice to shoot some 'real' black and white film after having used so much C-41 film over the past few months.

Contax IIIa, Sonnar 50/1.5, Tri-X 400

Upgraded to Blogger Beta

2006-11-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I took the leap and transferred my blog to Blogger's new Beta version.
So far everything looks OK..

There are some administrative options that makes this version a step up from the older one and publishing new posts is significantly improved.

Both uploaded and linked photos are displaying OK and the slidebar from slide.com is working as before.

No big changes for the reader - but I hope you'll continue to enjoy the site anyway.

Getting Closer....

2006-11-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

The results I got a few weeks ago from using the NOOKY inspired me to try to get even closer to the subjects while still using my Leica III (F). After some googling and general browsing I found something that may prove to be an interesting option - Leica Close-Up filters.

My friend eBay was kind enough to sell me an ELPIK (#2 magnification) and ELPET (#3 magnification) for the agreeable sum of $0.99. It cost more than that to have them shipped from the Czech Republic where the seller was located but they finally arrived - and in great condition:

Now, anyone who knows anything about rangefinders will by now raise the question "How does one use close-up filters on a camera where you don't look through the lens?".
Leica came up with a quite brilliant and simple solution - that also can double as a deadly weapon for pets and plants around you - the BEOOY!

Photographer with a BEOOY adapter and a #2 or #3 supplementary front lens
Photo © Leitz Auxiliary Reproduction Devices, 1939

Assuming the cat was not impaled on the extended focusing legs the result would look like this:

Unharmed cat
Photo © Leitz Auxiliary Reproduction Devices, 1939

The 'setting device' BEOOY, shown two photos up, screws onto the lens and helps determine the correct distance and perspective when using one of the close-up filters. Depending on what filter you use - you adjust the legs and then 'frame' your subject by the four legs and move the camera until the legs touches the subject (or in the case of a cat - until it's 'close enough').

Another photo showing how framing and distance settings are accomplished using the BEOOY below:

A far less dangerous use of the BEOOY
Photo © Leitz Auxiliary Reproduction Devices, 1932

The BEOOY is a slightly different device compared to the other Leitz close-up devices from that time (BELUN, BESUM, BEINS BEKUR and BEHOO) in that there is no extension ring mounted between the camera body and lens. It is not able to go quite as close as the other devices - but it's more compact, allows for more rapid mounting and was - in the 1930's - the cheaper option for those that wanted to get closer to their subjects:

1939 price-list:
BELUN: $10.80
BESUM: $10.80
BEINS: $9.00
BEHOO: $15.00
BEKUR: $12.00

BEOOY: $7.80

It may not sound like a big price difference but $7.80 is about $120 in 2006-money and with an average yearly salary in 1939 of $1,368 that eight bucks could sure mean a lot (by the way - a Hershey bar was $0.05).

So, I got the close-up filters and now I'm on the look-out for the pet-piercing clamp-on legs before I can put them to use and post some sample photos here.

Also:
Note I: There was also a #1 close-up filter produced named "ELPRO"
Note II: Leitz also sold a close-up adapter named BEVOR that as far as I can tell is identical to the BEOOY. If anyone have any information about any differences between the two please do let me know.

(For more in-depth information about how to use the BEOOY see the pages below):

Olympus 35 ECR - Abandon all control

2006-11-06T04:05:00.000-08:00

In my continued efforts to try to run more film through my less used cameras (in some cases the first roll through them...) I this past weekend decided to take my Olympus 35 ECR out for a spin.

Now, first a small disclaimer/explanation: The Olympus 35 ECR does NOT work without batteries and it will be the first battery-dependent camera I am talking about on this blog. I'm simply including it as it's a rangefinder camera in the classic Olympus-35 series (well, that and the fact that I felt like posting something) that I found that I liked more than I remembered.

About the Olympus 35 ECR

This is a very small, compact camera that sports a true rangefinder (with a fairly good viewfinder and focus spot). 'ECR' stands for Electronically Controlled Rangefinder and 'electronically controlled' in this case means that you abandon all control over the exposure settings. After setting the filmspeed (up to ISO 800) all you do is focus and shoot as the camera automatically determines the correct exposure. You won't even know what settings were used as they are not displayed in the viewfinder. In a way this puts this camera in the point-and-shoot category - but hey, it's a P&S with a rangefinder!

The lens is, as far as I've been able to tell, identical to the lens found on it's bigger brother the Olympus 35 RC. As such, the five elements 42/2.8 E.Zuiko lens is an excellent performer and provided both sharp and contrasty images.

The shutter is a Seiko-ESF leaf shutter with speeds between four seconds and up to 1/800th and is, as mentioned above, fully controlled by the built-in CdS meter.

Battteries. Yes, batteries. They are required here as the camera will not function without them. Should you ever come across one of these little beauties on eBay the odds are high that the seller will describe the camera as not working. Pop two A640PX 1.5v batteries in and the camera may well come back to life. (Batteries can be purchased from a number of places, including photobattery.com).

Using the camera is a nice 'break' and quite liberating in that composition and focusing are the only things in your control. Walking around with the camera I found myself working much faster and really enjoying myself.
It is no Leica when it comes to build-quality. The thumbwheel on the back of the camera (instead of an advance lever) feels cheap and it's also hard to squeeze off the shutter which may make this less of an ideal camera in low-light situations.

In summary I really enjoyed using it and would recommend anyone interested in a 'point-and-shoot-rangefinder-camera' (come on, who isn't?!) to take a second look at this 1970's compact jewel.

What to pay?
I believe I paid about $15-20 for my camera and that still seems like a likely price point. How's that for a good deal?

Some photos from the past weekend's outing with this camera (oh, and it's so small that it fit into my jeans pocket) using a roll of XP2 Super:

A scanned copy of the manual is available here.

Halloween

2006-11-02T00:44:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a happy - and safe Halloween!

Leica M3, Summicron 50/2, XP2 Super

Ragnar Axelsson's "Faces Of The North"

2006-10-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

Some months ago I stumbled upon a book by Icelandic photographer Ragnar Axelsson with some of the more stunning photos I've seen depicting life in rural areas where snow, cold and wind is an almost constant factor.

The book, titled "Faces of the North", features about one hundred powerful images taken over the past decade and a half. Through the images the reader gets exposed to some of the vanishing lifestyles in the North Atlantic (Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands) and the struggles - and joy - of life in these regions.

Born in 1958, Ragnar Axelsson is probably Iceland's most famous photographer. He has worked as a staff photographer for the Icelandic newspaper "Morning Paper" since 1976 and have had his work published in Life, National Geographics, Time and others.
Ragnar is also a recipient of the "Oskar Barnack Award" (2001) that is awarded to photographers whose "powers of observation most vividly express man's relationship to his environment".

Ragnar was kind enough to send me a free, signed copy of his book - and just returning from an assignment up in the mountains where he photographed sheep roundups across over a hundred mountaintops he was more than happy to provide some additional information about his photography.
=======================================================================================
What camera(s) were you using for taking the photos in the book "Faces of the North"?
Ragnar: I used a Leica M4-P and Leica M6. I also use a Mamiya 7 (6x7 images), Linhof 6x12 and a few shots are taken with a Pentax 6x7.

Do you have any film preference when you go on assignments like these and if so which one(s)?
Ragnar: I used mostly Kodak Tri-X - but I did end up also using Kodak Technical Pan 25 which I rated at 50. I find it to be a difficult film to develop - but the results are great. I am currently trying to use Kodak TMAX 100 and I like it a lot as the grain is very fine - but Tri-X is still close to a perfect film I think.

How did you end up using Leica cameras?
Ragnar: I've used Leicas since 'the beginning' since my father, who was an avid photographer himself, used them and I find the lenses to be great.

How did the Leicas perform during what seems to be quite extreme weather conditions?
Ragnar: In the colder climates like in Greenland it was the only camera that still worked perfectly through the cold without getting stuck. I can't say the same about my Mamiya and a Canon that I tried out on that trip.
The cold got down to -40 Celcius (-40 Fahrenheit).

What lenses do you bring with you when shooting images like the ones featured in this book?
Ragnar: Most of the time I used lenses with a focal length from 21mm up to 50mm on my Leica(s) and a 43mm on my Mamiya 7. I also brought a 200mm lens for my Pentax camera in case there would be polar bears coming in a bit close. I prefer wider lenses and really only use long lenses when I do editorial work in sports and news for my paper. Doing documentary work I much rather prefer wide lenses.

Who are your own icons - or who inspires you?
Ragnar: There are many. I look at photographs from all around the world and many photographers makes me feel happy just seeing their work.
I do like the old masters like W. Eugene Smith a lot and the old LIFE photographers which I think were great and they inspiered me a lot. Mary Ellen Mark is a good friend of mine and I like her work and her passion for photography a lot. Henry Cartier bresson is also one of my favorite.
Nowadays I think James Nachtwey is one of the greatest ones - he is quiet and is always showing some great stuff.
=======================================================================================

I personally really enjoyed "Faces of the North" and can recommend it to anyone interested in photography with a strong human focus. The book - which is in tritone B&W and printed on high quality paper - can be ordered from the publisher (Edda Publishing) by emailing them at edda@edda.is

For more information and images see Ragnar Axelsson's online site

Audio-Photo Slideshow

2006-10-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

Remember in school when you were forced to sit through those narrated slideshows about everything from 'Life on the Farm' to 'Secrets of the Depth'? Well, they're back. They're on-line and growing in popularity.

With so many more people accessing the internet through some sort of high-speed connection streaming audio and still images/videos are getting more and more popular. You will find this 'new/old phenomena' everywhere - from personal blogs and homepages to online newspapers and photo agencies (Magnum Photos being just one example).

A few weeks ago, Rob Galbraith wrote an interesting article about the growing popularity of online slideshows that you can read here.

I got curious and created a small test show myself named '94114'
(Click on the image below to view it - don't forget to turn up your volume).

(If the link above doesn't work try this one).

It was surpringly easy - and fun - to put together and it took less than two hours to create the slideshow. Much of that time was spent playing with the features and if I was to create a new one it could probably be done in an hours time (using recorded voices/ambient sound would ofcourse add significant editing time but could make for a much more interesting showing).

The tools I used for this test were all free;
* The Soundslides tool (not free-ware but allow you to use a demo-version until you've figured out if you want to purchase a copy),

* Free hosting of the files.
Note that soundslides doesn't create one quicktime file (or anything along those lines) but rather utilizes flash technology. This requires you to uplod a number of files/directories to a server that you then can point to (as in my link above). If you already have a server this is not an issue for you - but if you don't you will need some sort of free host. The one I used was www.webNG.COM. (Caution: It's free but the allocated bandwidth you get is pretty limited so if you are expecting a high number of people to access your slideshows it will most likely make sense to rent some server space from one of the many hosting services around).

So - you may have thought that the days of the A/V clubs were over but beware..they are alive and kicking..and they are coming to a site near you...

The Elusive One

2006-10-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

The Olympus 35UC is often referred to as 'The Elusive One' or, equally jokingly, claimed that it is made out of 'Unobtanium' - all due to the rarity of the camera.
The 35UC is funtionally identical to the 35SPn cameras - and optically identical to the 35SP and 35SPn. The differences are purely cosmetic with some added black plastic around the view-/rangefinder windows and the version lettering. Therefore one could argue that the only reason anyone would seek out the 35UC over any of the other cameras mentioned above would be to expand their camera collection.

For some time ago I managed to end up with two of these cameras - without paying a huge 'collectors fee'.

Photo of one of my 35UCs:

I must admit that they have not seen much use since I bought them two-three years ago so it felt good when I took one of them out with me a few weeks ago when I headed down to San Francisco's Mission district. Its f/1.7 lens combined with some fast Neopan film allowed for some fun low-light handheld street shooting.

Olympus 35UC, Neopan 1600

Urban Dogs

2006-10-21T22:02:00.001-07:00

People love dogs. People in cities love dogs. Here are a few snaps of urban dog-living from when walking around here in San Francisco.

Leica M3, Summicron 50/2

Contax IIIa, Sonnar 50/1.5

Canon VT deluxe, Canon 50/1.4

Leica M3, Elmarit 90/2.8

Contax IIIa, Sonnar 50/1.5

8mm

2006-10-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

I recently, by the spur of the moment, 'invested' seventy dollars into a kind of camera that is completely foreign to me. It's not 35mm, not medium format, not large format and not some obscure disk or glass-plate camera (even though I secrely probably would want one of those as well) - it's an 8mm Film camera.

The Bolex film cameras have a special reputation within film photograhy and even today you will find active users of their regular/double 8mm camera as well as the super-8 and 16mm formats.
Film and development options are still available online as well as over-the-counter.
Some cities like San Francisco are fortunate to have places like ActionCamera that provides a number of services for film photographers.

My Bolex D8La was the last version in the elegant line of regular/double 8mm cameras that the Swiss company Bolex Paillard put on the manufaturing lines in the 50's-60's.
It's a fully manual camera (with a built in CdS meter) that in this version takes up to three lenses. The lenses are mounted on a turning turret which makes changing focal-length a breeze.
The camera is a gorgeous piece of machinery covered in English leather.
It looks, colour, build quality - and even size reminds me of my Leica M3.

New in the mid-60's this camera and lens-kit sold for about $450 dollars - that is about $2,700 in today's money. Not an insignificant amount of money.

My particular camera is in need of some lubing and if all goes well I am hoping to shoot my first roll of Tri-X in it next week. Moving Tri-X. The mind boggles.

Below are some photos of my latest no-batty camera - this time a bit different.
(Coke can included for scale)

Ethel

2006-10-20T10:23:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago the Ethel Merman Experience was performing at the annual Castro street festival.
Below a photo taken at the end of the excellent performance.

Leica M3, Summicron 50/2

Hello - Anybody out there?

2006-10-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to see if there is 'anybody out there' that reads this blog - and if so where in the world you are located. All you need to add is your name and location and you'll appear on the map. :)

To Add yourself: Click 'Add' on the map below and enter your name and location.
To See the map (and the people on it): Use the zoom-tool (right side of the map) and then drag the map around around the world.

Get your free film

2006-10-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

Kodak US is as part of promoting their new Portra film giving away 20,000 rolls for free.
To get your four rolls (35mm or 120) go to this site: Kodak Offer and sign up.
Offer is valid until Nov 22, 2006 and only available to US residents.

Update: As of Nov 13, 2006 this offer is no longer valid as the 20,000 available rolls have all been asked for.

Night Creatures

2006-10-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

It had been quite some time since I last used my Hasselblad so one night I decided to take it out for a spin.
It happened to be 1am at night so I brought my newly acquired tripod with me as well (where the old one went I have no idea). I am by the way a notoriously horrible tripod buyer and user. People talk about Manfrotto/Bogen/Gitzo and various heads, etc, etc. I personally tend to go for the 30-40 dollar cheapo tripods that you find in the windows of your local Ritz or Wolf camera - designed to lure customers in with their low prices where they are talked into buying something better and more expensive. If it wasn't for me there would not be any rotation on these cheap display cameras.

I loaded up the camera-back with some Tri-X 400 in 120 format and into the night we went...

Night Creatures

Hasselblad 500C/M, 80mm Planar, Tri-X 400

Hasselblad 500C/M, 80mm Planar, Tri-X 400 (pushed one stop)

Getting some NOOKY

2006-10-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

We all want some NOOKY - but what do we do with it when we get it?
In the case of Leica NOOKY - you use it to focus your SM Elmar really, really close to your subject..

I recently picked up a like-new NOOKY for fifty-five dollars and took it out today for a first test roll and it was an interesting and fun experience.

First some basic information about the NOOKY:
This is a near-focusing device introduced in the 1930's that allows Leica 50mm lenses a much closer focusing distance (as close as 17 1/8th inches (44 cm)). Two versions were produced: the NOOKY that fits the Elmar 50/3.5 lens and the NOOKY-HESUM that will fit the Hektor or Summar 50mm lenses.

The device screws into the camera's lens changing flange and when securely attached the rangefinder window is covered by a glass attachment that adjusts to the new, closer focusing distance - and a parallax compensation frame is in place in front of the viewfinder. The lens is then fully collapsed and screws into the attachment - and you're now ready to go closer than you ever have with this lens!

See below for how to mount the device and lens on the camera:

Below are some photos of a NOOKY and Elmar mounted on my Leica III (F):

Leica III (F), VALOO hood and NOOKY

So how did my test shoot go?
Well, it was great fun to be able to focus this close with the Elmar and some of the photos from the first roll hints at that this could be an interesting portrait set-up as well. Once the adapter is mounted one is supposed to focus with the lever on the NOOKY - instead of the lever on the lens itself. In theory that sounds ok but in pratice it is much easier to just pre-focus and move the camera until the subject is in focus.

The original manual adds two pieces of information that helped;
a) Make sure that you focus just on images that are in the centre of the viewfinder, and
b) The depth-of-field becomes very shallow and a minimum of f/5.6 is recommended (having said that it will be interesting to shoot some photos wide-open (f/3.5 in the Elmar's case).

Another thing to keep in mind is that once the adapter is in place you have pretty much committed yourself to doing close-focusing photography as the furthest you can focus at now is about 3.5 feet.

Finally, some shots from the roll from earlier today.
All shots on Kodak's BW400CN film.

The News

2006-10-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

A billion people died on the news tonight
But not so many cried at the terrible sight
Well mama said It's just make believe
You can't believe everything you see
So baby close your eyes to the lullabies
On the news tonight
=============
The News, Jack Johnson

Leica M3, Summicron 50/2, Tri-X 400

San Francisco Streets

2006-10-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in an earlier post I wanted to try out Kodak's BW400CN film with my Leica M3 to do a more 'fair' comparison to the roll of XP2 Super that I had just shot. So, I took to the streets and shot a roll of it.
I like the results - but I still feel that Ilford's XP2 Super gives a bit better sharpness and contrast.
All photos in this post taken with a Leica M3, Summicron 50/2 and Kodak BW400CN film.

Jet Plane

2006-10-13T00:58:00.000-07:00

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go

'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go
-------------------------------------------
Leaving on a Jet Plane, John Denver

Leica M3, Summicron 50/2, Leitz yellow-green filter, Kodak BW400CN film

Take Me Home

2006-10-12T00:35:00.000-07:00

Strapped in the chair of the city's gas chamber
Why I'm here I can't quite remember
The surgeon general says it's hazardous to breathe
I'd have another cigarette
But I can't see
Tell me who you're gonna believe

Take me down To the paradise city
Where the grass is green
And the girls are pretty
Take me home, yeah
---------------------------------
Guns N' Roses, Paradise City

Leica M3, Elmarit 90/2.8, Walgreen's C-41 Colour film

Ilford XP2 Super

2006-10-08T02:57:00.000-07:00

After being very pleasantly surprised by the results I got from Kodak's BW400CN film a few weeks ago I decided to put my preconceived notions about the world of C-41 B&W to the side and take a second look at what it has to offer. Something I thought I'd never do. What's next? A dSLR?

I had heard and read a lot of praise for Ilford's XP2 Super film - another C-41 B&W film wih the same apparent benefits as the Kodak equivalent (convenience and speed when it comes to developement turn-around (for people that don't process at home)) - and decided to try a roll this weekend.

So, off I went to a Ritz Camera here in San Francisco and picked up a roll for $4.99 (Note: online retailers such as Adorama carries the film for $3.49). Loaded it in my Leica M3 (fitted with a Summicron 50/2 (rigid, first version)) and took to the streets for a couple of hours of shooting. Since this was a test roll I wanted to try it out in a number of lighting situations as well as both indoors and outdoors.

It was great fun and a bit challenging for me to 'have' to finish the roll in a few hours (I can sometimes leave the same roll in a camera for a month...). But alas, I prevailed and managed to overcome the tremendous task of pressing the shutter thirty-six times within my self-alloted timeframe - and below you can see some of the photos that this resulted in (Click on any photo to see a larger version):

First shot on the roll. Cute.

Went and had lunch and ended up next to this studious girl

One more shot before hitting the streets again

Shot from the hip

Another hip shot

Last frame on the roll

Went to my local Wahlgreen's - and three hours after I bought the film I had the developed prints and negatives in my hands. Pretty impressive to someone who is used to rely on a few B&W labs and their sometimes unpredictable turn-around times.

Initial impressons based on this one roll:
- The machine prints from the XP2 Super looked much more like 'real' B&W prints compared to the Kodak BW400CN prints that had a significant green tone to them,

- The negatives were very sharp and contrasty (another 'win' for the XP2 Super when comparing to the Kodak film).
Note: I used an Olympus 35SPn when I took the roll of Kodak film (see separate post below) and my Leica M3 and Summicron 50/2 for this roll of XP2 Super so some of the discrepancy I'm seeing here could have to do with the difference in equipment used. I will put a roll of XP2 Super through my SPn as well in the coming week and see if the results are still the same.

- The negatives scanned very well and required minimum post processing.
Fairly equal to the Kodak film that also excelled in this area.

Over all I am so far very impressed by Ilford's XP2 Super. This is as close to a traditional-looking B&W film I have seen come out of a C-41 minilab and I am already planning on picking up a few more rolls tomorrow. It's a Sunday...but I can still shoot and have my B&W film developed within a hour.

Sweet.

Crown Of Thorns

2006-10-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

I wear this crown of thorns
upon my liar's chair
full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
beneath the stains of time
the feelings disappear
you are someone else
I am still right here
----------------------
Johnny Cash, Hurt

Leica M3, Summicron 50/2

How super is 'Super'?

2006-10-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

A few years ago (April, 2004 to be more precise) I picked up a Mamiya Super Deluxe at a Photo fair for sixty dollars. The camera was in near-perfect condition and the meter is still spot-on which is impressive for a camera made 40+ years ago (1964).

I think I was initially attracted to it due to the similarities between it and the Olympus 35LC (which is another camera I own and like). For some reason I never ended up using the Mamiya much. I don't know why not as I find it to be an attractive camera, good ergonomics (for me) and it sports a pretty impressive 48/1.7 lens.

The other week I was going through my cameras to check which ones had film in them (I have a habit of shooting half a roll in a camera and then forgetting it's there) - and found that the Mamiya was loaded with a roll of Tri-X 400 with more than half of it exposed. After ruining a couple of frames from opening up the back I fired off the remaining frames and had the roll developed at my favorite, local lab. Below is one of the frames that escaped my back-opening-light.

Mamiya Super Deluxe, Tri-X 400

It's a few years later now - but maybe I can make it up to the Mamiya by taking it out for a shoot this coming weekend. I think it deserves it.

A little bit about the Mamiya Super Deluxe:
The Mamiya Super Deluxe is a fixed-lens, leaf-shutter rangefinder camera produced around 1964. It features an matching-needle meter that is visible inside the viewfinder - as well as on top of the camera. It also have a on-off switch for the meter on the back.

It was released in three versions;
Mid 1964:
1) Version I - Mamiya-Kominar 48/2.0 lens (Copal-SVE shutter)
2) Version II - Mamiya-Sekor 48/1.7 (Copal-SVE shutter)

Late 1964:
3) Version III - Mamiya-Sekor 48/1.5 (Copal-SVE shutter)

(Mine is a 'Version II')

The Republic

2006-09-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

"--Behold! human beings living in a underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets. -- "
Plato's The Republic

Leica M3, Summicron 50/2, Tri-X 400

Scenes - and people taking photos of them

2006-09-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

If you ever find yourself at a very scenic location - but you've been there a number of times already and feel that you've exhausted all possible angles and light situations - you may want to try turning your camera on the people gathered there and see if you can create something interesting.

The scene itself (not that unique or exciting)

The same scene - but now with an unknown photographer taking a photo of it

Now, if that makes the photo 'worse' or 'better' depends on your own personal taste - but if you feel you've 'done' all you can at a place it's always fun to try something new.

(Both photos taken with a Hasselblad 500C/M, 80mm Planar lens and Tri-X 400 - and no, it's not the stealthiest camera for candid snaps..that mirror is loud).

FIRHE joined by FIRMY

2006-09-27T22:37:00.001-07:00

I happened to stumble upon yet another 19mm screw-in filter for my Elmar 50/3.5 LTM lens (more information about these filters here). The ones I already have are the somewhat easier to find FIRHE filters (#1 yellow) - this is the more elusive FIRMY filter (#2 yellow).

I've been using the FIRHE filter a lot and am happy to now have the option of a darker yellow filter for when I need it.
From a collection perspective - that's two down and seven more to go...

Hasselblad "P&S"

2006-09-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

These are surely not award winning photos - but sometimes it's fun to use the Hasselblad as a hand-held camera and snap some trait subjects :)

Dogs In Pond, 1933

2006-09-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

Well, the photo wasn't taken in 1933 - but the equpment used is from around that time: Leica III (F) and Elmar 50/3.5
I'm often impressed by what this 70+ year old equipment can produce but I am also aware of that this uncoated lens is no match for most any lens produced in the last 50 years or so.

Would the photo had been 'better' had I used a brand new Summicron 50/2 or some other high-end modern glass?
'Better' is a very subjective word - it would most likely had been sharper and more contrasty and I may not had gotten the slight flaring I see on the left side of the photo. So yes, maybe it would had been 'better' in those regards but there is something about using this kit that keeps me coming back to it.

It could just be because it is so much fun to use. :)

Leica III (F) and Elmar 50/3.5 lens (1933)

New Look

2006-09-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

As you can see (if you've visited this site before) I have made some changes the appearance of this blog.
Hope you like them.

Kodak BW400CN - The 'other' black&white film

2006-09-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

If I were to guess I'd say 90%+ of all photos I take are captured on some sort of black and white film.
Not developing and printing myself it is sometimes a bit of a pain having to go to one of the labs in the city (San Francisco) that processes black and white film, pick them up a day or two later, look over the contact sheets and decide if there is anything that is worthy for scanning and/or printing. Living in a major city this is still not a problem as there are a number of labs available and it is still possible to get a few rolls turned around (including conctact sheets) during the same business day - but had I lived in a smaller city where my options were more limited (or if I was short on time) this could turn into more of an issue.

Enter Kodak's BW400CN. This is not a new film - actually it's been around since March, 2004 when it replaced Kodak's Portra 400BW (as well as Kodak's T400CN). What it is though is a pretty decent and fairly inexpensive black and white C-41 film that seems to scan well.

I picked up a roll of it this past weekend and was pleased with the results as well as the benefits that using a C-41 film brings with it. It felt so luxuriously lazy to be able to buy a roll (one roll approx $6, a four-pack approx $13. Hint: Buy the fourpack!), walk around and take some photos, drop the roll off and 60 minutes later pick up the negatives, print and CD. Now that's convenience!

Convenience is of course only one factor - how about quality?
I'm torn here. The prints I received all had either a faint purple or green tone and many of them were printed too dark and hid a lot of details that a scan of the negatives easily revealed. I didn't get a CD with scans for this roll but for samples of over-the-counter Wahlgreen's scan see the post below about the Olympus 35SPn - I'd say the quality is good enough for smaller web-postings but not much more than that.
What was really positive was how well these negatives seems to scan. The Kodak BW400CN film uses T-Grain technology and I have to say that the grain in the scans were hardly noticable - especially when comparing to C-41 colour 400 speed films.

So will I give up using Tri-X, Acros and Neopan?
Heck no - but it is nice to know that there are some options out there for when one need a quick black and white fix and need a C-41 film with fine grain and accepteable tonal range.

See below for some examples from the roll (scanned using an Epson 3200 flatbed scanner).

Olympus 35SPn Camera, Kodak BW400CN film

Shooting with the Olympus 35SPn

2006-09-17T23:06:00.001-07:00

It felt like a very 'alternative' photo day for me today....fixed-lens rangefinder camera and Wahlgreen colour film (as well as their development and scanning) - but it turned out to be one of the more fun photography days I've had for quite some time.

This Sunday I took a 'break' from Leicas, Contax and Hasselblad and took a long neglected camera out with me - the Olympus 35SPn. The Olympus is a great, compact camera that was produced only for two years (1973-1974).
It's part of a long line of very solid, compact Olympus cameras and is more or less identical to the Olympus 35SP and 35UC. Two of the most impressive features of the cameras is the six-degree spotmeter - and an absolutely brilliant seven-element 42/1.7 G.Zuiko lens.

It's sometimes liberating to bring a fixed-lens camera as you have fewer options to consider and can focus on putting what you do have to best use. Also, bringing the 35SPn with me reminded me how fun it is to use and that it really has a very good, bright viewfinder with a rangefinder patch that easily snaps into focus.

Less positive was the reminder about how loud the shutter is on these cameras. As I was taking a photo at an intersection (with the normal amount of mid-day San Francisco traffic) people did notice the sound as the shutter went off as they turned around and looked. Sort of ruined the 'candid' or 'stealth' approach.
Knowing how much more quiet my Leica M3 is I am fairly sure that no one would had noticed me due to shutter sound atleast. Having said that it was so much fun shooting with the SPn (potentially due to the novelty for me) that I took more photos than I normally would had done with the M3 - so in a way it all nets out.

Some photo samples from today:

Footnote: The Olympus 35SPn is a great, compact camera with an excellent lens - but it's not the one I would bring with me for candid street photograpy a lot due to the shutter sound.

FIRHE - Good things come in small packages

2006-09-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

Those of you that own, and use, the Elmar 50/3.5 LTM lens know that changing the aperture on this lens is a royal pain in the butt.
The little tab that allow you to change the aperture settings is small, flat, located very close to the lens glass and - to make it even more fun - it's located inside of where the regular clamp-on filters would go - making it impossible to change the aperture without first removing the filter. An equal amount of frustration can be encountered when using a hood on this lens (unless you use a VALOO (see entry further down) or a FISON-VOOLA combination).

Here's a possible solution though:
The 50/3.5 LTM lens has a small screw-thread and it will accept 19mm screw-in filters.

Leitz produced a number of these filters in the 30's and 40's and each colour got its own Leica product code;
FIXTA: Yellow #0
FIRHE: Yellow #1
FIRMY: Yellow #2
FINUS: Yellow #3
FIORE: UV
FIXIO: Green
FCZOO: Light Red
FIBOB: Medium Red
FDOOH: Dark Red

So..I searched high and low for a couple of months (ok...so I logged a search on eBay, that's about it) until I finally found a couple of 19mm screw-in filters (both FIRHE's). I just received them in the mail a few days ago and they do fit nicely on the lens.

Note: There are other 19mm filters out there as well that may be easier to obtain than the original Leitz ones. Waltz produced a full set of b&w filters in 19mm screwmounts (and the Argus C-3 used the same filterthread as well). If anyone has more information about what other 19mm filter brands there are, please do let me know.

Edit: Jerevan added this piece of information:
"As you may already know, my filters are Kenko filters, designated "21,5" (which is the outside diameter). They work very well within the constraints of the Elmar and its design. They seem to be a bit younger than yours, guesstimated at late '40s or early '50s. "

I'm looking forward to trying out this setup this coming weekend and until there are photos taken with it - here are some photos of it:

Filter with a mounted VALOO hood

Filter without a hood

Close-up of the filter mounted on an Elmar 50/3.5 lens

Do you Moleskine?

2006-07-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

I was first introduced to these notepads about six months ago and I must admit that I love the design, look and feel of these little (some of them bigger) notepads. I ended up getting one of the smaller ones with lines and I carry it with me in my camera bag pretty much all the time.

Now, I haven't really used it all that much. I sometimes doodle (poorly) in it but am still hoping to find more uses for it as it's a really nice pad.

Any other moleskine users out there?

Below are some photos of when the notepad came along and ended up on the table next to a camera...

ZI Contessa 35: First photos back

2006-07-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

So I put two-three rolls of film through my new-old Zeiss Ikon Contessa 35 rangefinder and below are some of the photos from these test rolls. It's a camera that is great fun to use and so far the results are promising.

Zeiss Ikon Contessa 35 - Folding Beauty

2006-07-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I put in a 'just-for-the-heck-of-it'-bid on eBay and ended up the winner of a beautiful Contessa 35 rangefinder camera kit. That the whole package didn't set me back more than $62 was a nice, additional bonus.

The Contessa has for quite some time been one of those cameras that I tended to hear about, look up, drool a bit..and then move on to something else. I must say that I am extremely happy that I did end up winning this auction and get a chance to play around with what is probably one of the best made - and looking - 35mm folding cameras ever made.

Here are some initial thoughts on handling one of these 50-year old machines (the camera is from the mid-50's);

Look and feel:
It's truly a beautiful camera (see below for some photos of it). What did surprise me was how small it is. More than once I've heard that it must be a camera designed for women back in those days. Now if that's true or not I have no idea..but all the photos in the original camera manual does have women showing the camera's features. Hmm.

This is my first folding camera and it is impressive how compact and small the camera becomes when folded up.
The camera oozes of quality and the fact that it works flawlessly fifty years after having left the factory is a testimony to that.

If you get a chance to see one of these beauties for yourself I would strongly recommend doing so - problem is that if it's for sale - you may just walk away with yet another camera in your hands ;)

Usability:
This is by no means a fast operating camera.
Once a photo has been taken one has to advance the film using a round advance knob located on the bottom of the camera and then cock the shutter using a lever next to the lens.
Changing the aperture and shutterspeed are done by turning metal rings on the lens.

The original leather case is brilliantly designed. Clasps on the side of the case slides up and grapples the strap lugs and holds the camera very securely. The bottom of the case has a turning wheel that hooks into the film advance knob mentioned above - which makes it possible to advance the film with the camera in the case.

The Contessa comes with a built-in Selenium meter. Mine is, as most other meters on these cameras, not working.
I am however contemplaing having it shipped off to have the Selenium cell replaced and adjusted.

Performance:
The camera is fitted with a 45/2.8 Zeiss Tessar lens that through my two test rolls performed very well (although lacking somewhat in contrast but it will take some more test shots for me to determine if that's truly the case).
(The slip-on filters for this lens are designated as S27 filters).

Using the camera exercises your memory and patience. I don't know how many times I've wound the camera and when going to take the photo realizing that I haven't cocked the shutter.
Another interesting 'quirk' with the camera is that the shutter speed adjustment ring is so closely mounted to the shutter cocking mechanism so that the top speed (1/500) can not be set if the shutter has already been cocked.

So far I have put two rolls of film through the camera and I think it has proven to perform very well.
It is actually such an attractive and 'different' camera that I in the past week has found myself grabbing it over my other cameras when heading out the door

Below are some photos of the camera in question.
Photos BY the camera is coming soon.

The Contessa in its case. Photo courtesy of MelanieC

What 62 dollars can buy you these days

The Contessa with original slip-on hood

The S1119 hood

2006-07-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

I have put two rolls through my Contax IIIa w/ the Sonnar 50/1.5 lens now and I felt that the photos could have had a bit more contrast to them. There are normally two ways to try to increase contrast in the out-of-the-camera images: filter and a hood. So, I ended up getting an original Zeiss Ikon hood for the Sonnar lens. It's designation is S1119 ('S' for screw-in) and it does look great on the lens.

I'm hoping to take the whole kit out this week and take some photos so we'll see if it has the desired effect.
If not - it will at least satisfy my gear-accumulation needs for some time.

A gay ol' weekend

2006-06-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

It was a very gay weekend here in San Francisco with both 'Dykes on Bikes' and 'Gay Pride, 2006' going on.
As I headed out the door the one camera I reached for was my Leica M3 (and a Summicron 50/2 and Elmarit 90/2.8 lens) - I guess that tells me that that is still the 'favoured one'. It's easy to understand - the Leica M3 is a wonderful street camera even 40+ years after mine was originally made.

Camera: Leica M3
Lens: Summicron 50/2 and Elmarit 90/2.8
Film: Tri-X 400 and Neopan 400
Filter: Leitz Yellow-Green (1 stop)

Some photos from the event(s):

The Franken-Leica

2006-06-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

After the rangefinder patch in my Canon VT deluxe faded into oblivion and I realized I had a couple of Canon lenses that were not getting any use (50/1.4 and 50/1.8) I thought it would be a good idea to find them a new, temporary, body...queue Leica III (F) and what ended up looking like a Franken-Leica...

The Canon VT deluxe uses LTM-lenses natively so there was no need for an adapter in order to fit this lens on my III (F) (If I had wanted to use it on my Leica M3 I would have had to use a LTM-Bayonet adapter ring).

Now, it's not the best looking contraption I've ever seen - quite honestly it looks pretty horrible and really emphasizes how small the Leica barnack bodies are - but the Canon 50/1.4 is a great performer and I'm curious to see how well the lens will work with the body.

Some down-sides that quickly became apparent;
1) The lens and hood obstructs about 50% of the viewfinder. Ouch. An external 50mm viewfinder will definetively be needed. Luckily I have quite a few 50-finders lying around (Contax, Canon, etc), and

2) After getting an ORAKO for this body I've really learnt to like it (it really does make focusing easier) - but the size of the Canon lens requires you to remove the ORAKO from the rangefinder window.

Going to put a roll through it this week and see if it's a workable setup. As ugly as it is :)

Contax IIIa - photo samples

2006-06-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

Finally got the first two rolls that I put through my new-old Contax IIIa w/ a Sonnar 50/1.5 lens developed.
Initial impressions is that the lens is quite sharp and that it renders the out of focus areas in a rather pleasing way. The negatives could have used a tad more contrast but I was shooting without both hood and filter on and will try to remedy that for future shoots. I used the camera again for a few days ago (I also happened to use a recently acquired Zeiss Ikon Contessa 35 (review/write-up coming soon!) and my Leica M3 on the same day) - and sigh..I have to say that I sometimes question why I'm bothering with any rangefinder camera apart from my M3. The viewfinder and handling on the M3 is simply incredible and outperforms most any camera I've ever tried.

Having said that - change is good and if nothing else it's fun to mix it up with various cameras.

Below are some samples from the very first rolls through the Contax IIIa (w/ Sonnar 50/1.5 lens). Enjoy.

The Contax IIIa - it's pretty - but does it perform...?

2006-05-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, I suck.
I promised the next two posts were going to be about photography and photos taken with classic cameras - and here is yet another post about recently acquired equipment...
But it was just so hard not to post something about this camera..hopefully you'll see why.. :)

First of all - why did I even get a new camera? Counting my small collection of fixed-lens rangefinder cameras I have about 30 cameras already and some of them are - in my eyes - the best cameras available: Leica M3, Leica III (F), Olympus 35SP/SPn/UC and Hasselblad 500C/M.

So why invest in a brand 'new' camera and lens?
Insanity comes to mind - as does the RFF infamous 'Gear Acquisition Syndrome' (GAS).
Regardless of what the underlying reason might had been - I have had my gear-hungry eyes set on a Contax IIIa for quite some time. Years actually. The 'need' to get one came and went in phases. Sometimes I forgot about the camera for a long time and at other times I was happy with the equipment that I was still trying to master. Then one day for about three weeks ago I was aimlessly browsing eBay and happened to come across what looked like a perfect deal for me: a Contax IIIa (with working meter), recently cla'd - and with a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5 that is rumoured to be an excellent performer. It even came with the original leather case - but more about that one later.

I ended up winning the auction and four hundred pay-pal'd dollars and a week later a package appeared at the office. Later in the day as I opened it up I was amazed at the condition it was in - not a scratch or dent anywhere and no Zeiss bubbles under the leather covering. Beautiful!

My Contax IIIa and lens is by the way from 1954-1956 which makes it about 50 years old.
More information about the Contax II/III and IIa/IIIa

As pretty as it was I had not bought it only for its looks. All my favorite cameras seems to have two things in common - I find them to be very attractive and they are great users. The Contax had passed the first of these two tests - next: How does it handle and perform.

Initial thoughts on using the Contax IIIa

The body is a bit thicker and 'edgier' than the Leica M's. There's a lot of chrome and the finish is really nice. I have read that some people consider the finish on the IIa/IIIa to rival the M3 but owning both cameras I must say that the finish on the Leica wins hands down. Not to say that the IIIa is cheap looking in anyway - it's very far from it - but the Leica has a certain feel and look to it that no other camera has come close to - at least not a camera that I have come across.

The camera version I got is a IIIa which is a post-war model with a built-in selenium meter on the top of the body. Some people find the meter ruin the look of the camera and prefer the II/IIa bodies but I must admit I deliberately searched for a IIIa as I liked the look of it more. The meter in these cameras are often dead or not to be trusted but it turned out that my meter was in decent shape and once adjusting for the 1.5 stop it was off it seems to be within acceptable range.

Using the meter is quite an ordeal as it's not coupled in any way. You adjust a ring on top of the camera until you have the correct exposure and then you transfer the aperture and shutterspeed combination you want to the lens (aperture) and the shutterspeed ring (on the top of the camera).
I found it very easy to forget to transfer these settings but once again..newbie mistakes.

The viewfinder was the first surprise. There are no framelines. None. The viewfinder matches the view you would get when using a 50mm lens and I am curious to see how accurate the framing will be when I get back the first roll next week.
The built-in finder is fairly bright - once again not as bright as an M3 which will be my primary reference throughout this - but bright enough to focus well with in a dimly lit coffee shop (I know as I am in one as I write this, it's 10:54pm and I just tried it) and the rangefinder patch is contrasty and easy to use.

The lens the camera came with was the Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5 and focusing it one has two options - either using the lens barrel or the focusing wheel located right above the rangefinder window on the right side of the camera. It may be an acquired taste or a matter of practice but I find myself focusing by twisting the lens barrel almost all the time. Turning the lens is not as smooth as say a Summicron on an M3 but once again not an issue at all.

The shutter surprised me a bit as well as it's quite a bit louder than I had expected but it's a pleasant metallic 'click' that doesn't bother me - but it might bother people should I ever for some reason decide that I wanted to take a photo in a church. Then again, I've never had the urge to do that previously so odds are church goers in my area will be safe.

Film loading was a pain but I will put that down to user mistakes and inexperience.
You open up the film body by turning two locking-rings on the bottom plate and then slide the camera back off by moving it downwards. The film end is attached to a proprietary take-up spool and then put back into the camera. You can't advance the film before the back is replaced.

Initial impressions bottom-line: Not quite Leica M-class in terms of easy of use but different doesn't always has to mean bad. I have high hopes that I will grow into using this camera the way it deserves to be used.

Accessories:

* Case.
The camera came with the original never-ready leather case. I'm a fan of using just a half-case but just like the M3 case the Contax case does not detach. So - I did what any camera-posing-gear-fetish-prone person would do: I bought a beautiful case by Luigi.
As expected it looks and feels great and is a great addition to this camera - fully recommended.

* Viewfinder
The built-in finder is somewhat small and dim so I decided to get an original Zeiss Ikon 50mm external finder as well to see how/if it would improve the handling. I managed to buy a very rare 421 finder for 50mm lenses - and this finder can be adjusted for the IIIa to compensate for the height that the built-in finder adds to the body. Too early to tell what I will end up using - built-in or external but so far I enjoy to have the options.

Initial ratings:
Looks: 8.5 out of 10.
This is an extremely attractive camera. In some ways even more so than the M3.

User: 6 out of 10.
These are very initial thoughts and I'm likely to revisit this in a few weeks.
The film loading, viewfinder, shuttersound and focusing are not up to par with the M3 (my reference point). Even though the built-in meter is a nice bonus - the need to transfer the settings manually questions its value.

Performance: (Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5): ? out of 10
Hoping to get the first one or two rolls developed nex week...

Below are some 'camera porn' photos of the camera kit for now :)

The VALOO - Coolest Hood Ever

2006-04-05T01:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, I better be careful...this is really starting to become a 'Leica gear blog' and my initial - and current - intentions was to try to have an even mix of gear and photography. I am hereby officially promising that the next two posts will be about photography and not my-latest-found-it-on-eBay-gadget....

Having said that..let's talk about the coolest hood ever - the VALOO ! :)

Ever since I got my Elmar 50/3.5 and realized that I really liked how it performed (the jury is STILL out on the 90/4..hmm..) I wanted to find new/interesting ways to use the combination of filters and hoods on it.

For those that are not familiar with the lens you adjust the aperture with a small tab located on the front of the lens right next to the glass. This design brings a number of challenges with it - it's easy to get fingerprints on the glass - especially if you're using a hood like a FISON or FIKUS - and if you have a clamp-on or push-on filter you have to take it off every time you want to adjust the aperture.

I'm sure Leicas customers at the time let the company know about these issues since there are a number of options available to work around this design. The three most common solutions are;
1) Use a FISON hood with a VOOLA aperture adjusment ring,
2) Use an 18.5 screw-in filter (that is so small it only covers the glass and allows you to adjust the aperture without taking off the filter, or
3) The VALOO hood.

I opted for trying out option # 3 and I got to say that it looks like a winner (having said that I'm enough of a gear-greedy-geek (GGG) that I will most likely try to get my hands on both option # 1 and 2 as well in the near future.
I should be ashamed...

The really neat things about the VALOO hood are;
A) It allows you to adjust the aperture by turning the front of the hood (no more reaching into the hood trying to avoid the glass) - and the set aperture is conveniently displayed in a small frame/window inside the hood, and

B) It has a threaded front so it allows for 34mm filters to be screwed on (and you can ofcourse still adjust the aperture by turning the front).

Cool? Oh yeah...

Some photos to show it in all its glory:

The VALOO

The VALOO fitted on my Leica III (F)

This shows how the set aperture is displayed inside the hood. Nice.

Do you WINTU?

2006-04-01T02:53:00.000-08:00

Yet another Leica-gear related entry...There's a been a few of those lately so I will have to make a concious effort to get back to some photography ones next. But...since I got your attention already - let's talk about one more fun little gear - the WINTU :)

Trivia: Leica normally issues a five letter code for their accessories - VIDOM, FISON, SCNOO, etc. They are all 'pronounceable' and the intent was that it was easier to remember a code like this than something like FL-1560.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I added another five-letter accessory to my user-collection. The WINTU is a finder from the 30's-40's that allows you to view - and focus - whilst holding the camera at a 90 degree angle from you (having it aimed at your subject). It's quite ingenious in it's simplicity - there are two windows to look at: the viewfinder is placed so that it's directly above the camera viewfinder and provides exactly the same view (through a mirror) and there is a second, smaller, window that covers the rangedfinder window on the camera and once again through a mirror allows you to see the rangefinder through this 90 degree contraption.

Sounds bizarre and hard to imagine? Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words - so here are a few thousand words describing what the WINTU looks like ontop of my Leica III (F).

The WINTU, showing the two finders - the larger is the viewfinder and the smaller one provides the view of the rangefinder window.

The WINTU mounted on my Leica III (F). As you can see the viewfinder is directly above the camera's viewinder.

Rear view of the finder. As can be seen here the smaller lever goes down and covers the rangefinder window allowing it to be projected through the 90 degree finder.

Now, how 'stealthy' a photographer will this make you..and how 'useful' is it really in real life? Well, Walker Evans supposedly used one of these but in these modern days with digital cameras sporting LCD finders that often turns and twists and allows for waist, angled, over the head, etc - shooting this gadget won't make anyone invisible. Rather the oposite taking into consideration that you're yielding a 60-70 year old piece of equipment around - but it's bound to be fun to use and isn't that what it's all about in the end?

In 1933 the WINTU, as seen in an original ad below, sold for $8.91 - taking inflation into consideration that translates to about $130 today. I paid about $30 for mine in 2006 - so in a way that can almost be seen as a bargain :)

(The WINTU is an 'updated' version of the WINKO (also mentioned in the ad below)).

Ad for a WINTU by Central Camera, Chicago, 1933

It's a bird..it's a plane...no...it's the Flexameter!

2006-03-26T01:13:00.000-08:00

I found myself browsing through eBay a few weeks ago not really looking for anything when I came upon a quirky looking gadget I had never seen before. It turned out to be a Kuhn Flexameter, somewhat rare but most importantly - quite entertaining.

I received it in the mail a few weeks later and it's all I thought it was going to be - big, odd and almost impossible to use in its quirkiness :)

The finder fits into the accessory shoe of the camera and the image that is displayed on its groundglass is clearly visible yet somewhat dim. As you focus the 50/2.8 lens it comes with the image comes into focus and at that point you transfer the distance setting to your lens. Does this allow for more stealthy photographing? Well...if the subject stays at the same distance I assume that glancing down the waistlevel finder may be less obvious - but most importantly it seems quite fun to use.

Here are some photos of it fitted ontop of my Leica M3.

Kuhn Flexameter, with leather case, ontop of a Leica M3

Looking down onto the finder with the magnifying unit flipped up.

When it's raining...

2006-02-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

...I found I do things like..taking more photos of my cameras. Obessive isn't it..?
Here I had planned on taking some cameras outside - but it just didn't stop raining. Having said that they look pretty comfy lying around on the chair...

Leica III (F), Canon VT deluxe, Leica M3

Elmar 50/3.5 - Showing its stuff

2006-02-19T23:01:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, but in addition to taking photos OF my cameras - I also do use them :)
I've been putting 3-4 rolls of film through my Leica III (F) and am just now getting around to scanning some of the results. The Leica III has in very short time become my favorite carry-with-me camera and it's rare that I head out without the camera either slung over my shoulder (love that Luigi case) or tucked into my camera bag.

Granted I am most likely somewhat biased considering how much I like this camera but I must say I was very pleasantly surprised with how well the 50/3.5 lens performed (not bad for a 70+ year old, uncoated lens).

Below are a couple of photos from the first roll where I tried to snap photos indoors, outdoors, portraits, cityscapes, etc - on various shutterspeed and aperture settings to get a feel for how the camera and lens would peform.

More photos to come.

Leica III (F), Elmar 50/3.5, Fuji Neopan 400, Yellow Leitz filter

Leica III (F), Elmar 50/3.5, Fuji Neopan 400

The Lone Photographer

2006-01-23T23:10:00.000-08:00

Photography is often a lonely passtime.
There are many reasons for this and some of those reasons are by choice.
Taking photos can be almost meditative to its nature - you are alone in the nature or on the street, moving through the scenes in an almost zen-like state looking for the moment and subject you want to capture.

Photography also often requires that the people that accompany you share your passion and interest - or at least fully understand it. There is nothing worse than going on a photo excursion with someone that you know is not 'into it' in the same way as you and knowing that the other person is bored and would rather be somewhere else after the first 30 minutes.

The above may be especially true if your passion for photography also includes an interest in the gear you are using - in particular older, classic cameras as that opens up the door to reallly bore the people around you to tears :)

(There are obviously times when photography is part of a social situation (parties, birtdays, vacations, etc) and where the above doesn't apply but I intend to discuss this type of photography in a later post).

As important as it may be for your soul to go out and submerge yourself into your passion and hobby on your own - it is equally important to sometimes get the oportunity to share these interests with kindered spirits.
Internet forum get-togethers, local clubs, a converted girl-/boyfriend, etc are just some examples of how to go about finding camera-bug bitten people.

So, enjoy your zen-like adventures - but remember that from time to time you may also benefit from sharing some of the experiences you've gathered with people not only represented by bits and pixels displayed on your computer monitor.

It's also easier to enjoy a cup of coffee together with someone that way :)

Leica III (F) obsession continues...

2006-01-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

So I've had my Leica III (F) for a few weeks now and even though I have barely finished half the roll of Fuji Neopan 400 that I put in it - I must have taken over 10 photos OF the camera (using a small digital camera (lesson learnt: the Fuji FinePix Z1 sucks)).

I posted some photos, and thoughts, over at RangefinderForum.com as I found myself taking photos OF my new-old Leica more than I dragged it out and USED it - a thought went through my mind: Had I now crossed the line and become a 'fondling, collecting gear-head'?
Well, as hard as it is to perform a proper selfdiagnosis - especially the state of ones mind - I came to my senses and settled on the fact that I am a 'fondling, collecting, gear-head classic camera user'.

As much as I admire the design and quality of these older cameras I don't think I could ever just put them on a shelf and not use them. Apart from cameras my passion also extends to photography and there are for that reason often times when my small camera collection transforms from being pretty shelf-warmers to tools.
My Hasselblad comes with me when I want to take certain type of photos (or if I am in a certain mood) as does my Leica(s), Canon or Olympus cameras.

So should you happen upon me, sitting at a cafe mindlessly fondling the rewind knob of my 1933 Leica..don't think too badly about me...I may just have taken a photo or two :)

Leica III (F) and Leica M3

Traveling back to 1933...

2005-12-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

I had been looking at - and thinking about buying - an older screwmount Leica for quite some time when 'the right deal' came my way a few weeks ago.

Buying a screwmount Leica is buying into a slow, quirky and outdated system.
There is no autofocus, no internal metering, no film advance lever, slow film loading system, pretty horrible range- and viewfinder windows (yes..one each..) and if you stick with the earlier equipment the lenses are uncoated and often pretty soft and low in contrast.
Take all that into consideration and then add the fact that you are still looking at spending several hundred dollars to get a body, a lens or two and some accessories and you realize that you are either insane or...no that's the only possibility.
You're insane.

So...after I had performed the initial self-health-assessment above I went ahead and bought my LTM dream kit.

The deal consisted of;
a black Leica III (F) from 1933,
a 50/3.5 Elmar from 1933
a 90/4 Elmar fromm 1934
a VIDOM finder,
a FISON hood for the 50/3.5 Elmar, and
various filters and stuff.

All is in pretty much near-new condition which considering the fact that this kis is over 70 years old is pretty amazing in itself.

Using the camera
After playing with it, taking photos of it and fondling it in general I decided it may be a good idea to actually use the same as well so I decided to load it with a roll of Fuji Neopan 400.

Film Loading
Back in 'the days' the film leader was much more narrow than on modern films so one has to trim about 10 cm of the film in order to be able to load it into the camera. There are some easy-to-follow instructions here.

Focusing and framing
This depends on what model of the camera you have and the following is based on the Leica III (F).
The camera has a coupled rangefinder and there are two windows - one for focusing (1.5x magnification) and one for framing (without framelines or parallax compensation and built to support the equivalence of a 50mm view).
The limited viewfinder window requires one to use external finders for anything but 50mm.
There are however a number of turret, zoom or fixed external finders available so look around and pick one that suits your need and preference. My kit came with the VIDOM finder which is a zoom type of finder - a 'zoom' in the way that it narrows down the view according to the focal length you dial in but the perspective is fixed as it doesn't change the magnifcation as you zoom.
Wth two windows the picture taking process is indeed slowed down. Focus in one window, move your eye to the other window - or the external finder - frame the photo and press the shutter. Not for fast moving sports photography that's for sure.

Film Advance
Once you have loaded the film you dial the film counter manually to '1' and as you advance the film it automatically moves it to the next number.
Advancing the film is done by turning a knob as there is no advance lever.

I still have my first fim in the camera but I'm hoping to have it developed later this week and will then post here to show what the old Elmars (50 and 90) were able to produce.

Finally - next on the shopping list is a half-case from Luigi for it. He will start working on it on December 28th so I am hoping to have it early-mid January of next year. Call it a late xmas gift :)

Below are some photos of the camera..photos BY the camera is coming later.. :)

Do you feel protected?

2005-11-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

Should one use a protective filter at any time on all lenses?
Feelings and theories goes both ways on this topic

Some people argue that putting a piece of glass in front of a potentially very expensive, and carefully corrected, piece of glass will do nothing but deteriorate the image while there are others that considers the relatively cheap investment in a protective filter to be well worth the cost compared to how much it would cost if the front element of the lens would be accidentally scratched or damaged.

So what are these 'protective filters' and should YOU use on and should you use them on ALL of your lenses?

Well, there are a number of filters that one could consider to be predominantly there for protection. You'll find them called everything from UV, Haze to Skylight filters (the UV and Haze filters does claim to have a beneficial effect in that they correct for the sometimes bluish cast caused by UV light).
I personally have never experienced a problem with effects from UV light and it would not be the reason that I would use a protective filter.

Below is a recap of some of the more common pro's and con's you hear on this topic...:

Potential Pro's:
* Cuts down on bluish cast from UV ligh (if using UV/Haze filters)
* Could prevent accidental scratching to the front element of your lens
* Could prevent moisture and dirt from getting to your lens
* Potential cheap insurance for your more expensive lens glass

Potential Con's:
* Could degrade the image quality
* More glass means more likelihood of flaring
* Potential unneccesary cost

What do I personally do?
I belong to the "pro-protective-filter camp" (it's unfortunately too long for us to put on t-shirts...) - but with a twist...
I tend to shoot mostly b&w film. My protective filter is therefore my favorite b&w filter - the yellow-green filter (gosh I love that filter...). I really only take it off if I shoot colour film - or run out of yellow-greens for my other lenses.
I have a number of UV and Skylight filters as well and I tend to keep them on lenses that I tend to use less infrequently.

What filter brands are good?
That's a discussion entry on its own...but my personal favorite is B+W MRC filters. You really can't go wrong with them. But apply common sense - does it make financial sense to put a $40 filter on a $30 lens to protect it? :)

So - be careful out there and remember your protection...

Some days..

2005-10-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

...just suck.

Fixed Lens Rangefinders

2005-10-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

Even though I nowadays tend to use cameras with interchangeable lenses I still have a soft spot for fixed lens cameras - and especially rangefinders.

There is something liberating in using a fixed-lens camera. It's normally a more compact kit and hence much easier to bring with you as a carry-around camera. By nature of being a fixed lens you therefore carry less stuff with you - no reason to bring that second or third lens with you. It also feel less 'complicated' and less of an undertaking to grab a camera with you as you head out the door.

When looking for a fixed-lens rangefinder camera one could do worse than looking into the ones that came out of Japan in the 60's and 70's. Companies like Canon, Olympus and Minolta produced some excellent cameras during that time that still today are excellent picture takers.
There are many advocates of the cameras that came out of former Soviet Union in the 40's through 70's but I'm not able to comment on them as I have yet to actually use one. For those interested in these cameras - and any other rangefinder camera for that matter - I recommend checking out the friendly forum at rangefinderforum.com.

Why should I even consider one of these cameras?
The way I see it there are three main reasons;
1) Price. These cameras does not necessarily have to cost you the farm,
2) Great optics. You will often find fast prime lenses that performs close to zoom lenses costing several hundred dollars.
3) Size. They are small and may even put some subjects at ease (as compared to using a modern, huge dSLR kit).

What Camera should I buy?
You'll get as many answers to that question as there are used cameras on the market. The good news here is that with the fairly low price on many of these cameras you have the oportunity to try a few of them out before settling on one that meets your requirements.

My personal short-list of cameras that would be worth looking into includes;
* Olympus 35SP/SPn
Estimated cost: $50-150
* Canonet QL 17 G-III
Estimated cost: $30-70
* Yashica GSN/GTN
Estimated cost: $10-30

It can't all be good can it?
There are indeed some 'sacrifices' you have to make if you decide to venture into the world of rangefinder-cameras-on-the-cheap.
1) The view- /rangefinder is often smaller and dimmer than those on more modern cameras - but they may be less cluttered as the viewfinder will only have to support framelines for one focal length.
2) The build quality is also often not up to par with what you may have have gotten used to from Canon, Leica or Nikon - but did I mention the price benefit? :)
3) As the name eludes to it's a fixed lens camera - meaning you're stuck with that one focal length.

I encourage you if you're interested to read up on the different models and characteristics (or quirks) that are out there. Odds are you'll end up with a small, compact camera with a fast, sharp lens for a price that won't make you think twice about bringing it with you out at night to the bar, to the beach or out on a drizzly, overcast day. It may end up living in your glove compartment - or in a pocket of your jacket - but it will have the power of being able to come with you anytime and anywhere and you may therefore be able to capture more of those fleeting moments that life is made up of.

How can that not be a good thing?

Olympus 35LE

Olympus 35SP, black (yes, three of them...)

The photos I didn't take

2005-10-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

I went for a late brunch today at around 1pm at a local breakfast place Rex's Cafe in my neighbourhood. Brought my Leica M3 with me loaded with a roll of Acros 100.
As I sat at the bar and had my 'two eggs with bacon, toast and home fries' a number of scenes played out infront of me; there was the girl that slipped on the floor and sat down smiling as her friend helped her up and there were the mirrors on the opposite wall where people's faces were being reflected - nicely framed by the bottles and glasses at the bar.

I finished my eggs and left, walking down Polk Street here in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighbourhood.
It was a very sunny day and people were taking full advantage of it by dining outside of any cafe that could muster up any tables. Down an alley there were beautiful shadows spreading across the sun drenched walls and damn it if there wasn't even a small black cat sitting there enjoying the early afternoon sun. Quiet, nice scene. I walked on with the lens cap still firmly attached on the 'cron.

Came home. Tired and took a nap on the couch for a few hours. Woke up realizing that the day was slipping away from me and went up on the roof-top and the view out to the Golden Gate bridge was gorgeous in the afternoon light.

Later on took a short walk and the cable car came whizzing up Hyde Street with some tourists standing to the side taking a photo of it nicely sidelit by a late night open store.

I often have days like that. I carry a camera with me intending to capture moments with it - but more often than not I end up not taking a single frame. Honestly I don't mind. The point is not that I raised a camera to my eye and squeezed off the shutter but rather that I saw these images. The greatest gift that photography has given me has been that it has opened my eyes for 'seeing' scenes that I otherwise may have passed by.
It may not always enrichen my collection of contact sheets but I know that it enriches my life on a daily basis.

Not to be a camera snob

2005-10-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a colleague at work today about cameras and was asked what camera brands and models I use the most and as I started listing "Leica, Hasselblad, Canon..." it struck me that I had ended up settling on some of the top, manual cameras around - without really planning on it.

These cameras are excellent picture taking machines but do I always need to carry a kit worth $1,000+ when taking a walk and snapping photos of whatever may present itself in front of my viewfinder? Of course not - but I am also honest enough to admit that I love the feel of a solid, well made piece of equipment and that enjoying the equipment I also tend to take it with me more often - and hence end up taking more photos. Call it...a joyous circle...

Now, I'm not a complete camera-brand snob...fact is most of my cameras cost under $50 each and I truly enjoyed using them - some of them I still take out for a spin now and then (more about 'Great cameras on the Cheap' coming up in an entry soon). One that really surprised me is the old Kodak Instamatic 500.
The production run of this camera was between 1963-1965 and it comes with a pretty decent Xenar 38/2.8 lens. Its main, modern quirkyness is that it used 126 film (producing square 28x28mm images) which is a bit harder to obtain and process than your regular 120/135 film but with some research I was able to find both film as well as places to have it developed here in San Francisco.

These cameras can often be had for less than $25 at eBay and I think I paid about $18 for this one.

Below are some sample photos from the first test roll I shot. It's a fun camera and very easy to use. Is it a Leica or Hasselblad? No, but if I drop it or lose it I will be very happy it wasn't..

(More information about the Kodak Instamatic product line here )

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

2005-10-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

It may be the most cliché photo you'll ever take - but seek comfort in that we all do it..and we secretly love it... I'm taking about the dreaded "Selfportrait in Mirror"-photo...

Mirror self-portraits are only second to Shadow self-portraits when it comes to being frowned upon as 'gosh, I can't believe you took one of those'-photos. That aside, mirror self-portraits does accomplish two very important things;
1) It gets your camera into the photo (and yes, many of us love the look of these cameras almost as much as we enjoy the photos they take...), and
2) It gets you into the photo. As the one always carrying a camera you will eventually realize that you are hardly ever in any photos yourself. This is an oportunity to make yourself the subject (well - second to the camera in some cases...).

So feed that narcissistic side of your personality, combine it with some pride in the equipment you've spent [way too much] money on and step infront of that mirror and join the ranks of others that have been there before and proudly declare "I am - a mirror self-portrait photographer!"

Leica M3

Canon VT-deluxe

Olympus 35-LE

Fortunate Mishaps

2005-10-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes accidents and mistakes have the ability to add an element of spontaneous, unplanned flair to an image that otherwise would had been static and almost clinically planned. Sometimes its an element that one conciously is trying to incoroporate (candid 'hip shots', using toy cameras like the Holga with unpredictable light flares, etc) - and sometimes it's just - an accident.

Regardless of how an accidental element got into your creative process I feel it's important to not discard the final result simply because it was not what you had intended to capture. Look at the results with an open mind and who knows - you may be surprised as to what you find.

Below are a few examples of photos that did not come out at all as I had planned - through accidents..and mistakes.

Hasselblad 500C/M, 80mm Zeiss lens, Tmax 400 film

The photo above was taken at Fort Funston just outside of San Francisco early in the morning.

I had just setup my tripod and composed the photo and was waiting for the wave to come in to where I wanted. As I squeezed off the cable release - the dog walks into the picture.

Did this accident create a 'better' image? I don't know - it definitely created a different image and I decided that some accidents are good - even the ones that walk in on four legs - and have a really nasty smell when wet :)

Leica M3, Summicron 50/2 lens, Tri-X 400 film

This photo was taken at the SPCA in San Francisco in the "Cats looking for a home"-section.

I had one of those absent-minded moment and for some reason I thought I had fully re-wound the film but opening the bottom of the camera told me otherwise. A part of the film got exposed to light but going through the contact sheet I realized that I was more attracted to the photos that had these accidental light effects on them.

I liked this photo as it shows some built up anger/frustration in the cat - and the harsh white-out effects seemed to enhance that mood. Printing the whole image including the sprocket holes added to that very basic, primal feeling.

So embrace your accidents - heck even seek them out :)

Tools of the trade

2005-10-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

There is a continous debate between people that all fundamentally enjoy photography: Does the tools used matter or not. A very common opinion is that it's all in the vision and that a great photographer is a great photographer regardless if he or she is holding a Leica or a disposable camera when capturing an image.

This view has obvious merits in that composition, creativity and a 'good eye' will come through regardless of what camera is used.

The other, conflicting opinion, is that the tools used are as important as the eye behind them.
Examples you sometimes hear to support this view includes 'you can't use a 35mm camera for an image that will go on a billboard', 'you can't shoot a game of baseball with a manual focus camera', 'you can't do extensive macro-photography with a rangefinder camera', 'you can't do candid street photography with an 8x10 large format camera', etc, etc.

There are obvious good points in this view as well.

There are also people that enjoy the more technical aspects of photography and the tools used. They are often ridiculed by people that are of the tools-does-not-matter group and referred to as 'fondlers' - especially if they also collect photographic equipment.

One of the more entertaining forums, where people from all these groups 'collide' is photo.net's Leica Forum.

Me, I'm a camera-collecting-fondling-user-believing-that-both-vision-and-the-tools-make-a-difference

I guess it means that I take no sides - and all sides. I should run for politics.

Having said all that, here are some of my current, favorite 'tools'...:

Leica M3

This fine piece of fine German machinery is from 1964 and the fondler side of me enjoyed building a small kit with a contemporary 50/2 Summicron lens and hood (featured in the photo below), an MR-4 meter and a very nice half-case from Luigi's.
The user in me is enjoying carrying around and using this camera as my current favorite camera.

Canon VT-deluxe

This gorgeous Canon body is from the late 50's and features a built-in trigger-winder in the bottom plate. Using it is somewhat of an acquired taste and personally I really like it.

The viewfinder on this camera is currently very dim and it's about to be sent out for cleaning and possible re-silver the viewfinder mirror. Maintenance is definitely one aspect of owning and using these older camera bodies - but it's worth it.

Body below equipped with a Canon 50/1.4 lens and an S-50 hood.

Hasselblad 500C/M

It's a brick from the land of SAAB, Volvo, IKEA, ABBA and tall blondes - the camera that went to the moon: The Hasselblad.

This camera represents to me the essence of camera-zen. It forces me to slow down and use a tripod and it's modular design is as genius as it is simple - and the large, square images it produces has more detail than I could ever hope to get out of any 35mm film - regardless of the glass used.

Coupled with some Zeiss glass this kit becomes an almost unbeatable manual, medium format camera in both portability and quality. With second hand prices dropping the way they are this classic camera kit is now within reasonable reach for many hobbyists. God bless digital sometimes :)

[Image to come]

First Entry

2005-10-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

I take photos using older, manual film cameras not because they are 'better' than modern, more automated cameras but because I want to and like them.
I spend a tremendous amount of my life in front of a computer screen and wherever I turn or whatever I do these days there seems to be a significant amount of electronics, automation and other modernifications.
Now, I'm not Amish - and most of the time I enjoy and depend on this level of modern comfort - but photography has for me become an outlet for a creative side of me where I choose to try to keep my tools as basic and manual as possible without giving up on quality and easy of use.

Photos posted on this site will all be made by manual film cameras (35mm or medium format) without any commercial intent.

It is my intent to present photos here and to address both the technical aspects of it - as well as my thoughts and feelings at the time the photo was taken.

Welcome.

/Rich Silfver