That’s a very nice photo. I like your choice of angle and the fact that some of the windows have blinds closed and thus reflect differently. Very nice indeed.
Do you recall the name of the building?
Also, upper right corner. What is that dark area? Looks almost like a reflection.
Thanks Brian. According to Mr. Google, it’s known as the 450 Sutter Medical Building, though I don’t know if that’s what the locals call it. Maybe someone from the area can chime in.
The upper right corner is more of the same building (or possibly its neighbour) in shadow. Depending on your monitor, you may not be able to see that — I printed it pretty dark.
Absolutely love this photo. I grew up in the flat, prairie lands of Illinois so mountains are a thing of wonder to me. Very cool to see it was shot with a vintage camera with some history. I primarily only shoot with box cameras and folders. Something about them makes me slow down and enjoy the moment.
Agree — there’s so much more to the experience of photography than the 1/60 second the shutter is open. The camera has a very interesting history, which I’ll tell when I get around to writing it up for my Favourite Camera section.
I am a proud owner and user of the OM 10 as well as an OM 1 in black /winder 2.
I am using the 10 more often !!! I like it.
Not as noisy when mounted on the winder 2, as if it tightens things up….
Will be getting another OM 10 on the bay shortly, black !
Easy to find and cost effective !
Nice shots by the way…..
Hi Gary, I’ve been following your new photo blog and really enjoy it!
(Very nice to see a film user too!)
I remember the artwork on apple boxes and truly wish they would bring some of that back in style.
Very cool camera. I’ve actually been keeping an eye out for one at my local used camera shops, and I’ll gander on ebay every now and then. I don’t exactly need it but if I can find one at a cheap price I’ll be pretty happy.
Yes, the Ektar is rapidly becoming my print film of choice. It scans nicely and seems to be superb for daylight shots. I normally prefer slide film for colour, but the Ektar has me rethinking this preference.
It’s time for another northern hemisphere comet of significance. The double barrel shotgun of Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake still echos in my mind. Hale-Bopp was so big and hung around so long. I watched it out the car windshield driving down the road. Surreal! Will we be due before the end of this decade? Maybe. The whole decade of the 80’s saw nothing like it. Holmes in 2007 was very bright, but did not sport an elegant tail.
Here’s hoping James — I’d love to see what you could do with a bright comet. My fear is that something like Hale-Bopp is a once-in-a-lifetime, which means we’ve been doubly lucky since we also got Hyakutake, which was, in my estimation, even more impressive. Both comets were best seen from up north, so I was for once (twice) glad to be here in Canada for a change!
Ektar has become my favorite print film too! I also keep an Olympus Stylus Epic in my truck. It’s my favorite camera to just stick in my coat pocket and take everywhere! Too bad they stopped making it!
Thank you very much. I’m just learning about photography now and maybe studying it at college later this year. Wasn’t too convinced on which camera to buy until reading this
Texas is a long way from Victoria! I hope to get back to the TSP one day. I’ve been three (4?) times, and it’s a fine event with some excellent observers. Only distance keeps me away.
I think when we write about our cameras we are always encouraged to get blog comments.
Thanks for your very good article on the Yashica FX-3. After reading your article I think I may buy one that’s sitting on a high shelf in an odd re-sale shop in Chicago.
Very interesting article and question to ponder. I think one of the main reason people wouldn’t consider Beau’s picture as art is in fact the subject: a cat. Cats are ubiquitous in our modern habitat but pigs, poneys and goats are not. So of course the novelty effect plays a huge role. That’s why Rob MacInnis pictures are so powerful.
I occasionally have linear vertical banding that is perfectly straight when scanning 6 x6 negatives on my Epson V500; the streaks continue throughout the scanned negatives. During “Preview” scan with Vuescan, it could be seen beginning before the sensor got to the negative area. It occurred with either Epson’s scanning program or Vuescan, and cleaning the glass surfaces made no difference. Reinstalling driver made no difference. Negatives were without visual evidence of scratches or other defects. I scan strips of 4 negatives, so that means 2 are not in the scanning area of the negative holder; the unscanned negatives should be towards the front of the scanner, as there is a small cutout at the back of the negative holder that I guess is used for sensor calibration. Turns out when I inadverdently left that area covered with negative–when I had the strip sticking out of the holder the wrong way– the vertical bands would appear. Reorienting the film fixed the problem for me. Such a simple cause, but so much frustration.
Found your article after googling to see how to do a mid-roll rewind for my A1.
We took my 98 year old mother-in-law out canoing on Mother’s Day, and didn’t want to burn up photos on useless things just to get to the end of the roll… oh well…
Got the camera for a Galapagos trip back in ’99/2000, and find it useful for those extreme weather, or those ‘don’t want to drop my DSLR in the drink’ times.
Besides, it’s fun to shoot a little film now and then, just for old times sake.
And yes, I’ve taken it snorkeling, and it held up just fine. (A1 version, that is).
Nice write up on a stylish little camera. Been keeping an eye out and finally came across one for a very nice price. Very lightweight body, cleaned it up a little, added fresh batteries and all seems to work well. Great advice for long exposures…. “One quirk …it’s a good idea to disable the light meter by removing the batteries.”
I read your article, liked it very much. Today 7/7/2012 I was looking at Popular Photography and saw some cameras and when looking through my stuff I found my Yashica FX-3 Super 2000. I went through website to find more info about my camera and was impress. I was planing to sell it but now I will use the camera and practice on it. Love the old style cameras. I own a digital camera but not a DSLR camera. I happy that I saw this article.
wow! pops right out of the screen. the Reala colors are spot on, the Zeiss look is a perfect mix between sharp and soft. amazing image. (i had an apple today, the taste was meh… hope to get some fresh ones soon).
Nice advice… I was about to take some film either in a older lead-lined bag or get something newer, but the Kodak logic seems right… Didn’t know they could crank up the radiation at will. My solution at the moment will be to maybe bring a few rolls and mail-deliver the bulk to the first hotel. After multiple-stops in a week by car, I’ll mail the shot film out to the labs or to home and fly filmless on the return trip, just carrying the digital shots with me. Larger format film is too expensive and film in general is, for me, a intensive effort on the shots I take, to risk fogging.
Bob:
Some people dispute that screeners can “crank up the radiation at will,” but as I said in the article, even if they can’t, they will probably regard the mystery blob of your film bag as something that needs additional inspection, which might mean emptying its contents and running them through the machine anyway. Gary
Hi,
Im a new fan of the Electro Series. I Just got myself a GSN. I really like the pics you’ve put of the MF. I wasnt even aware this camera existed.
What are the Zone distances for the camera’s Focus system? Just out of curiousity.
Great article, and its awesome that you have a blog about your analog adventures! I just found one OM-10 straight out of the box in mint condition with 2 lenses! I think I’m gonna give it a shot 🙂
Thanks for the OM-10 details and backround. Just recently purhased the OM-1 (my first camera “back-in-the-day”), and looking for a second to have for Color or B&W film options.
Seems it’s hard to find OM-10 with the adapter still on. And tough to find adapters? But if even w/o it, seems fine to shoot in A-Priority (the way I usually shoot- as you say). I love the Olympus cameras and am now returned as OLY only owner (xz-1 & EPL-1)
Interesting camera Gary. I’ll be interested in the first light results. Might try a little star trail work or piggyback astrophotography! I’ll be honest, it might do well at f/8 under full moonlight 12-15 minutes with Acros. It could produce some interesting work.
Thanks very much! Mine’s arriving in a couple days.
Do you feel that infinity is obtainable on your lenses? In the Flickr group, someone set up a ground glass calibration and found out that it’s impossible to get infinity on his lenses:
Thank you for your review, it’s much appreciated. I was wondering if you have had any problems rewinding the film? I’ve shot two rolls and on each the film does not wind tightly to the spool. I’m unsure where I’m making the mistake or if its a possible camera defect. Thanks!
Thanks for your observations, which mirror my own. My 9-year-old daughter is about to become the fourth family member/friend to learn 35mm photography with an OM10, left to her in an uncle’s will. I have used an OM2 since 1982, toting it in a handlebar bag while cycling through Brittany & Normandy one summer; returning to Switzerland (a memory: I have a photo of two tourists whose Canon froze on the Jungfraujoch in the Alps Christmas Eve day); traveling to Greece the next summer where I photographed the Acropolis on Independence Day: the birthplace of democracy on the birthday of the greatest democracy that’s ever existed. I plan to take Josie & her OM10 cycling through Eire when she’s 13.
I’m not familiar with the Kiron and Vivitar lenses. In general, I prefer to use the Zuiko primes over zoom lenses — especially since they can be had for relavitely little money. My basic Zuiko kit consists of the 24mm f/2.8 (though I have the 28mm f/3.5 too), 50mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/3.5 macro, and 135mm f/3.5. All these lenses have the same 49mm filter size, which is a great convienince. I get the most use out of the 50mm f/1.8 though.
Thanks. Jim also left Zuiko 24 and 200 mm lenses; I’m thinking that using these–along with the 50–will be the easiest/best way for Josie to learn: they provide a nice range of wide/normal/telephoto.
In my opinion Instagram, Instagram like-apps, cross-processing, and lomo all share the same feature: they evoke emotion within the viewer. Creativity does exist, as I see the same people creating emotionally moving images time and time again, while other may have one or two or none at all. There is a lot of randomness, whether through software or through the camera itself, but it seems that if one knows how to work with that randomness, beauty and emotions come through.
I have an OM-10 that I’ve just pulled out of the loft to start using (not being able to afford a digital SLR). I always thought it was a good camera but never really got the use out of it that it deserved to have. Something I intend to rectify/
The only thing I’m not sure of is the tripod adapter. With it being such an old camera will any tripod fit, or does it have a specific adapter size? I’d hate to go out and spend money on something that would need to go straight onto ebay without a single use from it.
This camera looks amazing. It would be perfect for just sticking in your pocket and traveling around. Also great job on the site. I am a film photographer and this site is great!
Thanks Gavin. The Espio mini is a real winner and one that is seldom given its due, in my opinion. It’s definitely one to keep an eye out for when prowling thrift shops.
Interesting camera you have there! I think zone focus cameras are perfect for street shooting. You don’t have to fiidle with the rangefinder at the last moment and it’s much easier to shoot with the camera hanging from your neck in tricky situations when you want other people to be unaware of you taking their photo. Since the Electro series came up, my favorite one is the humble 35MC which is a great street shooter with zone focusing. It has all the advantages of the electromagnetic shutter and the perfect exposure system of its rangefinder siblings packed in a tiny body with a very sharp 2.8/40 lens directly rivaling the Rollei 35 (esp if you’re on a budget and don’t care about the hype factor). Yashica also produced the ME-1, another zone focusing sharp shooter made in Brazil (!) in the 70s. I also have great affection for the legendary Trip 35, the humble (but very sharp) Minolta Himatic G and the Ricoh 35 ZF, all zone focusers, all sporting great lenses, all being dirt cheap in the shadow of their rangefinder siblings.
Thanks Christos — some interesting comentary there. Your 35MC looks similar to another camera I have a great fondness for, the Konica C35 Automatic, which is also a fine street shooter, albeit with rangefinder focusing.
The Konica C35V (zone focusing variant) is much closer, although the Yashica 35MC is aperture priority semi-auto and not fully automatic like the C35 Automatic. I don’t think the Yashica Electro series had any direct rivals, as I’m totally unaware of a non-SLR aperture priority camera from the 60s-70s…
I am going on a trip this summe and was planning to take around ten rolls of film. After reading this article I was wondering if my film woul be affected at all. I shoot 200/400 speed film and the film would be in my suitcase( not carry on) on the way there and the way back.
As I emphasized above, the one thing just about everyone agrees upon is that putting film in your checked bag is a bad idea. I wouldn’t do it once, let alone twice. Film with ISO of 200 or 400 will probably be okay as carry-on, so long as you don’t put it through scanners too many times. Gary
I watched Vincent Price’s The Last Man on Earth (1966) last night and, though the movie is in B&W, this photograph seems to capture that same loneliness. Maybe it’s the seagull, the angle and the old building giving an impression of desolation.
Actually, this picture would look even more interesting (to me) in greyscale…, though that may be the influence of too many horror movies!
A wonderful little camera!
Being a film camera enthusiast myself, I also use Olympus PEN cameras (EES-2 and EE3), and I absolutely agree that one tends to make more portrait photos with this kind of camera: When you take the camera to your eye, the “portrait” format is the camera’s first suggestion, and it often suits the intended photo so well that I don’t even bother to try the landscape format.
I very much enjoy reading your website, it’s simple and clear and yet with high quality content. It’s much appreciated, thanks!
Ralf.
This was very helpful for me, although not trying to correct a negative scan, but a scan of a photo. It was a face & the lines appeared as very dark lines on the dark sections (hair etc). The lines weren’t visible on the light parts of the photo. I didn’t have a black piece of paper to hand, but a dark blue one, and thought I’d give it a go. I was surprised to see the regular (not random) bands of dark & light in the scan of the dark blue paper (scanner’s very old in the tooth). In my case the steps I used were slightly different, I think I de-saturated the scan first & then adjusted the levels. The resulting top layer worked best at 10% opacity in “lighten” mode. Then upped the contrast of the result by 10%. Not perfect, but a big improvement. Thanks so much for taking the time 🙂
I recently picked up a olympus stylus epic zoom 115 deluxe for $2 and was wondering if it is any good? Would it be worth it for me to carry it around and use it or would the picture quality be less desirable?
Thanks
I’ve just recently purchased this camera, and like you said, found very little information on it–this has been the most useful, and I thank you for that. However, I was wondering how do you change the asa? I can’t seem to find the right dial.
Thanks for the links, it’s great to read about other film enthousiasts and why they love film! So maybe it is not a coincidence that I play violin and also love film 😉
Just a thought about photo sharing on Internet: since I started making my own darkroom (B&W) prints, I feel more comfortable sharing some images (scans) on Internet. It’s a nice medium to have an idea of the work of others, and at the same time you’re not giving away any originals – the negatives (and nice quality prints) are still there as “the real thing”.
Digital files seem so perishable/nondurable by comparison. Of course digital cameras are useful and very convenient and practical, but for some reason I much more enjoy shooting a film camera. Even a grainy print from a half frame film camera seems more desirable to me than a perfect high resolution print from a digital file … it’s hard to say exactly why, but it’s certainly not nostalgia. I guess it has to do with the work and time that went into it and the fact that it’s not so easily repeatable.
Hi Ralf,
Keep playing that violin and shooting film! I do think that there is more personal self satisfaction in shooting film, even if no one else notices. Also the approaches to subject matter when shooting film is much different than shooting digital, from reading Bruce Barbbaum’s essay.
Nice picture, Gary, Tower Point is such a wonderful place to photograph, you don’t get snow on the southern part of the Island very much. Around where I live in the Okanagan, I love to get out snowshoeing.
Thanks so much, man. Found it, and realized I need to replace the 1.5v battery it shipped with. I’ve got my first roll of film in it, and the advance lever tends to catch a bit when I advance to the next frame. Is that a sign that something might be amiss? Or is it just age?
Hard to say from here. How confident are you that you loaded the film correctly? Just make sure that you’re not planning to photograph anything critical. It’s always a good idea to regard the first roll through an untried camera as a test roll.
I also (recently) discovered that I feel much more relaxed going out with a simple camera with few options. Nothing to worry about, just look for nice compositions and interesting lighting. When first using 6×6 film, I was worried about having only 12 exposures per roll. But even that appeared to be no problem. If you think twice before pressing the shutter button, 12 photos is just fine! I even started using rolls of 24 exposures in my Olympus half frame camera because it seems to take forever to finish a 36 exposures (=72 photos) roll. On digital, 72 photos is nothing though; it does make you wonder about quality versus quantity …
Nice picture of the Opera House, I like the lines and the shadows. There is a very interesting post about a photographer using an old RollieFlex…http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/rolleiflex.shtml
Gosh, I didn’t think that Luminous Landscape would post an article about film use!
I bought my first SLR a few weeks back, a Praktica BMS Electronic, and was delighted with the first couple of test rolls of film… But since then I’ve gone back to compacts and had more fun using my beloved Olympus XA2, a point and shoot auto everything Pentax Espio 120Mi and an incredibly cheap and flimsy ActionSampler.
Fewer options inspires new vision and greater creativity…
Another example – a friend got a new, very capable, digital camera for Christmas. She hasn’t taken a single picture with it, because she’s intimidated by the manual, and feels she needs to go on a photography course to even begin using it. “Plus you have to understand all about the light, don’t you?” she also said…. My advice was put it on auto and get out and get shooting, learn from your own pictures!
It’s really frustrating when such wonderful equipment is available (film and digital cameras) and people are stuck because they’re overwhelmed with too many options.
Really nice camera! (I shouldn’t be reading your reviews though, they only make my camera addiction worse 😉
Just imagine if this were the size of an Olympus 35RC … that would be super cool!
Hey, this kind of camera addiction is pretty cheap so far as these things go. At least you’re not collecting Leicas. Besides, if it really gets worrisome, read my article “Avoiding Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS)” in the Musings section. That’ll cure you.
I was fortunate enough to get one of these cameras in mint condition. It had belonged to my dad and was passed on to me as the only photographer in the family. AND I cannot agree with you more about this camera. Besides its nostalgic value to me and a continued connection to my dad, it is a wonderful tool. As someone who transitioned to digital for work (newspaper staffer), having this camera really brings the fun back into my shooting…..
Your thoughts on a single camera-single lens concept is the exact reason I pre-ordered a Fujifilm X100s. I plan on pairing it with my Electro35 GS for just about all of my shooting in the near future. As I make the transition from working pro to retirement, I want to simplify. When I pick up my Nikons, I want to have my fast zooms along with 1-2 primes. At my age that is starting to be a lot to carry all day. With just the fixed 45mm on the GS and 23mm (35mm full frame) on the X100s, I plan on taking the challenge. Thanks for this piece that talks to the concept. It gives me encouragement to continue down a different and exciting path.
One of the finest camera, i’ve ever owned!
i began to really shoot seriously with one.
my first front page photo, in the main morning paper.
Love your images.
many assignments after..
Long gone, i really would love another..
The portrait view followed me.
i mostly shoot verticals.
The small camera concept is the way to go!
Now retired, i shoot with point and shoot digitals.
i still use film. A few compacts from Goodwill.
The Rollei 35T a gift many,many years ago, from my Late Dad.
i am a GAS syndrome personality.
one does not even have to buy more Film cameras.
People, friends, strangers, spare change in pocket at Goodwill.
Unlike those with a beverage or smoke problem, the worst is using some film.
In fact you can play with these without putting in film or batteries..
Excellent article! I too noticed this while wondering around the beach with a friend of mine the other day. The two of us usually go on photowalks in interesting parts of town together and we hadn’t planned on really doing any shooting, so we didn’t have any cameras with us. Nevertheless, after a yack and a few coffees we were walking along the beach and we were both suddenly interested in the lighting conditions, the tide being well out, and the amount of people on the beach doing different things. We both just had cell phones to snap with, but just gave it a go without really thinking too much. I ended up with a couple of not to baddish shots using some of the fun little apps on my phone that I enjoy shooting with. I guess the old saying of “the best camera is the one you have on you at the moment” really rings true, but relaxing and thinking about the picture instead of the gear is always the ideal way to really enjoy the act of taking pictures.
Thanks Jevon — a good read. It’s true, the best camera is always the one you have with you. That’s why I always try to make sure I have a good one with me. You never know when you’re going to chance upon something really great. Luckily, there are quite a few really good pocketable cameras, like some of the ones I’ve reviewed in the Favourite Cameras section (the Olympus Stylus and Pentax Espio Mini, in particular).
I enjoyed your piece about the Yashica Electro 35 GSN. Tomioka Optical who supplied Yashica with all but one lens was the ‘Johnny come lately’ with their first Tessar clone. Agfa for example introduced their Solinar, a Tessar clone, in 1933. That was the first year the Zeiss patent of 1902 ended. Yashica’s first Yashinon came almost 30 years later. How would you rate the Yashinon lens to the other RFs of the day?
Thanks for the review.
What does the camera do when an attached flash fires?
If the exposure locks as/when you describe it, the metering would not be relevant to a flash attached. Or is there a set shutter speed that is used then?
(I assume you couldn’t otherwise lock your exposure at 1/125 by removing the batteries, since the hot shoe would not fire without power.)
Have your tried flash photography with this camera? What would your approach be?
The hot shoe simply triggers the flash and, as such, is unrelated to the exposure system — the flash fires at all shutter speeds. This is typical for cameras of this kind. You have to control the flash’s power on the flash itself.
Yashica fixed lens rangefinders really are cool cameras. I’ve had a few of them and my fellow film shooter friends have had their share as well. My approximation is you need to buy six of them in order to find one that really works. Main quirks are the dreaded “pad of death”, corroded battery wires, you need a battery adapter, bad light seals plus your normal selection of shutter related problems. But when you find one in good condition it’s a remarkable shooter. If you like the concept but would like to have something smaller you might want to try the GX version. It’s basically the same camera but one third smaller.
really beautiful! Amazing the sharpness of that little Stylus Epic. When I saw this as a thumbnail I thought it was snakes, but I’m happy to see it is kelp.
Do you think that the sharpness falloff might in fact be due to the complete lack of any pressure plate? Of course it could also be a combination of factors. My general feeling is one of complete bemusement : they seem to expect this to be taken as a “serious” camera, but on that basis it’s just a waste of expensive film and processing. And those glass lenses are looking more and more vapour-filled….
I really don’t think the absence of a pressure plate is affecting the sharpness, at least not to a great extent. The camera only goes to f/8, which is pretty forgiving, and my experiments show that the back of the camera does appear to function as a pressure plate. I think the lack of sharpness is just down to the included lenses, which is why I’m interested to see if the new, glass lenses (when they arrive) may improve the image quality.
Well written and informative article. I just picked one of these up from eBay for a few pounds, bought primarily for the ML lens to use with my Yashica FRs. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this camera, very light and a great feel to it. The seals are in excellent condition too, and the body is all but unmarked. I really like fully manual SLR cameras, and this one will now go alongside my other Yashicas.
I was going to get the ‘Limited’ version of this camera (Epic Stylus) as I can’t seem to locate a regular Epic Stylus. Is it more or less the same just with some fancy accents and different colored body?
From what I can glean from Olympus’s web site, it does look like the same camera but with some cosmetic differences. Surprised to hear you haven’t found a regular one — they’re pretty common.
I don’t have any direct experience with this camera — it strikes me that you’re in the best position to determine if the camera will meet your expectations. Load up some film, and have a go!
Some nice OM camera love on here! As a long time owner of an OM-1, I’ve today picked up an OM10 body on Ebay for £5.50 + postage, primarily to utilise the Aperture priority feature, which I use on my Yashica Electro 35’s and my Olympus XA rangefinders. I also use digital SLR when I want to use images quickly, and via a mount adapter I can also use my Olympus lenses, but the actual physical size of my Canon DSLR, especially with a hefty lens, is just counterproductive, by comparison my Om-1 is tiny, has a massive viewfinder which makes focussing easy, and is very solid! As I intend to use it for street shooting, just having one less thing to worry about will make it a lot easier to capture fleeting moments.
I seem to be getting Olympus G.A.S. at the moment…..!!
The Electro 35cc, while a lot rarer is a 1/3 smaller than the standard HUGE! Electro’s and has a 35mm lens, not the 45 or even 40mm of the GX. I bought 3 of these all for around £30, the first works (a G), but has a stiffish focus ring and a none to bright viewfinder and the battery check light doesn’t work, the 2nd is a GS, and is in near mint condition, but needs light seals replacing, the 3rd is a black GTN in minty condition and is working fine as I run a roll thru it, even with 100 Ektar, I managed to shoot in very dim light, the only available light was from behind my subject, but still the shot came out very well, colours are rich and solid, the 1.7f lens is superb, but the camera isn’t the smallest to lug around, but it looks cool, especially in black! And anyway, I plan to replace light seals and do some CLA work on them, before either selling or giving as gifts to some of my more creative friends and family.
I actually rather enjoy my Belair. I think a lot of the criticism toward that camera is entirely unfair. I mean, it’s a plastic camera! What did people expect?
I fully realize it has some major drawbacks, but it is also aimed at a very specific kind of image making which to me makes it interesting.
They say low expectations are the key to happiness, but I think here it’s a case of realistic expectations being the key to satisfaction. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Belair can do when I get my Russian lens.
You summed it up excellently – not much more to add.
I regard the shutter release as a good feature it helps a lot to avoid shake when using the camera in low light conditions so that using slow times (1/30th or even 1/15th) is possible hand held with a little experience.
Often the missing filter thread is mentioned but I think it is missing by purpose – just imagine a srewed in filter you forget about and then closing the slider.
It’s great little camera IMHO.
Found one of these at a thrift store, clearly it’s
A landscape camera as the photo’s I’ve taken of
People make them appear fatter/wider than they
Really are and close ups are distorted. Even when stopped
Down and on a tripod.
Hence, was why it was at a thrift store for a few bucks.
I haven’t noticed this effect in any of my photos as yet. The lens is 38mm, so it’s sort of a wide-normal, which I suppose could lead to the “fatter/wider” effect you describe if you get close enough, but given the near-focus distance is 1 meter, I wouldn’t expect to see it too often.
Hi Gary, Thanks so much for article as i have just got a Belairgon 90mm through as well as some Redscale XR film… Would you clarify for me what ISO setting i should use on the Belair to avoid underexposing the film – i understand it lets in less light than regular film as you are shooting against the ‘wrong’ side of the film..? Regards Jamie
Hi, do you find that this camera doesn’t make “your typical” shutter release sound when you press the shutter? It doesn’t produce that click sound it simply just winds to the next exposure. I’m not sure if it’s meant to be that way or if I have a faulty unit?
I shot mine at ISO100, but you can try ISO 50, which is the Belair’s lowest setting. Within a range, there isn’t a “wrong” ISO setting, so experiement a bit and see which one provides the kinds of results you’re after.
First of all, cuz I am not a fluent English speaker. So there could be awkward expressions in sentences. Anyway I have my own 35mf and yet to be advanced. It is my first time to use film camera, so its hard for me to expect how the outcome will be. BTW, I have a question regards to ‘zone focus’. Roughly understood by the marks of human and mountain that those means distance. But I cannot estimate the actual distance of a first mark(face like).
And could u give me an advice about the focus in a square box?
Most of all, YOUR posting is the best that explained about this camera. Thank you SO MUCH.
Glad you found the review helpful. As for focus distances, if you look on the lens barrel, opposite the distance symbols, you’ll find another focusing scale, this time marked off in meters and feet. That’s what it sounds like you’re looking for.
Looking for a camera to sometimes get away from my heavy DSLR kit for returning to the basics once in a while and feel somewhat drawn to this one. Just one question to which I find no answer online. What filter thread does it have?
I have 3 of these a Pen, EE2 & 3, i just love their dinky size and i currently have the EE2 sat in my camera bag along with a espio Mini and a 120mi…….
This looks very similar to the Konica C35 EF, which I have and also love for its look, feel and simplicity of use, not to mention the exposures are spot on and the photos it takes are sharp and clear. This camera does look a tad bit nicer though.
Having GAS nowadays also entails becoming an ebayaholic, which means you’ll have to seek out a local Ebayers Anonymous chapter an sign up for their 7 step program. What also helps is to get rid of some of your gear from time to time, like the stuff you don’t use. This is backed up by main rules which are to only keep working cameras and put at least one roll of film per year in every camera I have.
Everything that is mailed is inspected by X-Ray and will not control the way the inspection is done.
I prefer to take the films with me and to act like is advised in this excellent article. Taking the films with you, you will have some control how they are inspected.
Thanks for this article. I have an olympus OM-10 and I am very interested in producing quality scans. I’m looking forward to the next installment. If I could suggest that you recommend a “cheap & good” scanner that would help me out alot.
I think the way it works is that you set your focus distance there and that changes the aperture to the correct setting for the light output of the flash bulbs common in that era. Sadly, the instruction booklet offers no insight.
I think your observation is correct, flash set at 30 ft. will set the aperture to f3.5 & at 5 ft to f22. I would assume that your manual flash should have a GN of 105 ft? I noticed that its viewfinder is exceptionally bright! Is it normal to see a dark shadow (frame vignette?) from the left side of the viewfinder? I’ve never seen this with my Pen D, Pen EES2 & Pen EE. Thanks.
I know when I got mine, the adhesive that holds the frame-line window in place had failed. Perhaps something like that has happened with yours and has shifted the frame lines over?
Great description of the camera. Like you, I found one of these in a thrift store last fall. Mine is the first Pen model manufactured by Olympus, so not as rare as yours. My one was all of $3 (now I am feeling ripped off given what you paid), though mine came with original lens hood and skylight filter.
On mine only the 1/50 and 1/100 shutter speeds work which limits what speed of film I can use in brighter conditions (100 ISO or slower). I have been carrying it every day and experimenting with it. I especially like the in-camera diptyches and triptyches that are possible with this camera, and some of the panoramas that can be done on the negative as well. I have put my early efforts up on my photo blog – an ongoing process which I will add to as I get more shots through the camera.
The lens quality is very pleasing. I have been shooting using the sunny 16 rule with good results, though I am now using a light meter for lower light situations. I have also tracked down some filters for black and white photography, and am just starting to try those out too. An ND filter is coming soon so I can load faster film (400 or 800 ISO) and shoot it in daylight, with more flexibility in low light conditions
This link will take you to all of my half-frame photos on the blog, the first of which shows the camera (you will have to click through older posts button near the bottom to find that shot). http://burntembers.com/tag/half-frame-camera/
Great find. I have been down there a lot, but not on this part of the beach. Now I will have to go look for this feature! And I agree completely about the treasure hunt aspect of photography. Finding the treasures helps to keep me going back for more, regardless of weather and even of light.
What I am enjoying the most, having recently discovered your blog, is the overlap in our subject matter and the different ways we have of making a photo. And don’t you find it odd to see a ferris wheel pod (for want of a better word) with only one person in it?
Absolutely. There’s got to be a story there for sure! I wish I could claim that I noticed this person right away and that my photo was some lofty attempt to capture a mood of tragic loneliness, but alas, I was mostly just aiming for something abstract. I didn’t even notice the guy until I developed the film. But really, for me at least, that’s what turned out to make the image compelling.
Different weather and different light let me see things anew. Off hand, I can’t think of any meteorological condition or degree illumination that doesn’t offer something, no matter how meagre at times.
Lovely. And a nice companion piece to the one in Ehpem’s blog post (http://burntembers.com/2014/02/12/horizontal-xii/). I like how you left a bit of the sunlight at the top of the photo. I usually try to avoid that, but now I will reconsider that practice when the opportunity arises.
Thanks Linda. Yes, I normally would have cropped that bit out as well, but it seemed to give the photo balance. The other aspect I struggled with was the asymmetry of the composition. But that just seemed to work too.
Nice review, I’ve been having a look at this combinations as I’m currently using a holga 120wcp. It’s a shame you can’t get the body and glass lens as a combo from the off.
I too love Garry Oak’s, and Gary’s Oaks I guess I should add. In particular I like how you have taken this small patch of oaks and recreated the feel of the large meadows which once dominated the Victoria landscape.
What a nice set, that Pen D takes very nice pictures.
I love how the gallery comes up on the red/white/blue basketball net. My experience in the States is that it can be pretty tough to take an urban shot without the flag in it somewhere. But they do add a common thread to photos, as you have shown here.
A hipster! Yikes.
I like this shot too. I am finding it difficult to take pictures of the breakwater with the new railings. This approach solves that problem!
Nice to find this article, and all those that you link to. I started with film, mostly for work related reasons, and was never very creative, thoughtful or good at. Then I got a digital camera and started to get more serious about photography, but not sufficiently thoughtful or creative. Recently I have started shooting with a very basic film camera and I find that many of things you and the people link to are true. I take far more care with my photos now and it has led to some creative ideas that were largely missing when shooting with the DSLR. The learning I am doing with film is transferring back to the DSLR as well. I recommend shooting film, at least part of the time, to anyone that is serious about photography – it will do no harm and could do a great deal of good.
I took this camera into my local camera shop to buy film. I was told it was broken and needed a part. I contacted canon and since they don’t make them anymore said there was nothing they could do. Any advice? Are there people out there that fix these things?
As with so many older cameras, the most economical thing to do is to find another one. Even if you can find someone willing to repair the camera, it’s not likely you’d want to pay what it costs.
Man! That’s where the red glow comes from… I’ve been scratching my head over this for days now!! Thanx a lot!
Do you cover the viewfinder while taking long exposures too? Initially that’s where I thought the red glow came from.. but it has to be the dot. Anyone?
I have one of these as well, although mine’s the “version one point three” model, which was made by Olympus and has two strap lugs. It’s great fun – the half-frame format is still very economical and it’s the only small-frame format I can think of that you can still get processed everywhere.
Fascinating to compare it with the XA, which was the last compact Maitani had a hand in. I was surprised to find that the half-frame models lasted into the early 80s, but sadly as far as I know there was never a half-frame Pen that had (a) rangefinder focusing (b) electronic auto-exposure. Just the Pen F or the selenium cell models.
I like your approach Ashley. There seems to be something about these little cameras that inspires creativity. Ehpem (comment above) also takes a different approach to picture taking with his Pen.
I bough the exact same camera on a market for 50 cents. Your article has been extremely helpful for me. I originally was appealed to the looks of the camera, and just seconds later while hearing the cost, I purchased it. I bought it with an old (to worn out to use) franka mid format camera for the ridiculous price of 1 euro.
I have to admit to sometime being to lazy to start carrying full reflex camera’s around, so this camera makes it possible for me to always shoot.
I first minded that it’s an full automatic, but in the end it’s the perfect snapshot camera, and I believe this is a good way to focus on the in tell of a picture more then only the correct settings.
Hi Gary, I just found one of these that looks functional (it still had film in it, not too old looking). What do you use for batteries and where do you get them in Victoria! Thanks!
Hearing-aid batteries (Energizer 675s). London Drugs. Cheap, and they work great with the camera. I stack two on one side of the battery compartment, and fill the other side with aluminim foil. Congratulations — I think you’re going to want to retire your Canon DSLR now!
Gary
Clarified a lot of issues for me regarding traveling with film. Learned to take the film through carry-on, smile and ask for a “hand check” regardless of the ASA and be sure to have the film in a TSA approved size baggie to expedite the process. I never travel with film over an ASA of 400, so should be in good shape. Thanks for taking the time to put this info together!
A point-and-shoot film camera is a lovely thing to have. It starts up much faster than a point-and-shoot digital and no worries about poor image quality from a small sensor. I bought a Ricoh GR10 to keep in a pocket while walking or cycling around. I chose that camera because it has a fast f2.8 28mm lens that lets me shoot in low light without turning on the flash and gives me a good depth of field. The flash works well and doesn’t over-expose the main subject. Another reason I chose the camera is that it has almost no controls at all. No manual focus, no exposure compensation, no priority modes, etc. I have all that with my ‘serious’ cameras and I wanted a no-think camera I could pull out of my pocket any time and use to take a snapshot.
Hi Gary – it is good to learn about this camera. There seem to be very few of the point and shoot telephotos with decent optics, fast or slow. Another very useful article about your favourite cameras, some of which are becoming my favourite film cameras too. Maybe one day I will spot one of these too.
That has to be a 60-62 Valiant, though the gas cap should be on the other side of the car?
I recognised the gas cap because my parents had a 64 which became my first car. It was a station wagon that was rotted through the floors and elsewhere and failed the mandatory road safety test we used to have, so it was scrapped. It had a automatic transmission with push buttons on the dash for R, N, D, 1 and 2 if I recall correctly.
Nice looking camera. Cameras like this, with the conversation starter aspect, might be excellent street cameras for those situations where you feel it necessary to ask someone to take a picture.
Nice to see your shots with it – these are all locations I have photographed in the past two months or so. We might have been there at that the same time!
I had one of these little cameras in college. I made a little money taking portraits in slide film and selling them in keychain viewers.
It used to be a novelty back then.
Gary; if youre unsure whether to cover the viewfinder or not, go with the safest option and do it, normally i just take the lens-cover and attach it with two strips of tape that i always carry in my camerabag! 😉
I like this kind of photograph. Filling the frame with nothing but building (but is that a very small opening to the sky at the top?) gives the viewer a sense of how tightly packed people are. I used to live in a 15 story block of flats and I felt trapped by the weight of all the other apartments around me. But at least these apartments have open balconies. Here in Korea, everyone closes them off with glass doors to make more storage room.
Thanks Marcus. Yes, that’s just a tiny hint of sky there. Here in Victoria, you see a lot of closed in balconies too, which I don’t like much myself, though I understand why they’re popular.
One of the things I like to do with architectural shots is alter the context of the building, either by excluding it from its environment, or changing its relationship to it. (You’ll see what I mean about the latter in my next posting.)
View Towers! With that bright reflection that is so often seen from Fort Street. Nice angle. Such a monumentally ugly building, and difficult to photograph. You nailed it with this one.
I have one in the works too, from my frequent bus stop, that should see the light of day later in the week.
You make this building look a lot better than it does just walking past it. Gives a sense of what the architect might have been aiming for. It is interesting what you have to say about excluding the environment to alter the context – it sure works well with this building.
Hi Gary. Thanks for the mention. Funny that we should both take reflection photos of View Towers at the same time. Trying to make something photo-worthy of this slab requires peripheral vision and indirect viewing.
I sure like the results you get with the ME but I swear I won’t be buying one.
Taking photos of slab apartments (I like that name) is challenging. I often try to include just the top of a tree or a small piece of sky in the frame for contrast and emphasis.
I remember flying into Seoul for the first time in 1995 and being flabbergasted by the thousands of identical white apartment buildings covering the city like RAM chips in a logic board. The government has recently said ‘no more perfectly rectangular apartments’ but construction companies just add little flourishes to the top or fancy up the entrance a bit to get around the regulation. I’m not sure how much can be done to such a building anyway.
I actually shot this a while back (last winter?). I think they’d taken the lanterns down for cleaning or perhaps storage. But yes, dumb luck strikes again. Naturally, I had a camera with me.
Hi Gary, thanks for the mention! Your photo is really quite different than mine in feel and approach as well. I am constantly surprised by how a slightly different angle can make a picture feel completely different.
I find the fx-3 super 2000 delightful for everything casual. Picked one up from a local thrift store for $15 USD. I find it very limiting with outdoor macro work. It is much easier to set focus, lock up the mirror manually on the F3 ($60 USD on Ebay with lens) or OM1($15 USD at thrift store with lens), time the passing breeze and use a cable release. Good natural outdoor light sometimes doesn’t last for more than a few seconds as clouds come in and out. You add the factor for wind and you’d get even fewer seconds to capture the moment. Mirror up with a self timer is virtually unusable in outdoor macro photography unless you live in a vacume. I do have to agree that some kind of mirror lock up is better than none but this implementation is far from ideal.
Hi Gary. I like this image more each time I see it. My first appreciation was the choice of view point, a place I have looked up from many times without once thinking to include the power lines. Now what I am really liking are the triangles and especially the dark one with the balconies on it. View towers has so many interesting angles and yet continues to stay slab-ugly.
Nice timing with the cat. Did you see the cat and quickly shoot? Or set up the scene and wait for the cat to walk past? I once met a chicken walking around on a side walk and found that I could get him to walk one or the other because he was wary of me. I decided my background, focused, and then moved back and forth until the chicken walked into the place I wanted him. You can see the photo in this post: http://marcuspeddle.com/2014/11/17/animals-and-galleries/
Cats, of course, are far less predictable than chickens! I was thinking about shooting the scene anyway because I liked the way the shadows fell on the wall. As I was aiming for the shot, I saw the cat enter the frame and then I waited for him to get to a gap between the shadows. Luck and preparation combined, as is often the case.
I’m interested in your thoughts regarding the quality of the lens vs. the olympus stylus epic (or mju-ii as I know it :))?
I ask, as having shot two rolls with one of these, I’m not especially convinced it is as good. I’ve actually just bought a second espio mini to rule out my first copy being a bit of a duff, so I shall find out for myself soon enough… Just interested in another, experienced, opinion.
Thanks, enjoyed the article and look forward to the next instalment. As much as I enjoy digital photography, I’m missing my old film cameras and would like to use them from time to time. Would love to be able to shoot C41 process B&W like Ilford XP2, scan the negative and then play with it from there. What do you suggest for a scanner to do that? Also, where’s a good place in Victoria to purchase C41 B&W film? I live in the Gulf Islands, but get into Victoria fairly often.
Good summary of a brilliant little camera. I used it for years (and it’s still around here somewhere!), often as a second back-up camera when traveling. I really think it was the best of the mine 35mm cameras, among the others from Rollei and Minox. In addition to its great lens, it was tough and versatile.
One little feature that not many people know about is its ability to take long auto night exposures. Set it up on a rock or a tripod, click the shutter button and it will close when it’s had enough light.
It’s definitely on my radar, but being an opportunistic camera hunter, I’m waiting for one to turn up at one of my local thrift stores. Maybe you beat me to the last one here in town!
So Gary, I see that I said I wouldn’t be buying one (ME, that is). True to my word, I haven’t done that. However, I just bought two MEs, plus several lenses, flash, filters, many rolls expired film and so on – someone’s kit, hard case included. Now, to figure out how to take as good pictures with them as you do with yours.
Really good set of photos. The male bird is probably my favourite.
Do you scan black and white negatives in colour? Or are you toning them in post? I might have asked this question already.
Gary, I thought I had commented on this post – thanks for the mention, and it is really interesting to see other people’s shots of the same subjects. It is one of the things I enjoy about your blog – finding familiar places seen in ways different from my own.
I was walking down Fort St yesterday with my 2 year old granddaughter and she saw this steeple above the buildings across the street and made some comment about it, and stared at it until it went out of view. I must go back to that spot and take a picture, kind of through her eyes. It is a similar experience to looking at someone’s photos of a familiar landmark.
Hey Gary – that is very kind of you! I had not seen this post when I put one up today, of the other side of the building from Fort Street. I like yours better – it looks taller somehow, and the tree branches are very nice. I think I have shot through those branches when the leaves are out, but this way is more suitably stark. Nice!
Nicely disorienting. Taking pictures on the ferry is so much better than spending time in the cafeteria – this way you bring home memories you care to have.
Funny that you are posting BCFerries shots – I did too a few days ago, but after yours, and again, without having yet seen these two. This part of the world is not so small as to explain these overlaps.
It’s great that this fairly humble camera is among those you reach for first. This is a very useful review; it makes me wish my similar Ansco B2 Speedex had the f/3.5 Solinar instead of the f/4.5 Anastigmat.
I like this one very much. It almost looks like a print by Christopher Pratt. I am looking for a new compact camera to replace my now-deceased Ricoh GR10. Would you recommend the Big Mini 302? Have you had any problems with it?
Hi Marcus:
Hadn’t noticed the Christopher Pratt look to this picture before, but I see what you mean. Perhaps us Canadians share a certain aesthetic. As for the Big Mini, I’ll be doing a review soon, but the short answer is that I haven’t had any problems with it so far. It’s a good camera.
Thank you for the information about the camera. A used one in good condition here (South Korea) is not cheap. The 3o2 is about three hundred Dollars. Ouch.
I knew about Christopher Pratt because I’m originally from Newfoundland and I saw his prints in Cultural Heritage class, museum trips, etc. I rediscovered him again after seeing Sam Abell’s photos of Newfoundland and bought a collection of his (Pratt’s) prints in book form.
A very peaceful scene. I’m about to start a new project using black and white film and I wonder how you like the XP2 film. It’s very convenient because I don’t have to send it away or bother with chemicals at home. I’ve used one roll as a test and found that the negatives seem a bit dark. Some people say to use the film at ISO200 (especially in flat light) to get better exposures. Do you use as is?
Thanks Marcus. I like XP2 very much, partly because I do my own C-41, partly because it scans very well and I can use automatic dust/scratch removal. Although I don’t recall if I did with this shot or not, I generally shoot it at ISO200, unless it’s a very grey day and then I shoot at box speed. I find it prints well in the darkroom too, so it’s a good all ’rounder, as they say. I buy it in bulk and load my own cartridges to save money.
I sometimes think about buying a scanner for my slides and negatives but it takes up desk space and the missus doesn’t like it. Fortunately, I’ve been going to the same photo lab for almost ten years and when I get prints done he gives me the scans for free. Unfortunately, the prints have to be about 8×10 before producing digital files of very good quality. Or medium format. He has to scan the medium format film manually and he takes his time with the files. 35mm is usually done automatically by the machine. But beggars can’t be choosers. Getting good scans is expensive and the ones I get are usually good enough to put on my website.
Very well-composed photo. That is my favourite red, and I’ve never been able to get it on digital. That could be my fault, not digital technology’s, but I prefer that the film get the great colours, and not me sitting in front of a computer jiggling sliders.
The sign to the left of the door says, “delivery service every day.” I wonder if they send the sushi by parcel service or the gimchi, pork belly, and bulgogi advertised on the right.
Anyway, great documentary photograph. It’s sometimes tempting to walk around my city and take similar photos of all the shops that look like they might disappear.
Thank you for the advice, I hadn’t even realised that this was an issue. Last year I put a 200 iso film into a bag that went into the baggage hold and thankfully it was absolutely fine! I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known this though, sounds like I was lucky. It was on a flight from Bucharest to London so perhaps the Romanians aren’t as stringent with the scanners as they are in America.
I found following on the official website from Heathrow Airport
* These films will be visually unaffected by up to eight and in some cases 32 passes through the hand-luggage x-ray machines. Processed film can be x-rayed virtually without limit, without suffering any ill effects whatsoever from these machines.
What is meant by processed film? I suppose exposed film? In this case there is no danger, is this correct?
Gary,
I purchased my Espio Mini silver in Copenhagen in 2001. It was slightly used but looked brand new. I was told by the store owner that it was the Pentax 75th anniversary issue. Right from the start it became my favorite camera (the Spotmatic F that I purchased in 1973 was becoming far too heavy). What amazed me the most was the lens…I couldn’t take bad pictures no matter how hard I tried. Then I made the mistake of lending it to my daughter who took it to Africa. She used 100% deet to ward of the bugs and it ate into the chrome finish of the camera. When she returned it to me it was “battle worn”, and in disgust I gave it to her. I still miss it to this day.
Does your ‘suitcase’ get scanned? I wasn’t planning on taking any luggage on board with me therefore keeping it in the main storage of the plane.
Is this at risk at all? I’m going to be going through Iceland/ Alaska/ Canada then back to the UK via airports, so the film will be scanned multiple times if they do scan non ‘hand-luggage’
Lovely shot, and great blog. Have just started using a Hasselblad 553 ELX and really loving the “12 shots of square” workflow. Iceland/Hasselblad/Portra is a great mix!
An apt allusion to Eleanor Rigby…so ironic that in the most populated spaces, are the most isolated people. Good titles add a nice dimension to the photos.
Thanks Wes — you got it exactly. I find it sad that there are roughly a dozen people in this shot and none of them are interacting in any way. Little isolated islands.
Hi, thanks for the great article!
It helped a lot.
I’m starting analog photography and mainly/only B/W.
Bought this camera a few weeks ago, already shot and developed a roll af film,not bad.
One question regarding my camera: the flash loads(high pitch sound) light turns orange, bur will not flash. Any thoughts about this?
Greetings from Holland,
I’m not sure what that is. It could be something to mark the edge of the road when there’s snow on the ground, but it doesn’t look tall enough for that.
“To facilitate physical inspection, remove your undeveloped film from the canister and pack it in a clear plastic bag. We recommend leaving your film in the unopened manufacturer’s packaging.”
this statement seems contradictory. do I remove it from the box and cannister? or leave the unopened box?
Only the TSA can say for sure. I just leave it in the unopened box. If they want to take it out the box, they can. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.
That’s a beautiful photo. I like the three layers of dark earth, very light grey individual cloud, and then the layer of dark cloud nearly filling the sky with a point of hazy sun behind it. I notice from your last posts that you brought a number of cameras with you. I would like to read a post about what it’s like travelling with a number of cameras and film. The last time I travelled overseas with film was about five years ago and the airport people in Canada weren’t pleased about hand checking all my film. They did it, though, so I can’t complain.
Thanks Marcus. No problem have the film hand checked in Iceland, USA, or Canada. Stay tuned — I have an article about travelling with the Hasselblad nearly ready to post.
I’m not lucky enough to own a Hasselblad, but I own several medium format cameras. One trick I’ve found for not carying a tripod, is to attach a sturdy nylon string to the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera using a bolt . Have a length of the string long enough to step on and pull it taught enough to steady the camera. Not perfect, but enough to get your shutter speed down to 1/15 or 1/30.
Thank you for the great article on carrying around a medium format camera. Encouraged by your article and the documentary I saw the other day about Vivian Maier, I spent a couple of hours yesterday morning making street photographs with my Contax 645. I don’t have a waist-level finder for it but I’ve been considering it for a couple of years and I think I might finally spend the money to get one. If I can find one in Korea. They are a bit rare here.
The scene through the window looks like a washed out photograph and the empty landscape echoes the ruin of the house. I wonder where the people who lived here are now. Was there just one wall left in the house?
The scene is a bit more confusing than you perceive. The view “through” the window is actually a reflection — the shot was from outside. But I like your interpretation better.
Thank you for writing the review. It’s good to read thoughts on older equipment. The Big Mini will set you back over two hundred dollars here in Korea and there are no yard sales where you could stumble over one for a good price. I’m not sure who buys this equipment at these prices.
I guess they were probably worth several hundred dollars when new and serviceable. I checked prices on the Internet and the Korean asking price is about twice that of Ebay and other used equipment sites. And that’s before you consider the difference in purchasing power. That said, if I went to Seoul and crawled around the camera store districts I could probably find a better deal.
There is no Like button so, “Like!” Joking aside, I like the clean composition and how the sign indirectly and simply describes the environment around the apartment building.
I just bought a Yashica 35MF yesterday at a local thrift for $6.95 with the case. I cleaned it up, put in the batteries, and wow, everything works! Here’s a photo of it [img]https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8828/18096871730_763f057ddc_z.jpg[/img]
Thanks for your research on this little known camera. And yes, it does have a certain Leica je ne sais quoi. I can’t wait to shoot a roll through it. Cheers.
Hi Gary,
Does the viewfinder zoom with the lens? I’m thinking of attempting a home made zooming viewfinder for my digital PENTAX MX1 and this camera has a pretty similar focal length range.
Thanks
Thanks! There are a couple of dead ESPIO 115’s on the ‘bay for a few pounds. I’ll pull one apart and see how the viewfinder mechanism is coupled to the lens zoom mechanism.
Great composition and that’s one of my favourite shades of blue. The photo reminds me of a teacher I know who grew up in a rather deep valley. He told me that when he wanted to see the sky he had to look straight up.
great review Gary! I recently got an Isolette with an Apotar 1:4.5 85mm and I am extremely happy with it, especially the easy settings/use, lightweight and handiness. One drawback on my model is the lack of the T option you mention, which should make things much easier when shooting with low light. I was considering going for slower films, but I really got interested by your suggestion and examples of TriX! thank you!
Thanks Matt. The T switch is handy, but to be honest, I rarely use it. “B” and a cable release do just as well and are less likely to cause you to bump the camera during exposure. Enjoy shooting with the Isolette!
That’s a very nice contrast between the smooth lines of the human made building and the rough surface of the stone chiselled by weather and time. I’m sure you composed the photo so that the breaks in the balcony appear in the upper right hand corner. A nice ‘rest stop’ for the eye and they prevent the form of the building from becoming monotonous.
If you tinged this red you could tell people it’s a Mars colony building. It has a slight sci-fi feeling to it.
Great photo!
I am going to be going to Australia soon. I will have with me both iso 200 & 400 35mm film as well as iso 800 instant film. Will unused packs of the instant film be okay through security? Also, with the 35, I assume it will be okay on both the way there and the way back if it is scanned twice on the way there and twice on the way back.
hey could you just help me understand what the knob on the left side looking from the back is for ?
also i am having difficulties figuring out how the focus distance works
i cant seem to figure out how to set it
just got mine a few days ago
would be great if you can help me out
also thank you for this wonderful article
That knob doesn’t do anything really. You pull it up when loading the film, but that’s it. For focus, you estimate the distance to your subject, then dial that in on the focus scale.
Lovely little camera there, most impressed. So I’ll have to look out for one and snaffle it up. Must admit I am a bit partial to the range finder style.
Did u do the restoration Gary or did u have someone do it for u?
The sample photos are very impressive too. In particular the B&W one of East Sooke Park.
Now that there is another camera, an Ondu 6×12 pinhole, that provides all three formats that u mention with the Belairgo, would u consider obtaining one of them and doing a review? The sample images look a bit soft to me.
Interestingly they even mention an Ondu 6×6 pocket pinhole camera!
I’m new to the C35 Flashmatic and a bit confused. Mine doesn’t have 7 32 on the GN and the 28 90 are the ones in green instead of the 14 45. Does that mean anything? Oh, and what’s the safest “lens setting” for a C35 Flashmatic beginner like me?
I’m not familiar with the Flashmatic version, but assuming it’s like the regular Automatic, I’d just leave it in automatic mode, unless you’re using a flash, in which case you’d match the GN to the GN of your particular flash.
Glad u enjoyed your visit down to the best country this side of the Milky Way. Also what is wrong with our vegemite? Best delicacy we’ve ever produced! 😉
Must let me know if u are coming down this way again, we can do some observing and photography.
I am travelling from the mainland Europe to Edinburgh, UK. Following text can be found on the Airport security website:
“Specialist film (ISO 800 and above) under exceptional circumstances, when passed more than eight times through the hand-luggage security scanning machines, can be affected. However, the nature of the change occurring is barely noticeable to the naked eye and indeed does not become clearly visible until film is exposed around 32 times.”
further stated:
“Hand search requests for professional film will normally be accommodated, but the final decision in all individual cases will always rest with the on-duty security supervisor.”
So if I can believe this website it would take a ISO 102800 film to get only “barely visible effect”. I’ll spare you and myself the calculation to 32 times.
However this will not hold me back to still ask for a hand check!
I like the black and white version better as well. This photo is about shape, not colour, so black and white is the better choice. Also, I think the tree is too dark in the colour photo
That looks fantastical. I can imagine elves or fairies living in those mushrooms or hiding behind them as you bent down to make your photograph. Maybe you could make a photo of the French Beach fairies in honour(?) of the Cottingley fairies.
A very nice looking prime point n shoot, must look out for one. The lens on it is, as u mention, very clear and sharp. I note that most of your point n shoots are primes, whereas mine are nearly all zooms, so I need another prime model. 🙂
Thanks Gordon. I do have a couple of reviews of point-and-shoot zooms (the Espio 120SW, Yashica T4 zoom, and Espio 115G), but you’re quite correct — I’m more of a prime user. And that’s not just with pocket cameras. I don’t use zooms with my SLRs either.
After a few decades, and following gentle persuasion from my 24 year old son who has recently used an old SLR during a trip to India, I have taken my OM-10, which I purchased new in 1982, out of its camera bag and have been using it this week during a trip up to Scotland. I’m looking forward to viewing the results upon my return home.
Wow, great results from your IIIc. The accessory lenses do sound like an awful pain. But what other choices were there in the 50s for interchangeable lenses?
Now that I’ve sold the 4×5 stuff, my road trip camera will be the Hasselblad 500CM I’ve slowly amassed bits for over the years. After packing around the large(largish?) format system for years, I find the Hasselblad an ideal traveling camera as long as I can put it (and the tripod that accompanies it all the time) in a car. For the “where are we today?” type trips, the little digi-snapper gets carried most often (having lugged the ‘blad around and not using it one too many times).
Regarding the issue of wide angle lenses – do not try the 40mm. You may grow to like it. Then, your wallet and back may suffer. (I used it for one summer trip to the American SW deserts and have been successful in not buying one yet, though who knows how long that will last…) I love my 50mm and it was much less expensive and is certainly lighter.
I have an Electro 35 CC and love it. I didn’t like it at first, the whole Electro metering display with the over/under indicators instead of seeing your shutter speed takes some getting used to. However it gives great results and is the only fixed lens rangefinder of this type with a 35mm lens as far as I know.
I have way too many cameras but I just bought a GX because of how much I like the CC.
I am sure your Yashica is a fine camera but I don’t think it’s fair to criticize other brands.My first manual camera was a Minolta x700 which I still use to this day aand love it more then my Minolta 7000 and my 7xi which both are very great cameras. As for my Olympus om1n you do realize it to has a lockup mirror, maybe you have just become to comfortable with your Yashica , me I love trying out different cameras even my Canon AE1 Program. The reason I have not invested in a dslr is because I view it as a giant point and shoot camera with fantastic features. To me manual cameras makes you a pro.I can operate any of my cameras without the use of a meter because I seen so many lighting situation I can usually determine what f numbers or shutter speed to use without the f 16 rule. So I am sure if I ever use a Yashica I will find the same enjoyment using it as with any other manual camera I get my hands on.I think I love getting it wrong just to go back and try it again.so my advice to film users, get out there and get into the moment of challenge and enjoyment.
Hardly an unfair criticism to note that the OM-1 and OM-2 lack the self-timer mirror-release pre-fire feature, which is something I find far more useful than the mirror lock up in the OM-1 (another feature the OM-2 lacks). But as I point out in my review of the Yashica, the Olympus OMs have a better build quality. And I think if you poke around this site you’ll find that, like you, I enjoy trying many different cameras. In fact, I rarely use the Yashica.
Hello there! really useful article about the T4! I bought one at 120 usd mint condition in Taiwan…
I haven’t developed the films I took yet but I’m pretty excited about how the pics will look like!
Hello there, thanks for the review. I just found my dads Yashica 35mf, and had no luck finding a manual. I had a question or 2, and I don’t know too much about older cameras so please bare with me. With all the batteries in(no film), how can you tell if the camera is on/working?
Keep in mind that you need a set of AA batteries for the flash and a second, small battery for the camera’s functions. You can check to see if it’s working by aiming it a bright light and checking the aperture (by looking at the lens), then aiming it at a dim light and see if the aperture opens wider when you fire off a shot.
Yeah I got the 1.5 v battery the other day. Again, I’m not the brightest when it comes to cameras, especially older ones. But this one is in perfect looking condition, and has all the parts so I figured I’d try. I aimed it at a bright light and didn’t really notice anything. I aimed it at a dim light, took a shot and only noticed the shutter lens open and close fast.
The meter in the viewfinder seems fine. The dial will go up when I point the camera towards a bright light, and then go down as it gets away from the bright light.
I’ve been traveling Europe for about 4 1/2 months now and brought 20 rolls of Kodak Portra 400 with me on my travels. I hadn’t done any prior research to my trip and all of my rolls have been on about five flights total inside my checked-in luggage. Upon doing some research and still currently traveling, I’m worried all of my film is going to be fried when I get them developed.
I realize it’s completely my fault but I’m hoping atleast some of the film is still salvagable.
Has anyone had any experience dealing with film that has gone through checked-in luggage x-rays?
Very useful brief on the camera. I am a lucky owner of Yashica FX3 Super 2000. Have procured ISO 200 roll. Will start using it. Only problem is of developing and printing the film roll in this digital age. Thank you for review.
I’m taking my Nikon F4 and a lot of Portra, even some 160vc, I’m afraid they’ll check the film inside my camera. There’s a roll of Portra in there currently and I leave next week, should I try wind it out and attempt to leave the leader out or should I keep it in there and hope they don’t ask to inspect it?
Hey, Zac,
what happened with your filme? Did you already developed?
The same happened to me! I traveled with my undeveloped filme on my checked in luggage and now I’m afraid I lost it 🙁
I will know the result next month.
I hope i’ll be lucky.
hah good luck for you too!
There is something about a coloured door that makes me feel good. Maybe it leads me to think that the people who live or work inside the building are bright or colourful themselves? Or maybe just because 95% of doors in Korea are made of grey steel and windowless and ant bit of colour is a relief.
I own one of these cameras. I really like it since it’s quite small and quite light (compared to any Praktica aka the tank is so easy) and i like what i get.
I was wondering if you know any slr smaller or lighter. I’ve seen you’ve shown the OM-1 and the OM-2 as one of the smallest SLR.
Just found one of these at a thrift shop, love the look and feel. Any idea how this thing operates without a battery? I remember the electro shutter would lock at 500 without a battery.. once I got used to adjusting aperture without the light meter I was happy as hell with the thing..
wondering if I can get away with that on this little guy
I don’t even bother with lomography red scale. I usually ebay (if that’s a word,) Redscale film that is respooled….or reserved. I am thinking of giving Lomography redscale, a second chance…(third if you want to count the great guys at the film photography project Respooling redscale lomography for 620 cameras…It turned out yellow, not orange or red…)
My question is since I’m using my canon this time around not any of the holgas I have, when you shoot it with a filter such as an 85b pale orange or a red filter; What effects if any would it produce? I heard if you use a green filter (which I lost a year or two ago) It makes the red darker and pop out more but your backround is green(?)
Thanks for the review. I just bought a Pen-S on eBay to continue my Olympus collection: OM1, XA3, and my Fav 35RC. My has most of the same features but as you pointed out, no arrow, shutter button changes etc. Incidentally, my lens has f2.8 and a beautiful Olympus clear lens glass that screws on.
An extreme solutions with black and white film would be that you could bring the chemicals (in the allowed amounts) to process it at your place of stay. Of course that doesn’t help undeveloped film.
That was my very first slr. in the late 80’s i bought for my savings ( i was only 15 years old) i lent to one of my friends. he dropped it on the floor and that was the end of the Yaschica.
for sentimental reasons I’m looking now for a one.
I’ve recently gotten into film photography and was fortunate enough to stumble across this little gem while spring cleaning. It looks to be in working condition and nothing seems to be broken except for the light meter even after I’ve popped in some fresh batteries (which subsequently worked on my Pentax).
Not too sure what to make of it but was wondering if it’s worth taking it to a professional to get it fixed (that means needing to track down an old man/woman who still fixes manual cameras) or should I just deal with it and use a separate light meter instead?
Light meter issues with these are almost always power issues. When you look in the battery chamber, does it look as if the contacts are clean and shiny? Any sign of a previous battery leaking? Nine times out of ten, that’s the problem.
I bought a wp-1 back in 1999-2000
It’s been from the Great Barrier Reef Australia to the Chilkoot Trail, Yukon Canada (twice) and points all over in between.
It’s a damn good camera…. But it’s only water poof to 100 feet. I pushed it too far. After 20 years the seal in the door latch or the selector dial on the front let a drop or two of salt water in. It’s doomed.
If anybody has a lightly used one… I’m interested.
HI! great article. I stumble into a contina iia, bought it for cheap. Its in really great shape, I am going through my first role test role. I notice you took a photo in victoria bc, I live in victoria. anyways, great article really informative for us the novice. I look forward to my photos, just a couple of more shots to go. where do you develop your film?
Great shot garry! wow! I also have a pentax me super that I am shooting b&w film with. I am going to try some developing my self I hear b&w is easier. what sort of scanner do you use?
They recommend to remove all film from the checked baggage and to place it in the carry-on baggage. And processed film will be unaffected by x-rays.
However, I think, that heavy x-ray influence still may impact the processed instant films.
=> Has anybody experience with processed instant films (from Impossible Project)?
Thanks!
couldn’t agree more. The Hasselblad haging from the neck can easily be shot at 1/125s, maybe even at 1/60s with an 80mm lens and if you find some other way to support it, like kneeling down and placing it on your knee or Neil’s really fine idea with the strap from the tripot mount (thanks Neil, will definitly try it), you can go down further without problems.
I carry the camera together with all equipment (501CM with waist level finder, 50mm, 80mm and 160mm and two backs) and all films (never check films in at airports) in a camera bag or backpack to my destination and then I put the camera with one lens and back around my neck, the other two lenses and one back go in a really small belt pouch together with a few spare films, two or three filters and a tiny Gossen Digisix light meter and I am ready to go. Nothing in the hands, the weight of the pouch is not felt at all, only the camera around my neck can be felt after some time. I see no problem at all with a Hasselblad as travel camera.
If I would take my Nikon D800 with my two zoom lenses (24-70 2.8 and 80-200 2.8), I would not carry much less. But I do not enjoy the Nikon as much as I do the Hasselblad.
And one more comment to the Hasselblad: I own the Hasselblad mentioned above with 50mm, 80mm and 160mm, I own a Mamiya 7II with a few nice lenses that I use by far not often enough, a D800, that I use almost never and keep only because I always think, that I cannot abandon digital completely, and several Nikon SLRs (F2AS, F3, FM2). I also purchased a 4×5 camera with 180mm some timy ago but have not decided yet, if this really is the way I want to shoot.
Of all these cameras there is only one camera that will never leave me, that I will never sell or give away and that – should it be destroyed or stolen one day will at once be replaced by a similar camera and that is the glorious 501CM.
At US airports the hand search is a nice option. Of cause it might be more difficult if you shoot sheet film (4×5″ and larger), because they come in a paper box in which you could hide anything and if you open the paper, the films are exposed. So there is only the x-ray.
In Europe you can forget hand search completely. They will insist on the x-ray. I never had any problems with my films (mostly ISO100, sometimes Tri-X 400 and Portra 400) so I do not worry to much.
But in general I would not really worry anyhow. If I travel to some place in the USA, I have my hotel adress a few days before I get there so two or three days before I get there, I make a mail order from Adorama or B&H and it will be there a day after my arrival.
In Germany there is Fotoimpex who send out the goods within the following day latest and German post usually works overnight.
As long as you stay within countries like the USA, Canada, western and central European countries or Japan, Hongkong, etc. there is zero problem to get the film locally. If you use C-41 films you can even get the developed without any problem before you fly home.
Hi, I just enjoy your B&Ws with Ilford XP2 Super 400. I recently shot a role of the XP2 and was very surprised that it is far superior to most of the “real” B&W films I tested. Your photographs show the full potential of this film.
Just bought an Olympus Stylus Epic DLX at a car boot sale for 1 euro!! Looking forward to having some fun with it and seen that it’s had some good reviews.
The WP-1 says it is not waterproof to streams of water (eg tap) because it needs even pressure on the seals to force the seal tight so it can be waterproof. The O-ring needs to be compressed, and a water stream could force its way in. Otherwise I really liked your review. Cheers, Ken
I just got one of these and put a test roll in it. The issue I had was that the rewind knob/lever turned once when I was loading the film but not after that. I took about 2o or so shots not knowing if the film was advancing. Finally I rewound the film and judging from the tension, it had actually advanced. Has anyone else had this problem?
I’m using an Epson 4990 scanner to scan 35mm slides. In some of the dark areas they turn purple. What setting would I use to eliminate this and get the best scans. I post images on line and make prints. Thank You.
I shot another roll and again, the rewind knob advanced once while loading the film but not after that. This time I just trusted that the film was advancing and kept shooting. Sure enough, after 37 shots I couldn’t advance any further.
I got the film back and I agree with Gary’s assessment; the lens and metering are really nice. The Yashica 35 MF reminds me a lot of the Canon A35F, which also has auto-exposure and a built in flash. The main difference is that the Canon has a 40mm lens as opposed to a 38mm and has a rangefinder.
I wish the rewind knob turned when advancing the film but overall this camera is definitely a keeper.
Great article, written with knowledge and style (no 13 pages here), thank you. I had scans like the one in part 6 but without the dark band to the right, I upgraded to Vuescan for my canon usb flatbed scanner and immediately got these plus sometimes green or blueish hue in the background. I cleaned the glass then tried to take the unit apart till I discovered it was glued and mucked around with white point but when I performed a re-calibration in the advanced or “professional” section “Voila” problem gone. Mind you, now I have to learn what all the “hidden” sections do to tweak it as default clears it all, ah well better than failing, and I do like to fiddle as long as I have a win on occasion.
Upgrade, seems like all I had to do was go back to “standard” settings and all is good. Also Vuescan resurrects a lot of old scanners but I would strongly suggest to do the trial first on all intended scanners (limit of four for “family”) mine is now great but my 85 yo. Dads setup just won’t seem to work and it’s on the list, as well as I have screen shared his screen on Skype for many incarnations of the theme. There could be some other issues though as he is sometimes high maintenance of the “don’t know what it is so move it or throw it away variety” Phew, thank goodness we are mac cause it just keeps going anyway. A friend told me at the start of my computing with a new Mac Classic 2 “Their not as smart as chickens” that is they only do what their told, a chicken can change its mind. Very wise words as it turns out.
I have been travelling with sheet film for 30 yrs and rarely had a problem with fog, because I packed it in a lead case, maybe just a little at times depending on how many times I went through security checks, but the fog would be slight and over the whole surface, and I could print through this ‘base fog’…BUT for the first time yesterday I had a serious problem, which I thought I should share. When I flew to a distant location I packed my 4×5 in a lead envelope as usual…unexposed. To my dismay when I personally developed my film locally, the whole pack of film had a serious exposed band about 1 cm all the way across the surface, and all the way through it, at exactly the same spot. At first I thought it might be me, camera?bellows?lens? Nope! When I developed a sheet from the brand new unexposed package, it too had the band and I could see another slight band at the top of the sheet also. I know for a fact that a new generation of scanning equipment is in operation in airports and these are VERY powerful…my error was too pack my film in lead, because when the scanner cannot see through it, a second more powerful burst of X-Rays is sent and that one destroys everything! Including passengers and the poor security official believing what he is told and spending days on end sending bursts of X-Rays or Gama Rays at this point!
If there is a moral to this story, I think the best thing would be to ship the film directly from a reputable photo/film supplier via a trustworthy carrier eg Fed Ex…but to inquire with both if this is possible and what security checks the film will go through….
I hope this little piece of advice might prove useful…and I wish you all the best to all you Film Lovers out there. When there is a will, there is a way!
Yea, it’s August 2016…after reading your englightening article, I found this Yashica FX-3 Super 2000 with Ml 50mm F2.0 at my local camera shop in suprisingly good condition.
Apart from its fairly loud shutter I couldn’t help liking it; and have recently added an Ml 28mm F2.8. Now I am looking to add an external flash. Cheers, you coaxed me into a Yashica fan!.
In your experience, will security personnel inspect a camera containing partially exposed but undeveloped film? Or does the camera itself need to go through the X-ray scanner (as I would expect they would insist on, given it’s an electro-mechanical device). In this case, I assume the guidance would be to rewind partially exposed rolls and have them hand checked.
I’ve travelled on one trip with undeveloped rolls of Ilford Delta 3200, which were scanned at least 2-3 times going through airports. I didn’t notice any fogging in that case, but I will try to have my film hand checked in the future.
Too Edge, If you ruined your WP-1, I need the little roller on the opposite roll tensioner, dual pin about 6mm, looks like a barbell. The one I bought on ebay is missing it and it scratches thought the back of the film now and again. I made a replacement from a bobby pin, wont know the result for a few weeks. of testing. Sure does take a nice picture, it survived White Water park this weekend without a drop getting in it.
Thanks
Hi Gary! Very useful article. I’ve recently purchased a Yashica 35MF and my mind has gone blank when it comes to photography now (it’s been a few years!).
I remember the basics, but I wanted to ask if you had any suggestions as to where to get a battery (what type etc) and where to get film from?
It all depends on where you live. Usually you can still get film locally, but if not, one of the big New York shops (B&H or Adorama) is great for mail order.
Just for your info, I HAVE shopped several of Seoul’s Used camera districts, (I was there for seven years) and they are immense. I perused these places regularly and the most striking thing to notice for a foreigner is that there is very little pricing difference. Generally speaking, any special Interest group in Korea is very tight and they all seem up on each other as far as supply and demand.
Oh, and I have a Konica Big Mini BM300 which I picked up at a garage sale here in Canada for a toonie! Works perfectly.
Hey Gary, thanks for the article on the IIIc! I bought one of these from my local repair guy when I was fresh out of college. I loved the feel and quirkiness of it and soon found, as you did, that the optics and accuracy of the camera are exceptional so I’d often take it on shoots with me alongside much more quick/modern cameras like my Nikon FM series where it fit in just fine. About 5 years ago, I accidentally got the 50mm lens stuck crooked on the mount while swapping it back from the 80mm and it sat unused but not forgoteen until a few days ago when I was taking some other cameras in for repair. My repair guy was able to remove the 50 and today I have it with me, taking photos again. I am excited to work it into my rotation again and hopefully, now that I have been using Leica’s for several years, to put this top notch, fun little rangefinder to better use! Here are just a few photos I took with it previously.
I’m curious..I have a film from the 40’same I believe. I will be traveling from Seattle to Las Vegas soon. I want to take it with me to have it looked at by a German History buff. The film is a 9.2mm Austrian tape. Will it be safe to travel with?
I find this topic quite interesting as I was planning on travelling with film, but I guess I’ll just develop it before getting on the plane. Question though: so how do film rolls come to Europe and other continents without being damaged? I suppose the cargo shipments get scanned as well? Interested to know.
Couldn’t agree more with your argument for medium format as a travel camera. Although I don’t own a Hasselblad, I do go walking/hiking with a Mamiya RZ67, two film backs, and 2-3 lenses. If you’re making an effort to visit an interesting location, I reckon it’s worth the effort to get good image quality.
If the walk involves a lot of steep climbing, or if it’s actually a bike ride, then I compromise by carrying just a Fujifilm GA645Zi – which is light enough to be un-noticeable.
I have two of them and they are my favourite 35mm cameras. I generally prefer medium format, and I reckon if I’m going to carry a 35mm camera it may as well score on compactness.
I use a 43.5mm – 52mm step up ring so that I can share filters with a wide range of other cameras.
That does sound like something’s not working–perhaps the flash element itself is defective/burnt out or the wires connecting it are broken. But your understanding of what *should* happen is correct.
Hello again! As I am a yashica 35mf user, this camera does intrigue me. I just started using the film camera, and want to develop my knowlege or skills further by using cameras step by step. Cuz I am aware that if I use fully automatic ones now, it would definitely kill my interest. So I wonder if you have any recommendation on cameras to use in the future steadily for the beginners like myself. I hope it all made sense to you. Thanks. and happy Christmas!
Hello, Gary! thank you, Your post about yashica35mf and this one did help me out a lot. BTW do u have any camera recommendation for beginners like me? I dont think I can operate fully automtic ones, so I looking for ones that in between yashica35mf and full auto cameras. Somewhat simple with operation 🙂 thank you for listening and happy new year
Hi, Gary.
The library one is my personal favourite this year. I can’t quite explain why, but the composition feels right despite not being perfectly centered, and overall mood of the picture is calm, if it makes any sense.
I’ve been reading your blog for two years now, and it seems like what you wrote on not taking pictures also applies to your blog. Or at least it seems like posts are less frequent then they were a year and a half ago.
Anyway, hope you’ll have a great year, with many pictures worth seeing a second time.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Yes, I’ve been posting fewer images, largely as a function of taking fewer. But I also try to post only when I feel I have something worth posting. Creativity (regrettably) doesn’t run on a schedule, at least for me. I think a common mistake a lot of photographers (and other creative people) make is committing to a regular schedule, be it a photo a day or a roll a week, or whatever. You can get trapped into posting stuff that might not be your best work. I try not to do that. And while the pictures that appear here may not appeal to very many people (or even be particularly good), they do represent the best I’m capable of. That’s really all I can offer.
Hi Gary, I just got a 35 mf and I will try my first roll on her (Negrita is her name) lol and while I loaded the film and advance to get to the first frame I noticed that the rewind knob doesn’t move, I tried to go clockwise to put some tension and to b sure and it is right. I read in somewhere that someone had the same situation, is that normal or is just my camera?
Thank u sooooo much for putting this together, ur site is the only place to find info about this little camera, hope to hear from u soon.
Alex
As far as I can remember, it should be possible to “take up the slack” by gently turning the rewind control counterclockwise. Once you have, the rewind should rotate clockwise when you advance the film. This is a good way to check that the film has been wound on properly.
All I can suggest is reading through my various camera reviews and see if any of the ones I’ve written about appeal to you and how you like to take pictures. Otherwise, I’m just guessing!
Hey! Thanks for the article. It’s been very helpful.
I have a question about the battery. I didn’t know what size it had to be so I went with a 357, 1.5v silver oxide battery. However, the meter is not working. What kind of battery did you use? I’m thinking of trying an A76 next.
I recently bought a nikon FE2 (used but in great condition). I took a trip from Victoria -> Cabo ->Toronto -> Victoria so I went through 3 carry on scanners with it. When I tried to get the film developed they told me it wouldn’t work and suggested it could have been the x-rays. Looking at the film there are no frames or anything, just a foggy wave going horizontally across the whole strip. Could the xrays be that damaging? or does this sound more like a user/camera error?
Hi! I found this camera at my house my parents used to use it when I was a kid and they were going to get rid of it, but since I was getting into photography, I decided to take it! I was wondering if you knew of any places or websites where I could purchase film for it? I can’t seem to find it anywhere!
This is totally linkspam, but at least it’s relevant: I too wrote a review of this venerable camera. We agree, and we disagree. Interested readers, click onward.
Thank you for this information. I’d forgotten I had the MF and when I unearthed it recently couldn’t remember how to use it. Especially useful was activating the flash. I was defeated until I read this. Unfortunately, the AA battery compartment lid broke and I have it taped on .
Frustrating that no manual was available on line. I think you have given me all the info I need Thank you so much.
Miss the warmth of the sunlight and sparkling water of ogden point aorund this time of the year. Walking around and to the beaconhill park was one of my favs, when I stayed in Victoria. Thank you for the throwback. Wanna go Back there so badly.
I just bought one today and it was not cheap either! I paid 1500INR to own one. I’ve already loaded it with a roll of ILFORD 400 and dying to go out and shoot. I know it will be great fun. I really like the no nonsense feel of the camera. Thanks again for your valuable insights!
Hello,
I love my RETINA IIIC. I am a swiss photographer and I bought it some years ago for 50 francs. The lens XENON is GREAT !!!!! I use it for concert photos…..
it is very difficult to change the speed and apertures in low light context but you must be ready before going in the place…..
Great camera, Great design, I thin the lens is better than my leitz !!!!!
I just picked up an OM10 and am loving it and the only real issue I’ve had so far is with the exposure meter auto turning off after a few minutes.
Does anyone know if when shooting aperture priority does the metering switch have to be turned on for AP to work or am I okay if it’s turned itself off?
I still own one of these, I bought it in 1984 before returning to the UK from Canada after 11 years. I bough a set of batteries for it and it fired, the manual adapter is a bit stiff but after a few days of use it’s back to normal. I also use the OM lenses on my DSLR using an adapter. Strangely I also have a Pressman f4, 80-200mm push-pul zoom lens which takes soem fantastic shots even on the DSLR.
Hi Gary!
Nice review!
I just found my dad´s Electro GT (black, no hot shoe, ASA 1000) which has been stored for 20 years when he passed away. He bought this camera in 1972, just before he had to attend at a 6 month training on marine (mandatory at that time) travelling along the world on the Fragata A.R.A. Libertad (I´m argentinian by the way).
So, he bought a Yashica camera for the long trip, via mail order, and took great photos of Uruguay, Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica, Panama, U.S.A., Spain, Germany, the UK, and even Africa.
Once I found it, I had to repair the light seals, manage to make a battery adapter and also clean the fungus on the lens. Fortunately, the POD is still working for now.
I just finished the first roll and I´m pretty anxious of seeing the results.
Unfortunately, when I was shooting the last 5 or 6 photos, the focus ring started to get stuck, so next week I´ll take it to a tecnician as it is a more difficult thing to repair.
Everything that I have read about this cameras is great, besides all the fixing that it needs, and even I haven´t tested so many rangefinders, I think this is the one for me.
I have a canon AE1 camera and will be travelling out of the country with it. I’m wondering if the film in my camera is safe? I would hate to waste a roll of film (I’ve only taken 3/24 exposures) What is the procedure for checking film cameras?
Hello, i don’t understand what GN means. I thought that those numbers would be the f or the speed but i dont know what they are, and the battery doesnt work si you say that if ir hasnt got a battery it shoots just un one speed?
Interesting cameras also make interesting conversations with interested people and sometimes interesting and unexpected portraits. Don’t underestimate the value of an interesting tool…it makes subjects feel special. If you doubt me, read Keira Knightly’s interview with Peter Lindbergh!
This is still happening to me rather frequently : a 69-years-old man’s memory is sometimes blurred.
I’m relieved to be not that alone !!
Thanks for your website.
JFB
I’ve just bought this little beauty, but I’m not sure if the metering will work properly with 1,5V battery. Shouldn’t I set for example 100 ISO for my 200 ISO film to compensate it?
I know why you took this photo. Look at the white van, it’s next to a white building, and the dark car is parked on dark asphalt. It’s as if each vehicle belongs in it’s own area that it controls. At least that’s what I thought. As if the vehicles are holding on to their own territories.
Hey,
I have a chance to purchase the same camera with ML 135mm f2.8 lenses
Or with DSB 50mm f1.9. Which lenses should I, in your opinion, choose?
Thank you
Politely, If you want sharp images take along some sort of a tripod. The difference between a handheld shot and one taken with a tripod is always greater than one would think. Hasselblads are not easy to handhold at the best of times in any event. Besides which, a tripod will help you compose better too. It depends what you want to achieve; there are no hard and fast rules but if you want to shoot landscapes and without a tripod then a Fuji rangefinder is a far better bet. My Fuji 690 wide has an unforgivable fault. Instead of a “bulb” shutter speed it has a “T”! What were they thinking of! Impossible to shoot “T” without jarring the camera!
I shoot mostly digital nowadays and I tend not to shoot landscapes. Regards.
Thanks for the comment. While I certainly agree on the benefits of a tripod, I have found that it is possible to get sharp images handheld with the Hasselblad using the methods I describe here. I have a Fuji rangefinder too, and in my experience, the Hasselblad works better for landscapes. But then, I generally prefer the square format. Certainly, I don’t see an advantage in sharpness with the rangefinder.
Hi: two things; 1) politeness is not the same in the whole world. There are countries where they are even more paranoiac at airports or checkpoints than others. I agreed with all that you said here, but if for any reason at check screen security you insist to explain why you ask for a hand check in some countries, they will be refusing to do so until you´re dead. I am mexican, and in México authorities don´t give a shit about politeness, sad but true.
2) I am a 40 years experienced photographer (ten of them spent as a photojournalist in old times not digital) who had traveled quite a few thousand miles, and to say something extra to a more relax extent, I would tell you for sure, that I even traveled wit ISO 3200 and nothing happens not even noticed change in the quality end when my film were developed.
As shit happens, sometimes even miracles also happens. 🙂
I still have mine I bought in 1980. Don’t use it too much (recently bought a Canon DSLR to photograph my son’s wedding).
It’s sitting as a display item at the moment. Strangely enough though, getting a DSLR makes me want to go back to film on the om-10!
Dear Gary,
Just enlarge your frame to a yard wide both with and without a good tripod. You’ll see the difference immediately. Why do you think the pro landscape photographers always use a tripod? If you are determined not to use a tripod then again a Fuji 6×7 or 6×9 will make a Hasselblad frame appear silly. A rangefinder has no mirror, and who now makes lenses for Hasselblad? Why, Fuji.! It matters not whether or not you follow this advice but for me photography is my living. And yes, of course I can handhold a camera. I worked for national newspapers and press agencies for years. BTW, and slightly off topic I remember shooting a royal Garden party from the roof of Buckingham Palace and used a manual 600mm Nikkor lens with two tripods! Tripods are your friends; if nothing else, take a long a sturdy monopod. All this stuff about being able to shoot as sharp with a handheld camera, especially a Hasselblad is a nonsense. But it’s your choice. I am not your client.
Well, as I said, I’m not disputing the benefits of a tripod. But you have to keep things in context. The article was about how, contrary to the beliefs of many, the Hasselblad *can* be a fine travel camera. If you don’t mind the added burden of a tripod, by all means, bring one along–I certainly do when I have the space and am in a situation where I expect to have the time to set one up. My point is that one can (if one takes the steps I describe) get sharp images without doing so.
I sincerely appreciate your comments and perspective.
Just found one in a thrift store! Got Fujicolor 200 film for it – would you say that would work well? I plan to shoot only outdoors, full sunlight. Thanks for this informative post!
You should be fine with 200 speed film, but you’ll be stopping down to f/16 and running at the fastest shutter speed in bright daylight, so I wouldn’t use anything faster, unless you anticipate lots of low-light shooting.
Possibly a silly question but … does this apply to all film, whether it has been exposed or not ? Is the film at risk before I even shoot any pictures ? I’m doubtful whether I can buy and/or process 120 film in some countries I’m planning to visit so I’m trying to understand the risk !
Enjoyed reading this article, just got my OM 10 down , after many years in drawer, case like new, and instruction book still with it, been using small Samsung ES55 for general photography, but my old OM10 pictures are exceptional so going to give it a try again, ordered film and batteries from Amazon tonight..
Hi; this is a very useful article. Thank you for posting it.
Sorry if I missed the answer for what I’m about to ask; I checked also other articles.
I know that unprocessed film is at risk, but I’ve read that exposed film is even more sensitive than unexposed one. I’ve also read about the number of times that a film could be scanned without expecting damage: like around 4 or 5 times for ISO400 film, for example. What is the number to expect when the film is exposed? Half that of the unexposed?
Your article brought back some great memories. I purchased my OM10 in Hong Kong in 1986, (had just turned 22). Knew nothing about camera’s or photography but lugged it and two surfboards through India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Java and Bali. Got some fantastic shots and memories. Might dig it out again !!
I discovered Yashica when I went looking for a replacement of my venerable Mamiya 1000DTL. I didn’t have the money to spend on Nikon and wanted a reliable all manual camera. I bought the Yashica FR brand new and also another Yashica body….I think it was the FXD. Got a power winder for the FR. Took both cameras and an assortment of lenses to Africa in 1985 along with an assortment of films. I shot hundreds of frames….maybe thousands…..and neither camera ever even hiccuped. I became enamoured with a Minolta auto-focus-exposure whiz-bang some time later. I hated it. It took my creativity away in favor of a glorified point and shoot camera which, it turns out, was the decision every camera maker made to mass market “photography”. I don’t take pictures much any more. My old Yashicas with a dozen or so manual lenses are in my storage unit….probably still work. I remember them fondly….along with my darkrooms and spending long hours in the dark getting it “just right”. If someone wanted to really piss me off back then, after viewing one of my gallery prints they could do so easily by asking me, “great shot–what kind of camera did you use?” As if the camera had much to do with it. I currently own two digitals….a simple point and shoot and a Fujifilm with a rather impressive non-interchangeable lens. They’re both auto everything….and yes, you can use the Fuji in manual mode I guess…..but by the time you get it to work that way you’ve probably lost the shot. Gone are the days where composition and light were so important. Today…Photoshop will fix anything. Sad.
Great photos and so sharp. l have been thinking of buying a Contax camera and a nice Carl Zeiss lens. But after seeing your work l may think about the all Yashica del up.
I own a ridiculous number of film cameras and take great joy in shooting them. Today I stumbled across one of these sweet little Yashicas with the 50mm f/1.9 lens in a thrift store for $16. It was was filthy and the battery was dead (naturally) but everything else appeared to be working perfectly. After installing a fresh LR44 battery the meter came to life, but was not working smoothly. A couple drop of Ronsonol around the shutter release button and a few dozen advance and fire cycles has it working perfectly again. A good top to bottom cleaning and it is looking beautiful and is ready to go. Not to many of my manual cameras have a 1/2000 shutter speed. This should add some flexibility when shooting faster film. I just loaded a roll of Fujicolor Superia 400 and am going to take it for a spin in the morning. Thanks for the excellent review. It got me very excited to try out my latest addition!
I recently discover your blog, and I like it very much, I’m spending this days reading all your old post on favourite cameras and how to, I’m attending the part three of scanning basic 🙂
Hi Gary. Just popping in to say that your article on the Olympus OM-10 convinced me that the model is meant to be my first 35mm! Keep up the good work. Also, if you’d be able to redirect me to other archive locations where you showcase more OM-10 work it would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Gary, nice. Just curious why it’s called Kentucky Lake. I live in Kentucky, which I assumed was unique because of the Native American name for their hunting grounds which encompass most of what is present day Kentucky.
I keep going back and forth between digital and film. I was an early adopter, like you. I had a Casio point-and-shoot that came out in 98 or 99. That died from static electricity and I went and bought a Nikon F55. Then came the Nikon D70. No more buying film! And then came a Contax 645, and then came, and then came, and so on and so on. I always feel torn between the convenience of digital and the beauty of film. I’m currently using a new Fujifilm X-T3, which has the convenience of digital but also the beauty of film. Almost. I haven’t made prints from it yet. Despite having this lovely new camera, my Nikon F6 and Zeiss Ikon ZM are both sitting on my shelf with film in them. Maybe I don’t have to choose. I can use whichever camera takes my fancy on a particular day.
That Kodak Gold 100 has lovely colours, by the way. I might order a roll of that to try out.
“No amount of reading blogs like this one or watching YouTube videos will teach you as much as you’ll learn by simply doing the thing you’re trying to get better at.”
So true!
That Continamatic delivers stunning color on KG100. Beautiful!
Hi Marcus:
Thanks for the comment. I’m sorry to say that Gold 100 is no more. There might be some old stock floating around out there, but it was discontinued years ago. Thankfully, there’s Ektar 100, which I think is better. (You’ll note that most of the colour shots here are with Ektar.)
Gary
That explains why there was none at the website where I buy film. I’ve used Ektar (I can see a roll on the shelf from where I’m sitting) and the colours are very nice indeed. The Classic Chrome film simulation on the Fujifilm X-T3 is a bit like Ektar, to my eye.
I really like the strong lines created by the clouds, the hills, the fence, and the shadow of the fence. And the wonderful Ektar colours, of course.
Your photo doesn’t have the atrocious vignetting I see in the photos on Lomo’s LC-A 120 website. Is this perhaps something the lomographers add themselves later in computer?
Hi Marcus:
The camera definitely vignettes, but you can choose to enhance or suppress that effect to some extent. Heavy vignetting seems to be a part of the whole Lomography aesthetic, so some do choose to enhance the shading. I’ll likely be posting a review of the camera here soon and I’ll get into more detail about it then.
Gary
I read about the LCA120, and saw quite a few pictures taken with this (expensive) camera.
I assure you this one of yours is the first very convincing technically speaking.
As for the composition, this picture is simply admirable.
Lovely texture and tone. Is it my eyes, or is there a slight warm tone to this? I used to use Kodak’s C-41 black and white film and sometimes it would take on a slight purple tone, which was not that unpleasant.
Very beautiful. You are really getting some good quality out of that camera.
This scene looks similar to the barrens in eastern Newfoundland. The brown, bare hills, the ‘puddle ponds’ in the low areas, and the solitary trees. The Newfoundland barrens are quite boggy, though (like the rest of the island), and I don’t see bog here.
The mill machinery being lighter than the house and background is a gift for a photographer. I like the framing because it’s cut out all distractions. Did you make any photos of the mill set against the hill/mountain in the background?
That’s a fantastic photo. I love the wide field of view, and the three horizontal figures (people?) add real interest. The color palette is pleasing, too.
I’ve today discovered your site, I’ve started to read it back month by month, unable to stop.
Very good photos, a lot of love, time passing but passion survive.
I’d like many people from all the world start a blog like your, to see different places, different faces, different cities. Every photo is a story, and the stories join the people.
May be one day I’ll do: places and faces from Italy.
Thankyou, I’ve something new to wait.
Good review of the CP-5s. I also came across one of them in a thrift store with corroded batteries, but they were asking too much for it so I took a pass. After reading your review, I know it wouldn’t have been a good fit for me anyway.
I already have the Chinon CG-5 and CE-4, as well as a GAF L-17 (rebadged M-1). Chinon was a lot like Cosina, a maker of good and solid, if not basic, cameras for other companies. Chinon, I think did a better job of marketing cameras under their own brand, however. The Memotron series still commands good prices and has some very loyal fans.
I once did a cheap camera challenge with a Vivitar XV-20 and the Chinon 50mm f1.9 ($15 total) and was blown away by the images I got. The color and contrast were as good as almost anything else I own. The Chinon 55mm f1.7 (M42) and 50mm f1.9 (PK) are stellar lenses, IMO.
Just want to call out a small correction – Wenatchee. Did you make it any further west to Leavenworth?
Great shots, really. Very dimensional. Makes me want to get out and shoot right away… Do you carry more than one vintage camera when you are out to photograph? Do you mix film with digital cameras on the same shoot?
Hi Bob:
Thanks!
I usually do carry more than one camera–often one with black-and-white film and one with colour, or some mix of 35mm and medium format. I don’t shoot digital at all very much.
Gary
Nice shot. Ektar has handled the situation well (of course, given a photographer that knows what he is doing!).
The pattern in the screen is weird – an artifact of a digital image that disappears when the file is printed – but it adds to the effect.
Nice work all through your site, by the way!
Thoughtful advice. Thank you for sharing it! I haven’t flown in a couple years but my wife and I are thinking about a trip overseas next year and of course I’ll want to shoot film.
I had this exact experience recently. We visited my father in law who lives in a different state. He had this old Canon EXEE with 800 film loaded and gifted it to me. When I arrived at the airport I asked for a hand inspection but the results came back positive so they ultimately had to run it through the x-ray machine. My father in law’s not sure what’s on the film but he thinks it was last loaded in the 80’s. I’m going to shoot the remainder of the film and try to develop it. I just hope the film isn’t completely ruined. Crossing fingers.
While shooting in Utah a few years ago, I mailed the exposed rolls directly to a lab before the flight home to the East Coast. It helps if the lab is within a a few states nearby. The unexposed film I placed in a clear zip lock bag and handed it to an agent before going through the arch. Even if something got exposed there it would be a loss of irreplaceable shots, just raw film.
Gary,
Thanks for your thoughts on the Karoron. Your camera looks like it’s in good shape. I was wondering which model you had… it seems that yes, the scale focus model had the frame counter, but the RF version did not. I guess they needed the space on then top plate for the rangefinder, and the frame counter was eliminated. I had thought I saw an example of your shots in B&W, but I guess they’re all in color using the ASA 100 film. I have the RF version and have yet to try it soon, and recently bought some Arista 100 to shoot first. Then I’ll try color. I’m looking forward to seeing what the lens can do. Your “Autumn Glory” was amazing… One question, though… you’ve shot with this folder and others… have you ever had to seal light leaks in the bellows? What did you use?
Hi Bob:
I don’t recall having any trouble with the bellows on the Karorons, but I did on some other folders. I use something called Liquid Electrical Tape by West Marine. Seems to work well.
Gary
That *is* a little chunk of a camera. I love the Olympus Stylus cameras, all of them. I want to shoot them all. The only one I’ve kept of those I’ve owned, however, is the original Stylus. It’s hard to beat that classic.
Thanks Jim! It is a lump of a camera, that’s for sure, but not without its merits. I like the Stylus Epic best of that line. I have two of the originals (bought of eBay), but both were DOA, which makes me wonder if that particular model is a bit fragile.
Thanks Wes. I’ve been spending a lot of time in the darkroom lately, but still manage to find a few minutes each week to keep the site going. No plans to change that.
Hi Bob. The stuff that appears here is pretty much all scans of negatives. There might be a few prints here and there, but not many. That may change in the future.
I feel like either I somehow screwed up, or maybe didn’t use the camera in it’s ideal circumstance.
Or I just hyped myself up for this camera too much. Not trying to promote my video, but perhaps you can point out what I did wrong (or did I have a lemon)? Was I expecting too much? https://youtu.be/8Hpi9E3n0IU
Hey Karl:
I looked at your photos. Most all of them appear to have been taken in not great lighting. That means camera shake could be an issue. (A couple of the cat looked pretty good to me.) Most of the pictures seem reasonably sharp. As for “noise”, well, that’s a whole different problem and likely has more to do with the quality of the expired film (which can behave kinda unpredicatbly), your processing or your scanning. But, i’m guessing. I’d try another roll and this time avoid some of the variables (like the expired film!) and shoot under better lighting.
Gary
I still use many of the Retina camera and just recently purchased the Retina IIIS camera. The lens selection is fairly large and all yield super sharp negatives. I have many cameras including Hasselblad SWC, 500CM many back and lenses Rolleiflex GX and many others and for some reason the Retina cameras seem to be used more than the others. The IIIS is my latest discovery, it my understanding these cameras where for export only but can be found from U.S sellers on ebay every so often. Have my fair share of Nikon digital cameras but went back to film, love the film and darkroom end of it. Nice thing the Retina cameras are basically cheap and still repair folks out there repairing them.
This print with such different zones is excellent.
I have recently purchased a Beseler 23C enlarger and if my prints are 1/2 as good as yours, I’ll be very happy.
By the way, how do you develop your Tri-X films ?
Have a nice week.
JFB
Hello Jean-François:
I’m still learning. I guess that never stops though. Just FYI, I too have a Beseler 23C. I developed the Tri-X in HC110 dilution B for 6 minutes. HC110 might not be the best developer for Tri-X, but it’s what I have on hand because it keeps forever.
Take care,
Gary
Gary,
Really nice tones and contrast. You mention split-grad (grade?) printing… something I’m not familiar with, so I had to look it up, I think it was explained as usually two full-print exposures on a multi grade stock, calculated to first establish a set of tones and then a second one to lay down the darker, more contrasts ones. Corresponding filters would be used with both. Did I get that right? Never knew about this except for dodging/burning. One might duplicate this in Photoshop with layers… or maybe one could, with landscapes and a tripod, with the camera film itself?
Thanks Bob.
You have the basic idea correct. The main benefit of split-grade printing is the ability to control the highlights and shadows separately. That’s huge, in my opinion. You can then dodge and burn separately as well, working on the highlights without affecting the shadows and vice-versa.
Gary
Beautiful photo. When we were there in 2018 we had taken that lower path. This is a great perspective. It reminds me too, I’ve never shared a photo of Gullfoss on my blog. I’ll have to change that when I find time.
Gulfoss really is a spectacular place. I’ve been lucky enough to visit several times and it never disappoints. BTW — that photo of you and Eliza looks a lot like where I took this photo from.
I recently inherited a Karoron camera from my great-great grandfather who served in WWII. I’ve never used film before and have been doing research on this camera and have a few questions. Is there any safe way to clean the camera? like certain tools or liquids? Also, there is a little knob/hook lever that sticks out on the side, bottom left. What is that? is it the timer? I am deeply concerned and questioned.
Would love to hear back from you!!
I’ve got a battered one with the OM-40 markings on it. It’s my go-to film camera, mostly paired with the Zuiko 50/1.8 and I am good to go in any weather condition. I used to rely on OM-2n but two of them have failed on me, one of them unrecoverably and I don’t feel so much confidence in the one that was repaired so I’ve rather use the OM-40 recently. The only disadvantage is a rather high battery drain compared to the OM-2n. I think the missing On/Off switch is to be blamed.
Btw. recently I also got a pro OM-D camera out of nostalgy and must say it’s great, too.
Gary,
I noticed you’ve used the OM PC (40) in more than a couple of recent posts. Any review in the works for this camera? I’m curious what exposure modes your using as well as lens in your shots…
Greetings from Finland. Mine has the red “flash” text on lens bezel, the horizontal bar in the film plane indicator doesn’t pass through the circle and camera has the horizontal indents in the shutter release. BUT it has an rewind-direction arrow. Serial is 145164.
I bought an OM-10 new, around 1986 and used it extensively as a student. I used it for a lot of fairly rough travel and it survived with no issues and generally provided well exposed transparencies / slide film. I still think it a very good camera and more reliable than my OM2-SP that I bought later. When I went to Asia for 6 months, I took two OM-10s. The backup one was never needed.
I have inherited a camera just like your dads and it seems to be the same model with the counter I haven’t seen a S or any kind of model number. He had also been in Japan during the Korean War. I have offered it to my grandson. I just need to find out about the the film. It is still in a leather case screw in the bottom. I have his binoculars he had bought over there too.
Hi Marsha:
It uses 120 film, which is easily obtained from any large camera retailer or store specializing in film photography. A Google search should turn up lots of options.
Enjoy the camera!
Gary
A Super 2000 was bought for me by my stepdad back in the mid 90’s, I still have it, I’ve been using it a lot more lately too. I also have the ML28/2.8, ML50/1.9 & ML135/2.8C & a Contax Carl Zeiss 80-200/4 (which I actually bought initially to use on my Sony A7 for landscape/woodland) Anyway, I was looking up the metering mode of the FX3 as I couldn’t remember what it was & reading this review I caught the paragraph on night sky shots. I’ve taken some star trails on my last roll & there is red ‘light leak’ on the images, not enough to completely ruin them, but enough to notice. I presumed it was my headtorch light getting in through the viewfinder & I didn’t even think of the metering LED’s staying on!!
Good choices with amazing richness to the tones. Great examples to compare with. Plus two on using the Olys! The Zeiss Ikon Contina Matic threw me a little… had to look that one up. One suggestion… maybe tell us what lens the SLRs had in the specs? Keep up the shooting in the new year…
Thanks Bob! As for the lenses, it’s really a matter of me not remembering with certainty which I used. With the Olympus, it was almost always either the 50mm or 24mm Zuiko lenses.
Thanks for the review. I purchased my OM10 back in 1982. It was the second camera I had purchased after a trip35 which I still have in the original box with the receipt, purchased in 1976 for $50 Australian. I loved both cameras and they took very good shots considering I knew nothing about photography. The digital age came and both cameras have sat in the cupboard for approximately 25 years. I pulled out OM10 last night, found some old LR44 batteries equally as old and it fired up. Ì will be buying some film this month and quite batteries to relive what photography is all about. Composition. Film makes you think about the composition more, compared to digital where there is more of a tendency to look and shoot. I am really looking forward to it. I have the manual adapter on mine with the original strap. I am so glad I never sold them. Thanks again for the review, it brought back a lot memories and hopefully will create some more.
Gary,
That’s a great shot, but I can’t help thinking of what the color version might look like. Do you ever shoot both films in the same event, maybe using two different cameras? I know you’ve converted some color to B&W, but there’s a reason why we shoot grayscale in the original.
-Bob G.
I tend not to shoot both. I find that if I’m in the b&w frame of mind, I don’t really see colour images, and vice versa. (Perhaps my imagination is just too limited.) Though sometimes — often years later, I look at a colour image and it seems better to me in b&w and then I do the conversion.
My father bought his Isolette II 75mm f/3.5 camera in 1950. I was 4 years old at the time. When I was around 10 I was fascinated watching my father adjust the settings on his camera. He was quite good at photography. He built up a collection of albums, which he illustrated, something like a story book. When I was 14 he introduced me to his camera and showed around the various settings. He gave a Kodak 66 Mark III for my 17th. birthday in 1963. Sadly he died suddenly at the age of 56 in 1975. I lived some distance from my parents, but my sister lived nearby and “grabbed” his camera,which her children damaged. I lusted after that Agfa, and by chance I bought off Esty as fully working, but that wasn’t the case. The front focusing ring was stuck (the old solid lub grease). I had a camera repair man give the camera a good service. It produces really great photos. I buy my film from a camera shop in Dublin City, who in turn develop the film, scan it and send the scans back to me. I am building up a library of developed films. Actually, film is on the rise again. I know of a lot of photographers who have gone back to film, or who have taken it up.
Thanks for that story Kevin — a most enjoyable read. Given that preserving memories one of the most important roles photography plays in our lives, it rather makes sense that the devices we use to record those memories hold memories themselves. I have a folder from my own father (described here) that I too cherish, although the Agfa is better.
Gary
Nice shot. I didn’t have great luck with the one roll of supposedly cold-stored Sensia 100 that I used, so nice to see a good image with this expired stock.
Thank you for the helpful p&s wide angle information. I wonder if any of your readers have tested the lens quality between the Minolta Explorer/Riva 70w vs 75w?
i.e. the 28-70 vs 28-75.
The 28-70mm version of the Minolta Freedom Explorer / Riva 70W? has the 28-50-70 focal lengths printed on the lens barrel. My 28-75mm version does not have this feature.
My wife just found my old OM10, bought in the UK around 1982. Unused for years after buying various DLSRs. Great article reminding me of the time I used to take getting the shot, not to waste the film. Now have thousands of prints to scan into the PC but many are so good to see again. DSLR certainly reduced the stress but maybe also the quality of the results. However, I would not go back to film. Apart from the cost, the sheer convenience of now having digital always in my pocket with my iPhone makes going back not a serious consideration. Great to reminisce though.
Hi Gary, after so many years I found this interesting article.
You said “reversing Redscale film won’t get you regular colour film, as one might expect. (I know, because I tried and it didn’t make any difference.)”
It is very uncommon to reverse again this film but wonder how were your results? If you could show me or if you write such un article it will be much appreciated by Lomo community and film lovers.
All the best!
Catalin
A note from my experience. 500 Elm are easier without a tripod as the electric release is softer than the mechanic release of a 500 cm. Anyway it s always sharper when supported by a tripod or anything you may use ( wall, railing, car..)
Gary, nice work to get this excellent camera to work again. The “35” S must be the forerunner to their terrific Ricoh 500 (2.8, 1/500 top speed). The 35 series used a 3.5 lens while the “35” S used the newest 2.8 lens. Ricoh lenses are still some of the best 35mm lenses – and pricey today. Ricoh stopped making camera lenses and became the very best ($$$) office copiers – there’s their lenses again. Got my very first 35mm camera, the Ricoh 500, with I was 14. And am still using these cameras. We carried these cameras around in their bottom case so that’s why so many of them LOOK nice today. Straps connected to the case. Price of the 500 in 1957: $49.95. EXPENSIVE back then.
Did you find that you can fix stuck shutters, etc. thru the top cover? Any photos of your efforts? A parts manual would be priceless!
Hi Gary:
Typical of such cameras, you have to get at the shutter mechanism through the front of the lens, though if I remember correctly the whole front lens/shutter comes off as a single assembly. It’s been a while, but if remember correctly there was a lot of disassembly required to get at the shutter blades and clean them properly. But it is a nice camera and operates almost silently.
Gary
In response to Tom above, your story sounds incredibly similar to mine this weekend! I bought my OM-10 on Tottenham Court Road in London in 1983. It was an (excellent!) emergency replacement for my Minolta XG7, whose shutter had broken while taking my first shot inside the Palm House at Kew Gardens: the Palm House had been emptied of plants for maintenance, and I was a young architecture student on my way to a term in Rome, so you can imagine my anger at missing this opportunity to snap pictures of the iron and glass work at Kew without those pesky plants around! My OM-10 travelled with me everywhere after that: never an issue, always comfortable. Anyways, yes, moved on to digital, and I now rely solely on my iPhone for snap shots. Just like Tom! I suppose neither of us is very original! 🙂 But the feel of the OM-10’s shutter clicking in my hands this weekend brings back great memories!!
I have owned 2 of these and think that they are among the sharpest lenses of any point and shoots that I have used. It was a notable camera when introduced. (Smallest and lightest AF camera at it’s introduction in 1993). AE is spot on and I have produced very good transparencies. The macro feature is also notable. Not really that common and it works pretty well.
I have one of these. I originally got it for my teenage son around 2004 (it cost about $130 at the time), but within a couple of years he wanted a digital camera, and the Epic reverted to me. It became my “second camera loaded with color film”, being carried along with my assorted Minox, Nikon, and OM cameras mainly loaded with b/w.
It’s a great little shooter, truly pocketable and capable of fine images… but I also take issue with its exposure programming that favors wider apertures over slower speeds. It sometimes fails for sharpness. And there are some other quirks – like having to turn off the automatic flash every time you open the camera, and how it runs the film “backwards” so the edge numbers are upside down.
But you have to like that fixed 35mm/2.8 lens. Especially, if like me, you’re not a 50mm-POV fan and much prefer using fast 35 lenses on your other 35mm cameras.
(Years earlier, I had another point and shoot with an even better 35mm/2.8 lens, the Nikon OneTouch [aka LF35AF2]. Although it was larger and less advanced [early 80s design], it produced really beautiful images… and only rarely made exposure or focus errors. And it ran on cheap/ubiquitous AA batteries! I don’t understand why the fixed-lens OneTouch isn’t just as revered/popular as the Stylus Epic now.)
In the early 80s, my sister had an OM10 with Zuiko 50/1.8, 28/2.8, and 135/3.5 lenses, and I always enjoyed using them. I actually sold her whole kit through a local app a couple of years ago – it was still working fine – someone got it at a steal at $50.
Regarding the lack of manual shutter speeds: if you truly understand how exposure works, it’s really easy to control both speed and aperture. When you’re shooting and you decide that the speed is more important than the aperture for a given shot… you just set the aperture until the meter sets that speed. Conversely, if the aperture is more important, set it for that and don’t worry about the speed (unless it’s too slow to handhold).
I ultimately bought myself Olympus’ follow-up camera, the OM-G (aka OM20), which was essentially the same with a couple of added tweaks, notably built-in manual shutter speed control without requiring the OM10’s Manual Adapter. (If you find a working OM-G/OM20, jump on it!) A few years later, a friend who worked in a camera shop GAVE ME an OM-2n and a Zuiko 24/2.8 someone had brought in!
Now mind you, I’m an old pre-AI Nikon guy – my parents were pros and I grew up on Nikons and Nikkormats – and I still shoot with that wonderful gear. But besides being lighter/smaller and ergonomically delightful, the OM cameras and Zuiko lenses are really fabulous shooters. The OM-2’s light meter on Auto produces entire rolls of perfectly exposed shots… I never even bother using its match-needle Manual mode.
The Zuiko OM lenses I use the most are the 35/2 and the fantastic 100/2.8. I can’t recommend that lens enough, it’s very similar to the justly famous Nikkor 105/2.5 (I’ve been using one of those since the 60s!)… but so much smaller and lighter.
For the record, I also have an Olympus Stylus Epic point & shoot and a Pen F half-frame SLR. Both are great shooters. You gotta love these gorgeous little Olympus cameras!
Gary,
Thanks for your efforts. I was going to try the CineStill, but was hesitant because of several reasons, the least of it having a somewhat short lifespan if one doesn’t shoot many rolls. I also like your idea of shooting a roll for short snip testing of the chemicals.
Nice tonal control over several film stocks, Gary. You said you use mostly Ilford XP2 Super 400, which is chromagenic, is that because you develop color using CineStill and do both color and B&W?
Hi Gary,
Very nice tonality and composition across the use of various film stocks and cameras. Successful 2022 for sure!
You mention the use of Ilford XP2 Super 400… is that because you use CineStill C-41?
Not really that Bob since I actually prefer regular b&w chemistry. I mostly like its tonality in the darkroom and the way it renders bright areas so nicely. It’s a lovely film. It’s also handy that it can be scanned with IR dust/scratch removal engaged.
Hi Gary,
Very interesting posts. I just bought a Ricoh “35” S at the Boroichi Market in Tokyo. Sold as is for about $37. It looks to be in good shape with the original leather case, even though I just liked it as an object with solid precise construction. Shutter and controls seem to operate with no sticking. When I got it home I figured out how to open the back and discovered a roll of kodak 400 inside, I assume with exposed images. I began to think it may be a working camera. I’ve never tried to disassemble a camera to clean it but after seeing your posts I am emboldened to see if it can get it to reasonable working condition. The images you show are beautiful. Assuming it’s working and just needs some tuning, are there any recommendations you have that don’t require complete disassembly and reassembly? Thanks in advance. Tom
I have been working with my Retina IIIC this year in order to make a decision on whether or not I will keep it. Chris did a complete overhaul on mine back in 2021 so the camera itself works perfectly but I have never settled in after it returned and used it consistently enough to give it a real chance to fit into my personal workflow. For me the fact that is so compact and easy to carry around is a definite plus but I do not want to leave it sitting around to long so it loses the benefit of all the good work that Chris put into it. We’ll see. I will work with it exclusively over the next three or four months and see how I get along with it.
Love your works, Gary. I came across your site when I was searching information for the Chinon CP-5 (the one without the spot meter). I bought a fully working one mainly for its lens to be used on a recently repaired and restored Pentax MX.
I too like film photography, from 35mm to 4×5, mostly in black and white. Coincidentally, I am also a long-time stargazer though in the realm of astrophotography, I know nothing but using my smartphone to shoot through the eyepiece. Look forward see more of your works!
Wow! Medium format wide field astrophotography, a 20 minutes “fight” against reciprocity failure. I guess that requires a rock solid mount and precise guiding.
Gary – That’s a great image with Acros 100 with your Hasselblad. I did an interesting Q&A with a leading film astrophotographer about wide-field Milky Way shots with a medium-format camera and Acros 100. Link here:
It’s not a pastime for everyone, but his images do have a lovely analog look. I must confess that film-by-day and digital-by-night works best for my limited schedule!
Thanks Bob. Yes, I used a tracking mount to compensate for Earth’s rotation. Without that, you’re quite correct — the stars would be mere streaks across the frame.
Gary
Hi Wesley:
I have a Fuji GA 645 which I use from time to time. (I’m thinking that’s the model you’re asking about?) It’s a tremendously capable camera and has a superb lens. I’d probably use it more often, but I have other 120 film options that I reach for more often when the moods strikes. I might let the camera go at some point since it really should see more use. I’ll have to ponder that.
Thanks for the kind comment!
Gary
I use a pair of hearing-aid batteries in one chamber and stuff a bunch of aluminum foil in the other to complete the circuit. A couple of wraps of thin cardboard keeps the batteries centered.
Hi film camera people..
I’ve using a couple of C35’s over the passed couple of years. I have both the rangefinder and zone focus versions (C35V). They work really well and have performed for me better than some more complicated SLR setups I have (more than likely down to human error).
When it comes to batteries. I use a +675 cochlear implant battery (Amazon purchase). Any camera that originally used a mercury 1.35v cell. They work really well and cheap enough too.
Remember though, the C35 as with many other cameras manufactured around 60s/70s had no on/off button for the meter except for replacing the lens cap. So if you plan to shoot on a sunny day, try and keep the lens cap in place to help the battery/meter and protect the lens.
Definitely recommended.
Hi All,
If you want the smaller version, get the Yashica 35 GX. One super cool sexy rangefinder.
If you want to go even smaller and don’t mind zone focus and F2.8, get the Yashica 35 MC. Same great autoexposure but super small.
Have fun.
Yes, that is it. I totally botched the model name. It is the vertical format with the protective bar around the lens. Looking to get a very clean one for $700.
Mine is the other one that doesn’t have that bar (or the bellows) — the GA645 Professional. I’m not sure what the other differences are to be honest. I suspect they’d perform very similarly.
I just found this camera my mom got it from my Opa tbh I got no idea what anything you said means. Just wondering what kind of film you’d recommend for it? Don’t know if anyone will respond after 6 years but oh well.
Pretty much any 35mm film should work fine if the camera is in good working order. If it’s been sitting unused for a long time though, it’s probably the case that the shutter will be a bit sluggish, so test it out without film first.
The Holga is an interesting camera. Most of the time I feel I’m fighting its shortcomings and don’t like what I get — and then once in a while you’ll get a real gem or two out of it. Like this one and the previous one.
I just picked up a beautiful copy at a flea market, complete with intact leather case. It’s a camera that’s been on my “list”. so I’m pleased to get it. I’ll do a cleaning and run a roll through it! Do you know the filter size? It’s seems to measure 33 or 34mm.
Gary,
Nice detail. Any more info on the Nettar used? Did you use any filters? It looks like you’ve cropped it from one of the three film formats those cameras came in?
Yes, some images just look better in b&w than in colour. Shooting in colour also gives me the option of (in effect) applying colour filter effects after the fact by choosing which channel (red, green, or blue) to emphasize. In this particular picture, I mostly used the red channel, which does a nice job of rendering the sea and sky quite dark, just as using a red filter with b&w film would.
Hi Gary. Robert in Bradbury NSW here. The Continamatic 111 was my first camera at age 15 – lost it, a Contaflex and a Jenaflex in a robbery in ’90. Know anywhere I could get a reliable working copy of any of the above? I shoot Canon digital these days but the old film bug still bites occasionally . The Contina went everywhere with me including the Calgary winter games in ’88. Having been “trained” on the Contina my usual mode of operation is aperture priority – funny about that. Lovely article and pics on the Contina.
Hi Gary. Robert again. Put wrong email on the last comments. Please use th one below. Any others wish to reply use the address below as well. Thanks all.
A cracking image, Mr. Seronik :). Also, OOC, I just got some snaps at the Bryan Adams concert this past Monday (Sept 11th) and was wondering, once I’ve finished the roll, where I might get this roll of colour film processed, locally? If you know of a spot, would you, please, email me the name of the location .. jack_simpson@mac.com
Hi Gary, just recently purchased one of these (in the year 2023!) and came across your blog post. My plans are similar to yours in that I intend to use this as my “take everywhere” camera where my SLR is too much. Great review of this camera and I am feeling assured that this purchase will bring joy for years to come.
That’s really nice, and I’m pleased to find it comes from a semi-humble Brownie. Semi-humble as this particular Brownie (like my similar Brownie Starmatic) has a multi-element lens.
Alas, 10 years after you wrote this article, I’m just reading it… I bought this camera back in the day, sure it was £99. Alas the diopter viewfinder stopped moving, I don’t know how you fix that without taking it all apart.. I barely used it after that, or even before, but thought I’d give it another go after all these years. Wish I could fix it..
How do you create these time warp photos? It almost looks like a slow-moving-slit with intentional camera movement, but that seems unlikely with the Starmeter. Very nice effect — and you make very nice photos with the Starmeter, overall!
Nice to see some colour in the middle of winter. I recently tried some Fujicolor c200 and was pleasantly surprised by the results (and price). It like lots of light but returns natural colours and great contrast. I’ve heard it’s the same as Kodak Gold 200 but not sure this is true…
In your review of this camera in 2019, you said you sent it back for a refund. Did you get another one you’re using now, or is this a photo from prior shooting?
Great review. I’ve recently bought a “not used for a long time” 35 MF. The light seals have deteriorated. Are there any bespoke pre-cut replacement light seals out there or will I have to cut them myself from a “universal” kit?
Hi. The button battery for the camera was a 1.3v mercury type which is now no longer available. Whats the replacement that people are using please? I’d read that the alternative 1.5v button batteries aren’t compatible. Thanks.
Interesting that not every airport, recent trip from Australia – Europe (Singapore – Germany – Sweden – Austria – Bosnia & Herzegovina – Austria – Switzerland – Singapore – Australia, which by the way is way too much air travel) allowed for hand checking of 35mm due to canisters and insisted on scanning. Previous trips had seen my medium format roll film hand checked and squeezed by security causing fogging down both sides of about half of the frames. I have come to the opinion that the best way to air travel is to buy and develop film in the country of travel or just accept digital as a better flying medium.
Yes, but the lighting is probably even more essential. Both are difficult to predict/control though. It seems there are fewer and fewer places in the world that aren’t well-known crowd magnets.
When I saw my Retina IIIc in a pond shop with all the beautifully machined dials and shutter, and of course, the feel in my hands… it was a must buy. Then like you I found out about Chris Sherlock and sent it to him for servicing. Again, like your Retina, the shutter was slow and sticky. It was returned fairly quickly and operates perfectly. I’ve shot both film and digital for too many years to count and it isn’t always the first camera I pick up for a trip, but when it’s film, its my IIIc or an older 120mm film camera. Since most of my photos with it are sunny 16, landscapes, settings aren’t a large problem. Btw; It’s been 6-months on the shelf with film inside, so I decided to get out and shoot a few rolls. Also I’m changing it up soon with an 80mm lens ordered today. : )
I have one of these I bought new a “few” years ago. It was a great vacation camera, being small & light enough to slip into a coat pocket and able to take very good photos. This was of course long before the now ubiquitous phone camera was even an idea. Recently I pulled this little camera out of my camera closet and loaded it with a fresh battery and film. The camera has a shortcoming which is an ironic testament to just how good this little camera is…the calendar in the date function is decades short of where we are now.
I have two of these Argus a-fours, and they are in great shape, and everything seems to work well, UNTIL I put film in them. I follow the directions, but the frame/picture counter won’t work, and I can advance the film but the shutter will work sometimes, and not at others. It looks like it is the little wheel inside that puts sprockets up through the film holes. It seems to be sluggish. I have oiled it, and it will turn, but not easily. Any suggestions on how I can get this camera to work properly? Is this issue common with these cameras? When I can take a photo, and have the film developed, the photos seem to come out fine, but it is “hit-and-miss” getting the shutter to always work. The shutter works fine when I test it without film in the camera. Very frustrating.
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Thanks for this informative article!
That’s a very nice photo. I like your choice of angle and the fact that some of the windows have blinds closed and thus reflect differently. Very nice indeed.
Do you recall the name of the building?
Also, upper right corner. What is that dark area? Looks almost like a reflection.
Thank you.
Thanks Brian. According to Mr. Google, it’s known as the 450 Sutter Medical Building, though I don’t know if that’s what the locals call it. Maybe someone from the area can chime in.
The upper right corner is more of the same building (or possibly its neighbour) in shadow. Depending on your monitor, you may not be able to see that — I printed it pretty dark.
very cleaver solution. thanks for the trick!
great blog, great photography.
Absolutely love this photo. I grew up in the flat, prairie lands of Illinois so mountains are a thing of wonder to me. Very cool to see it was shot with a vintage camera with some history. I primarily only shoot with box cameras and folders. Something about them makes me slow down and enjoy the moment.
Agree — there’s so much more to the experience of photography than the 1/60 second the shutter is open. The camera has a very interesting history, which I’ll tell when I get around to writing it up for my Favourite Camera section.
Wonderful black and white image! Gotta love film and vintage cameras.
wonderful picture!
I love my 35RC also. Picked mine up at a flea market for $20. Couldn’t be happier with the results.
greetings,
I am a proud owner and user of the OM 10 as well as an OM 1 in black /winder 2.
I am using the 10 more often !!! I like it.
Not as noisy when mounted on the winder 2, as if it tightens things up….
Will be getting another OM 10 on the bay shortly, black !
Easy to find and cost effective !
Nice shots by the way…..
Cheers !
MC
Hi Gary, I’ve been following your new photo blog and really enjoy it!
(Very nice to see a film user too!)
I remember the artwork on apple boxes and truly wish they would bring some of that back in style.
Happy Holidays!
what a wonderful shot! precise exposure, light, tones and composition!
Very cool camera. I’ve actually been keeping an eye out for one at my local used camera shops, and I’ll gander on ebay every now and then. I don’t exactly need it but if I can find one at a cheap price I’ll be pretty happy.
wonderful shot. great colours with the Ektar!
Yes, the Ektar is rapidly becoming my print film of choice. It scans nicely and seems to be superb for daylight shots. I normally prefer slide film for colour, but the Ektar has me rethinking this preference.
And we continue to wait Gary……
It’s time for another northern hemisphere comet of significance. The double barrel shotgun of Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake still echos in my mind. Hale-Bopp was so big and hung around so long. I watched it out the car windshield driving down the road. Surreal! Will we be due before the end of this decade? Maybe. The whole decade of the 80’s saw nothing like it. Holmes in 2007 was very bright, but did not sport an elegant tail.
These eyes, and my camera awaits…..
Here’s hoping James — I’d love to see what you could do with a bright comet. My fear is that something like Hale-Bopp is a once-in-a-lifetime, which means we’ve been doubly lucky since we also got Hyakutake, which was, in my estimation, even more impressive. Both comets were best seen from up north, so I was for once (twice) glad to be here in Canada for a change!
Gary
Ektar has become my favorite print film too! I also keep an Olympus Stylus Epic in my truck. It’s my favorite camera to just stick in my coat pocket and take everywhere! Too bad they stopped making it!
Thank you very much. I’m just learning about photography now and maybe studying it at college later this year. Wasn’t too convinced on which camera to buy until reading this
we are way overdue for another bright comet with a long tail!
When are you coming back to TSP?
Texas is a long way from Victoria! I hope to get back to the TSP one day. I’ve been three (4?) times, and it’s a fine event with some excellent observers. Only distance keeps me away.
I enjoyed your article.
I think when we write about our cameras we are always encouraged to get blog comments.
Thanks for your very good article on the Yashica FX-3. After reading your article I think I may buy one that’s sitting on a high shelf in an odd re-sale shop in Chicago.
Richard
Very interesting article and question to ponder. I think one of the main reason people wouldn’t consider Beau’s picture as art is in fact the subject: a cat. Cats are ubiquitous in our modern habitat but pigs, poneys and goats are not. So of course the novelty effect plays a huge role. That’s why Rob MacInnis pictures are so powerful.
fantastic work with Tmax!
I occasionally have linear vertical banding that is perfectly straight when scanning 6 x6 negatives on my Epson V500; the streaks continue throughout the scanned negatives. During “Preview” scan with Vuescan, it could be seen beginning before the sensor got to the negative area. It occurred with either Epson’s scanning program or Vuescan, and cleaning the glass surfaces made no difference. Reinstalling driver made no difference. Negatives were without visual evidence of scratches or other defects. I scan strips of 4 negatives, so that means 2 are not in the scanning area of the negative holder; the unscanned negatives should be towards the front of the scanner, as there is a small cutout at the back of the negative holder that I guess is used for sensor calibration. Turns out when I inadverdently left that area covered with negative–when I had the strip sticking out of the holder the wrong way– the vertical bands would appear. Reorienting the film fixed the problem for me. Such a simple cause, but so much frustration.
Found your article after googling to see how to do a mid-roll rewind for my A1.
We took my 98 year old mother-in-law out canoing on Mother’s Day, and didn’t want to burn up photos on useless things just to get to the end of the roll… oh well…
Got the camera for a Galapagos trip back in ’99/2000, and find it useful for those extreme weather, or those ‘don’t want to drop my DSLR in the drink’ times.
Besides, it’s fun to shoot a little film now and then, just for old times sake.
And yes, I’ve taken it snorkeling, and it held up just fine. (A1 version, that is).
Paid 20$ for the A1 and gave to my 5 yr old girl, she took some really nice pics in Niagara Falls.
wow the Zuiko optics! fantastic shot and processing 🙂
Nice write up on a stylish little camera. Been keeping an eye out and finally came across one for a very nice price. Very lightweight body, cleaned it up a little, added fresh batteries and all seems to work well. Great advice for long exposures…. “One quirk …it’s a good idea to disable the light meter by removing the batteries.”
I read your article, liked it very much. Today 7/7/2012 I was looking at Popular Photography and saw some cameras and when looking through my stuff I found my Yashica FX-3 Super 2000. I went through website to find more info about my camera and was impress. I was planing to sell it but now I will use the camera and practice on it. Love the old style cameras. I own a digital camera but not a DSLR camera. I happy that I saw this article.
I continue to admire your calm, rich, and elegant pictures. I also appreciate your approach to equipment- you make a lot with a little.
wow! pops right out of the screen. the Reala colors are spot on, the Zeiss look is a perfect mix between sharp and soft. amazing image. (i had an apple today, the taste was meh… hope to get some fresh ones soon).
This looks great. Which developer did you use? Thanks.
Incredible find! Great images, as well, some of the best Pen snaps I’ve seen. I’m going to be on the lookout for one of these little guys….
Tani — I suspect that any of the Pen series would be capable of similar results, so if you don’t find the exact same model as mine, don’t fret.
I feel like I can reach into the screen, grab one of these and take a big bite! Eye-popping!
The flare around the specular highlights is lovely. Great work with the rangefinder.
Bleak is the word! This could be the driveway to a Nazi death camp in Poland. There’s a horrible thought…
That’d be HC-110, dilution “H.”
Nice advice… I was about to take some film either in a older lead-lined bag or get something newer, but the Kodak logic seems right… Didn’t know they could crank up the radiation at will. My solution at the moment will be to maybe bring a few rolls and mail-deliver the bulk to the first hotel. After multiple-stops in a week by car, I’ll mail the shot film out to the labs or to home and fly filmless on the return trip, just carrying the digital shots with me. Larger format film is too expensive and film in general is, for me, a intensive effort on the shots I take, to risk fogging.
Bob:
Some people dispute that screeners can “crank up the radiation at will,” but as I said in the article, even if they can’t, they will probably regard the mystery blob of your film bag as something that needs additional inspection, which might mean emptying its contents and running them through the machine anyway.
Gary
the Ektar is truly an amazing product! paired with zuiko glass – u-la-la!
Hi,
Im a new fan of the Electro Series. I Just got myself a GSN. I really like the pics you’ve put of the MF. I wasnt even aware this camera existed.
What are the Zone distances for the camera’s Focus system? Just out of curiousity.
Hi Daniel:
Focus zones are the usual 1m, 1.5m, 3m and infinity. Because the focal length of the lens is 38mm, you don’t have to be dead on.
Great article – thank you! I have just purchased this camera and I’m really excited to get out there and take some photographs.
Great article, and its awesome that you have a blog about your analog adventures! I just found one OM-10 straight out of the box in mint condition with 2 lenses! I think I’m gonna give it a shot 🙂
Thanks for the OM-10 details and backround. Just recently purhased the OM-1 (my first camera “back-in-the-day”), and looking for a second to have for Color or B&W film options.
Seems it’s hard to find OM-10 with the adapter still on. And tough to find adapters? But if even w/o it, seems fine to shoot in A-Priority (the way I usually shoot- as you say). I love the Olympus cameras and am now returned as OLY only owner (xz-1 & EPL-1)
Interesting camera Gary. I’ll be interested in the first light results. Might try a little star trail work or piggyback astrophotography! I’ll be honest, it might do well at f/8 under full moonlight 12-15 minutes with Acros. It could produce some interesting work.
Thanks very much! Mine’s arriving in a couple days.
Do you feel that infinity is obtainable on your lenses? In the Flickr group, someone set up a ground glass calibration and found out that it’s impossible to get infinity on his lenses:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/lomobelair/discuss/72157632241052489/
Mine seems to focus fine — that doesn’t appear to be one of its issues.
Thank you for your review, it’s much appreciated. I was wondering if you have had any problems rewinding the film? I’ve shot two rolls and on each the film does not wind tightly to the spool. I’m unsure where I’m making the mistake or if its a possible camera defect. Thanks!
And by rewind I mean winding the film onto the 2nd spool. Mine keeps unravelling.
Thanks for your observations, which mirror my own. My 9-year-old daughter is about to become the fourth family member/friend to learn 35mm photography with an OM10, left to her in an uncle’s will. I have used an OM2 since 1982, toting it in a handlebar bag while cycling through Brittany & Normandy one summer; returning to Switzerland (a memory: I have a photo of two tourists whose Canon froze on the Jungfraujoch in the Alps Christmas Eve day); traveling to Greece the next summer where I photographed the Acropolis on Independence Day: the birthplace of democracy on the birthday of the greatest democracy that’s ever existed. I plan to take Josie & her OM10 cycling through Eire when she’s 13.
Thanks for the excellent story John!
Gary
great pictures. I can’t believe how vivid the colors are!
I love the interchangeability between OMs 2 & 10.
We plan to share lenses until Josie knows what she wants, keeping only Zuiko 50mms–1.8 for her; 1.4 for me–as dedicated gear.
I’m deciding which of these two lenses to keep and which to sell: Kiron 30–80, 3.5; and, Vivitar Series 1 28–90, 2.8.
Any input to go along with the obvious (ie, shoot some film)?
Hi John:
I’m not familiar with the Kiron and Vivitar lenses. In general, I prefer to use the Zuiko primes over zoom lenses — especially since they can be had for relavitely little money. My basic Zuiko kit consists of the 24mm f/2.8 (though I have the 28mm f/3.5 too), 50mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/3.5 macro, and 135mm f/3.5. All these lenses have the same 49mm filter size, which is a great convienince. I get the most use out of the 50mm f/1.8 though.
Gary
Hi Josh:
I’ll have more to say about this is Part 4 of my review, but the short answer is, yes, I’ve had this problem of the “fat roll” too.
Gary
Thanks. Jim also left Zuiko 24 and 200 mm lenses; I’m thinking that using these–along with the 50–will be the easiest/best way for Josie to learn: they provide a nice range of wide/normal/telephoto.
I appreciate your consideration.
In my opinion Instagram, Instagram like-apps, cross-processing, and lomo all share the same feature: they evoke emotion within the viewer. Creativity does exist, as I see the same people creating emotionally moving images time and time again, while other may have one or two or none at all. There is a lot of randomness, whether through software or through the camera itself, but it seems that if one knows how to work with that randomness, beauty and emotions come through.
I have an OM-10 that I’ve just pulled out of the loft to start using (not being able to afford a digital SLR). I always thought it was a good camera but never really got the use out of it that it deserved to have. Something I intend to rectify/
The only thing I’m not sure of is the tripod adapter. With it being such an old camera will any tripod fit, or does it have a specific adapter size? I’d hate to go out and spend money on something that would need to go straight onto ebay without a single use from it.
Cheers
Hi Phil:
The OM-10 will attach to any tripod with a standard 1/4-20 thread, without and adapter.
Gary
This camera looks amazing. It would be perfect for just sticking in your pocket and traveling around. Also great job on the site. I am a film photographer and this site is great!
Thanks Gavin. The Espio mini is a real winner and one that is seldom given its due, in my opinion. It’s definitely one to keep an eye out for when prowling thrift shops.
Interesting camera you have there! I think zone focus cameras are perfect for street shooting. You don’t have to fiidle with the rangefinder at the last moment and it’s much easier to shoot with the camera hanging from your neck in tricky situations when you want other people to be unaware of you taking their photo. Since the Electro series came up, my favorite one is the humble 35MC which is a great street shooter with zone focusing. It has all the advantages of the electromagnetic shutter and the perfect exposure system of its rangefinder siblings packed in a tiny body with a very sharp 2.8/40 lens directly rivaling the Rollei 35 (esp if you’re on a budget and don’t care about the hype factor). Yashica also produced the ME-1, another zone focusing sharp shooter made in Brazil (!) in the 70s. I also have great affection for the legendary Trip 35, the humble (but very sharp) Minolta Himatic G and the Ricoh 35 ZF, all zone focusers, all sporting great lenses, all being dirt cheap in the shadow of their rangefinder siblings.
Thanks Christos — some interesting comentary there. Your 35MC looks similar to another camera I have a great fondness for, the Konica C35 Automatic, which is also a fine street shooter, albeit with rangefinder focusing.
The Konica C35V (zone focusing variant) is much closer, although the Yashica 35MC is aperture priority semi-auto and not fully automatic like the C35 Automatic. I don’t think the Yashica Electro series had any direct rivals, as I’m totally unaware of a non-SLR aperture priority camera from the 60s-70s…
I am going on a trip this summe and was planning to take around ten rolls of film. After reading this article I was wondering if my film woul be affected at all. I shoot 200/400 speed film and the film would be in my suitcase( not carry on) on the way there and the way back.
Hi Gavin:
As I emphasized above, the one thing just about everyone agrees upon is that putting film in your checked bag is a bad idea. I wouldn’t do it once, let alone twice. Film with ISO of 200 or 400 will probably be okay as carry-on, so long as you don’t put it through scanners too many times.
Gary
Great photograph.
I watched Vincent Price’s The Last Man on Earth (1966) last night and, though the movie is in B&W, this photograph seems to capture that same loneliness. Maybe it’s the seagull, the angle and the old building giving an impression of desolation.
Actually, this picture would look even more interesting (to me) in greyscale…, though that may be the influence of too many horror movies!
Interesting thought Roy. See above. Spooky enough for you?
Gary
A wonderful little camera!
Being a film camera enthusiast myself, I also use Olympus PEN cameras (EES-2 and EE3), and I absolutely agree that one tends to make more portrait photos with this kind of camera: When you take the camera to your eye, the “portrait” format is the camera’s first suggestion, and it often suits the intended photo so well that I don’t even bother to try the landscape format.
I very much enjoy reading your website, it’s simple and clear and yet with high quality content. It’s much appreciated, thanks!
Ralf.
Thanks Ralf!
This was very helpful for me, although not trying to correct a negative scan, but a scan of a photo. It was a face & the lines appeared as very dark lines on the dark sections (hair etc). The lines weren’t visible on the light parts of the photo. I didn’t have a black piece of paper to hand, but a dark blue one, and thought I’d give it a go. I was surprised to see the regular (not random) bands of dark & light in the scan of the dark blue paper (scanner’s very old in the tooth). In my case the steps I used were slightly different, I think I de-saturated the scan first & then adjusted the levels. The resulting top layer worked best at 10% opacity in “lighten” mode. Then upped the contrast of the result by 10%. Not perfect, but a big improvement. Thanks so much for taking the time 🙂
Thanks for the tips Claire.
I recently picked up a olympus stylus epic zoom 115 deluxe for $2 and was wondering if it is any good? Would it be worth it for me to carry it around and use it or would the picture quality be less desirable?
Thanks
Very nice image, it really looks like a mountain.
Thanks Gary — I’ve been enjoying your recent series from the Rockies. Now those are real mountains!
Wonderful! you caught the drama of the wave crashing into the log, the peak of action.
Thanks Gary. As fait would have it, I shot that on my way to your excellent Sooke Harbour House show.
I’ve just recently purchased this camera, and like you said, found very little information on it–this has been the most useful, and I thank you for that. However, I was wondering how do you change the asa? I can’t seem to find the right dial.
The ISO/ASA is changed by rotating the ridged, plastic bezel surrounding the glass of the lens. (I hope that makes sense!)
Yes, they sure are interesting times that we live in…… Thanks for linking my post with yours I’m in esteemed company!
Thanks for the links, it’s great to read about other film enthousiasts and why they love film! So maybe it is not a coincidence that I play violin and also love film 😉
Just a thought about photo sharing on Internet: since I started making my own darkroom (B&W) prints, I feel more comfortable sharing some images (scans) on Internet. It’s a nice medium to have an idea of the work of others, and at the same time you’re not giving away any originals – the negatives (and nice quality prints) are still there as “the real thing”.
Digital files seem so perishable/nondurable by comparison. Of course digital cameras are useful and very convenient and practical, but for some reason I much more enjoy shooting a film camera. Even a grainy print from a half frame film camera seems more desirable to me than a perfect high resolution print from a digital file … it’s hard to say exactly why, but it’s certainly not nostalgia. I guess it has to do with the work and time that went into it and the fact that it’s not so easily repeatable.
Hi Ralf,
Keep playing that violin and shooting film! I do think that there is more personal self satisfaction in shooting film, even if no one else notices. Also the approaches to subject matter when shooting film is much different than shooting digital, from reading Bruce Barbbaum’s essay.
Nice picture, Gary, Tower Point is such a wonderful place to photograph, you don’t get snow on the southern part of the Island very much. Around where I live in the Okanagan, I love to get out snowshoeing.
Yes, not a lot of snowshoeing goes on here. Not a lot of shovelling either, mind you. Your arbutus shot from Tower Point is great too, by the way.
Just got my Yashica 35MF in the mail yesterday. You say the meter needs a battery, but I can’t find the compartment for it. Where in the camera is it?
The battery compartment is to the right of the viewfinder, directly below the film advance lever — it’s one of those that needs a coin to open
Thanks so much, man. Found it, and realized I need to replace the 1.5v battery it shipped with. I’ve got my first roll of film in it, and the advance lever tends to catch a bit when I advance to the next frame. Is that a sign that something might be amiss? Or is it just age?
Hard to say from here. How confident are you that you loaded the film correctly? Just make sure that you’re not planning to photograph anything critical. It’s always a good idea to regard the first roll through an untried camera as a test roll.
I also (recently) discovered that I feel much more relaxed going out with a simple camera with few options. Nothing to worry about, just look for nice compositions and interesting lighting. When first using 6×6 film, I was worried about having only 12 exposures per roll. But even that appeared to be no problem. If you think twice before pressing the shutter button, 12 photos is just fine! I even started using rolls of 24 exposures in my Olympus half frame camera because it seems to take forever to finish a 36 exposures (=72 photos) roll. On digital, 72 photos is nothing though; it does make you wonder about quality versus quantity …
Nice picture of the Opera House, I like the lines and the shadows. There is a very interesting post about a photographer using an old RollieFlex…http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/rolleiflex.shtml
Gosh, I didn’t think that Luminous Landscape would post an article about film use!
I guess my Yashica-Mat is a poor man’s Rollie. I find it a very capable piece of gear though.
Excellent post, and what a perfect example.
I bought my first SLR a few weeks back, a Praktica BMS Electronic, and was delighted with the first couple of test rolls of film… But since then I’ve gone back to compacts and had more fun using my beloved Olympus XA2, a point and shoot auto everything Pentax Espio 120Mi and an incredibly cheap and flimsy ActionSampler.
Fewer options inspires new vision and greater creativity…
Another example – a friend got a new, very capable, digital camera for Christmas. She hasn’t taken a single picture with it, because she’s intimidated by the manual, and feels she needs to go on a photography course to even begin using it. “Plus you have to understand all about the light, don’t you?” she also said…. My advice was put it on auto and get out and get shooting, learn from your own pictures!
It’s really frustrating when such wonderful equipment is available (film and digital cameras) and people are stuck because they’re overwhelmed with too many options.
(I might send her a link to this post!)
Really nice camera! (I shouldn’t be reading your reviews though, they only make my camera addiction worse 😉
Just imagine if this were the size of an Olympus 35RC … that would be super cool!
Hey, this kind of camera addiction is pretty cheap so far as these things go. At least you’re not collecting Leicas. Besides, if it really gets worrisome, read my article “Avoiding Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS)” in the Musings section. That’ll cure you.
Very fine black and white image, Gary, love the tonal scale.
Excellent review. Thanks. Help me decide NOT to get one.
I was fortunate enough to get one of these cameras in mint condition. It had belonged to my dad and was passed on to me as the only photographer in the family. AND I cannot agree with you more about this camera. Besides its nostalgic value to me and a continued connection to my dad, it is a wonderful tool. As someone who transitioned to digital for work (newspaper staffer), having this camera really brings the fun back into my shooting…..
Your thoughts on a single camera-single lens concept is the exact reason I pre-ordered a Fujifilm X100s. I plan on pairing it with my Electro35 GS for just about all of my shooting in the near future. As I make the transition from working pro to retirement, I want to simplify. When I pick up my Nikons, I want to have my fast zooms along with 1-2 primes. At my age that is starting to be a lot to carry all day. With just the fixed 45mm on the GS and 23mm (35mm full frame) on the X100s, I plan on taking the challenge. Thanks for this piece that talks to the concept. It gives me encouragement to continue down a different and exciting path.
One of the finest camera, i’ve ever owned!
i began to really shoot seriously with one.
my first front page photo, in the main morning paper.
Love your images.
many assignments after..
Long gone, i really would love another..
The portrait view followed me.
i mostly shoot verticals.
The small camera concept is the way to go!
Now retired, i shoot with point and shoot digitals.
i still use film. A few compacts from Goodwill.
The Rollei 35T a gift many,many years ago, from my Late Dad.
i am a GAS syndrome personality.
one does not even have to buy more Film cameras.
People, friends, strangers, spare change in pocket at Goodwill.
Unlike those with a beverage or smoke problem, the worst is using some film.
In fact you can play with these without putting in film or batteries..
Excellent article! I too noticed this while wondering around the beach with a friend of mine the other day. The two of us usually go on photowalks in interesting parts of town together and we hadn’t planned on really doing any shooting, so we didn’t have any cameras with us. Nevertheless, after a yack and a few coffees we were walking along the beach and we were both suddenly interested in the lighting conditions, the tide being well out, and the amount of people on the beach doing different things. We both just had cell phones to snap with, but just gave it a go without really thinking too much. I ended up with a couple of not to baddish shots using some of the fun little apps on my phone that I enjoy shooting with. I guess the old saying of “the best camera is the one you have on you at the moment” really rings true, but relaxing and thinking about the picture instead of the gear is always the ideal way to really enjoy the act of taking pictures.
Thanks Jevon — a good read. It’s true, the best camera is always the one you have with you. That’s why I always try to make sure I have a good one with me. You never know when you’re going to chance upon something really great. Luckily, there are quite a few really good pocketable cameras, like some of the ones I’ve reviewed in the Favourite Cameras section (the Olympus Stylus and Pentax Espio Mini, in particular).
Dear Gary,
I enjoyed your piece about the Yashica Electro 35 GSN. Tomioka Optical who supplied Yashica with all but one lens was the ‘Johnny come lately’ with their first Tessar clone. Agfa for example introduced their Solinar, a Tessar clone, in 1933. That was the first year the Zeiss patent of 1902 ended. Yashica’s first Yashinon came almost 30 years later. How would you rate the Yashinon lens to the other RFs of the day?
Regards,
Tom O’Brien
Thanks for the review.
What does the camera do when an attached flash fires?
If the exposure locks as/when you describe it, the metering would not be relevant to a flash attached. Or is there a set shutter speed that is used then?
(I assume you couldn’t otherwise lock your exposure at 1/125 by removing the batteries, since the hot shoe would not fire without power.)
Have your tried flash photography with this camera? What would your approach be?
Thanks again.
Hi Andras:
The hot shoe simply triggers the flash and, as such, is unrelated to the exposure system — the flash fires at all shutter speeds. This is typical for cameras of this kind. You have to control the flash’s power on the flash itself.
Yashica fixed lens rangefinders really are cool cameras. I’ve had a few of them and my fellow film shooter friends have had their share as well. My approximation is you need to buy six of them in order to find one that really works. Main quirks are the dreaded “pad of death”, corroded battery wires, you need a battery adapter, bad light seals plus your normal selection of shutter related problems. But when you find one in good condition it’s a remarkable shooter. If you like the concept but would like to have something smaller you might want to try the GX version. It’s basically the same camera but one third smaller.
really beautiful! Amazing the sharpness of that little Stylus Epic. When I saw this as a thumbnail I thought it was snakes, but I’m happy to see it is kelp.
Yeah, snakes would be creepy!
Do you think that the sharpness falloff might in fact be due to the complete lack of any pressure plate? Of course it could also be a combination of factors. My general feeling is one of complete bemusement : they seem to expect this to be taken as a “serious” camera, but on that basis it’s just a waste of expensive film and processing. And those glass lenses are looking more and more vapour-filled….
I really don’t think the absence of a pressure plate is affecting the sharpness, at least not to a great extent. The camera only goes to f/8, which is pretty forgiving, and my experiments show that the back of the camera does appear to function as a pressure plate. I think the lack of sharpness is just down to the included lenses, which is why I’m interested to see if the new, glass lenses (when they arrive) may improve the image quality.
Well written and informative article. I just picked one of these up from eBay for a few pounds, bought primarily for the ML lens to use with my Yashica FRs. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this camera, very light and a great feel to it. The seals are in excellent condition too, and the body is all but unmarked. I really like fully manual SLR cameras, and this one will now go alongside my other Yashicas.
Very nice picture, Gary, love the tones.
Thanks Gary!
I was going to get the ‘Limited’ version of this camera (Epic Stylus) as I can’t seem to locate a regular Epic Stylus. Is it more or less the same just with some fancy accents and different colored body?
From what I can glean from Olympus’s web site, it does look like the same camera but with some cosmetic differences. Surprised to hear you haven’t found a regular one — they’re pretty common.
Hi John:
I don’t have any direct experience with this camera — it strikes me that you’re in the best position to determine if the camera will meet your expectations. Load up some film, and have a go!
Beautiful and epic. Nice job.
Thanks Andrew. I like your stuff as well.
Some nice OM camera love on here! As a long time owner of an OM-1, I’ve today picked up an OM10 body on Ebay for £5.50 + postage, primarily to utilise the Aperture priority feature, which I use on my Yashica Electro 35’s and my Olympus XA rangefinders. I also use digital SLR when I want to use images quickly, and via a mount adapter I can also use my Olympus lenses, but the actual physical size of my Canon DSLR, especially with a hefty lens, is just counterproductive, by comparison my Om-1 is tiny, has a massive viewfinder which makes focussing easy, and is very solid! As I intend to use it for street shooting, just having one less thing to worry about will make it a lot easier to capture fleeting moments.
I seem to be getting Olympus G.A.S. at the moment…..!!
The Electro 35cc, while a lot rarer is a 1/3 smaller than the standard HUGE! Electro’s and has a 35mm lens, not the 45 or even 40mm of the GX. I bought 3 of these all for around £30, the first works (a G), but has a stiffish focus ring and a none to bright viewfinder and the battery check light doesn’t work, the 2nd is a GS, and is in near mint condition, but needs light seals replacing, the 3rd is a black GTN in minty condition and is working fine as I run a roll thru it, even with 100 Ektar, I managed to shoot in very dim light, the only available light was from behind my subject, but still the shot came out very well, colours are rich and solid, the 1.7f lens is superb, but the camera isn’t the smallest to lug around, but it looks cool, especially in black! And anyway, I plan to replace light seals and do some CLA work on them, before either selling or giving as gifts to some of my more creative friends and family.
Well, Olympus GAS is a less severe variety than the general GAS most of us come down with!
Nicely done. It is amazing how sharp the lenses are on those old Agfa folders.
Yes, they do quite well. They apparently made them with two different lenses over the years. Mine has the Solinar, which I believe is the better one.
Love the graphic nature of the image, Gary! Well done!!!
Thank Rich — I appreciate the compliment!
I actually rather enjoy my Belair. I think a lot of the criticism toward that camera is entirely unfair. I mean, it’s a plastic camera! What did people expect?
I fully realize it has some major drawbacks, but it is also aimed at a very specific kind of image making which to me makes it interesting.
They say low expectations are the key to happiness, but I think here it’s a case of realistic expectations being the key to satisfaction. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Belair can do when I get my Russian lens.
Love how the tumbling clouds echo the tree line… They look like an avalanche coming down…
Thanks Dan. Yes, the clouds are key, aren’t they. Without them, I’m not sure there’s a picture here!
You summed it up excellently – not much more to add.
I regard the shutter release as a good feature it helps a lot to avoid shake when using the camera in low light conditions so that using slow times (1/30th or even 1/15th) is possible hand held with a little experience.
Often the missing filter thread is mentioned but I think it is missing by purpose – just imagine a srewed in filter you forget about and then closing the slider.
It’s great little camera IMHO.
A really nicely written summary. Great pics too. Thanks! I’m inspired to load up my XA and take it to work tomorrow.
Cheers
Hey gary
Great little review of the XA, and some fine pics, especially of the blue storefront.
I’ve got a couple of XAs myself and they’re fine little cameras… really enjoying cross-processing old Precisa slide through mine at the moment.
http://zorkiphoto.co.uk/2013/04/13/olympus-xa-camera-review/
Cheers
S
Thanks Stephen — I enjoyed reading your review as well!
Found one of these at a thrift store, clearly it’s
A landscape camera as the photo’s I’ve taken of
People make them appear fatter/wider than they
Really are and close ups are distorted. Even when stopped
Down and on a tripod.
Hence, was why it was at a thrift store for a few bucks.
Hi Bill:
I haven’t noticed this effect in any of my photos as yet. The lens is 38mm, so it’s sort of a wide-normal, which I suppose could lead to the “fatter/wider” effect you describe if you get close enough, but given the near-focus distance is 1 meter, I wouldn’t expect to see it too often.
I had one of these many years ago that I regret selling. It was a fun little light weight camera that was quite fun to use!
Congrats, Gary, on the magazine publication, beautiful image of the foggy French Beach.
Thanks Gary — I’ve enjoyed your shots of Keromeos too!
Hi Gary, Thanks so much for article as i have just got a Belairgon 90mm through as well as some Redscale XR film… Would you clarify for me what ISO setting i should use on the Belair to avoid underexposing the film – i understand it lets in less light than regular film as you are shooting against the ‘wrong’ side of the film..? Regards Jamie
Hi, do you find that this camera doesn’t make “your typical” shutter release sound when you press the shutter? It doesn’t produce that click sound it simply just winds to the next exposure. I’m not sure if it’s meant to be that way or if I have a faulty unit?
Thank you.
Mine sounds normal with a faint, but audible click. The easiest way to check yours is to run some film through it and see what you get.
I shot mine at ISO100, but you can try ISO 50, which is the Belair’s lowest setting. Within a range, there isn’t a “wrong” ISO setting, so experiement a bit and see which one provides the kinds of results you’re after.
Thanks Gary, I did run some film through it and loved what I got. Fantastic camera, good performer. Thanks for the reply.
Glad to hear it!
If possible, I mail my film home. It’s an inconvenience but if you want to be sure…
First of all, cuz I am not a fluent English speaker. So there could be awkward expressions in sentences. Anyway I have my own 35mf and yet to be advanced. It is my first time to use film camera, so its hard for me to expect how the outcome will be. BTW, I have a question regards to ‘zone focus’. Roughly understood by the marks of human and mountain that those means distance. But I cannot estimate the actual distance of a first mark(face like).
And could u give me an advice about the focus in a square box?
Most of all, YOUR posting is the best that explained about this camera. Thank you SO MUCH.
Hi Alice:
Glad you found the review helpful. As for focus distances, if you look on the lens barrel, opposite the distance symbols, you’ll find another focusing scale, this time marked off in meters and feet. That’s what it sounds like you’re looking for.
Looking for a camera to sometimes get away from my heavy DSLR kit for returning to the basics once in a while and feel somewhat drawn to this one. Just one question to which I find no answer online. What filter thread does it have?
46mm
I have 3 of these a Pen, EE2 & 3, i just love their dinky size and i currently have the EE2 sat in my camera bag along with a espio Mini and a 120mi…….
This looks very similar to the Konica C35 EF, which I have and also love for its look, feel and simplicity of use, not to mention the exposures are spot on and the photos it takes are sharp and clear. This camera does look a tad bit nicer though.
Having GAS nowadays also entails becoming an ebayaholic, which means you’ll have to seek out a local Ebayers Anonymous chapter an sign up for their 7 step program. What also helps is to get rid of some of your gear from time to time, like the stuff you don’t use. This is backed up by main rules which are to only keep working cameras and put at least one roll of film per year in every camera I have.
Best compact 35mm ever! I love my XA.
Max,
Everything that is mailed is inspected by X-Ray and will not control the way the inspection is done.
I prefer to take the films with me and to act like is advised in this excellent article. Taking the films with you, you will have some control how they are inspected.
Thanks for this article. I have an olympus OM-10 and I am very interested in producing quality scans. I’m looking forward to the next installment. If I could suggest that you recommend a “cheap & good” scanner that would help me out alot.
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Hey Gary
Yeah, spooky.
};->
Roy
p.s. Sorry for the very late response. Entirely my fault as I never subscribe to comment notifications.
Great review! How do you use that red Flash settings? I do not see Guide Numbers but distance scales…
I think the way it works is that you set your focus distance there and that changes the aperture to the correct setting for the light output of the flash bulbs common in that era. Sadly, the instruction booklet offers no insight.
I think your observation is correct, flash set at 30 ft. will set the aperture to f3.5 & at 5 ft to f22. I would assume that your manual flash should have a GN of 105 ft? I noticed that its viewfinder is exceptionally bright! Is it normal to see a dark shadow (frame vignette?) from the left side of the viewfinder? I’ve never seen this with my Pen D, Pen EES2 & Pen EE. Thanks.
I know when I got mine, the adhesive that holds the frame-line window in place had failed. Perhaps something like that has happened with yours and has shifted the frame lines over?
Thanks heaps this was really helpful!
i found one at a local thrift store for $5 and im glad to know thats its a good camera and takes great photos. 🙂
Great description of the camera. Like you, I found one of these in a thrift store last fall. Mine is the first Pen model manufactured by Olympus, so not as rare as yours. My one was all of $3 (now I am feeling ripped off given what you paid), though mine came with original lens hood and skylight filter.
On mine only the 1/50 and 1/100 shutter speeds work which limits what speed of film I can use in brighter conditions (100 ISO or slower). I have been carrying it every day and experimenting with it. I especially like the in-camera diptyches and triptyches that are possible with this camera, and some of the panoramas that can be done on the negative as well. I have put my early efforts up on my photo blog – an ongoing process which I will add to as I get more shots through the camera.
The lens quality is very pleasing. I have been shooting using the sunny 16 rule with good results, though I am now using a light meter for lower light situations. I have also tracked down some filters for black and white photography, and am just starting to try those out too. An ND filter is coming soon so I can load faster film (400 or 800 ISO) and shoot it in daylight, with more flexibility in low light conditions
This link will take you to all of my half-frame photos on the blog, the first of which shows the camera (you will have to click through older posts button near the bottom to find that shot).
http://burntembers.com/tag/half-frame-camera/
Great find. I have been down there a lot, but not on this part of the beach. Now I will have to go look for this feature! And I agree completely about the treasure hunt aspect of photography. Finding the treasures helps to keep me going back for more, regardless of weather and even of light.
What I am enjoying the most, having recently discovered your blog, is the overlap in our subject matter and the different ways we have of making a photo. And don’t you find it odd to see a ferris wheel pod (for want of a better word) with only one person in it?
Absolutely. There’s got to be a story there for sure! I wish I could claim that I noticed this person right away and that my photo was some lofty attempt to capture a mood of tragic loneliness, but alas, I was mostly just aiming for something abstract. I didn’t even notice the guy until I developed the film. But really, for me at least, that’s what turned out to make the image compelling.
Different weather and different light let me see things anew. Off hand, I can’t think of any meteorological condition or degree illumination that doesn’t offer something, no matter how meagre at times.
This is very nice Gary. It really captures the moment, one I have seen many times driving along Dallas Road. Great sky.
Lovely. And a nice companion piece to the one in Ehpem’s blog post (http://burntembers.com/2014/02/12/horizontal-xii/). I like how you left a bit of the sunlight at the top of the photo. I usually try to avoid that, but now I will reconsider that practice when the opportunity arises.
Thanks Linda. Yes, I normally would have cropped that bit out as well, but it seemed to give the photo balance. The other aspect I struggled with was the asymmetry of the composition. But that just seemed to work too.
Nice review, I’ve been having a look at this combinations as I’m currently using a holga 120wcp. It’s a shame you can’t get the body and glass lens as a combo from the off.
Very nice shot, what an amazing statue that must have been.
I really like how the colour film translated to black and white.
I too love Garry Oak’s, and Gary’s Oaks I guess I should add. In particular I like how you have taken this small patch of oaks and recreated the feel of the large meadows which once dominated the Victoria landscape.
What a nice set, that Pen D takes very nice pictures.
I love how the gallery comes up on the red/white/blue basketball net. My experience in the States is that it can be pretty tough to take an urban shot without the flag in it somewhere. But they do add a common thread to photos, as you have shown here.
A hipster! Yikes.
I like this shot too. I am finding it difficult to take pictures of the breakwater with the new railings. This approach solves that problem!
Those two legs in the middle don’t look quite right….
Nice to find this article, and all those that you link to. I started with film, mostly for work related reasons, and was never very creative, thoughtful or good at. Then I got a digital camera and started to get more serious about photography, but not sufficiently thoughtful or creative. Recently I have started shooting with a very basic film camera and I find that many of things you and the people link to are true. I take far more care with my photos now and it has led to some creative ideas that were largely missing when shooting with the DSLR. The learning I am doing with film is transferring back to the DSLR as well. I recommend shooting film, at least part of the time, to anyone that is serious about photography – it will do no harm and could do a great deal of good.
is it only lightmeter that operates with battery?
will shutter still operate without battery?
So far as I know, the shutter only fires at one speed without a battery.
I took this camera into my local camera shop to buy film. I was told it was broken and needed a part. I contacted canon and since they don’t make them anymore said there was nothing they could do. Any advice? Are there people out there that fix these things?
Thanks!
As with so many older cameras, the most economical thing to do is to find another one. Even if you can find someone willing to repair the camera, it’s not likely you’d want to pay what it costs.
Man! That’s where the red glow comes from… I’ve been scratching my head over this for days now!! Thanx a lot!
Do you cover the viewfinder while taking long exposures too? Initially that’s where I thought the red glow came from.. but it has to be the dot. Anyone?
No, I don’t cover the viewfinder. Once I took the batteries out the red glow went away.
I agree. A great little camera.
I have one of these as well, although mine’s the “version one point three” model, which was made by Olympus and has two strap lugs. It’s great fun – the half-frame format is still very economical and it’s the only small-frame format I can think of that you can still get processed everywhere.
I like to imagine that I have a little movie camera, taking two-frame stories. I took one for a trip on a rare sunny day in London a while back:
http://women-and-dreams.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/olympus-pen-pony-plumes.html
Fascinating to compare it with the XA, which was the last compact Maitani had a hand in. I was surprised to find that the half-frame models lasted into the early 80s, but sadly as far as I know there was never a half-frame Pen that had (a) rangefinder focusing (b) electronic auto-exposure. Just the Pen F or the selenium cell models.
I like your approach Ashley. There seems to be something about these little cameras that inspires creativity. Ehpem (comment above) also takes a different approach to picture taking with his Pen.
I have the same camera and for the life of me I can’t figure out how to turn on the viewfinder meter. I got a brand new battery in there as well.
The meter on all the time — there’s nothing to do to “turn it on.” Either your battery is dead, in the wrong way, or the camera is broken.
I bough the exact same camera on a market for 50 cents. Your article has been extremely helpful for me. I originally was appealed to the looks of the camera, and just seconds later while hearing the cost, I purchased it. I bought it with an old (to worn out to use) franka mid format camera for the ridiculous price of 1 euro.
I have to admit to sometime being to lazy to start carrying full reflex camera’s around, so this camera makes it possible for me to always shoot.
I first minded that it’s an full automatic, but in the end it’s the perfect snapshot camera, and I believe this is a good way to focus on the in tell of a picture more then only the correct settings.
Nice review!
Thanks a lot!
Interesting. It pre-dates my 1957 Argus C3, but it looks years ahead of it!
Hi Gary, I just found one of these that looks functional (it still had film in it, not too old looking). What do you use for batteries and where do you get them in Victoria! Thanks!
Hearing-aid batteries (Energizer 675s). London Drugs. Cheap, and they work great with the camera. I stack two on one side of the battery compartment, and fill the other side with aluminim foil. Congratulations — I think you’re going to want to retire your Canon DSLR now!
Gary
Clarified a lot of issues for me regarding traveling with film. Learned to take the film through carry-on, smile and ask for a “hand check” regardless of the ASA and be sure to have the film in a TSA approved size baggie to expedite the process. I never travel with film over an ASA of 400, so should be in good shape. Thanks for taking the time to put this info together!
A point-and-shoot film camera is a lovely thing to have. It starts up much faster than a point-and-shoot digital and no worries about poor image quality from a small sensor. I bought a Ricoh GR10 to keep in a pocket while walking or cycling around. I chose that camera because it has a fast f2.8 28mm lens that lets me shoot in low light without turning on the flash and gives me a good depth of field. The flash works well and doesn’t over-expose the main subject. Another reason I chose the camera is that it has almost no controls at all. No manual focus, no exposure compensation, no priority modes, etc. I have all that with my ‘serious’ cameras and I wanted a no-think camera I could pull out of my pocket any time and use to take a snapshot.
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Hi Gary – it is good to learn about this camera. There seem to be very few of the point and shoot telephotos with decent optics, fast or slow. Another very useful article about your favourite cameras, some of which are becoming my favourite film cameras too. Maybe one day I will spot one of these too.
That has to be a 60-62 Valiant, though the gas cap should be on the other side of the car?
I recognised the gas cap because my parents had a 64 which became my first car. It was a station wagon that was rotted through the floors and elsewhere and failed the mandatory road safety test we used to have, so it was scrapped. It had a automatic transmission with push buttons on the dash for R, N, D, 1 and 2 if I recall correctly.
Nice looking camera. Cameras like this, with the conversation starter aspect, might be excellent street cameras for those situations where you feel it necessary to ask someone to take a picture.
Nice to see your shots with it – these are all locations I have photographed in the past two months or so. We might have been there at that the same time!
I don’t know for sure, but that seems about right. Chief Pontiac himself.
Beautiful hues in that film! Great shot too.
I had one of these little cameras in college. I made a little money taking portraits in slide film and selling them in keychain viewers.
It used to be a novelty back then.
I wish I still had the camera!
Gary; if youre unsure whether to cover the viewfinder or not, go with the safest option and do it, normally i just take the lens-cover and attach it with two strips of tape that i always carry in my camerabag! 😉
Thanks. I just got a belair and your post has been very useful.
I like this kind of photograph. Filling the frame with nothing but building (but is that a very small opening to the sky at the top?) gives the viewer a sense of how tightly packed people are. I used to live in a 15 story block of flats and I felt trapped by the weight of all the other apartments around me. But at least these apartments have open balconies. Here in Korea, everyone closes them off with glass doors to make more storage room.
Thanks Marcus. Yes, that’s just a tiny hint of sky there. Here in Victoria, you see a lot of closed in balconies too, which I don’t like much myself, though I understand why they’re popular.
One of the things I like to do with architectural shots is alter the context of the building, either by excluding it from its environment, or changing its relationship to it. (You’ll see what I mean about the latter in my next posting.)
View Towers! With that bright reflection that is so often seen from Fort Street. Nice angle. Such a monumentally ugly building, and difficult to photograph. You nailed it with this one.
I have one in the works too, from my frequent bus stop, that should see the light of day later in the week.
You make this building look a lot better than it does just walking past it. Gives a sense of what the architect might have been aiming for. It is interesting what you have to say about excluding the environment to alter the context – it sure works well with this building.
That camera does a nice job, very compact too. I have never shot Ektar but it is on my list to try.
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Hi Gary. Thanks for the mention. Funny that we should both take reflection photos of View Towers at the same time. Trying to make something photo-worthy of this slab requires peripheral vision and indirect viewing.
I sure like the results you get with the ME but I swear I won’t be buying one.
So you say…
Taking photos of slab apartments (I like that name) is challenging. I often try to include just the top of a tree or a small piece of sky in the frame for contrast and emphasis.
I remember flying into Seoul for the first time in 1995 and being flabbergasted by the thousands of identical white apartment buildings covering the city like RAM chips in a logic board. The government has recently said ‘no more perfectly rectangular apartments’ but construction companies just add little flourishes to the top or fancy up the entrance a bit to get around the regulation. I’m not sure how much can be done to such a building anyway.
Hi John,
I own an OM-10 and am looking into buying an OM1. Are the lenses and the accessories compatible with each other?
Thanks.
Ps.: Great article
Yes, all the OM-series lenses that work with the OM-10 will work just as well on the OM-1 or other models in the OM line.
Wow, you happened by at just the right time. I’ve never seen this. Kind of like someone spilled a display of giant fruit and vegetables.
I actually shot this a while back (last winter?). I think they’d taken the lanterns down for cleaning or perhaps storage. But yes, dumb luck strikes again. Naturally, I had a camera with me.
Hi Gary, thanks for the mention! Your photo is really quite different than mine in feel and approach as well. I am constantly surprised by how a slightly different angle can make a picture feel completely different.
I find the fx-3 super 2000 delightful for everything casual. Picked one up from a local thrift store for $15 USD. I find it very limiting with outdoor macro work. It is much easier to set focus, lock up the mirror manually on the F3 ($60 USD on Ebay with lens) or OM1($15 USD at thrift store with lens), time the passing breeze and use a cable release. Good natural outdoor light sometimes doesn’t last for more than a few seconds as clouds come in and out. You add the factor for wind and you’d get even fewer seconds to capture the moment. Mirror up with a self timer is virtually unusable in outdoor macro photography unless you live in a vacume. I do have to agree that some kind of mirror lock up is better than none but this implementation is far from ideal.
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Hi Gary. I like this image more each time I see it. My first appreciation was the choice of view point, a place I have looked up from many times without once thinking to include the power lines. Now what I am really liking are the triangles and especially the dark one with the balconies on it. View towers has so many interesting angles and yet continues to stay slab-ugly.
Nice timing with the cat. Did you see the cat and quickly shoot? Or set up the scene and wait for the cat to walk past? I once met a chicken walking around on a side walk and found that I could get him to walk one or the other because he was wary of me. I decided my background, focused, and then moved back and forth until the chicken walked into the place I wanted him. You can see the photo in this post: http://marcuspeddle.com/2014/11/17/animals-and-galleries/
Cats, of course, are far less predictable than chickens! I was thinking about shooting the scene anyway because I liked the way the shadows fell on the wall. As I was aiming for the shot, I saw the cat enter the frame and then I waited for him to get to a gap between the shadows. Luck and preparation combined, as is often the case.
Hi Gary,
I’m interested in your thoughts regarding the quality of the lens vs. the olympus stylus epic (or mju-ii as I know it :))?
I ask, as having shot two rolls with one of these, I’m not especially convinced it is as good. I’ve actually just bought a second espio mini to rule out my first copy being a bit of a duff, so I shall find out for myself soon enough… Just interested in another, experienced, opinion.
Cheers
Hamish
Hamish, I see very little difference between them. In my experience, both are capable of producing excellent results.
Fingers crossed my second one is slightly better then. I love the camera!
Oh, Canada! Did you use a filter on the lens?
Yes, a maple one! (Just kidding — no filter.)
Thanks, enjoyed the article and look forward to the next instalment. As much as I enjoy digital photography, I’m missing my old film cameras and would like to use them from time to time. Would love to be able to shoot C41 process B&W like Ilford XP2, scan the negative and then play with it from there. What do you suggest for a scanner to do that? Also, where’s a good place in Victoria to purchase C41 B&W film? I live in the Gulf Islands, but get into Victoria fairly often.
Thank you for this website.
Good summary of a brilliant little camera. I used it for years (and it’s still around here somewhere!), often as a second back-up camera when traveling. I really think it was the best of the mine 35mm cameras, among the others from Rollei and Minox. In addition to its great lens, it was tough and versatile.
One little feature that not many people know about is its ability to take long auto night exposures. Set it up on a rock or a tripod, click the shutter button and it will close when it’s had enough light.
London Drugs used to carry it, but I don’t know if they do any more. I’ve been buying mine in bulk from B&H in NYC.
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oh ho ho. 🙂
I think you should check out the Espio 24EW I think it’s even better
It’s definitely on my radar, but being an opportunistic camera hunter, I’m waiting for one to turn up at one of my local thrift stores. Maybe you beat me to the last one here in town!
You’ve made perhaps the most over-photographed (except for dinners and cups of coffee) subject in the world look interesting again.
So Gary, I see that I said I wouldn’t be buying one (ME, that is). True to my word, I haven’t done that. However, I just bought two MEs, plus several lenses, flash, filters, many rolls expired film and so on – someone’s kit, hard case included. Now, to figure out how to take as good pictures with them as you do with yours.
That is a terrific exposure of a landmark so familiar I barely notice it anymore. Looks like that camera is one of the point and shoots worth owning.
That is very cool – love the way the trailing edge of the wing creates two frames – takes a lot of looking to figure it out.
Really good set of photos. The male bird is probably my favourite.
Do you scan black and white negatives in colour? Or are you toning them in post? I might have asked this question already.
Gary, I thought I had commented on this post – thanks for the mention, and it is really interesting to see other people’s shots of the same subjects. It is one of the things I enjoy about your blog – finding familiar places seen in ways different from my own.
I was walking down Fort St yesterday with my 2 year old granddaughter and she saw this steeple above the buildings across the street and made some comment about it, and stared at it until it went out of view. I must go back to that spot and take a picture, kind of through her eyes. It is a similar experience to looking at someone’s photos of a familiar landmark.
I really like this diptych. I have a soft spot for the genre and the possibilities it presents for showing multiple facets of a scene.
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Hey Gary – that is very kind of you! I had not seen this post when I put one up today, of the other side of the building from Fort Street. I like yours better – it looks taller somehow, and the tree branches are very nice. I think I have shot through those branches when the leaves are out, but this way is more suitably stark. Nice!
Thank you so much for these tips! This is really helpful!
Gary, this is a wonderful shot. I have tried for this kind of thing, but never succeeded – you nailed this one.
Nicely disorienting. Taking pictures on the ferry is so much better than spending time in the cafeteria – this way you bring home memories you care to have.
Funny that you are posting BCFerries shots – I did too a few days ago, but after yours, and again, without having yet seen these two. This part of the world is not so small as to explain these overlaps.
Kind of you to say — thanks. I was fortunate with the lighting.
That is one perfect pipe. Shame it will be gone soon.
It’s great that this fairly humble camera is among those you reach for first. This is a very useful review; it makes me wish my similar Ansco B2 Speedex had the f/3.5 Solinar instead of the f/4.5 Anastigmat.
Great review Gary; a camera to keep an eye open for! Though as you say, it might be hard to find one that doesn’t need a lot of work.
I like this one very much. It almost looks like a print by Christopher Pratt. I am looking for a new compact camera to replace my now-deceased Ricoh GR10. Would you recommend the Big Mini 302? Have you had any problems with it?
Hi Marcus:
Hadn’t noticed the Christopher Pratt look to this picture before, but I see what you mean. Perhaps us Canadians share a certain aesthetic. As for the Big Mini, I’ll be doing a review soon, but the short answer is that I haven’t had any problems with it so far. It’s a good camera.
Thank you for the information about the camera. A used one in good condition here (South Korea) is not cheap. The 3o2 is about three hundred Dollars. Ouch.
I knew about Christopher Pratt because I’m originally from Newfoundland and I saw his prints in Cultural Heritage class, museum trips, etc. I rediscovered him again after seeing Sam Abell’s photos of Newfoundland and bought a collection of his (Pratt’s) prints in book form.
Certainly makes a case for carrying a camera with you every day!
Nice shot!
A very peaceful scene. I’m about to start a new project using black and white film and I wonder how you like the XP2 film. It’s very convenient because I don’t have to send it away or bother with chemicals at home. I’ve used one roll as a test and found that the negatives seem a bit dark. Some people say to use the film at ISO200 (especially in flat light) to get better exposures. Do you use as is?
Thanks Marcus. I like XP2 very much, partly because I do my own C-41, partly because it scans very well and I can use automatic dust/scratch removal. Although I don’t recall if I did with this shot or not, I generally shoot it at ISO200, unless it’s a very grey day and then I shoot at box speed. I find it prints well in the darkroom too, so it’s a good all ’rounder, as they say. I buy it in bulk and load my own cartridges to save money.
I sometimes think about buying a scanner for my slides and negatives but it takes up desk space and the missus doesn’t like it. Fortunately, I’ve been going to the same photo lab for almost ten years and when I get prints done he gives me the scans for free. Unfortunately, the prints have to be about 8×10 before producing digital files of very good quality. Or medium format. He has to scan the medium format film manually and he takes his time with the files. 35mm is usually done automatically by the machine. But beggars can’t be choosers. Getting good scans is expensive and the ones I get are usually good enough to put on my website.
Can an older camera without film be packed in check-bag & take a new roll of film in my purse, carry-on?
Sure. The camera isn’t the issue, it’s only the film that’s potentially harmed.
Very well-composed photo. That is my favourite red, and I’ve never been able to get it on digital. That could be my fault, not digital technology’s, but I prefer that the film get the great colours, and not me sitting in front of a computer jiggling sliders.
The sign to the left of the door says, “delivery service every day.” I wonder if they send the sushi by parcel service or the gimchi, pork belly, and bulgogi advertised on the right.
Anyway, great documentary photograph. It’s sometimes tempting to walk around my city and take similar photos of all the shops that look like they might disappear.
Thank you for the advice, I hadn’t even realised that this was an issue. Last year I put a 200 iso film into a bag that went into the baggage hold and thankfully it was absolutely fine! I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known this though, sounds like I was lucky. It was on a flight from Bucharest to London so perhaps the Romanians aren’t as stringent with the scanners as they are in America.
I suppose this affects film that hasn’t been exposed as well?
Yes.
Beautiful!!
I found following on the official website from Heathrow Airport
* These films will be visually unaffected by up to eight and in some cases 32 passes through the hand-luggage x-ray machines. Processed film can be x-rayed virtually without limit, without suffering any ill effects whatsoever from these machines.
What is meant by processed film? I suppose exposed film? In this case there is no danger, is this correct?
Processed film = film that’s already been developed. Exposed that hasn’t been developed would be in trouble.
Gary,
I purchased my Espio Mini silver in Copenhagen in 2001. It was slightly used but looked brand new. I was told by the store owner that it was the Pentax 75th anniversary issue. Right from the start it became my favorite camera (the Spotmatic F that I purchased in 1973 was becoming far too heavy). What amazed me the most was the lens…I couldn’t take bad pictures no matter how hard I tried. Then I made the mistake of lending it to my daughter who took it to Africa. She used 100% deet to ward of the bugs and it ate into the chrome finish of the camera. When she returned it to me it was “battle worn”, and in disgust I gave it to her. I still miss it to this day.
Thanks for this, a very helpful article.
Does your ‘suitcase’ get scanned? I wasn’t planning on taking any luggage on board with me therefore keeping it in the main storage of the plane.
Is this at risk at all? I’m going to be going through Iceland/ Alaska/ Canada then back to the UK via airports, so the film will be scanned multiple times if they do scan non ‘hand-luggage’
Many thanks!
Lovely shot, and great blog. Have just started using a Hasselblad 553 ELX and really loving the “12 shots of square” workflow. Iceland/Hasselblad/Portra is a great mix!
All luggage gets scanned, which is why I recommend asking for a hand check of your film. Re-read paragraph #2.
And they say the Hassy isn’t a good travel camera. Heck, it was good enough for the ultimate road trip — to the Moon!
An apt allusion to Eleanor Rigby…so ironic that in the most populated spaces, are the most isolated people. Good titles add a nice dimension to the photos.
Thanks Wes — you got it exactly. I find it sad that there are roughly a dozen people in this shot and none of them are interacting in any way. Little isolated islands.
I like this. It looks like a cityscape carved in stone.
Hi, thanks for the great article!
It helped a lot.
I’m starting analog photography and mainly/only B/W.
Bought this camera a few weeks ago, already shot and developed a roll af film,not bad.
One question regarding my camera: the flash loads(high pitch sound) light turns orange, bur will not flash. Any thoughts about this?
Greetings from Holland,
Marcel Smits
Hi Marcel — it sounds like the flash element is burnt out. Perhaps someone else has a suggestion.
I like how film renders the scene. What is the small green stick in the left foreground? Old fence post? Mile marker?
I’m not sure what that is. It could be something to mark the edge of the road when there’s snow on the ground, but it doesn’t look tall enough for that.
I’ve stumbled upon your blog by chance while I was searching for info about the Yashica T5.
Wonderful pics!
best,
Glad you stumbled in. Thanks for the kind words.
Gary
“To facilitate physical inspection, remove your undeveloped film from the canister and pack it in a clear plastic bag. We recommend leaving your film in the unopened manufacturer’s packaging.”
this statement seems contradictory. do I remove it from the box and cannister? or leave the unopened box?
Only the TSA can say for sure. I just leave it in the unopened box. If they want to take it out the box, they can. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.
That’s quite lovely. Are you using XP2 for convenience while travelling? Or do you usually use it anyway?
Thanks Marcus. I use XP2 because I like its look. It’s a very versatile film as well.
That’s a beautiful photo. I like the three layers of dark earth, very light grey individual cloud, and then the layer of dark cloud nearly filling the sky with a point of hazy sun behind it. I notice from your last posts that you brought a number of cameras with you. I would like to read a post about what it’s like travelling with a number of cameras and film. The last time I travelled overseas with film was about five years ago and the airport people in Canada weren’t pleased about hand checking all my film. They did it, though, so I can’t complain.
Thanks Marcus. No problem have the film hand checked in Iceland, USA, or Canada. Stay tuned — I have an article about travelling with the Hasselblad nearly ready to post.
I’m not lucky enough to own a Hasselblad, but I own several medium format cameras. One trick I’ve found for not carying a tripod, is to attach a sturdy nylon string to the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera using a bolt . Have a length of the string long enough to step on and pull it taught enough to steady the camera. Not perfect, but enough to get your shutter speed down to 1/15 or 1/30.
Thank you for the great article on carrying around a medium format camera. Encouraged by your article and the documentary I saw the other day about Vivian Maier, I spent a couple of hours yesterday morning making street photographs with my Contax 645. I don’t have a waist-level finder for it but I’ve been considering it for a couple of years and I think I might finally spend the money to get one. If I can find one in Korea. They are a bit rare here.
What about scanning film that is in a camera? Would that pose a problem?
I don’t think the camera offers much protection, so it would be affected to the same extent as a roll of film in its box.
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The scene through the window looks like a washed out photograph and the empty landscape echoes the ruin of the house. I wonder where the people who lived here are now. Was there just one wall left in the house?
The scene is a bit more confusing than you perceive. The view “through” the window is actually a reflection — the shot was from outside. But I like your interpretation better.
Thank you for writing the review. It’s good to read thoughts on older equipment. The Big Mini will set you back over two hundred dollars here in Korea and there are no yard sales where you could stumble over one for a good price. I’m not sure who buys this equipment at these prices.
I guess we’ve gotten used to these cameras going for really low prices, but I’ll bet that when they were new, they were several hundred dollars.
I guess they were probably worth several hundred dollars when new and serviceable. I checked prices on the Internet and the Korean asking price is about twice that of Ebay and other used equipment sites. And that’s before you consider the difference in purchasing power. That said, if I went to Seoul and crawled around the camera store districts I could probably find a better deal.
There is no Like button so, “Like!” Joking aside, I like the clean composition and how the sign indirectly and simply describes the environment around the apartment building.
I “like” how your read these photos Marcus! Thanks.
I just bought a Yashica 35MF yesterday at a local thrift for $6.95 with the case. I cleaned it up, put in the batteries, and wow, everything works! Here’s a photo of it [img]https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8828/18096871730_763f057ddc_z.jpg[/img]
Thanks for your research on this little known camera. And yes, it does have a certain Leica je ne sais quoi. I can’t wait to shoot a roll through it. Cheers.
Hi Gary,
Does the viewfinder zoom with the lens? I’m thinking of attempting a home made zooming viewfinder for my digital PENTAX MX1 and this camera has a pretty similar focal length range.
Thanks
Yes it does.
Thanks! There are a couple of dead ESPIO 115’s on the ‘bay for a few pounds. I’ll pull one apart and see how the viewfinder mechanism is coupled to the lens zoom mechanism.
so this camera still can work if the batteries were dead?
Except for the light meter, yes.
Great composition and that’s one of my favourite shades of blue. The photo reminds me of a teacher I know who grew up in a rather deep valley. He told me that when he wanted to see the sky he had to look straight up.
great review Gary! I recently got an Isolette with an Apotar 1:4.5 85mm and I am extremely happy with it, especially the easy settings/use, lightweight and handiness. One drawback on my model is the lack of the T option you mention, which should make things much easier when shooting with low light. I was considering going for slower films, but I really got interested by your suggestion and examples of TriX! thank you!
Thanks Matt. The T switch is handy, but to be honest, I rarely use it. “B” and a cable release do just as well and are less likely to cause you to bump the camera during exposure. Enjoy shooting with the Isolette!
That’s a very nice contrast between the smooth lines of the human made building and the rough surface of the stone chiselled by weather and time. I’m sure you composed the photo so that the breaks in the balcony appear in the upper right hand corner. A nice ‘rest stop’ for the eye and they prevent the form of the building from becoming monotonous.
If you tinged this red you could tell people it’s a Mars colony building. It has a slight sci-fi feeling to it.
Great photo!
I am going to be going to Australia soon. I will have with me both iso 200 & 400 35mm film as well as iso 800 instant film. Will unused packs of the instant film be okay through security? Also, with the 35, I assume it will be okay on both the way there and the way back if it is scanned twice on the way there and twice on the way back.
hey could you just help me understand what the knob on the left side looking from the back is for ?
also i am having difficulties figuring out how the focus distance works
i cant seem to figure out how to set it
just got mine a few days ago
would be great if you can help me out
also thank you for this wonderful article
I would request hand checks of all your film. I don’t see an upside to taking a chance — especially with the instant film.
That knob doesn’t do anything really. You pull it up when loading the film, but that’s it. For focus, you estimate the distance to your subject, then dial that in on the focus scale.
Lovely little camera there, most impressed. So I’ll have to look out for one and snaffle it up. Must admit I am a bit partial to the range finder style.
Did u do the restoration Gary or did u have someone do it for u?
The sample photos are very impressive too. In particular the B&W one of East Sooke Park.
Love the vines on the blue wall photo. Showing that the camera with u is the one that takes the great photos!
Brian, great little feature that u mentioned too. Makes the XA even more impressive.
I fixed it up Gordon. It’s one of the easier cameras to mess around with.
Now that there is another camera, an Ondu 6×12 pinhole, that provides all three formats that u mention with the Belairgo, would u consider obtaining one of them and doing a review? The sample images look a bit soft to me.
Interestingly they even mention an Ondu 6×6 pocket pinhole camera!
Soft images are one of the “features” of a pinhole camera. If you’re after sharpness, generally it’s better to look elsewhere.
I’m new to the C35 Flashmatic and a bit confused. Mine doesn’t have 7 32 on the GN and the 28 90 are the ones in green instead of the 14 45. Does that mean anything? Oh, and what’s the safest “lens setting” for a C35 Flashmatic beginner like me?
Thanks lots, Gary!
I’m not familiar with the Flashmatic version, but assuming it’s like the regular Automatic, I’d just leave it in automatic mode, unless you’re using a flash, in which case you’d match the GN to the GN of your particular flash.
Amen!
Glad u enjoyed your visit down to the best country this side of the Milky Way. Also what is wrong with our vegemite? Best delicacy we’ve ever produced! 😉
Must let me know if u are coming down this way again, we can do some observing and photography.
Gordon
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Hmmm I like that photo Gary. Simple, but very engaging.
Gordon
What a wonderful photograph.
Thanks Jim. I really enjoy your blog, by the way.
hi,
thanks for the usefull and interesting advice.
I am travelling from the mainland Europe to Edinburgh, UK. Following text can be found on the Airport security website:
“Specialist film (ISO 800 and above) under exceptional circumstances, when passed more than eight times through the hand-luggage security scanning machines, can be affected. However, the nature of the change occurring is barely noticeable to the naked eye and indeed does not become clearly visible until film is exposed around 32 times.”
further stated:
“Hand search requests for professional film will normally be accommodated, but the final decision in all individual cases will always rest with the on-duty security supervisor.”
So if I can believe this website it would take a ISO 102800 film to get only “barely visible effect”. I’ll spare you and myself the calculation to 32 times.
However this will not hold me back to still ask for a hand check!
I really like this, especially the shadows of the ladder and pipe. Nicely played
Great picture. That’s a tree one could spend a whole day photographing.
Yes, we’re blessed here with both an abundance of arbutus and Garry oak — both wonderfully photogenic trees.
I like the black and white version better as well. This photo is about shape, not colour, so black and white is the better choice. Also, I think the tree is too dark in the colour photo
That looks fantastical. I can imagine elves or fairies living in those mushrooms or hiding behind them as you bent down to make your photograph. Maybe you could make a photo of the French Beach fairies in honour(?) of the Cottingley fairies.
I’ll have to keep an eye out for them Marcus. So far, they’ve proved elusive.
Gary
A very nice looking prime point n shoot, must look out for one. The lens on it is, as u mention, very clear and sharp. I note that most of your point n shoots are primes, whereas mine are nearly all zooms, so I need another prime model. 🙂
Also love the Salish sea photo.
Gordon
Thanks Gordon. I do have a couple of reviews of point-and-shoot zooms (the Espio 120SW, Yashica T4 zoom, and Espio 115G), but you’re quite correct — I’m more of a prime user. And that’s not just with pocket cameras. I don’t use zooms with my SLRs either.
After a few decades, and following gentle persuasion from my 24 year old son who has recently used an old SLR during a trip to India, I have taken my OM-10, which I purchased new in 1982, out of its camera bag and have been using it this week during a trip up to Scotland. I’m looking forward to viewing the results upon my return home.
Wow, great results from your IIIc. The accessory lenses do sound like an awful pain. But what other choices were there in the 50s for interchangeable lenses?
Now that I’ve sold the 4×5 stuff, my road trip camera will be the Hasselblad 500CM I’ve slowly amassed bits for over the years. After packing around the large(largish?) format system for years, I find the Hasselblad an ideal traveling camera as long as I can put it (and the tripod that accompanies it all the time) in a car. For the “where are we today?” type trips, the little digi-snapper gets carried most often (having lugged the ‘blad around and not using it one too many times).
Regarding the issue of wide angle lenses – do not try the 40mm. You may grow to like it. Then, your wallet and back may suffer. (I used it for one summer trip to the American SW deserts and have been successful in not buying one yet, though who knows how long that will last…) I love my 50mm and it was much less expensive and is certainly lighter.
Thanks for the warning about the 40mm David! I can well imagine.
I have an Electro 35 CC and love it. I didn’t like it at first, the whole Electro metering display with the over/under indicators instead of seeing your shutter speed takes some getting used to. However it gives great results and is the only fixed lens rangefinder of this type with a 35mm lens as far as I know.
I have way too many cameras but I just bought a GX because of how much I like the CC.
These squash (squashes?) look like they might be carved from stone or wood. I’m used to seeing photos of them in colour. This one is very interesting.
Such excellent blue in that sky!!
I am sure your Yashica is a fine camera but I don’t think it’s fair to criticize other brands.My first manual camera was a Minolta x700 which I still use to this day aand love it more then my Minolta 7000 and my 7xi which both are very great cameras. As for my Olympus om1n you do realize it to has a lockup mirror, maybe you have just become to comfortable with your Yashica , me I love trying out different cameras even my Canon AE1 Program. The reason I have not invested in a dslr is because I view it as a giant point and shoot camera with fantastic features. To me manual cameras makes you a pro.I can operate any of my cameras without the use of a meter because I seen so many lighting situation I can usually determine what f numbers or shutter speed to use without the f 16 rule. So I am sure if I ever use a Yashica I will find the same enjoyment using it as with any other manual camera I get my hands on.I think I love getting it wrong just to go back and try it again.so my advice to film users, get out there and get into the moment of challenge and enjoyment.
Hardly an unfair criticism to note that the OM-1 and OM-2 lack the self-timer mirror-release pre-fire feature, which is something I find far more useful than the mirror lock up in the OM-1 (another feature the OM-2 lacks). But as I point out in my review of the Yashica, the Olympus OMs have a better build quality. And I think if you poke around this site you’ll find that, like you, I enjoy trying many different cameras. In fact, I rarely use the Yashica.
Hello there! really useful article about the T4! I bought one at 120 usd mint condition in Taiwan…
I haven’t developed the films I took yet but I’m pretty excited about how the pics will look like!
Hello there, thanks for the review. I just found my dads Yashica 35mf, and had no luck finding a manual. I had a question or 2, and I don’t know too much about older cameras so please bare with me. With all the batteries in(no film), how can you tell if the camera is on/working?
Hi Alex:
Keep in mind that you need a set of AA batteries for the flash and a second, small battery for the camera’s functions. You can check to see if it’s working by aiming it a bright light and checking the aperture (by looking at the lens), then aiming it at a dim light and see if the aperture opens wider when you fire off a shot.
Gary
Yeah I got the 1.5 v battery the other day. Again, I’m not the brightest when it comes to cameras, especially older ones. But this one is in perfect looking condition, and has all the parts so I figured I’d try. I aimed it at a bright light and didn’t really notice anything. I aimed it at a dim light, took a shot and only noticed the shutter lens open and close fast.
Is the meter in the viewfinder doing anything? Does it seem to respond to changes in lighting?
I love the bark on the tree. I feel like if I reached out to touch my screen, I’d feel the bark’s texture.
I’ve never liked any of my windmill photos as much as I like this! Well done!
The meter in the viewfinder seems fine. The dial will go up when I point the camera towards a bright light, and then go down as it gets away from the bright light.
Thanks Dave, that’s very kind.
The next step then is to run some film through it. Good luck!
Hi fellow film enthusiasts,
I’ve been traveling Europe for about 4 1/2 months now and brought 20 rolls of Kodak Portra 400 with me on my travels. I hadn’t done any prior research to my trip and all of my rolls have been on about five flights total inside my checked-in luggage. Upon doing some research and still currently traveling, I’m worried all of my film is going to be fried when I get them developed.
I realize it’s completely my fault but I’m hoping atleast some of the film is still salvagable.
Has anyone had any experience dealing with film that has gone through checked-in luggage x-rays?
Thanks,
Zac
Very useful brief on the camera. I am a lucky owner of Yashica FX3 Super 2000. Have procured ISO 200 roll. Will start using it. Only problem is of developing and printing the film roll in this digital age. Thank you for review.
Hello!
I’m taking my Nikon F4 and a lot of Portra, even some 160vc, I’m afraid they’ll check the film inside my camera. There’s a roll of Portra in there currently and I leave next week, should I try wind it out and attempt to leave the leader out or should I keep it in there and hope they don’t ask to inspect it?
Thanks,
Ross
Hey, Zac,
what happened with your filme? Did you already developed?
The same happened to me! I traveled with my undeveloped filme on my checked in luggage and now I’m afraid I lost it 🙁
I will know the result next month.
I hope i’ll be lucky.
hah good luck for you too!
There is something about a coloured door that makes me feel good. Maybe it leads me to think that the people who live or work inside the building are bright or colourful themselves? Or maybe just because 95% of doors in Korea are made of grey steel and windowless and ant bit of colour is a relief.
I own one of these cameras. I really like it since it’s quite small and quite light (compared to any Praktica aka the tank is so easy) and i like what i get.
I was wondering if you know any slr smaller or lighter. I’ve seen you’ve shown the OM-1 and the OM-2 as one of the smallest SLR.
Just found one of these at a thrift shop, love the look and feel. Any idea how this thing operates without a battery? I remember the electro shutter would lock at 500 without a battery.. once I got used to adjusting aperture without the light meter I was happy as hell with the thing..
wondering if I can get away with that on this little guy
I don’t even bother with lomography red scale. I usually ebay (if that’s a word,) Redscale film that is respooled….or reserved. I am thinking of giving Lomography redscale, a second chance…(third if you want to count the great guys at the film photography project Respooling redscale lomography for 620 cameras…It turned out yellow, not orange or red…)
My question is since I’m using my canon this time around not any of the holgas I have, when you shoot it with a filter such as an 85b pale orange or a red filter; What effects if any would it produce? I heard if you use a green filter (which I lost a year or two ago) It makes the red darker and pop out more but your backround is green(?)
Thanks for the review. I just bought a Pen-S on eBay to continue my Olympus collection: OM1, XA3, and my Fav 35RC. My has most of the same features but as you pointed out, no arrow, shutter button changes etc. Incidentally, my lens has f2.8 and a beautiful Olympus clear lens glass that screws on.
An extreme solutions with black and white film would be that you could bring the chemicals (in the allowed amounts) to process it at your place of stay. Of course that doesn’t help undeveloped film.
Whats the deafult shutter without a working meter if it has one
Hi Sean:
Your guess is as good as mine — the manual doesn’t say. However, the shutter speed ranges between 1/60 to 1/250.
I have a roll of hp5 in it at the moment, should be fun to get some portraits with flash. Anyone had experiance with this camera and portraits
That was my very first slr. in the late 80’s i bought for my savings ( i was only 15 years old) i lent to one of my friends. he dropped it on the floor and that was the end of the Yaschica.
for sentimental reasons I’m looking now for a one.
Brilliant review!
I’ve recently gotten into film photography and was fortunate enough to stumble across this little gem while spring cleaning. It looks to be in working condition and nothing seems to be broken except for the light meter even after I’ve popped in some fresh batteries (which subsequently worked on my Pentax).
Not too sure what to make of it but was wondering if it’s worth taking it to a professional to get it fixed (that means needing to track down an old man/woman who still fixes manual cameras) or should I just deal with it and use a separate light meter instead?
Light meter issues with these are almost always power issues. When you look in the battery chamber, does it look as if the contacts are clean and shiny? Any sign of a previous battery leaking? Nine times out of ten, that’s the problem.
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I bought a wp-1 back in 1999-2000
It’s been from the Great Barrier Reef Australia to the Chilkoot Trail, Yukon Canada (twice) and points all over in between.
It’s a damn good camera…. But it’s only water poof to 100 feet. I pushed it too far. After 20 years the seal in the door latch or the selector dial on the front let a drop or two of salt water in. It’s doomed.
If anybody has a lightly used one… I’m interested.
Does anyone know if this camera uses pre-flashes? Can it be used with an optical slave with other flashes?
HI! great article. I stumble into a contina iia, bought it for cheap. Its in really great shape, I am going through my first role test role. I notice you took a photo in victoria bc, I live in victoria. anyways, great article really informative for us the novice. I look forward to my photos, just a couple of more shots to go. where do you develop your film?
Great shot garry! wow! I also have a pentax me super that I am shooting b&w film with. I am going to try some developing my self I hear b&w is easier. what sort of scanner do you use?
Thank you,
Roque
In my bathroom. It’s fast, easy and convenient. Lens&Shutter on Broad Street still do colour in-house at a reasonable price though.
Gary
Check out the How To section for my two-part article on scanning basics. You’ll see all the details of what I use in Part 2.
Anyone know of these effects are more or less impactful on Polaroid 600 film?
Very elegant and crisp! A really nice structure that’s also unobtrusive.
If you are using instant film, especially the ones form Impossible-Project, the following link may be interesting:
https://impossible.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/216750328-How-to-travel-with-Impossible-film-
They recommend to remove all film from the checked baggage and to place it in the carry-on baggage. And processed film will be unaffected by x-rays.
However, I think, that heavy x-ray influence still may impact the processed instant films.
=> Has anybody experience with processed instant films (from Impossible Project)?
Thanks!
@Vin. I fix them. I’m in the UK though. Check my website at http://www.contax139.info.
Also,the shutter sound can be considerably improved with a little grease in the right place.
couldn’t agree more. The Hasselblad haging from the neck can easily be shot at 1/125s, maybe even at 1/60s with an 80mm lens and if you find some other way to support it, like kneeling down and placing it on your knee or Neil’s really fine idea with the strap from the tripot mount (thanks Neil, will definitly try it), you can go down further without problems.
I carry the camera together with all equipment (501CM with waist level finder, 50mm, 80mm and 160mm and two backs) and all films (never check films in at airports) in a camera bag or backpack to my destination and then I put the camera with one lens and back around my neck, the other two lenses and one back go in a really small belt pouch together with a few spare films, two or three filters and a tiny Gossen Digisix light meter and I am ready to go. Nothing in the hands, the weight of the pouch is not felt at all, only the camera around my neck can be felt after some time. I see no problem at all with a Hasselblad as travel camera.
If I would take my Nikon D800 with my two zoom lenses (24-70 2.8 and 80-200 2.8), I would not carry much less. But I do not enjoy the Nikon as much as I do the Hasselblad.
And one more comment to the Hasselblad: I own the Hasselblad mentioned above with 50mm, 80mm and 160mm, I own a Mamiya 7II with a few nice lenses that I use by far not often enough, a D800, that I use almost never and keep only because I always think, that I cannot abandon digital completely, and several Nikon SLRs (F2AS, F3, FM2). I also purchased a 4×5 camera with 180mm some timy ago but have not decided yet, if this really is the way I want to shoot.
Of all these cameras there is only one camera that will never leave me, that I will never sell or give away and that – should it be destroyed or stolen one day will at once be replaced by a similar camera and that is the glorious 501CM.
At US airports the hand search is a nice option. Of cause it might be more difficult if you shoot sheet film (4×5″ and larger), because they come in a paper box in which you could hide anything and if you open the paper, the films are exposed. So there is only the x-ray.
In Europe you can forget hand search completely. They will insist on the x-ray. I never had any problems with my films (mostly ISO100, sometimes Tri-X 400 and Portra 400) so I do not worry to much.
But in general I would not really worry anyhow. If I travel to some place in the USA, I have my hotel adress a few days before I get there so two or three days before I get there, I make a mail order from Adorama or B&H and it will be there a day after my arrival.
In Germany there is Fotoimpex who send out the goods within the following day latest and German post usually works overnight.
As long as you stay within countries like the USA, Canada, western and central European countries or Japan, Hongkong, etc. there is zero problem to get the film locally. If you use C-41 films you can even get the developed without any problem before you fly home.
But, other than that, you should totally walk across the bridge!
Oh, that’s a nice one! I think the way the composition shifts gently between depth and the surface of the picture is very rich.
Hi, I just enjoy your B&Ws with Ilford XP2 Super 400. I recently shot a role of the XP2 and was very surprised that it is far superior to most of the “real” B&W films I tested. Your photographs show the full potential of this film.
Just bought an Olympus Stylus Epic DLX at a car boot sale for 1 euro!! Looking forward to having some fun with it and seen that it’s had some good reviews.
The WP-1 says it is not waterproof to streams of water (eg tap) because it needs even pressure on the seals to force the seal tight so it can be waterproof. The O-ring needs to be compressed, and a water stream could force its way in. Otherwise I really liked your review. Cheers, Ken
I just got one of these and put a test roll in it. The issue I had was that the rewind knob/lever turned once when I was loading the film but not after that. I took about 2o or so shots not knowing if the film was advancing. Finally I rewound the film and judging from the tension, it had actually advanced. Has anyone else had this problem?
I’m using an Epson 4990 scanner to scan 35mm slides. In some of the dark areas they turn purple. What setting would I use to eliminate this and get the best scans. I post images on line and make prints. Thank You.
I shot another roll and again, the rewind knob advanced once while loading the film but not after that. This time I just trusted that the film was advancing and kept shooting. Sure enough, after 37 shots I couldn’t advance any further.
I got the film back and I agree with Gary’s assessment; the lens and metering are really nice. The Yashica 35 MF reminds me a lot of the Canon A35F, which also has auto-exposure and a built in flash. The main difference is that the Canon has a 40mm lens as opposed to a 38mm and has a rangefinder.
I wish the rewind knob turned when advancing the film but overall this camera is definitely a keeper.
Great article, written with knowledge and style (no 13 pages here), thank you. I had scans like the one in part 6 but without the dark band to the right, I upgraded to Vuescan for my canon usb flatbed scanner and immediately got these plus sometimes green or blueish hue in the background. I cleaned the glass then tried to take the unit apart till I discovered it was glued and mucked around with white point but when I performed a re-calibration in the advanced or “professional” section “Voila” problem gone. Mind you, now I have to learn what all the “hidden” sections do to tweak it as default clears it all, ah well better than failing, and I do like to fiddle as long as I have a win on occasion.
Upgrade, seems like all I had to do was go back to “standard” settings and all is good. Also Vuescan resurrects a lot of old scanners but I would strongly suggest to do the trial first on all intended scanners (limit of four for “family”) mine is now great but my 85 yo. Dads setup just won’t seem to work and it’s on the list, as well as I have screen shared his screen on Skype for many incarnations of the theme. There could be some other issues though as he is sometimes high maintenance of the “don’t know what it is so move it or throw it away variety” Phew, thank goodness we are mac cause it just keeps going anyway. A friend told me at the start of my computing with a new Mac Classic 2 “Their not as smart as chickens” that is they only do what their told, a chicken can change its mind. Very wise words as it turns out.
I have been travelling with sheet film for 30 yrs and rarely had a problem with fog, because I packed it in a lead case, maybe just a little at times depending on how many times I went through security checks, but the fog would be slight and over the whole surface, and I could print through this ‘base fog’…BUT for the first time yesterday I had a serious problem, which I thought I should share. When I flew to a distant location I packed my 4×5 in a lead envelope as usual…unexposed. To my dismay when I personally developed my film locally, the whole pack of film had a serious exposed band about 1 cm all the way across the surface, and all the way through it, at exactly the same spot. At first I thought it might be me, camera?bellows?lens? Nope! When I developed a sheet from the brand new unexposed package, it too had the band and I could see another slight band at the top of the sheet also. I know for a fact that a new generation of scanning equipment is in operation in airports and these are VERY powerful…my error was too pack my film in lead, because when the scanner cannot see through it, a second more powerful burst of X-Rays is sent and that one destroys everything! Including passengers and the poor security official believing what he is told and spending days on end sending bursts of X-Rays or Gama Rays at this point!
If there is a moral to this story, I think the best thing would be to ship the film directly from a reputable photo/film supplier via a trustworthy carrier eg Fed Ex…but to inquire with both if this is possible and what security checks the film will go through….
I hope this little piece of advice might prove useful…and I wish you all the best to all you Film Lovers out there. When there is a will, there is a way!
Yea, it’s August 2016…after reading your englightening article, I found this Yashica FX-3 Super 2000 with Ml 50mm F2.0 at my local camera shop in suprisingly good condition.
Apart from its fairly loud shutter I couldn’t help liking it; and have recently added an Ml 28mm F2.8. Now I am looking to add an external flash. Cheers, you coaxed me into a Yashica fan!.
That’s cool! Well seen!
Thanks for the helpful article.
In your experience, will security personnel inspect a camera containing partially exposed but undeveloped film? Or does the camera itself need to go through the X-ray scanner (as I would expect they would insist on, given it’s an electro-mechanical device). In this case, I assume the guidance would be to rewind partially exposed rolls and have them hand checked.
I’ve travelled on one trip with undeveloped rolls of Ilford Delta 3200, which were scanned at least 2-3 times going through airports. I didn’t notice any fogging in that case, but I will try to have my film hand checked in the future.
Too Edge, If you ruined your WP-1, I need the little roller on the opposite roll tensioner, dual pin about 6mm, looks like a barbell. The one I bought on ebay is missing it and it scratches thought the back of the film now and again. I made a replacement from a bobby pin, wont know the result for a few weeks. of testing. Sure does take a nice picture, it survived White Water park this weekend without a drop getting in it.
Thanks
Will they hand check your camera as well? I have a roll in my camera currently and I haven’t even shot half of it yet! Luckily it’s only ASA 400.
Hi Gary! Very useful article. I’ve recently purchased a Yashica 35MF and my mind has gone blank when it comes to photography now (it’s been a few years!).
I remember the basics, but I wanted to ask if you had any suggestions as to where to get a battery (what type etc) and where to get film from?
Thanks and sorry for the dumb questions.
Hi Tayler:
It all depends on where you live. Usually you can still get film locally, but if not, one of the big New York shops (B&H or Adorama) is great for mail order.
Gary
Just for your info, I HAVE shopped several of Seoul’s Used camera districts, (I was there for seven years) and they are immense. I perused these places regularly and the most striking thing to notice for a foreigner is that there is very little pricing difference. Generally speaking, any special Interest group in Korea is very tight and they all seem up on each other as far as supply and demand.
Oh, and I have a Konica Big Mini BM300 which I picked up at a garage sale here in Canada for a toonie! Works perfectly.
Hey Gary, thanks for the article on the IIIc! I bought one of these from my local repair guy when I was fresh out of college. I loved the feel and quirkiness of it and soon found, as you did, that the optics and accuracy of the camera are exceptional so I’d often take it on shoots with me alongside much more quick/modern cameras like my Nikon FM series where it fit in just fine. About 5 years ago, I accidentally got the 50mm lens stuck crooked on the mount while swapping it back from the 80mm and it sat unused but not forgoteen until a few days ago when I was taking some other cameras in for repair. My repair guy was able to remove the 50 and today I have it with me, taking photos again. I am excited to work it into my rotation again and hopefully, now that I have been using Leica’s for several years, to put this top notch, fun little rangefinder to better use! Here are just a few photos I took with it previously.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnymartyr/sets/72157674573757576
Amazing perspective!
I’m curious..I have a film from the 40’same I believe. I will be traveling from Seattle to Las Vegas soon. I want to take it with me to have it looked at by a German History buff. The film is a 9.2mm Austrian tape. Will it be safe to travel with?
I find this topic quite interesting as I was planning on travelling with film, but I guess I’ll just develop it before getting on the plane. Question though: so how do film rolls come to Europe and other continents without being damaged? I suppose the cargo shipments get scanned as well? Interested to know.
What a great picture! A classic landscape photograph with an unsettling twist, a great riff on all those rusting car pictures. Thanks!
Couldn’t agree more with your argument for medium format as a travel camera. Although I don’t own a Hasselblad, I do go walking/hiking with a Mamiya RZ67, two film backs, and 2-3 lenses. If you’re making an effort to visit an interesting location, I reckon it’s worth the effort to get good image quality.
If the walk involves a lot of steep climbing, or if it’s actually a bike ride, then I compromise by carrying just a Fujifilm GA645Zi – which is light enough to be un-noticeable.
I have two of them and they are my favourite 35mm cameras. I generally prefer medium format, and I reckon if I’m going to carry a 35mm camera it may as well score on compactness.
I use a 43.5mm – 52mm step up ring so that I can share filters with a wide range of other cameras.
Hi, Gary. Your article is so helpful to me. By the way, when the flash has poped up, and if I press the button then it flashes automatically, right?
If dont, it means flash is not working, does it?
Mine charges the flash and it gets red light but when I press the button, it doesnt flash….
That does sound like something’s not working–perhaps the flash element itself is defective/burnt out or the wires connecting it are broken. But your understanding of what *should* happen is correct.
Gary
beautiful
I like… a lot !!!
Very nice selection !!!
My favorites: Smith rock state park and the Icelandic horses !!
Hello again! As I am a yashica 35mf user, this camera does intrigue me. I just started using the film camera, and want to develop my knowlege or skills further by using cameras step by step. Cuz I am aware that if I use fully automatic ones now, it would definitely kill my interest. So I wonder if you have any recommendation on cameras to use in the future steadily for the beginners like myself. I hope it all made sense to you. Thanks. and happy Christmas!
Hello, Gary! thank you, Your post about yashica35mf and this one did help me out a lot. BTW do u have any camera recommendation for beginners like me? I dont think I can operate fully automtic ones, so I looking for ones that in between yashica35mf and full auto cameras. Somewhat simple with operation 🙂 thank you for listening and happy new year
Hi, Gary.
The library one is my personal favourite this year. I can’t quite explain why, but the composition feels right despite not being perfectly centered, and overall mood of the picture is calm, if it makes any sense.
I’ve been reading your blog for two years now, and it seems like what you wrote on not taking pictures also applies to your blog. Or at least it seems like posts are less frequent then they were a year and a half ago.
Anyway, hope you’ll have a great year, with many pictures worth seeing a second time.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Thanks for the kind words Peter.
Yes, I’ve been posting fewer images, largely as a function of taking fewer. But I also try to post only when I feel I have something worth posting. Creativity (regrettably) doesn’t run on a schedule, at least for me. I think a common mistake a lot of photographers (and other creative people) make is committing to a regular schedule, be it a photo a day or a roll a week, or whatever. You can get trapped into posting stuff that might not be your best work. I try not to do that. And while the pictures that appear here may not appeal to very many people (or even be particularly good), they do represent the best I’m capable of. That’s really all I can offer.
Hi Gary, I just got a 35 mf and I will try my first roll on her (Negrita is her name) lol and while I loaded the film and advance to get to the first frame I noticed that the rewind knob doesn’t move, I tried to go clockwise to put some tension and to b sure and it is right. I read in somewhere that someone had the same situation, is that normal or is just my camera?
Thank u sooooo much for putting this together, ur site is the only place to find info about this little camera, hope to hear from u soon.
Alex
Hi Alex:
As far as I can remember, it should be possible to “take up the slack” by gently turning the rewind control counterclockwise. Once you have, the rewind should rotate clockwise when you advance the film. This is a good way to check that the film has been wound on properly.
Gary
All I can suggest is reading through my various camera reviews and see if any of the ones I’ve written about appeal to you and how you like to take pictures. Otherwise, I’m just guessing!
Hey! Thanks for the article. It’s been very helpful.
I have a question about the battery. I didn’t know what size it had to be so I went with a 357, 1.5v silver oxide battery. However, the meter is not working. What kind of battery did you use? I’m thinking of trying an A76 next.
Thanks!
Oooh, a 1/500 top speed! And the lovely Schneider-Kreuznach lens. I can see why this is a favorite!
Thanks Jim — I enjoy your blog.
Love this distinctive medium format look, it really draws you in. Beautiful picture.
This is just perfect!
I recently bought a nikon FE2 (used but in great condition). I took a trip from Victoria -> Cabo ->Toronto -> Victoria so I went through 3 carry on scanners with it. When I tried to get the film developed they told me it wouldn’t work and suggested it could have been the x-rays. Looking at the film there are no frames or anything, just a foggy wave going horizontally across the whole strip. Could the xrays be that damaging? or does this sound more like a user/camera error?
Hi! I found this camera at my house my parents used to use it when I was a kid and they were going to get rid of it, but since I was getting into photography, I decided to take it! I was wondering if you knew of any places or websites where I could purchase film for it? I can’t seem to find it anywhere!
Hi Ezra, sounds like X-Ray damage as shown on Kodak Website.
https://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5201.shtml
Excellent information – many thanks!
I have inherited two of these through a family friend and glad to know they are good
This is totally linkspam, but at least it’s relevant: I too wrote a review of this venerable camera. We agree, and we disagree. Interested readers, click onward.
http://www.peterferenczi.com/blog/2017/3/6/the-yashica-electro-35-gsn-dont-get-too-excited
Thank you for this information. I’d forgotten I had the MF and when I unearthed it recently couldn’t remember how to use it. Especially useful was activating the flash. I was defeated until I read this. Unfortunately, the AA battery compartment lid broke and I have it taped on .
Frustrating that no manual was available on line. I think you have given me all the info I need Thank you so much.
Miss the warmth of the sunlight and sparkling water of ogden point aorund this time of the year. Walking around and to the beaconhill park was one of my favs, when I stayed in Victoria. Thank you for the throwback. Wanna go Back there so badly.
I just bought one today and it was not cheap either! I paid 1500INR to own one. I’ve already loaded it with a roll of ILFORD 400 and dying to go out and shoot. I know it will be great fun. I really like the no nonsense feel of the camera. Thanks again for your valuable insights!
Hello,
I love my RETINA IIIC. I am a swiss photographer and I bought it some years ago for 50 francs. The lens XENON is GREAT !!!!! I use it for concert photos…..
it is very difficult to change the speed and apertures in low light context but you must be ready before going in the place…..
Great camera, Great design, I thin the lens is better than my leitz !!!!!
I will never go anywhere without mine forever. After this, why would I? The Clamshell King!
I just picked up an OM10 and am loving it and the only real issue I’ve had so far is with the exposure meter auto turning off after a few minutes.
Does anyone know if when shooting aperture priority does the metering switch have to be turned on for AP to work or am I okay if it’s turned itself off?
I still own one of these, I bought it in 1984 before returning to the UK from Canada after 11 years. I bough a set of batteries for it and it fired, the manual adapter is a bit stiff but after a few days of use it’s back to normal. I also use the OM lenses on my DSLR using an adapter. Strangely I also have a Pressman f4, 80-200mm push-pul zoom lens which takes soem fantastic shots even on the DSLR.
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Hi Gary!
Nice review!
I just found my dad´s Electro GT (black, no hot shoe, ASA 1000) which has been stored for 20 years when he passed away. He bought this camera in 1972, just before he had to attend at a 6 month training on marine (mandatory at that time) travelling along the world on the Fragata A.R.A. Libertad (I´m argentinian by the way).
So, he bought a Yashica camera for the long trip, via mail order, and took great photos of Uruguay, Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica, Panama, U.S.A., Spain, Germany, the UK, and even Africa.
Once I found it, I had to repair the light seals, manage to make a battery adapter and also clean the fungus on the lens. Fortunately, the POD is still working for now.
I just finished the first roll and I´m pretty anxious of seeing the results.
Unfortunately, when I was shooting the last 5 or 6 photos, the focus ring started to get stuck, so next week I´ll take it to a tecnician as it is a more difficult thing to repair.
Everything that I have read about this cameras is great, besides all the fixing that it needs, and even I haven´t tested so many rangefinders, I think this is the one for me.
Yashica FX-3 SuperThis was the first camera i ever bought, i paid 20 dollars for it at a second hand shop and it still takes the best pictures!
Hey, thank you for mentioning my book!
These little Pentaxes are such competent machines.
Thanks for the valuable info.
I have a canon AE1 camera and will be travelling out of the country with it. I’m wondering if the film in my camera is safe? I would hate to waste a roll of film (I’ve only taken 3/24 exposures) What is the procedure for checking film cameras?
Hello, i don’t understand what GN means. I thought that those numbers would be the f or the speed but i dont know what they are, and the battery doesnt work si you say that if ir hasnt got a battery it shoots just un one speed?
Interesting cameras also make interesting conversations with interested people and sometimes interesting and unexpected portraits. Don’t underestimate the value of an interesting tool…it makes subjects feel special. If you doubt me, read Keira Knightly’s interview with Peter Lindbergh!
It happens. I just got a roll back from the processor where half the photos are like that.
This is still happening to me rather frequently : a 69-years-old man’s memory is sometimes blurred.
I’m relieved to be not that alone !!
Thanks for your website.
JFB
I’ve just bought this little beauty, but I’m not sure if the metering will work properly with 1,5V battery. Shouldn’t I set for example 100 ISO for my 200 ISO film to compensate it?
Very special angles, nice photo! I once had an Olympus XA too, just love how small it is.
I know why you took this photo. Look at the white van, it’s next to a white building, and the dark car is parked on dark asphalt. It’s as if each vehicle belongs in it’s own area that it controls. At least that’s what I thought. As if the vehicles are holding on to their own territories.
Hey,
I have a chance to purchase the same camera with ML 135mm f2.8 lenses
Or with DSB 50mm f1.9. Which lenses should I, in your opinion, choose?
Thank you
The 50mm is a *much* more versatile and useful lens. I have the 135mm (and 28mm), but rarely use it.
Politely, If you want sharp images take along some sort of a tripod. The difference between a handheld shot and one taken with a tripod is always greater than one would think. Hasselblads are not easy to handhold at the best of times in any event. Besides which, a tripod will help you compose better too. It depends what you want to achieve; there are no hard and fast rules but if you want to shoot landscapes and without a tripod then a Fuji rangefinder is a far better bet. My Fuji 690 wide has an unforgivable fault. Instead of a “bulb” shutter speed it has a “T”! What were they thinking of! Impossible to shoot “T” without jarring the camera!
I shoot mostly digital nowadays and I tend not to shoot landscapes. Regards.
Hi Jerome:
Thanks for the comment. While I certainly agree on the benefits of a tripod, I have found that it is possible to get sharp images handheld with the Hasselblad using the methods I describe here. I have a Fuji rangefinder too, and in my experience, the Hasselblad works better for landscapes. But then, I generally prefer the square format. Certainly, I don’t see an advantage in sharpness with the rangefinder.
Regards,
Gary
Great shot!
Hi: two things; 1) politeness is not the same in the whole world. There are countries where they are even more paranoiac at airports or checkpoints than others. I agreed with all that you said here, but if for any reason at check screen security you insist to explain why you ask for a hand check in some countries, they will be refusing to do so until you´re dead. I am mexican, and in México authorities don´t give a shit about politeness, sad but true.
2) I am a 40 years experienced photographer (ten of them spent as a photojournalist in old times not digital) who had traveled quite a few thousand miles, and to say something extra to a more relax extent, I would tell you for sure, that I even traveled wit ISO 3200 and nothing happens not even noticed change in the quality end when my film were developed.
As shit happens, sometimes even miracles also happens. 🙂
I still have mine I bought in 1980. Don’t use it too much (recently bought a Canon DSLR to photograph my son’s wedding).
It’s sitting as a display item at the moment. Strangely enough though, getting a DSLR makes me want to go back to film on the om-10!
Dear Gary,
Just enlarge your frame to a yard wide both with and without a good tripod. You’ll see the difference immediately. Why do you think the pro landscape photographers always use a tripod? If you are determined not to use a tripod then again a Fuji 6×7 or 6×9 will make a Hasselblad frame appear silly. A rangefinder has no mirror, and who now makes lenses for Hasselblad? Why, Fuji.! It matters not whether or not you follow this advice but for me photography is my living. And yes, of course I can handhold a camera. I worked for national newspapers and press agencies for years. BTW, and slightly off topic I remember shooting a royal Garden party from the roof of Buckingham Palace and used a manual 600mm Nikkor lens with two tripods! Tripods are your friends; if nothing else, take a long a sturdy monopod. All this stuff about being able to shoot as sharp with a handheld camera, especially a Hasselblad is a nonsense. But it’s your choice. I am not your client.
Hi Jerome:
Well, as I said, I’m not disputing the benefits of a tripod. But you have to keep things in context. The article was about how, contrary to the beliefs of many, the Hasselblad *can* be a fine travel camera. If you don’t mind the added burden of a tripod, by all means, bring one along–I certainly do when I have the space and am in a situation where I expect to have the time to set one up. My point is that one can (if one takes the steps I describe) get sharp images without doing so.
I sincerely appreciate your comments and perspective.
Gary
Just found one in a thrift store! Got Fujicolor 200 film for it – would you say that would work well? I plan to shoot only outdoors, full sunlight. Thanks for this informative post!
You should be fine with 200 speed film, but you’ll be stopping down to f/16 and running at the fastest shutter speed in bright daylight, so I wouldn’t use anything faster, unless you anticipate lots of low-light shooting.
Have fun!
Gary
Such lovely color!
Thanks Jim. Pentax lenses and Ektar seem to get along nicely!
Gary
Dear Gary, that’s an amazing review. That’s one rare source of information for the mf-3 camera.
thanks also to all the other readers for comentary.
Possibly a silly question but … does this apply to all film, whether it has been exposed or not ? Is the film at risk before I even shoot any pictures ? I’m doubtful whether I can buy and/or process 120 film in some countries I’m planning to visit so I’m trying to understand the risk !
Yes, exposed or unexposed film face the same kinds of risks. The only kind that isn’t at risk is film that’s been developed.
Enjoyed reading this article, just got my OM 10 down , after many years in drawer, case like new, and instruction book still with it, been using small Samsung ES55 for general photography, but my old OM10 pictures are exceptional so going to give it a try again, ordered film and batteries from Amazon tonight..
Hi; this is a very useful article. Thank you for posting it.
Sorry if I missed the answer for what I’m about to ask; I checked also other articles.
I know that unprocessed film is at risk, but I’ve read that exposed film is even more sensitive than unexposed one. I’ve also read about the number of times that a film could be scanned without expecting damage: like around 4 or 5 times for ISO400 film, for example. What is the number to expect when the film is exposed? Half that of the unexposed?
Your article brought back some great memories. I purchased my OM10 in Hong Kong in 1986, (had just turned 22). Knew nothing about camera’s or photography but lugged it and two surfboards through India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Java and Bali. Got some fantastic shots and memories. Might dig it out again !!
Thx – Richard.
I admire anyone willing to take off a top or bottom plate. I just won’t go that far. But this camera was clearly worth the effort. It’s beautiful.
I discovered Yashica when I went looking for a replacement of my venerable Mamiya 1000DTL. I didn’t have the money to spend on Nikon and wanted a reliable all manual camera. I bought the Yashica FR brand new and also another Yashica body….I think it was the FXD. Got a power winder for the FR. Took both cameras and an assortment of lenses to Africa in 1985 along with an assortment of films. I shot hundreds of frames….maybe thousands…..and neither camera ever even hiccuped. I became enamoured with a Minolta auto-focus-exposure whiz-bang some time later. I hated it. It took my creativity away in favor of a glorified point and shoot camera which, it turns out, was the decision every camera maker made to mass market “photography”. I don’t take pictures much any more. My old Yashicas with a dozen or so manual lenses are in my storage unit….probably still work. I remember them fondly….along with my darkrooms and spending long hours in the dark getting it “just right”. If someone wanted to really piss me off back then, after viewing one of my gallery prints they could do so easily by asking me, “great shot–what kind of camera did you use?” As if the camera had much to do with it. I currently own two digitals….a simple point and shoot and a Fujifilm with a rather impressive non-interchangeable lens. They’re both auto everything….and yes, you can use the Fuji in manual mode I guess…..but by the time you get it to work that way you’ve probably lost the shot. Gone are the days where composition and light were so important. Today…Photoshop will fix anything. Sad.
http://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Chris-Gampat-The-Phoblographer-TSA-Travelling-with-film-1-of-1ISO-4261-30-sec-at-f-2.4.jpg
Great photos and so sharp. l have been thinking of buying a Contax camera and a nice Carl Zeiss lens. But after seeing your work l may think about the all Yashica del up.
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I’m delighted that the ME is your pick! And thank you for the links to my book and blog.
The ME was among the first SLRs I bought. I’ve bought plenty other SLRs since, but few I’ve liked more.
I’m with you: the benefits of an SLR outweigh the perceived negatives. Good luck with your non-project project!
Thanks Jim. Looking forward to seeing what you do in 2018 too.
I own a ridiculous number of film cameras and take great joy in shooting them. Today I stumbled across one of these sweet little Yashicas with the 50mm f/1.9 lens in a thrift store for $16. It was was filthy and the battery was dead (naturally) but everything else appeared to be working perfectly. After installing a fresh LR44 battery the meter came to life, but was not working smoothly. A couple drop of Ronsonol around the shutter release button and a few dozen advance and fire cycles has it working perfectly again. A good top to bottom cleaning and it is looking beautiful and is ready to go. Not to many of my manual cameras have a 1/2000 shutter speed. This should add some flexibility when shooting faster film. I just loaded a roll of Fujicolor Superia 400 and am going to take it for a spin in the morning. Thanks for the excellent review. It got me very excited to try out my latest addition!
Good luck with the camera. If it works to spec, I think you’ll find it a very capable shooter.
I recently discover your blog, and I like it very much, I’m spending this days reading all your old post on favourite cameras and how to, I’m attending the part three of scanning basic 🙂
Compelling color!
Hi Gary. Just popping in to say that your article on the Olympus OM-10 convinced me that the model is meant to be my first 35mm! Keep up the good work. Also, if you’d be able to redirect me to other archive locations where you showcase more OM-10 work it would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks Jim–that’s the Ektar talking. Hope you’re enjoying your “vacation.”
Hi Victor:
Just enter “OM-10” into the search box to see what I’ve posted from that camera. (There really isn’t much.)
Gary
Hi Gary, nice. Just curious why it’s called Kentucky Lake. I live in Kentucky, which I assumed was unique because of the Native American name for their hunting grounds which encompass most of what is present day Kentucky.
I’m sorry to say Neil that I don’t know the answer to that. But if I find out, I’ll post the answer here.
I keep going back and forth between digital and film. I was an early adopter, like you. I had a Casio point-and-shoot that came out in 98 or 99. That died from static electricity and I went and bought a Nikon F55. Then came the Nikon D70. No more buying film! And then came a Contax 645, and then came, and then came, and so on and so on. I always feel torn between the convenience of digital and the beauty of film. I’m currently using a new Fujifilm X-T3, which has the convenience of digital but also the beauty of film. Almost. I haven’t made prints from it yet. Despite having this lovely new camera, my Nikon F6 and Zeiss Ikon ZM are both sitting on my shelf with film in them. Maybe I don’t have to choose. I can use whichever camera takes my fancy on a particular day.
That Kodak Gold 100 has lovely colours, by the way. I might order a roll of that to try out.
“No amount of reading blogs like this one or watching YouTube videos will teach you as much as you’ll learn by simply doing the thing you’re trying to get better at.”
So true!
That Continamatic delivers stunning color on KG100. Beautiful!
Hi Marcus:
Thanks for the comment. I’m sorry to say that Gold 100 is no more. There might be some old stock floating around out there, but it was discontinued years ago. Thankfully, there’s Ektar 100, which I think is better. (You’ll note that most of the colour shots here are with Ektar.)
Gary
That explains why there was none at the website where I buy film. I’ve used Ektar (I can see a roll on the shelf from where I’m sitting) and the colours are very nice indeed. The Classic Chrome film simulation on the Fujifilm X-T3 is a bit like Ektar, to my eye.
I really like the strong lines created by the clouds, the hills, the fence, and the shadow of the fence. And the wonderful Ektar colours, of course.
Your photo doesn’t have the atrocious vignetting I see in the photos on Lomo’s LC-A 120 website. Is this perhaps something the lomographers add themselves later in computer?
Hi Marcus:
The camera definitely vignettes, but you can choose to enhance or suppress that effect to some extent. Heavy vignetting seems to be a part of the whole Lomography aesthetic, so some do choose to enhance the shading. I’ll likely be posting a review of the camera here soon and I’ll get into more detail about it then.
Gary
I read about the LCA120, and saw quite a few pictures taken with this (expensive) camera.
I assure you this one of yours is the first very convincing technically speaking.
As for the composition, this picture is simply admirable.
Lovely color tones!
Lovely texture and tone. Is it my eyes, or is there a slight warm tone to this? I used to use Kodak’s C-41 black and white film and sometimes it would take on a slight purple tone, which was not that unpleasant.
Your eyes don’t deceive you Marcus–I usually give my black-and-white shots a bit of warming.
Very beautiful. You are really getting some good quality out of that camera.
This scene looks similar to the barrens in eastern Newfoundland. The brown, bare hills, the ‘puddle ponds’ in the low areas, and the solitary trees. The Newfoundland barrens are quite boggy, though (like the rest of the island), and I don’t see bog here.
Beautiful!
Thanks Marcus. I think we also have more sage brush here than you do!
Gary
Thanks Jim!
Gary
Gorgeous photo! A few years ago, Westland Whiskey out of Seattle, WA, started using casks made from Garry Oak to age their whiskies.
The trees in Summit Park are my favorite.
For 2019 go for Minolta XD7/11 or X500/570 with MD 50mm 1.4 (49mm filter). It can use M42 lenses with Minolta adapter.
Awesome! I’m happy you like these compact Pentaxes. And thanks for the link to my blog!
The mill machinery being lighter than the house and background is a gift for a photographer. I like the framing because it’s cut out all distractions. Did you make any photos of the mill set against the hill/mountain in the background?
What lovely tones you captured!
Thanks Jim!
Gary
Hi Marcus:
Unfortunately, the lay of the land makes such a composition impossible. That would have been *the* shot though.
Gary
This looks great Gary, especially the color. Nice to see some astrophotography on film.
Nothing but clouds here.
Thanks James. Still mourning the loss of Acros 100 though. Not that it would have been much use with the eclipse.
Gary
The landscape and the sky look like reversed, negative copies of each other. Very beautiful.
That’s a fantastic photo. I love the wide field of view, and the three horizontal figures (people?) add real interest. The color palette is pleasing, too.
Thanks Jim. (Yes, those are people.)
A lesson of geology ! What lens did you use ?
I still have a Praktica (VLC 3 along with 2 CZJ lenses).
Have a nice Sunday !
Hi Jean-François:
I’m not 100% sure which lens I used, but it was most likely my Pentax 50mm screw-mount.
Thanks,
Gary
Wonderful tones!
Thanks Jim.
That’s just stunning. Such wonderful detail and light play.
I’ve today discovered your site, I’ve started to read it back month by month, unable to stop.
Very good photos, a lot of love, time passing but passion survive.
I’d like many people from all the world start a blog like your, to see different places, different faces, different cities. Every photo is a story, and the stories join the people.
May be one day I’ll do: places and faces from Italy.
Thankyou, I’ve something new to wait.
Luca, Milano, Italy
The simplicity of the dark plants against the light background is relaxing. I like it very much.
Good review of the CP-5s. I also came across one of them in a thrift store with corroded batteries, but they were asking too much for it so I took a pass. After reading your review, I know it wouldn’t have been a good fit for me anyway.
I already have the Chinon CG-5 and CE-4, as well as a GAF L-17 (rebadged M-1). Chinon was a lot like Cosina, a maker of good and solid, if not basic, cameras for other companies. Chinon, I think did a better job of marketing cameras under their own brand, however. The Memotron series still commands good prices and has some very loyal fans.
I once did a cheap camera challenge with a Vivitar XV-20 and the Chinon 50mm f1.9 ($15 total) and was blown away by the images I got. The color and contrast were as good as almost anything else I own. The Chinon 55mm f1.7 (M42) and 50mm f1.9 (PK) are stellar lenses, IMO.
Just want to call out a small correction – Wenatchee. Did you make it any further west to Leavenworth?
Yes, we drove through Leavenworth once on our way to Wenatchee from the coast. Pretty drive once you get off I-5.
Thanks Rob!
Hwy 2 between Gold Bar and Leavenworth is absolutely gorgeous this time of year. Lots of good turnouts for photo opportunities.
Don’t know if you had an opportunity to see it but Leavenworth has a beautiful riverwalk where you can get some pretty pictures.
Hi Rob:
As it happens, I’ll be back in the area again soon. If I have time I might explore that river walk you mentioned.
Gary
That’s just stunning!
Thanks Jim!
Gary
Brilliant photograph. I keep watching your site every Monday to find out what weekly surprise have you published. You’ve never disappointed me.
Btw. I recently tried Ektar in medium format, too, and found it great for autumn colours.
Thanks Tomas. As you can see, Ektar is my favourite sunny day film. It really sings under those conditions.
Gary
Great shots, really. Very dimensional. Makes me want to get out and shoot right away… Do you carry more than one vintage camera when you are out to photograph? Do you mix film with digital cameras on the same shoot?
Hi Bob:
Thanks!
I usually do carry more than one camera–often one with black-and-white film and one with colour, or some mix of 35mm and medium format. I don’t shoot digital at all very much.
Gary
Nice shot. Ektar has handled the situation well (of course, given a photographer that knows what he is doing!).
The pattern in the screen is weird – an artifact of a digital image that disappears when the file is printed – but it adds to the effect.
Nice work all through your site, by the way!
Harmony and peace in Autumn.
This is some lovely work! Especially the grist mill and the moon.
Thanks Jim!
Gary
Hello Gary,
Beautiful work.
I especially love the photo of the mill. Also the fields (“Near Wasco”) suit my taste very well!
I wish you good health and good light also in 2020!
Thanks Tomas!
I like old buildings, so the grist mill is pretty cool. But the image composition and crisp depth-of-field for Witty’s Lagoon is fabulous. Great shot.
Thoughtful advice. Thank you for sharing it! I haven’t flown in a couple years but my wife and I are thinking about a trip overseas next year and of course I’ll want to shoot film.
I had this exact experience recently. We visited my father in law who lives in a different state. He had this old Canon EXEE with 800 film loaded and gifted it to me. When I arrived at the airport I asked for a hand inspection but the results came back positive so they ultimately had to run it through the x-ray machine. My father in law’s not sure what’s on the film but he thinks it was last loaded in the 80’s. I’m going to shoot the remainder of the film and try to develop it. I just hope the film isn’t completely ruined. Crossing fingers.
Lovely. So many excellent grays here.
While shooting in Utah a few years ago, I mailed the exposed rolls directly to a lab before the flight home to the East Coast. It helps if the lab is within a a few states nearby. The unexposed film I placed in a clear zip lock bag and handed it to an agent before going through the arch. Even if something got exposed there it would be a loss of irreplaceable shots, just raw film.
Beautiful. One for the living room wall.
Very nice. So much to look at here.
Indeed we do need this !
Thanks for sharing this beauty.
Gary,
Thanks for your thoughts on the Karoron. Your camera looks like it’s in good shape. I was wondering which model you had… it seems that yes, the scale focus model had the frame counter, but the RF version did not. I guess they needed the space on then top plate for the rangefinder, and the frame counter was eliminated. I had thought I saw an example of your shots in B&W, but I guess they’re all in color using the ASA 100 film. I have the RF version and have yet to try it soon, and recently bought some Arista 100 to shoot first. Then I’ll try color. I’m looking forward to seeing what the lens can do. Your “Autumn Glory” was amazing… One question, though… you’ve shot with this folder and others… have you ever had to seal light leaks in the bellows? What did you use?
Hi Bob:
I don’t recall having any trouble with the bellows on the Karorons, but I did on some other folders. I use something called Liquid Electrical Tape by West Marine. Seems to work well.
Gary
That *is* a little chunk of a camera. I love the Olympus Stylus cameras, all of them. I want to shoot them all. The only one I’ve kept of those I’ve owned, however, is the original Stylus. It’s hard to beat that classic.
Thanks Jim! It is a lump of a camera, that’s for sure, but not without its merits. I like the Stylus Epic best of that line. I have two of the originals (bought of eBay), but both were DOA, which makes me wonder if that particular model is a bit fragile.
The Pentax and the Yashica are the best looking of the lot. But f/12.whatever for the Pentax — oy. Painful.
Luckily, I tend to use the camera at the wider end, which is also the faster end of the camera’s zoom range. It’s a jewel-like little machine.
Gary
Leaves often attract some of us photographers :
https://jfbonninlogbook.blog/2020/05/26/limas-printemps-2020-entre-mars-et-mai-un-meme-sujet-quatre-objectifs-boitier-pentacon-6tl/
I enjoy your website.
JFB
Beautiful. The vignetting sets off the central leaf well.
Beautiful! Makes me want to take one of my TLRs out for a walk again.
Gorgeous flowers. And photo!
Thanks Colin!
Absolutely splendid.
Harmony.
Thanks Jean-François!
Gary
When I started monochrome photography, I was fond of this particular type of dream[aqua]land.
Indeed it made me dream.
Have a nice Sunday.
Thanks Jean-François!
https://jfbonninlogbook.blog/2019/04/15/beaujolais-2013/
Autumn.
Such a romantic season.
Impressive : it shines all the way long.
Lovely!
I definitely like your pictures.
Documentary and poetical.
Thank you Jean-François!
Gary
As always, excellent stuff. Just out of curiosity, and astrophotography?
Nice work. This is one of the very few sites that has not gone fallow.
Thanks Bob. As for astrophotos, there is this one: A Million Stars, Each One a Sun
Thanks Wes. I’ve been spending a lot of time in the darkroom lately, but still manage to find a few minutes each week to keep the site going. No plans to change that.
Simply amazing. Nice work.
Gary, great astrophoto. I’m curious… how much of your work we see are darkroom prints and how much are scans of the negatives and digital prints?
Perfect landscape compisition.
Happy new year !
Thanks. And happy new year to you as well!
Hi Bob. The stuff that appears here is pretty much all scans of negatives. There might be a few prints here and there, but not many. That may change in the future.
Did you ever realize you actually were taking pictures of aliens ?
[OK it’s crap humor]
Nice Sunday !
JFB
Wish I’d known that at the time!
Gary
I feel like either I somehow screwed up, or maybe didn’t use the camera in it’s ideal circumstance.
Or I just hyped myself up for this camera too much. Not trying to promote my video, but perhaps you can point out what I did wrong (or did I have a lemon)? Was I expecting too much? https://youtu.be/8Hpi9E3n0IU
Hey Karl:
I looked at your photos. Most all of them appear to have been taken in not great lighting. That means camera shake could be an issue. (A couple of the cat looked pretty good to me.) Most of the pictures seem reasonably sharp. As for “noise”, well, that’s a whole different problem and likely has more to do with the quality of the expired film (which can behave kinda unpredicatbly), your processing or your scanning. But, i’m guessing. I’d try another roll and this time avoid some of the variables (like the expired film!) and shoot under better lighting.
Gary
I still use many of the Retina camera and just recently purchased the Retina IIIS camera. The lens selection is fairly large and all yield super sharp negatives. I have many cameras including Hasselblad SWC, 500CM many back and lenses Rolleiflex GX and many others and for some reason the Retina cameras seem to be used more than the others. The IIIS is my latest discovery, it my understanding these cameras where for export only but can be found from U.S sellers on ebay every so often. Have my fair share of Nikon digital cameras but went back to film, love the film and darkroom end of it. Nice thing the Retina cameras are basically cheap and still repair folks out there repairing them.
And if you want to see Retinas repaired (with wry NZ commentary), check out Chris Sherlock’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBNcopU34d_pGsKTvRzHcsg
This print with such different zones is excellent.
I have recently purchased a Beseler 23C enlarger and if my prints are 1/2 as good as yours, I’ll be very happy.
By the way, how do you develop your Tri-X films ?
Have a nice week.
JFB
Hello Jean-François:
I’m still learning. I guess that never stops though. Just FYI, I too have a Beseler 23C. I developed the Tri-X in HC110 dilution B for 6 minutes. HC110 might not be the best developer for Tri-X, but it’s what I have on hand because it keeps forever.
Take care,
Gary
Gary,
Really nice tones and contrast. You mention split-grad (grade?) printing… something I’m not familiar with, so I had to look it up, I think it was explained as usually two full-print exposures on a multi grade stock, calculated to first establish a set of tones and then a second one to lay down the darker, more contrasts ones. Corresponding filters would be used with both. Did I get that right? Never knew about this except for dodging/burning. One might duplicate this in Photoshop with layers… or maybe one could, with landscapes and a tripod, with the camera film itself?
Thanks Bob.
You have the basic idea correct. The main benefit of split-grade printing is the ability to control the highlights and shadows separately. That’s huge, in my opinion. You can then dodge and burn separately as well, working on the highlights without affecting the shadows and vice-versa.
Gary
Winter is magic. Nice image.
I recently purchased (80 european bucks, fully operational with a 1.7 / 50 mm lens) a Chinon CE-4S, an under-rated camera over here.
The handling is excellent, at least as good as than the Pentax equivalents.
See https://jfbonninlogbook.blog/2021/02/03/la-saone-en-crue-chemin-de-halage-au-nord-de-saint-bernard-ain-dimanche-24-janvier-2021/
More in my blog.
Have a nice week, Gary.
Beautiful photo. When we were there in 2018 we had taken that lower path. This is a great perspective. It reminds me too, I’ve never shared a photo of Gullfoss on my blog. I’ll have to change that when I find time.
Gulfoss really is a spectacular place. I’ve been lucky enough to visit several times and it never disappoints. BTW — that photo of you and Eliza looks a lot like where I took this photo from.
Which type of battery did you choose to put in the c35?
Just a A675 hearing-aid battery. They’re cheap and easy to find.
Gary
Hey Gary!
I recently inherited a Karoron camera from my great-great grandfather who served in WWII. I’ve never used film before and have been doing research on this camera and have a few questions. Is there any safe way to clean the camera? like certain tools or liquids? Also, there is a little knob/hook lever that sticks out on the side, bottom left. What is that? is it the timer? I am deeply concerned and questioned.
Would love to hear back from you!!
Delicate !
Sunday thanks.
JFB
This is terrific. Especially the sky.
Yeah, sometimes you get lucky with things like that. Thanks Jim!
Gary
Wonderful image. Well done.
Thank you Reinhold.
Gary
Beautiful capture. And taken with my favourite 35mm camera, too 🙂
If the OM-PC is your favourite camera Tom, you’re a rare bird indeed!
Gary
I’ve got a battered one with the OM-40 markings on it. It’s my go-to film camera, mostly paired with the Zuiko 50/1.8 and I am good to go in any weather condition. I used to rely on OM-2n but two of them have failed on me, one of them unrecoverably and I don’t feel so much confidence in the one that was repaired so I’ve rather use the OM-40 recently. The only disadvantage is a rather high battery drain compared to the OM-2n. I think the missing On/Off switch is to be blamed.
Btw. recently I also got a pro OM-D camera out of nostalgy and must say it’s great, too.
Greetings from Moravia!
I’ve certainly enjoyed mine. Look for a review coming soon.
Gary
Gary,
I noticed you’ve used the OM PC (40) in more than a couple of recent posts. Any review in the works for this camera? I’m curious what exposure modes your using as well as lens in your shots…
Thanks Bob. Review is in the works, so stay tuned.
Gary
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What a terrific composition!
Thanks Jim!
Gary
Greetings from Finland. Mine has the red “flash” text on lens bezel, the horizontal bar in the film plane indicator doesn’t pass through the circle and camera has the horizontal indents in the shutter release. BUT it has an rewind-direction arrow. Serial is 145164.
Good vintage colours
I bought an OM-10 new, around 1986 and used it extensively as a student. I used it for a lot of fairly rough travel and it survived with no issues and generally provided well exposed transparencies / slide film. I still think it a very good camera and more reliable than my OM2-SP that I bought later. When I went to Asia for 6 months, I took two OM-10s. The backup one was never needed.
I was worried about your photosilence, fearing that you had been swallowed by some Icelandic volcano.
Great to see you back.
Nice picture indeed.
JFB
Thanks Jean-François!
I like the shot!
I haven’t gotten a Holga (yet), though the Agfa Isolette I have can give off that vibe.
I have inherited a camera just like your dads and it seems to be the same model with the counter I haven’t seen a S or any kind of model number. He had also been in Japan during the Korean War. I have offered it to my grandson. I just need to find out about the the film. It is still in a leather case screw in the bottom. I have his binoculars he had bought over there too.
Hi Marsha:
It uses 120 film, which is easily obtained from any large camera retailer or store specializing in film photography. A Google search should turn up lots of options.
Enjoy the camera!
Gary
Hi Gary.
I’m so glad I found this blog/review!
A Super 2000 was bought for me by my stepdad back in the mid 90’s, I still have it, I’ve been using it a lot more lately too. I also have the ML28/2.8, ML50/1.9 & ML135/2.8C & a Contax Carl Zeiss 80-200/4 (which I actually bought initially to use on my Sony A7 for landscape/woodland) Anyway, I was looking up the metering mode of the FX3 as I couldn’t remember what it was & reading this review I caught the paragraph on night sky shots. I’ve taken some star trails on my last roll & there is red ‘light leak’ on the images, not enough to completely ruin them, but enough to notice. I presumed it was my headtorch light getting in through the viewfinder & I didn’t even think of the metering LED’s staying on!!
See, there’s always something to learn……
Thank you | Happy shooting!
A reliable AP Camera . Never understood how the manual adapter works. Any help please
Simple. Plug it in, put the selector switch on the top right of the camera to “Manual Adapter” and away you go.
Gary
Good choices with amazing richness to the tones. Great examples to compare with. Plus two on using the Olys! The Zeiss Ikon Contina Matic threw me a little… had to look that one up. One suggestion… maybe tell us what lens the SLRs had in the specs? Keep up the shooting in the new year…
Thanks Bob! As for the lenses, it’s really a matter of me not remembering with certainty which I used. With the Olympus, it was almost always either the 50mm or 24mm Zuiko lenses.
austere beauty. lens?
50mm Zuiko f/1.8, if I remember correctly.
Thanks for the review. I purchased my OM10 back in 1982. It was the second camera I had purchased after a trip35 which I still have in the original box with the receipt, purchased in 1976 for $50 Australian. I loved both cameras and they took very good shots considering I knew nothing about photography. The digital age came and both cameras have sat in the cupboard for approximately 25 years. I pulled out OM10 last night, found some old LR44 batteries equally as old and it fired up. Ì will be buying some film this month and quite batteries to relive what photography is all about. Composition. Film makes you think about the composition more, compared to digital where there is more of a tendency to look and shoot. I am really looking forward to it. I have the manual adapter on mine with the original strap. I am so glad I never sold them. Thanks again for the review, it brought back a lot memories and hopefully will create some more.
Great to hear Rick!
Gary,
That’s a great shot, but I can’t help thinking of what the color version might look like. Do you ever shoot both films in the same event, maybe using two different cameras? I know you’ve converted some color to B&W, but there’s a reason why we shoot grayscale in the original.
-Bob G.
Hi Bob:
I tend not to shoot both. I find that if I’m in the b&w frame of mind, I don’t really see colour images, and vice versa. (Perhaps my imagination is just too limited.) Though sometimes — often years later, I look at a colour image and it seems better to me in b&w and then I do the conversion.
Gary
My father bought his Isolette II 75mm f/3.5 camera in 1950. I was 4 years old at the time. When I was around 10 I was fascinated watching my father adjust the settings on his camera. He was quite good at photography. He built up a collection of albums, which he illustrated, something like a story book. When I was 14 he introduced me to his camera and showed around the various settings. He gave a Kodak 66 Mark III for my 17th. birthday in 1963. Sadly he died suddenly at the age of 56 in 1975. I lived some distance from my parents, but my sister lived nearby and “grabbed” his camera,which her children damaged. I lusted after that Agfa, and by chance I bought off Esty as fully working, but that wasn’t the case. The front focusing ring was stuck (the old solid lub grease). I had a camera repair man give the camera a good service. It produces really great photos. I buy my film from a camera shop in Dublin City, who in turn develop the film, scan it and send the scans back to me. I am building up a library of developed films. Actually, film is on the rise again. I know of a lot of photographers who have gone back to film, or who have taken it up.
Thanks for that story Kevin — a most enjoyable read. Given that preserving memories one of the most important roles photography plays in our lives, it rather makes sense that the devices we use to record those memories hold memories themselves. I have a folder from my own father (described here) that I too cherish, although the Agfa is better.
Gary
Mirror lock up will block viewfinder stray light leak. Generally, better cameras that don’t have lock up might have the viewfinder blind.
Nice shot. I didn’t have great luck with the one roll of supposedly cold-stored Sensia 100 that I used, so nice to see a good image with this expired stock.
Thanks. However, I should point out that the film was fresh stock when I shot it a few years ago. I generally don’t bother with expired film.
Gary
Beautiful
Thank you for the helpful p&s wide angle information. I wonder if any of your readers have tested the lens quality between the Minolta Explorer/Riva 70w vs 75w?
i.e. the 28-70 vs 28-75.
The 28-70mm version of the Minolta Freedom Explorer / Riva 70W? has the 28-50-70 focal lengths printed on the lens barrel. My 28-75mm version does not have this feature.
What lovely color you captured in that sky!
Thanks Jim!
My wife just found my old OM10, bought in the UK around 1982. Unused for years after buying various DLSRs. Great article reminding me of the time I used to take getting the shot, not to waste the film. Now have thousands of prints to scan into the PC but many are so good to see again. DSLR certainly reduced the stress but maybe also the quality of the results. However, I would not go back to film. Apart from the cost, the sheer convenience of now having digital always in my pocket with my iPhone makes going back not a serious consideration. Great to reminisce though.
Hi Gary, after so many years I found this interesting article.
You said “reversing Redscale film won’t get you regular colour film, as one might expect. (I know, because I tried and it didn’t make any difference.)”
It is very uncommon to reverse again this film but wonder how were your results? If you could show me or if you write such un article it will be much appreciated by Lomo community and film lovers.
All the best!
Catalin
A note from my experience. 500 Elm are easier without a tripod as the electric release is softer than the mechanic release of a 500 cm. Anyway it s always sharper when supported by a tripod or anything you may use ( wall, railing, car..)
Gary, nice work to get this excellent camera to work again. The “35” S must be the forerunner to their terrific Ricoh 500 (2.8, 1/500 top speed). The 35 series used a 3.5 lens while the “35” S used the newest 2.8 lens. Ricoh lenses are still some of the best 35mm lenses – and pricey today. Ricoh stopped making camera lenses and became the very best ($$$) office copiers – there’s their lenses again. Got my very first 35mm camera, the Ricoh 500, with I was 14. And am still using these cameras. We carried these cameras around in their bottom case so that’s why so many of them LOOK nice today. Straps connected to the case. Price of the 500 in 1957: $49.95. EXPENSIVE back then.
Did you find that you can fix stuck shutters, etc. thru the top cover? Any photos of your efforts? A parts manual would be priceless!
Thank you …
Hi Gary:
Typical of such cameras, you have to get at the shutter mechanism through the front of the lens, though if I remember correctly the whole front lens/shutter comes off as a single assembly. It’s been a while, but if remember correctly there was a lot of disassembly required to get at the shutter blades and clean them properly. But it is a nice camera and operates almost silently.
Gary
Talented, you are !
I was never able to compose a decent image of sunflowers.
Gosh, thanks. I still believe there’s a better composition to be had though. Not sure what it looks like just yet…
Gary
In response to Tom above, your story sounds incredibly similar to mine this weekend! I bought my OM-10 on Tottenham Court Road in London in 1983. It was an (excellent!) emergency replacement for my Minolta XG7, whose shutter had broken while taking my first shot inside the Palm House at Kew Gardens: the Palm House had been emptied of plants for maintenance, and I was a young architecture student on my way to a term in Rome, so you can imagine my anger at missing this opportunity to snap pictures of the iron and glass work at Kew without those pesky plants around! My OM-10 travelled with me everywhere after that: never an issue, always comfortable. Anyways, yes, moved on to digital, and I now rely solely on my iPhone for snap shots. Just like Tom! I suppose neither of us is very original! 🙂 But the feel of the OM-10’s shutter clicking in my hands this weekend brings back great memories!!
I have owned 2 of these and think that they are among the sharpest lenses of any point and shoots that I have used. It was a notable camera when introduced. (Smallest and lightest AF camera at it’s introduction in 1993). AE is spot on and I have produced very good transparencies. The macro feature is also notable. Not really that common and it works pretty well.
Is it necessary to use the optic finder when using the 80mm lens?
I have one of these. I originally got it for my teenage son around 2004 (it cost about $130 at the time), but within a couple of years he wanted a digital camera, and the Epic reverted to me. It became my “second camera loaded with color film”, being carried along with my assorted Minox, Nikon, and OM cameras mainly loaded with b/w.
It’s a great little shooter, truly pocketable and capable of fine images… but I also take issue with its exposure programming that favors wider apertures over slower speeds. It sometimes fails for sharpness. And there are some other quirks – like having to turn off the automatic flash every time you open the camera, and how it runs the film “backwards” so the edge numbers are upside down.
But you have to like that fixed 35mm/2.8 lens. Especially, if like me, you’re not a 50mm-POV fan and much prefer using fast 35 lenses on your other 35mm cameras.
(Years earlier, I had another point and shoot with an even better 35mm/2.8 lens, the Nikon OneTouch [aka LF35AF2]. Although it was larger and less advanced [early 80s design], it produced really beautiful images… and only rarely made exposure or focus errors. And it ran on cheap/ubiquitous AA batteries! I don’t understand why the fixed-lens OneTouch isn’t just as revered/popular as the Stylus Epic now.)
In the early 80s, my sister had an OM10 with Zuiko 50/1.8, 28/2.8, and 135/3.5 lenses, and I always enjoyed using them. I actually sold her whole kit through a local app a couple of years ago – it was still working fine – someone got it at a steal at $50.
Regarding the lack of manual shutter speeds: if you truly understand how exposure works, it’s really easy to control both speed and aperture. When you’re shooting and you decide that the speed is more important than the aperture for a given shot… you just set the aperture until the meter sets that speed. Conversely, if the aperture is more important, set it for that and don’t worry about the speed (unless it’s too slow to handhold).
I ultimately bought myself Olympus’ follow-up camera, the OM-G (aka OM20), which was essentially the same with a couple of added tweaks, notably built-in manual shutter speed control without requiring the OM10’s Manual Adapter. (If you find a working OM-G/OM20, jump on it!) A few years later, a friend who worked in a camera shop GAVE ME an OM-2n and a Zuiko 24/2.8 someone had brought in!
Now mind you, I’m an old pre-AI Nikon guy – my parents were pros and I grew up on Nikons and Nikkormats – and I still shoot with that wonderful gear. But besides being lighter/smaller and ergonomically delightful, the OM cameras and Zuiko lenses are really fabulous shooters. The OM-2’s light meter on Auto produces entire rolls of perfectly exposed shots… I never even bother using its match-needle Manual mode.
The Zuiko OM lenses I use the most are the 35/2 and the fantastic 100/2.8. I can’t recommend that lens enough, it’s very similar to the justly famous Nikkor 105/2.5 (I’ve been using one of those since the 60s!)… but so much smaller and lighter.
For the record, I also have an Olympus Stylus Epic point & shoot and a Pen F half-frame SLR. Both are great shooters. You gotta love these gorgeous little Olympus cameras!
Pentax / Takumar lens ?
I like images with lines, this one vertical / horizontal : thanks.
I’d say it’s very helpful. It really depends on how precise you want to be with your framing.
Gary
Yes indeed. Best thing about the Chinons is that they’re an excellent platform for those nice Pentax lenses.
Gary
I like the silhouetted figures in front of the high key water spout. Good bxw technique.
Thanks!
Gary
Gary,
Thanks for your efforts. I was going to try the CineStill, but was hesitant because of several reasons, the least of it having a somewhat short lifespan if one doesn’t shoot many rolls. I also like your idea of shooting a roll for short snip testing of the chemicals.
Happy 2023! I love the one of Snæfellsnes Peninsula, the stark white house in such contrast to everything else.
Thanks Shawn!
Nice tonal control over several film stocks, Gary. You said you use mostly Ilford XP2 Super 400, which is chromagenic, is that because you develop color using CineStill and do both color and B&W?
Hi Gary,
Very nice tonality and composition across the use of various film stocks and cameras. Successful 2022 for sure!
You mention the use of Ilford XP2 Super 400… is that because you use CineStill C-41?
Not really that Bob since I actually prefer regular b&w chemistry. I mostly like its tonality in the darkroom and the way it renders bright areas so nicely. It’s a lovely film. It’s also handy that it can be scanned with IR dust/scratch removal engaged.
Gary,
Amazing detail…
What developer do you use with XP2 Super 400?
Nothing special — just the usual CineStill C-41 chemistry.
Gary
Hi Gary,
Very interesting posts. I just bought a Ricoh “35” S at the Boroichi Market in Tokyo. Sold as is for about $37. It looks to be in good shape with the original leather case, even though I just liked it as an object with solid precise construction. Shutter and controls seem to operate with no sticking. When I got it home I figured out how to open the back and discovered a roll of kodak 400 inside, I assume with exposed images. I began to think it may be a working camera. I’ve never tried to disassemble a camera to clean it but after seeing your posts I am emboldened to see if it can get it to reasonable working condition. The images you show are beautiful. Assuming it’s working and just needs some tuning, are there any recommendations you have that don’t require complete disassembly and reassembly? Thanks in advance. Tom
Hi Tom:
If it seems to be working, I’d put a roll of film in it and take it for a spin. If it ain’t broken…
Gary
Striking and effective image. Thank you for sharing.
Gary,
Do use yellow filters with the XP2 Super?
Sometimes. Not with this shot though.
Gary
I have been working with my Retina IIIC this year in order to make a decision on whether or not I will keep it. Chris did a complete overhaul on mine back in 2021 so the camera itself works perfectly but I have never settled in after it returned and used it consistently enough to give it a real chance to fit into my personal workflow. For me the fact that is so compact and easy to carry around is a definite plus but I do not want to leave it sitting around to long so it loses the benefit of all the good work that Chris put into it. We’ll see. I will work with it exclusively over the next three or four months and see how I get along with it.
Love your works, Gary. I came across your site when I was searching information for the Chinon CP-5 (the one without the spot meter). I bought a fully working one mainly for its lens to be used on a recently repaired and restored Pentax MX.
I too like film photography, from 35mm to 4×5, mostly in black and white. Coincidentally, I am also a long-time stargazer though in the realm of astrophotography, I know nothing but using my smartphone to shoot through the eyepiece. Look forward see more of your works!
Thank you Davis. Most of my astronomical photography has been digital, but I did shoot some Milky Way photos with my Hasselblad. One of those is posted here: https://filmadvance.com/2012/10/a-million-stars-each-one-a-sun/
I always got good results with mine, so I’m expecting you’ll be well pleased if you give it a chance. Good luck!
Wow! Medium format wide field astrophotography, a 20 minutes “fight” against reciprocity failure. I guess that requires a rock solid mount and precise guiding.
I myself is into making “cheap” gears usable. If you are interested, you can take a look of: https://frugalstargazer.wordpress.com/
Not really — wide-field is pretty forgiving of tracking errors. And the beauty of Acros 100 is its amazing reciprocity characteristics.
Gary – That’s a great image with Acros 100 with your Hasselblad. I did an interesting Q&A with a leading film astrophotographer about wide-field Milky Way shots with a medium-format camera and Acros 100. Link here:
https://cosmicpursuits.com/3471/milky-way-photography-on-medium-format-film-q-and-a-with-james-cormier/
It’s not a pastime for everyone, but his images do have a lovely analog look. I must confess that film-by-day and digital-by-night works best for my limited schedule!
Thanks Brian — I enjoyed that interview. There will always be something of E.E. Barnard in b&w Milky Way shots.
Gary
Great image Gary. I love the contrast between the star clouds and dark nebulae. Do you still shoot with the Hassy?
Hi Brian:
Thanks!
Yes, the Hassy and I are still good friends, though I tend to reserve it for dedicated outings. I even use it for travel from time to time:
https://filmadvance.com/2015/05/the-hasselblad-travel-camera/
Gary,
Great shot from your other career! How is it there’s no star tracks at 20 min? Motorized tripod or just shooting larger negative?
Thanks Bob. Yes, I used a tracking mount to compensate for Earth’s rotation. Without that, you’re quite correct — the stars would be mere streaks across the frame.
Gary
Great article on garden shed chemistry test. Thank you ~
You continue to put out excellent work. Be curious to know if you have used the Fuji G45 models, and if so, your opinion.
Hi Wesley:
I have a Fuji GA 645 which I use from time to time. (I’m thinking that’s the model you’re asking about?) It’s a tremendously capable camera and has a superb lens. I’d probably use it more often, but I have other 120 film options that I reach for more often when the moods strikes. I might let the camera go at some point since it really should see more use. I’ll have to ponder that.
Thanks for the kind comment!
Gary
Hi Gary,
Great shot… how do you power your ECR? I hear it takes a strange combination of batteries to make it work…
I use a pair of hearing-aid batteries in one chamber and stuff a bunch of aluminum foil in the other to complete the circuit. A couple of wraps of thin cardboard keeps the batteries centered.
Hi film camera people..
I’ve using a couple of C35’s over the passed couple of years. I have both the rangefinder and zone focus versions (C35V). They work really well and have performed for me better than some more complicated SLR setups I have (more than likely down to human error).
When it comes to batteries. I use a +675 cochlear implant battery (Amazon purchase). Any camera that originally used a mercury 1.35v cell. They work really well and cheap enough too.
Remember though, the C35 as with many other cameras manufactured around 60s/70s had no on/off button for the meter except for replacing the lens cap. So if you plan to shoot on a sunny day, try and keep the lens cap in place to help the battery/meter and protect the lens.
Definitely recommended.
Hi All,
If you want the smaller version, get the Yashica 35 GX. One super cool sexy rangefinder.
If you want to go even smaller and don’t mind zone focus and F2.8, get the Yashica 35 MC. Same great autoexposure but super small.
Have fun.
Yes, that is it. I totally botched the model name. It is the vertical format with the protective bar around the lens. Looking to get a very clean one for $700.
Mine is the other one that doesn’t have that bar (or the bellows) — the GA645 Professional. I’m not sure what the other differences are to be honest. I suspect they’d perform very similarly.
Hi
I just found this camera my mom got it from my Opa tbh I got no idea what anything you said means. Just wondering what kind of film you’d recommend for it? Don’t know if anyone will respond after 6 years but oh well.
Pretty much any 35mm film should work fine if the camera is in good working order. If it’s been sitting unused for a long time though, it’s probably the case that the shutter will be a bit sluggish, so test it out without film first.
Harmony.
I’ll say no more.
JFB
Captures the mood well!
That’s right lovely!
Bloody hell Gary (excuse me, sorry), you must be right pleased with that. Holga and all…
Beautiful composition.
The Holga is an interesting camera. Most of the time I feel I’m fighting its shortcomings and don’t like what I get — and then once in a while you’ll get a real gem or two out of it. Like this one and the previous one.
I just picked up a beautiful copy at a flea market, complete with intact leather case. It’s a camera that’s been on my “list”. so I’m pleased to get it. I’ll do a cleaning and run a roll through it! Do you know the filter size? It’s seems to measure 33 or 34mm.
Congrats John. I don’t know the answer to your filter question. If you find out, let me know!
Thank you Kenneth Dodds!
As you said, Such a simple cause, but so much frustration!
Gary,
Nice detail. Any more info on the Nettar used? Did you use any filters? It looks like you’ve cropped it from one of the three film formats those cameras came in?
Hi Bob:
I shot it in 6×6 and then cropped it later. I didn’t use any filters, though this is a b&w conversion from a colour negative.
Do you choose to shoot color film and convert to black and white? If so, why do you do that?
Yes, some images just look better in b&w than in colour. Shooting in colour also gives me the option of (in effect) applying colour filter effects after the fact by choosing which channel (red, green, or blue) to emphasize. In this particular picture, I mostly used the red channel, which does a nice job of rendering the sea and sky quite dark, just as using a red filter with b&w film would.
Lovely shot, Gary.
Thanks Dmitri.
Hi Gary. Robert in Bradbury NSW here. The Continamatic 111 was my first camera at age 15 – lost it, a Contaflex and a Jenaflex in a robbery in ’90. Know anywhere I could get a reliable working copy of any of the above? I shoot Canon digital these days but the old film bug still bites occasionally . The Contina went everywhere with me including the Calgary winter games in ’88. Having been “trained” on the Contina my usual mode of operation is aperture priority – funny about that. Lovely article and pics on the Contina.
Regards
Robert Davis.
Hi Gary. Robert again. Put wrong email on the last comments. Please use th one below. Any others wish to reply use the address below as well. Thanks all.
Hi I just got this camera. I was just wondering if you can attach a flag to this camera. If so what kind of flash will work for this camera . Thanks
A cracking image, Mr. Seronik :). Also, OOC, I just got some snaps at the Bryan Adams concert this past Monday (Sept 11th) and was wondering, once I’ve finished the roll, where I might get this roll of colour film processed, locally? If you know of a spot, would you, please, email me the name of the location .. jack_simpson@mac.com
Cheers,
Jack Simpson
Hi Gary, just recently purchased one of these (in the year 2023!) and came across your blog post. My plans are similar to yours in that I intend to use this as my “take everywhere” camera where my SLR is too much. Great review of this camera and I am feeling assured that this purchase will bring joy for years to come.
That’s really nice, and I’m pleased to find it comes from a semi-humble Brownie. Semi-humble as this particular Brownie (like my similar Brownie Starmatic) has a multi-element lens.
Wow! For a moment I thought this was a painting. Beautiful!
Square format = perfection !
Pentax camera + lens + good film = perfect weapon for a nice picture composition !
I’m blown away that your Starmeter did this! If you had said Autocord or Yashica-D I would not have questioned it.
Quiétude et harmonie.
Alas, 10 years after you wrote this article, I’m just reading it… I bought this camera back in the day, sure it was £99. Alas the diopter viewfinder stopped moving, I don’t know how you fix that without taking it all apart.. I barely used it after that, or even before, but thought I’d give it another go after all these years. Wish I could fix it..
amazing picture and beautiful place thank you for creating this article
Perfect composition.
How do you create these time warp photos? It almost looks like a slow-moving-slit with intentional camera movement, but that seems unlikely with the Starmeter. Very nice effect — and you make very nice photos with the Starmeter, overall!
Gary,
That spot isn’t too far from the recent lava eruption on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula?
-Bob
Nice! I always have trouble taking photos in forests like this, they generally lack this kind of coherence. This one works well.
Nice to see some colour in the middle of winter. I recently tried some Fujicolor c200 and was pleasantly surprised by the results (and price). It like lots of light but returns natural colours and great contrast. I’ve heard it’s the same as Kodak Gold 200 but not sure this is true…
In your review of this camera in 2019, you said you sent it back for a refund. Did you get another one you’re using now, or is this a photo from prior shooting?
Superb image. I also like / love this film from Ilford.
See https://jfbonninlogbook.blog/objectif-rikenon-f3-8-de-21-mm-monture-m42/
Nice Sunday !
Great review. I’ve recently bought a “not used for a long time” 35 MF. The light seals have deteriorated. Are there any bespoke pre-cut replacement light seals out there or will I have to cut them myself from a “universal” kit?
Hi. The button battery for the camera was a 1.3v mercury type which is now no longer available. Whats the replacement that people are using please? I’d read that the alternative 1.5v button batteries aren’t compatible. Thanks.
Interesting that not every airport, recent trip from Australia – Europe (Singapore – Germany – Sweden – Austria – Bosnia & Herzegovina – Austria – Switzerland – Singapore – Australia, which by the way is way too much air travel) allowed for hand checking of 35mm due to canisters and insisted on scanning. Previous trips had seen my medium format roll film hand checked and squeezed by security causing fogging down both sides of about half of the frames. I have come to the opinion that the best way to air travel is to buy and develop film in the country of travel or just accept digital as a better flying medium.
I bought another one. Not the best sequence of decisions I ever made.
I think you’re thinking of the ongoing eruption Reykjanes peninsula, which is quite some distance from this spot.
I wish I could say I was being deliberate and clever, but, alas, it was a matter of some poorly re-spooled film kinking inside the camera.
It’s a surprisingly capable camera. It’s biggest drawback is that it uses 127 film.
I’m sure London Drugs still handles C41 colour. (I develop my own because I’m cheap and lazy.)
Perfect composition !
Dramatic!
Thanks Jim!
Hi Gary – Great image with the Brownie Starmeter. But where do you get Kodak Ektar in 127 format? Did you somehow convert a roll of 120?
Hi Brian:
I cut 120 roll down to size. It hurts my heart to do it, but there’s no other way!
Gary
It s essential to have no one around.
Yes, but the lighting is probably even more essential. Both are difficult to predict/control though. It seems there are fewer and fewer places in the world that aren’t well-known crowd magnets.
Perfect frame.
Thanks Jean-Francois!
When I saw my Retina IIIc in a pond shop with all the beautifully machined dials and shutter, and of course, the feel in my hands… it was a must buy. Then like you I found out about Chris Sherlock and sent it to him for servicing. Again, like your Retina, the shutter was slow and sticky. It was returned fairly quickly and operates perfectly. I’ve shot both film and digital for too many years to count and it isn’t always the first camera I pick up for a trip, but when it’s film, its my IIIc or an older 120mm film camera. Since most of my photos with it are sunny 16, landscapes, settings aren’t a large problem. Btw; It’s been 6-months on the shelf with film inside, so I decided to get out and shoot a few rolls. Also I’m changing it up soon with an 80mm lens ordered today. : )
Superb.
Thanks Jean-François — you’re very kind indeed.
Perhaps try this … http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Konica_Lexio_70
I used this camera,in the year 1978/79 and was quite satisfied,very sharp lenses.I loved it.
Harmony (your composition).
Gorgeous composition.
Thanks. It took three tries, but I got it in the end.
Gary,
Do you develop your own Ilford XP2? You seem to use it a lot.
Yes, in C-41 chemistry. It’s easy. And XP2 is wonderfully versatile film.
Gary
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I have one of these I bought new a “few” years ago. It was a great vacation camera, being small & light enough to slip into a coat pocket and able to take very good photos. This was of course long before the now ubiquitous phone camera was even an idea. Recently I pulled this little camera out of my camera closet and loaded it with a fresh battery and film. The camera has a shortcoming which is an ironic testament to just how good this little camera is…the calendar in the date function is decades short of where we are now.
Have a nice 2025 !
I have two of these Argus a-fours, and they are in great shape, and everything seems to work well, UNTIL I put film in them. I follow the directions, but the frame/picture counter won’t work, and I can advance the film but the shutter will work sometimes, and not at others. It looks like it is the little wheel inside that puts sprockets up through the film holes. It seems to be sluggish. I have oiled it, and it will turn, but not easily. Any suggestions on how I can get this camera to work properly? Is this issue common with these cameras? When I can take a photo, and have the film developed, the photos seem to come out fine, but it is “hit-and-miss” getting the shutter to always work. The shutter works fine when I test it without film in the camera. Very frustrating.
Composition parfaite !
Thanks Jean-François!
Très beau cadrage.
Merci beaucoup Jean-François!
I like this composition.
Nice shot of sleeping vineyards, Gary. And that little XA2 is a gem of a camera, one of my favourites!
Thanks Brian!
Great !
Nice image you made